Last Wartime rank:
Colonel

Unit(s):
Commanding Officer
56th Fighter Group
8th Air Force

HQ VIII Fighter Command

Theatre(s): ETO

Born:
December 15, 1919
Leavenworth, Kansas

School:
Dartmouth College
New Hampshire

 Victories:
AIR: 22.5
All of Schilling's victories were against Bf 109 and Fw 190 single-engined fighters excepting one Me 110 and one Me 410 twin-engined destroyers. Schilling had 5 air victories in one mission, downing 2 Bf 109s and 3 Fw 190s on December 23, 1944 plus multiple victories on four other missions.

GROUND: 10.5

Total Sorties: 132
Strike Rate: 5.86

Decorations:
Distingushed Service Cross w OLC
Silver Star with 2 OLC
Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 OLC
Air Medal with (?) OLC
British DFC
Croix de Guerre

   Assigned Combat Aircraft:
P-47-C1-RE, LM*S, SN (?)

P-47D-1-RE, LM*S
SN: 42-7938
"Hairless Joe" received as a presentation aircraft HEWLETT-WOODMERE, LONG ISLAND

P-47D-11-RE, LM*S
SN: 42-75231
"WHACK! - Hairless Joe"

P-47D-25-RE, LM*S
SN: 42-26641
"Hairless Joe"

P-47M-1-RE, LM*S
SN: 44-21125
"Hairless Joe"

SERVICE:
Enlisted USAAC and accepted for pilot training, 1939.
Commissioned 2/Lt. in Air Reserves, May 1940.
8th Pursuit Gp. at Langley, Virginia and later Mitchel Field, New York.
56th FG at Charlotte AB, North Carolina, June 1941.
To Europe with 62nd FS/56th FG, Jan. 1943.
Promoted to Major, C.O. 62nd FS/56th FG.
Group Executive Officer, August 1943. Promoted to Lt. Colonel.
Acting C.O. 56th FG, Jan. 11-19, 1944.
Group C.O., Aug. 12,1944 - Jan. 27, 1945.
Executive Officer 65th FW/8th AF later Asst. to the Director of Intelligence, 8th AF.
Returned to USA and later C.O. of Post-War 56th FG.
Brought the 56th FG's P-80 jet fighters to the UK on the first USAF Trans-Atlantic Jet Flight, July 1948.
Staff Officer HQ VIII AF, 1956.
Killed in auto accident at Eriswell, Suffolk, England on Aug. 14, 1956.
   
Sources:
Artwork by Rocky Gooch.