[Sidney S. Woods oral history interview]

[Sidney S. Woods oral history interview]

Fighter ace Sidney S. Woods is interviewed about his military service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time with the 9th Fighter Squadron in the Pacific Theater and with the 479th and 4th Fighter Groups in the European Theater. Topics discussed include his assignments in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and England; his experiences as a prisoner of war in Czechoslovakia and Germany; and stories about fellow servicemen.

The interview is conducted by fellow fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia.

1965-01-09

1 sound reel (1 hr., 45 min., 47 sec.) : analog ; 1/4 in

The American Fighter Aces Association Oral Interviews/The Museum of Flight

2002-02-13_AV_198_01

2002-02-13_AV_198_01_transcription

Sidney S. Woods was born on July 25, 1917 in San Marcus, Texas. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1939 with a U.S. Army ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) commission. In 1941, he transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps and completed his flight training in September of that year. Deployed to the Pacific Theater, Woods served in Australia and Papua New Guinea with the 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group. In 1943, he returned to the United States, where he commanded an OTU (Operational Training Unit) for P-38 pilots. Woods returned to combat in 1944, this time serving in the European Theater with the 479th Fighter Group. He later was promoted to deputy commander of the 4th Fighter Group. In April 1945, Woods was shot down while strafing a German-controlled airfield in Prague. He spent approximately three weeks as a prisoner of war before being liberated by Allied troops.

Woods left military service after the end of World War II, but he later returned to active duty during the Korean War, serving as commander of a pilot training group at Williams Air Force Base (Arizona). He also led the Air Force’s jet aerobatic team, which would later become the Thunderbirds. Woods retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1960 at the rank of colonel. He passed way in 1989.

This recording is presented in its original, unedited form. Please note that some interviews in this collection may contain adult language, racial slurs, and/or graphic descriptions of wartime violence.