World War II Pilot, 325th Fighter Group

Bartholemew J. Judge, Jr. was born 5 January 1918 in Scranton, PA to Bartholemew Sr. and Margaret Judge. He joined big sisters Mildred, 14 and Margaret, 2. The 1920 Census showed the family living in Lackawanna, PA where father Bart is a Manager at a Distributing Co. Big sister Margaret died 13 January 1923. The 1930 Census showed the family still in Lackawanna, but they own their home and a radio set. Father Bart is working as an Agent. Big sister Mildred is still at home, working as a school teacher. Bart’s parents divorce sometime before the 1940 Census. Bart attended the University of Scranton, he graduated 1939. He later attended George Washington University's Medial School in Washington, DC until he joined the Army Air Corp. No 1940 Census could be found for Bart.

Bart’s draft card, dated 16 October 1940 showed he is living with his mother in Milford, PA. He was 5’ 7”, weighed 157 with blue eyes and black hair. He drafted into the Army on 16 March 1941 at Ft. Bragg, NC. He was hospitalized for Pharyngitis for 6 days in April 1941 at Ft. Lee, Virginia. He has 4 years of college, single, without dependents, and listed Acting as his profession. His Army Service # 33022224. On 11 September 1941 he was with the 79th Field Artillery at Ft. Bragg when he was promoted to Corporal. Soon after his promotion, Corporal Judge was able to spend some leave time at home with his mother. He quickly qualifies for flight training, being assigned to Class 42-D. Primary Flight Training was at Pine Bluff School of Aviation in Pine Bluff Arkansas. Aviation Cadet Judge had a total of 70:15 flight time in Primary. Next was Basic Flight training at Goodfellow Field, Texas. He flew BT-13 airplanes. He flew 27:15 dual (with a flight trainer) and 43:00 solo. Advance Flight training was at Foster Field, Victoria, Texas from 26 February to 29 April 1942. Soon after arriving at Foster Field, the Adjacent was going through stacks of paperwork on newly arrived Cadets. Cadet Judge's form listed his former employment as "Directress of the School for Mentally Deficiency Children." Cadet Judge was called into the office where he explained he put his mother's occupation in error. He flew an additional 72:00 hours. He was Commissioned and awarded his wings on 29 April 1942. At this time, 2LT Judge had a total of 202:20 flight time while training. He was given a new Officer’s service # O-659719. Herky Green, who went on to become one of the top Aces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, was a classmate of Bert’s and both flew with the 325th Fighter Group. But first LT Judge was sent to the First Air Force in Boston, Massachusetts. On his way to his new duty station, he was able to visit family at home. He was assigned to Bradley Field, Windsor Locks, Connecticut for transition training into P-40s. He flew the P-40 for the first time on 15 May 1942. After this he was assigned to the 66th Pursuit Squadron, 57th Pursuit Group at Theodore Green Feild, Hillsgrove, Rhode Island. In May he flew a total of 8:25 in P-40s. In June LT Judge flew 20:30 in P-40s and 4:00 in Link trainers. In July the 57th shipped out for overseas deployment and many of its younger pilots were left behind and assigned to the 86th Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Group, and kept flying. He flew 46:25 in P-40s and 6:00 in Link trainers. August was a short month of flying, only 1-8 flown for a total of 16:55. LT Judge was a passenger in a BT-14, 40-1209, piloted by LT Barney E. Turner of Miami, Florida, that crashed 7 August in Stafford Springs, CT. Although both on board only received minor injuries, the plane was a total loss. This may explain no flying time later in August. Then another change of units. In September 1942 the 325th Fighter Group was being formed and trained at Hillgrove, RI. In September he flew 18:00 in P-40s plus 1:00 in a Link trainer. October was busier with 36:30 flight time, while November he had 28:30 flight time. On 29 November 1942 1LT Bart Judge announced his engagement to Jane Ann Kiley of Milford, PA. About this time, Bart with fellow pilots Zack Taylor and Herky Green decided to splurge and rent a suite at the Crown Hotel in nearby downtown Providence. This was a vast improvement over the temporary barracks they were assigned on base.

LT Judge was lost 22 DEC 1942 during a routine training flight over the Cape Cod area. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard all searched for him. He was eventually found on 23 March 1943 with the wreckage of his P-40 close to Falmouth, MA. Authorities were not able to determine the cause of the crash. He had a total of 394:50 flight time as a pilot. 1LT Judge was one of the first member of the 325th Fighter Group to be killed in the line of duty. He is buried at St. Catherin's Cemetery in Moscow, Pennsylvania.

In 1995, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association requested a copy of Bart's records. Letter in Gallery section. Reason for this was not apparent at time of writing.

To learn more about the 325th Fighter Group, please visit www.325th.org

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WW2 fallen here on Fold3. Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

References:

www.ancestry.com

www.fold3.com

www.newspapaers.com

Herky! Memoirs of a Checkertail Ace by Herschel H. Green

National Archives, St. Louis, MO

Bart J Judge