George Aubill was a friend of Tom during pilot training and both were assigned to the 417th Night Fighter Squadron.

George was born in Michigan.

On April 26, 1945, the night Tom’s aircraft was shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire, George Abrill was also piloting his P-61 aircraft, “The Lonesome Polecat.”

The Squadron History reads:

THE THIRD A/C WAS AN ERROR ON THE PART OF THE PILOT. THE PILOT, AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO SET THE PLANE DOWN, PULLED UP HIS WHEELS AND CAME AROUND AGAIN. THE WHOLE THING WAS BEAUTIFUL, EXCEPT THAT HE FORGOT TO PUT HIS WHEELS DOWN AGAIN, RESULTING IN A BELLY-LANDING AND THE LOSS OF THE “Lonesome Polecat”, CREWED BY AUBILL AND HART.

After the war, George stayed on, becoming a career Air Force pilot, and serving in Korea and Viet Nam. After retiring from the military, he continued his work with the government, working for NASA. He helped design and modify aircraft.

He married and had one daughter.

He died in 2015 at the age of 92.