Veteran one of youngest B-17 pilots | StAugustine.com
From the time Finch was 8 years old, his dream was to become a pilot when he grew up. That dream came true, when as a 19-year-old draftee, he was assigned to pilot training at Maxwell Field in Decatur, Ala., then sent to Freeman Field, Seymour, Ind., for advanced training. Finch's plane was the B-17 bomber.
He recalls his mother pinning on his wings and second lieutenant bars at flight school graduation in August 1944. His father and his girlfriend, Kathryn Carter, were there, too.
"It was one of my most memorable and proudest moments," Finch said.
B-17 bombers were a vital part of the United States' WWII offense in Europe, and Finch was assigned to the 815th Squadron of the 483rd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force.
At 20, he became one of the youngest men to fly combat in a B-17. The four-engine bomber was equipped with six defensive gun locations and was called the "Flying Fortress." Group formations of the plane provided its best defense. Planes flew in tight formation to allow the guns of multiple planes to be brought to bear on approaching enemy fighters.
With a crew of eight, Finch had the job of air commander. After the first encounter with enemy fire, "Flying didn't seem as much fun," Finch confessed, nor was the near mid-air collision with another plane. But his whole crew survived the war and came home safe, and for that he says he is thankful
Typical age of a WWII officer - compared to the officers today
During WWII, in a USAAF fighter group, the average age of a first lieutenant would be around 21, a captain a year older, a major another year older, a lieutenant colonel around 24-26 and a colonel in his late 20s to early 30s.
Honour for Battle of Britain's youngest Spitfire pilot - BBC News
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Finucane
Wing Commander Brendan Eamonn Fergus Finucane, DSO, DFC & Two Bars (16 October 1920 – 15 July 1942), known as Paddy Finucane amongst his colleagues, was a Second World War Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace—defined as an aviator credited with five or more enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat. As of 2016, Finucane continues to hold the record as the youngest pilot ever to hold the rank of Wing Commander, promoted to the position when he was 21, and has one of the highest kill rates in RAF history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Wellum
Easy Jet's Luke Elsworth becomes Britain?s youngest professional pilot | Daily Mail Online
The Youngest WWII Pilot Flew A Jaw Dropping Amount Of Missions - World War Wings
https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=...ot&f=false:ok: