George Preddy (5 February 1919-25 December 1944) was an American ace credited with 26.83 enemy air-to-air kills, ranking him as the top P-51 Mustang ace of World War II and sixth on the list of all-time highest scoring American aces.He initially served in the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations with the 9th Pursuit Squadron - 49th Pursuit Group in Northern Australia protecting Darwin. And had scored 2 damaged against Japanese aircraft while flying P-40s. He was hospitalized after a collision with another P-40, and then reassigned to the 352nd Fighter Group upon his release. The remainder of his kills were against German aircraft while with the 352nd, in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), flying out of Bodney, England and Asch, Belgium. His best-remembered feat was shooting down six German fighters on a single mission on August 6, 1944.He was commanding officer of the 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group when he was killed on Christmas Day, 1944 by friendly fire. Preddy had been conducting a fighter sweep and engaged two Bf 109s, destroying them. Spotting a lone FW 190, which had been strafing allied ground forces; he gave chase, but passing over the front line at tree-top height an American anti-aircraft battery (believed to be the 555th AAA Bn (AW) of the 12th AAA Group), which missed the enemy aircraft, fired at the P-51s, killing Preddy whose aircraft hit the ground 'at speed'.