John Furge was born in 1924 in Tennessee, son of George Furge and Mary Francesca Georgina Leshiani.
2nd Lieutenant John Furge was assigned to the 46th Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group flying off of Iwo Jima. He died on 17 May 1945 and is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu, Hawaii.
With 16 aircrafts in a strafing mission to Atsugi A/F Honshy in Japan, just prior to leaving landsend, F/O Joseph P. Davis, was observed to be flying at an altitude of approximately 50 feet. This observation was the last seen of F/O Davis.
2nd Lt Furge was killed at 1500, 17 May 1945. Appriximately 35 miles southeast of Tokyo, Japan. Enroute to the home base Lt Furge of the 46th had to bail out in between the first and second ASR submarine just East of Hachijo. Furge was seen to drown by Lt Gordon of the 46th Squadron.
Crew members
Pilot, 2nd Lt John Furge
Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt Henry R. Peebles
F/O Joseph P. Davis Jr.
F/O Russell C. Dickens
The Bristol Herald Courier, 27 January 1946
Mrs. Mary Furge, 1408 Anderson street, was recently informed by the War Department, through a letter, that her son, Lt. John Furge of the Army Air Force, who was killed in action May 17, 1945 in a mission of Tokyo, has been posthumously awarded the Air Medal and one Oak Leaf Cluster. The decorations are to be presented to Mrs. Furge at 3 o’clock this afternoon at the Redeemer Lutheran church by Lieut. Colonel Walter L. Sherfey. The letter, received by Mrs. Furge, is as follows.
“I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal and one Oak Leaf Cluster, representing one additional award of the same decoration, have been posthumously awarded to your son., Lieutenant John Furge, U.S. Army Air Corps. The citations are as follows; “For meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. As a pilot of a P-51 Fighter type aircraft Lieutenant Furge, while participating in a mission against the Japanese Empire accomplished the mission successfully, and with distinction above that normally expected. The mission involved flight of more than 1500 miles over water where weather conditions were normally extremely poor, and where no intermediate bases existed. Despite the hazard of very long overwater flight in a single engine aircraft, the everpresent danger of heavy anti-aircraft gunfire and automatic weapons fire, the mission was successfully completed and contributed materially toward the elimination of the Japanese Air Force. Lieutenant Furge’s display of high professional skill and courage reflect great credit upon himself and the Army Air Force.” The decorations are to be presented to Lt. Furge’s mother. Lt. Furge had spent a total of 18 months overseas in the Pacific area at the time of his death.
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 1 August 1923
- Date of death: 17 May 1945
- County: Sullivan
- Hometown: Bristol
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 46th Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XVIII, Middle Panel
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