Yanks in the RAF: The Story of Maverick Pilots and American Volunteers Who Joined Britain's Fight in WWII
Language: English
Pages: 281
ISBN: 1633880222
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This is the story of American volunteer pilots who risked their lives in defense of Britain during the earliest days of World War II—more than a year before Pearl Harbor, when the United States first became embroiled in the global conflict. Based on interviews, diaries, personal documents, and research in British, American, and German archives, the author has created a colorful portrait of this small group who were our nation’s first combatants in World War II.
As the author’s research shows, their motives were various: some were idealistic; others were simply restless and looking for adventure. And though the British air force needed pilots, cultural conflicts between the raw American recruits and their reserved British commanders soon became evident. Prejudices on both sides and lack of communication had to be overcome.
Eventually, the American pilots were assembled into three squadrons known as the Eagle squadrons. They saw action and suffered casualties in both England and France, notably in the attack on Dieppe. By September 1942, after America had entered the war, these now experienced pilots were transferred to the US air force, bringing their expertise and their British Spitfires with them.
As much social as military history, Yanks in the RAF sheds new light on a little-known chapter of World War II and the earliest days of the sometimes fractious British-American alliance.
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his opposition. Leigh-Mallory commanded 12 Group, which was responsible for defending central England. Number 71 (Eagle) Squadron had been assigned to 12 Group. Trafford Leigh-Mallory had never been renowned for either his tact or his discretion. He was a plump, stocky career officer, always neatly dressed with a cleanly trimmed moustache. Before the First World War, Leigh-Mallory had taken a degree in history from Cambridge. After leaving Cambridge, he joined the army and, in 1916, became a
undependable. Nobody could be expected to perform at their best with revolving-door squadron leaders. But with Meares in command, the Eagles were expected to improve—they had discipline instilled by past squadron leaders, and now they had a good, and experienced, British commanding officer running things. The one hope was that Meares would last longer than his two predecessors. On August 1, 1941, the rivalry between the two Eagle Squadrons was given something additional—the formation of a third
States Air Force®.) Although the Eagle Squadrons turned out eight aces (William Dunn having been the first), the 4th Fighter Group would produce many. Jimmy Davies of Bernardsville, New Jersey was the first American ace of the war, but he never flew with the Eagle Squadrons. Among the group's best pilots were Don Gentile and John Godfrey. Both Godfrey and Gentile had been turned down by the US Army Air Force—Gentile for being “unsuitable for pilot training;” Godfrey for not having a university
Stickell wanted to keep flying operations, but the RAF flatly refused. Stickell decided to transfer to the US forces. The US Army Air Force offered him a commission as a major and his own Flying Fortress squadron, as soon as one became available. Now that Stickell had the Distinguished Flying Cross and forty-eight combat sorties to his credit, the American authorities were willing to overlook the fact that he did not have a university background. But Stickell had the feeling that the air force
during the time in question proved invaluable. Peter and Carolyn Hammond of Chiswick, London, also bore a hand with my research. They collected a good deal of information that was written during the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Britain, while many RAF veterans were still living. Most of this was useful as reference material. They also checked a few facts, read some of the chapters, and offered some very useful suggestions. In the US, the staff at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, were
