Flight Leader Charles D Mott
No Photo Available | Flight Leader Charles D Mott
Charles D. Mott was one of the first Americans to join the Flying Tigers that battled the Japanese during World War II. A native of Powelton and a 1932 graduate of West Philadelphia High School, he had dreams as a young man of being a pilot. Charles D. Mott was studying for his bachelors degree in civil engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, he was in the Army ROTC. After graduating in 1936, he joined the Navy. He received his wings two years later and was assigned as an aircraft-carrier dive bomber pilot. He served three years in the Fleet as a Dive Bomber pilot of Bombing Three aboard carriers Ranger, Saratoga and Lexington. Charlie resigned from the Navy in June, 1941 and volunterred for the American Volunteer Group the Flying Tigers. After the 2nd Squadron was deployed to Rangoon in late December 1941, he flew experimental but ineffective missions against night attacks because close radar control was not available. The AVG then seized the initiative by attacking Japanese airfields in Thailand. While leading an attack on the airfield at Mesoht, Thailand, he was shot down by ground fire and captured, severely wounded. He was the first allied pilot to be captured in Asia. The Japanese let him recuperate from his wounds and tropical fevers and in July, 1942 put him in with British troops captured at Singapore. For three years he experienced the conditions in POW camps along the River Kwai railway and was repatriated at the end of the war. Charles D. Mott was recommissioned into the regular Navy and completed a Naval Aviator career of Lt. through Captain, specializing in ordnance and guided missiles. His Navy career included command of a four-engine squadron and operations officer of an attack carrier. He was the planning officer in the 7th Fleet, responsible for the joint China (Taiwan) resupply Quemoy during the 1958 incident and was honored by the Chinese with the Cloud and Banner Medal. He retired from the Navy in 1963. Flight Leader Charles D Mott died on July 29th 2004 of a stroke at home in Vienna, Va USA at the age of 89. |