This Pilot Was The Luckiest Ace of WWII

Jack Ilfrey, the first American P-38 ace pilot of World War II, was known not only for his aerial skills but also for his incredible luck. Over the course of the war, Ilfrey found himself in several life-threatening situations but always managed to escape with his life, often in remarkable ways.

Out of Fuel in Portugal

While flying to North Africa, one of Ilfrey’s P-38 drop tanks malfunctioned, forcing him to make an emergency landing in Portugal, a neutral country during the war. Upon landing, Ilfrey was informed that, as per international law, he would be interned for the duration of the conflict. However, Ilfrey wasn’t ready to sit out the war just yet.

He managed to convince the Portuguese authorities to refuel his plane, but that wasn’t the end of his escape plan. When a Portuguese major asked Ilfrey to demonstrate the P-38’s capabilities, Ilfrey saw his opportunity. With the major standing on the wing, Ilfrey pushed the throttles forward, knocking the man off balance and giving him the time he needed to take off and escape.

Half a Wing Over Berlin

In 1944, Ilfrey and his squadron were caught in a fierce dogfight over Berlin. After successfully shooting down a German aircraft, disaster struck—Ilfrey’s P-38 collided with another plane, shearing five feet off one of his wings.

Most pilots wouldn’t have been able to recover, but Ilfrey’s skill and luck prevailed once again. He regained control of the plane and miraculously managed to limp back to England, flying with what was essentially half a wing.

A Lucky Escape

On another sortie, Ilfrey’s P-38 was hit by flak while attacking German trains. With his engines on fire and his altitude dropping rapidly, Jack faced certain death if he attempted to crash-land.

Deciding to bail out at the last possible moment, his parachute deployed just in time, and he landed on the roof of a building—barely escaping disaster.

Taken in by a French Family

After safely landing in occupied France, Ilfrey was taken in by a courageous French family. They hid his parachute, fed him, and provided him with a bike and fake identification papers.

Ilfrey assumed the identity of a deaf and mute farmer named Jacques Robert. Using the bike, he eventually made it to the Allied front lines and returned safely to England.