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Capt. Roberts New Commander of 99th

(Defender Washington Bureau)
WASHINGTON — Capt. George S. Roberts, of Fairmont, W. Va., was named last week as the new commanding officer of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, succeeding Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., who a few days after the announcement of Roberts'

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CAPT. GEORGE S. ROBERTS

promotion was back in the United States.
Lt. Col Davis is believed to have been recalled to this country for the purpose of heading up. the 332nd Fighter Group, soon to be graduated from training at Selfridge Field, Mich., air base. The 332nd, it is assumed, will soon be ready for overseas duty.
Captain Roberts was formerly operations officer and second in command of the 99th. He is regarded as one of the most capable airmen in the North African theatre and is considered a wise choice for the job of leading the unit in the coming stages of the fast-developing action on the continent.
Almost simultaneous with the announcement of the change in command came word that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower has approved decorations for 26 pilots of the 99th, all of whom are slated to receive the air medal, coveted army award for meritorious achievement against the enemy. Cited were:

Davis Among Group
Lt. Col. Davis and Capts. Lemuel Custis, Hartford, Conn.; Charles B. Hall, Brazil, Ind.; and George S. Roberts, the new commander
First Lts. Willie Ashley Jr., Sumter, S. C.; George R. Bolling, Phoebus, Va.; Sidney P. Brooks, Cleveland, Ohio; Samuel R. Bruce, Seattle, Wash.; William A. Campbell, Tuskegee, Ala.; Herbert E. Carter, Amory, Miss.; Herbert Clark, Cleveland, Ohio; Charles W. Dryden, New York City; Willie H. Fuller, Tarboro, N. C.; Clarence C. Jamison, Cleveland, Ohio.
First, Lts. James B Knighten, Tulsa, Okla.; Allen G. Lane, Demopolis, Ala.; Walter I. Lawson. Newton, Va.; Erwin B. Lawrence, Cleveland, Ohio; Paul. G Mitchell, Washington, D.C. (reported killed in action); Lewis R. Purnell, Germantown, Pa.; Lee Rayford, Washington, D. C.; Graham Smith, Ahoskie, N.C., and James T. Wiley, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Bids Flyers Farewell
Second Lts. Leon C. Roberts, Pritchard, Ala; John W. Rogers, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Spann Watson, Hackensack, N.J.
Summoned on September 1 to North African Air Force headquarters in Sicily, Lt. Col. Davis flew his own plane there and received the orders which sent him back to Washington. Returning to his own headquarters, he told the men of the transfer and shook each of them by hand. In simple words he expressed regret at having to leave and assured them 'It has been a great honor to have commanded such a unit."
A week before Lt. Col. Davis' switch, eight replacements arrived at the 99th base, having been flown there across the Atlantic. It was the first time in history that Negro army pilots have flown the Atlantic. While it is not generally known how they came, it is assumed the men ferried across by the Army Transport Command.

New Men Number 12
The new men to join the 99th are all second lieutenants. They are: Robert W. Deiz, 24. Portland, Ore.; Edward Driver, 21, Trenton, N.J.; Herman A. Lawson, 25, Marysville, Cal.; George T. McCrumby, 25, Fort Worth, Texas; Clarence B. Mills, 23, Durham N.C.; Henry B. Perry. 23, Thomasville, Ga.; Price D. Rice, 22, Montclair, N.J., and William H. Walker, 28, Carbondale, Ill.
The eight new arrivals bring the total of replacements to 12 for the outfit. Previously, four additions had been made, but these had arrived by water. They were: 2nd Lts. John A. Gibson, 23, of 3105 S. Parkway, Chicago; Howard L. Baugh, 23, Petersburg, Va.; Edward Toppins, 28, San Francisco Cal.; and John S. Morgan, Cartersville, Ga.
Official War Department announcement of the death in action of Lt. Paul G. Mitchell, of Washington, D. C., was couched in a terse communication, addressed to Mrs. Pauline G. Mitchell, his mother, at her home, 908 Howard Road, Southeast. The statement said that Lt. Mitchell died on August 11.

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