Frederick Walker Castle
Frederick Walker Castle (October 14, 1908–December 24, 1944) was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.Castle settled with his family in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, after World War I, and he attended Boonton High School and Storm King Military Academy.Sperry was a military-related industry, and its work in developing both electrically powered gun turrets for bombers and the Norden bombsight brought him to the attention of his godfather, General Arnold, by then the Chief of the United States Army Air Corps.Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Brigadier General Ira Eaker was made head of the prospective heavy bomber force slated to be stationed in England.Eaker had General Arnold recall Castle to duty as a captain on January 19, 1942, to be assigned to organizing bases and supply depots for the new Eighth Air Force.On June 19, 1943, Castle was given command of the 94th Bomb Group at Rougham (Bury St. Edmunds), and while the morale crisis in the 94th was not as severe, the situation was very similar to one earlier that year in which Colonel Frank A. Armstrong had taken command of the 306th Bomb Group (a situation which was the basis for the book, film, television series and comic book Twelve O'Clock High).Nazi Germany launched its Ardennes Offensive, known more familiarly as the "Battle of the Bulge", on December 16, choosing a week of particularly bad weather to disrupt superior Allied airpower.On December 23, the weather began to clear and the next day the largest U.S. air strike operation of the war was launched from England, comprising 2,046 heavy bombers and 853 fighters.The pilot was observed in the nose of the airplane hooking on his parachute, with Castle still at the controls, when the fuel tank in the burning right wing exploded, putting the B-17 into a spin from which it did not recover, crashing near Hods, Belgium.His lagging, unescorted aircraft became the target of numerous enemy fighters which ripped the left wing with cannon shells, set the oxygen system afire, and wounded 2 members of the crew.
Grave of Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle in the American Military Cemetery of Hombourg (Henri-Chapelle), province of Liège, Belgium. Grave location: D13/53.
Frederick Castle (footballer)Fort William McKinleyTaguigBelgiumHenri-Chapelle American Cemetery and MemorialUnited States of AmericaUnited States Army Air ForcesBrigadier General94th Bombardment Group4th Combat Bombardment WingWorld War IIMedal of HonorSilver StarLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir MedalCroix de GuerreLegion of HonorOrder of Kutuzov Third ClassU.S. Army Air Forceskilled in actionGuy W. S. CastlePhilippinesWest PointgodsonHenry H. "Hap" ArnoldGeneral of the ArmyGeneral of the Air ForceAttachéWorld War IMountain Lakes, New JerseyBoonton High SchoolStorm King Military AcademyNew Jersey National GuardCorps of EngineersMarch FieldKelly Field17th Pursuit SquadronSelfridge FieldMichiganCivilian Conservation CorpsAllied Chemical and Dye CorporationArmy ReserveSperry Gyroscope Companygun turretsNorden bombsightUnited States Army Air CorpsIra EakercaptainEighth Air ForceneutralPortugalcolonelB-17 Flying Fortressgroups94th Bomb GroupRoughamBury St. EdmundsFrank A. Armstrong306th Bomb GroupTwelve O'Clock HighFocke WulfOschersleben4th Combat Bomb WingBattle of the Bulge3d Air Division487th Bomb GroupRAF LavenhamBf 109AlliedHeinz BärHenri-Chapelleprovince of Liègeoak leaf clustersAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medalcampaign starsWorld War II Victory MedalLégion d'honneurFranceWWII Croix de GuerreVirtuti MilitariPolandUnion of Soviet Socialist RepublicsMerced, CaliforniaU.S. Air ForceCastle Air Force BaseStrategic Air CommandCastle Air MuseumAviation Hall of Fame of New JerseyAmelia EarhartCharles A. LindberghClyde PangbornFloyd BennettClarence Duncan ChamberlinWittemann brothersAnthony FokkerBernt BalchenJuan Terry TrippeBert Blanchard AcostaIvan R. GatesArthur GodfreyKay A. BrickEdwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr.Solomon AndrewsBoland brothersArthur Raymond BrooksCharles E. RosendahlGill Robb WilsonRobert Nietzel BuckKenneth Russell UngerLeo LoudenslagerThomas McGuireWalter M. "Wally" SchirraHerbert O. FisherRobert J. CollierMalcolm S. ForbesThor SolbergPaul E. GarberOliver George SimmonsKathryn Dwyer SullivanWilliam Halsey Jr.Ruth Rowland NicholsCharles Joseph Fletcher