[Harold E. Comstock oral history interview (Part 1 of 2)]

In this two-part oral history, fighter ace Harold E. Comstock discusses his military service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. In part one, he describes his experiences as a fighter pilot and his time in Europe with the 63rd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group. Special focus on several of his combat missions, including one on December 23, 1944 in which he destroyed or damaged several Focke-Wulf Fw 190s; one on September 18, 1944 in which the 56th Fighter Group suffered heavy losses; and one in which he was rescued during a dogfight by Polish fighter ace Mike Gladych.

Harold E. Comstock was born on December 20, 1920 in Fresno, California. He joined the United States Army Forces in 1941 and graduated from flight school the following year. He served in Europe with the 63rd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group from 1942 to 1944. After completion of his second combat tour, he returned to the United States to command the 10th Fighter Squadron of the 50th Fighter Group. Comstock remained in the military after World War II, commanding the 389th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, the 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, and a transport command and control unit during the Vietnam War. He retired as a colonel in 1971 and passed away in 2009.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.