As Eastern Illinois celebrates Black History Month, so to does EIU athletics look back at the contributions of former student-athletes. Charles Hall was a former EIU football and track athlete who earned a name for himself as a fighter pilot in World War II as he was the first African-American fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
The following article was written in 1985 by Harry Read, former Eastern Illinois Director of Information. It is being published for the first time on the internet with Mr. Read's permission.
The terse communiqué was issued at Allied headquarters in North Africa and dated July 3, 1943:
“Yesterday B-25 Mitchells of the Tactical Air Force attacked the Castelventrano airfield in Sicily. Our enemy fighter was shot down by one of the P-40 Warhawks escorting the bombers. All of our planes returned safely.”
Painted on one side of that Allison-powered P-40s nose was 'Maxine'. On the other side was 'Knobby II'. In the cockpit of the Warhawk, one of America's topline fighters when WWII began, was First Lt. Charles Blakely Hall, 22, of Brazil, IN.
He was the first black man to shoot down an enemy plane. He was also a former EIU football player and track sprinter before the war.
In a newspaper interview, Hall told what happened:
“I saw two Fock-Wulfs following the Mitchells just after their bombs were dropped. I headed for the space between the fighters and the bombers and managed to turn inside the Jerries.
“I fired a long burst and saw my tracers penetrate the second aircraft. He was turning to the left but suddenly fell off and headed straight into the ground. I followed him down and saw him crash. He raised a big cloud of dust.”
The young officer was flying with the 99th Fighter Squadron, an all black unit trained at Tuskegee (AL) Army Air Field near the noted Tuskegee Institute. The names on the Warhawk were in honor his wife, Maxine, and his crew chief, Staff Sgt. William Cyrus Hall (no relation) who carried the nickname 'Knobby'.
News reports at the time say the first Maxine-Knobby “was worn out in advanced training during the squadron's first month in Africa.”
Hall enrolled at Eastern in the fall quarter, 1938. He was on the football team and described by the yearbook as a “fast and flashy freshman.” Coached by Harold Ave, EIU was 5-3 that year.
During Hall's sophomore year, the team was quarterbacked by Merv Baker, now athletic director at Charleston High School. Baker remembers Hall as a “dependable football player and a real nice guy.”
In 1939 the Panthers compiled a 4-3-1 mark. Also in 1939, Hall earned a letter on the track team.
While a student, Hall was employed by Walt Warmoth in The Little Campus, a popular restaurant among students.
Hall withdrew during spring quarter 1941 to enlist in the Army. He was accepted for aviation cadet training and was commissioned with the fourth class that graduated from Tuskegee on June 3, 1942.
Now shift the scene to Anzio where one of the responsibilities of the 99th (now based in Italy, moving from North Africa) was to protect the allied beachhead against German counter attack through aerial combat and ground support.
Pick up the story from the citation that accompanied Hall's Distinguished Flying Cross: '12th Air Force – Charles B. Hall, Captain, Air Corps -79th Fighter Group (the 99th was an element of the Group).
“For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as pilot of a P-40 type aircraft
“On 28 January 1944, while leading an eight plane patrol over Anzio, Italy, Captain Hall sighted six FW-190s and ME-109s preparing to strafe Allied ground troops. Attacking so aggressively that he completely disorganized the enemy formation, Captain Hall shot down two enemy aircraft. On many missions throughout the Sicilian and Italian campaigns, his steadfast devotion to duty and outstanding efficiency as a combat pilot has reflected great credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States.”
General Dwight Eisenhower came to the base to congratulate Hall after the double victory.
In terse, factual language, Hall described the flight:
“I intercepted a Messerschmitt flying on the deck, very low. I gave it a couple of bursts (the P-40 was armed six 50 calibre machine guns) and saw it crash and burn. I turned over and saw the Focke-Wullf and gave it three bursts. It did the same thing.”
And here's how the squadron's official battle report for the month of January described the action:
“Another important day was the 28th of January, 1944. On the morning of the 28th, Captain Charles B. Hall, whose formation was patrolling the assault area, sighted seven plus enemy aircraft approaching our shipping from the north. Our formation at 5000 feet dove on the enemy as he turned away.
“One M.E. 109 was shot down by Capt. Hall by a 15 degree deflection shot closing in at 300 yards. The M.E. was on deck and burst into flames crashing on the ground. Capt. Hall caught an FW-190 firing dead astern closing in at 200 yards with short bursts. The FW-190 went into the ground.”
A number of times in newspaper interviews Hall mentioned his fondness for the P-40. The craft was extremely durable. The Allison engine developed 1150 horsepower. Maximum speed was 362 MPH and the cruising speed was 235 MPH. The Warhawk had a range of 850 miles and service ceiling of 30,000 feet. Fro a period of time the 99th dive bombed German positions at Anzio. For this purpose, the Warhawk could carry 700 pounds of bombs. Cost? $45,000.
The 99th shipped from Camp Shanks, NY, April 15, 1943 and arrive din North Africa on April 24. Twenty seven new P-40s had been ferried in “and all of us experienced the thrill of flying brand new airplanes.”
Another 'first' came to Charley Hall on June 2 when the 99th drew its first combat assignment. The order came down: a strafing mission against the heavily fortified island of Pantelleria.
Skipper of the 99th, Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. selected Hall and Lt. William Campbell for that first action. After a briefing, the two men took off, Hall in the lead. They carried out the strafing but no enemy planes were sighted.
Later in 1944, Hall was rotated home after flying 87 sorties. He joined other servicemen on a 105 day bond selling tour and was honored in Washington, New York's Madison Square Garden, by the Chicago Urban League at a luncheon at the LaSalle Hotel and in Terre Haute, IN.
Hall was separated from military service in 1946 with the rank of major. Following that, he worked for an insurance company and managed a drug store in Oklahoma City. Hall was later employed for several years in production control at Tinker Field, Oklahoma City. In 1967 he joined the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Maintenance Center.
Hall was the only member selected from outside the FAA to joined the Maintenance Analysis Center, being “ticketed over” from Tinker Field. He was described by the acting chief of MAC as “first class wingman”.
Charles Blakely Hall died in Oklahoma City on November 23, 1971.
On October 26, 1978, his memory was honored with the dedication of a plaque at the Ralph Ellison Library, Oklahoma City. An Air Force honor guard participated in the ceremony.
Under the date of December 21, 1943, Hall wrote a letter to Charleston residents. Here are the excerpts:
“Up in the blue it doesn't make any difference where you come from, what color you are, etc. I can appreciate the land, sea, engineers, cooks, nurses, Red Cross, tanks, defense workers, people buying bonds and a thousand and one other things. I look at them and say this is worth fighting for
“Over here (Italy) one learns to appreciate the small things, the things which used to seem unimportant. I've seen a lot of men go down on both sides. We get to know each other like brothers. It hurts us but we must carry on and we will.
“I've been very lucky. I know that is through prayer and luck that I have made it so far. I realize more each day that there is unity through strength.
“Pray for us all.”
