Jacques Hartley Allen

LIEUTENANT JACQUES HARTLEY ALLEN was born in 1922 in Camden NJ to C. Richard Allen and his wife Minerva S. Allen. The second of two children, he came a year after his brother Carlos. In 1930 the family lived at 1530 South Collings Road in Camden NJ. The family later moved to Barrington NJ, where they had a house at Chews Landing Road and Hutchinson Avenue. His father, a prominent local attorney, was a veteran of World War I and was very active in American Legion affairs, once the Department (state) Commander, and his mother was a a past county president of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Lieutenant Allen graduated from Haddon Heights High School in 1940 and entered the University of Virginia. A year later he went to the Drexel Institute of Technology. In 1942 he entered the Marine Corps. He graduated from an aviation training school at Pensacola FL on October 29, 1943. After receiving his wings and commission as an air pilot he and Miss Justis were married the same day. He then went to California to train for aircraft carrier takeoff and landings.

Assigned to a land-based fighter, VMF-211, Lt. Allen flew a Voight F4U-1D Corsair fighter, and took part in the fighting in the Philippines. His squadron was based at Emirau Island, in the Bismarck Islands. After the Battle of the Leyte Gulf and the successful landing of American forces in October, the Japanese attempted to supply and reinforce their troops by convoy. This move was countered by America bringing air units to newly-readied air bases in the Philippines. 

As a result of Admiral Halsey's recommendation to General MacArthur, Allied Air Forces sent a dispatch on November 30 to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Bougainville, ordering one of its fighter groups to move to Leyte immediately. Next day General Mitchell ordered Colonel William A. Willis' Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12), to transfer its four fighter squadrons, of which VMF-211 was one, to Tacloban, to arrive there not later than December 3rd.

MAG-12's combat operations in the Solomon Islands immediately ceased. All hands turned to packing and loading for the forthcoming move.

General Mitchell, a Philippine assignment in hand at last, took steps to expedite the movement. He requested and received from Fifth Air Force transportation for the minimum men and material of the ground echelon required for plane maintenance at Tacloban; from the Commander Seventh Fleet, logistic support for the forward echelon.

At dawn on December 2nd, 85 F4U's from MAG-12,55 and 12 PBJ's from MAG-61 (one Marine PBJ was sent as a guide plane with each flight of Corsairs) took off from the Solomons for Hollandia, the first leg of their journey to the Philippines. Refueling there, the planes continued to Owi, a small island near Biak.

On December 3rd they flew to Peleliu, arriving four and a half hours after VMF(N)-541's night fighters had departed for the Philippines. Sixteen Corsairs were delayed at Peleliu with minor mechanical difficulties, but by 1700 on December 3rd, 66 of MAG-12's F4U's landed on Leyte.

At Tacloban conditions were still primitive. The muddy strip had practically no operative taxi-ways or parking facilities; operations were formidable even in good weather. On December 4th rain kept planes on the deck, but the newly arrived Marines used the time to set up camp in the only spot available-- a mudhole 300 yards due west of the southern end of Tacloban strip.

The first Marine strike against these convoys came on December 7, 1944. Army Intelligence had reported in briefing that three enemy destroyers and four cargo ships were steaming into Ormoc Bay and would still be some distance at sea at the time of attack. At 0930, 12 Corsairs of VMF-211 set out to intercept the convoy, only to find that the four cargo ships had already anchored in San Isidro harbor, and the three destroyers were departing from Leyte in the direction of Manila. Acting on the assumption that the cargo ships would have to remain in port until later in the day, the flight leader, Major Stanislaus Witomski, immediately ordered the flight to attack the destroyers. Two of the Japanese war vessels had turned in combat formation at sight of the Corsairs, leaving one destroyer separated slightly from the other two.

Army P-47's had been scheduled to furnish air cover for the Marines, but failed to arrive. Nevertheless, the Americans dived in through the protecting Japanese air cover (eight to ten "Zeke" fighters) and dropped their bombs, picking out the single destroyer as their target. No direct hits resulted, but near misses started an oil leak on the destroyer, leaving it "almost dead in the water." While the rest of the flight re-formed as protection from the Japanese fighter planes still attacking, one division of four planes remained to strafe the disabled enemy ship. With six separate strafing runs, the Marine pilots started a fire that soon spread from stem to stern of the destroyer. The Corsairs left the ship in flames, leaking oil badly, and barely underway.

The action was not without cost to the Marines. Fire from the enemy planes and ships downed three Corsairs. All three pilots bailed out, but one was lost and another died, Lt. Jacques Allen, later of injuries.

Lieutenant Allen suffered a severe injury to his nose when he bailed out. He was rescued and sent back to the United States for treatment. Sadly, when he reached California Lieutenant Allen contracted yellow jaundice and there were further complications. His wife and parents parents were notified and went to California. Mr. and Mrs. Allen and the young bride of Lieutenant Allen, Emily Justis Allen, were with him when he died. 

He was also survived by his brother Carlos, of Haddonfield, and his grandmother, Mrs. Horace B. Allen.

CAMDEN COURIER POST *  February 10, 1945

CRASH INJURIES KILL LEGION AIDE’S SON
Lt. Jacques Allen Dies; Newfield Officer Slain in Conflict

         1st Lt. Jacques Hartley Allen, 22, son of C. Richard Allen, Camden attorney and past department commander of the American Legion, died Thursday in Camp Pendleton hospital, Oceanside CA, of a disease superinduced from injuries received in an airplane crash during a battle in the South Pacific. His mother is a past county president of the Legion Auxiliary.

Parents at Deathbed

         Mr. and Mrs. Allen and the young bride of Lieutenant Allen, Emily Justis Allen, were with him when he died. Lieutenant Allen received a severe nose injury when his plane was smashed and he “bailed out” over one of the islands in the South Pacific.

         He had been overseas a year when he was injured and was sent home for an operation to his nose. He contracted yellow jaundice and complications when he reached California and his parents went to the hospital in Oceanside.

         Lieutenant Allen graduated from Haddon Heights High School in 1940 and entered the University of Virginia. A year later he went to the Drexel Institute of Technology. In 1942 he entered the Marine Corps. He graduated from an aviation training school at Pensacola FL on October 29, 1943. After receiving his wings and commission as an air pilot he and Miss Justis were married the same day. Also surviving is a brother Carlos, of Haddonfield, and his grandmother, Mrs., Horace B. Allen. His parents reside at Chews Landing Road and Hutchinson Avenue in Haddonfield. The body is being sent East for military rites and burial.        

JACQUES H. ALLEN

LOUIS G. DI PRIZITO

Company K
398th Infantry Regiment
100th Infantry Division

PAUL V. HEARNE

OSCAR C. KLINE

GEORGE C. SCHEINA