1. #1
    MB_Avro_UK's Avatar Senior Member
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    Hi all,

    The Battle of Britain occured between July and October 1940.

    I always thought that Fiske was the only American fighter pilot to serve with the RAF in this period;and he was killed.

    But there were other American fighter pilots who fought during this period.

    The seven 'official' Americans in Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 were:

    Pilot Officer Arthur Donahue, 64 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer J.K. Haviland, 153 Squadron. Pilot Officer W.M.L. Fiske, 601 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer Vernon Keough, 609 Squadron. Pilot Officer Phil Leckrone, 616 Squadron. Pilot Officer Andrew Mamedoff, 609 Squadron Pilot Officer Eugene Tobin, 609 Squadron

    Their names can be found here on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour:

    http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/roll.html


    Best Regards,
    MB_Avro.
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  2. #2
    MB_Avro_UK's Avatar Senior Member
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    Hi all,

    The Battle of Britain occured between July and October 1940.

    I always thought that Fiske was the only American fighter pilot to serve with the RAF in this period;and he was killed.

    But there were other American fighter pilots who fought during this period.

    The seven 'official' Americans in Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 were:

    Pilot Officer Arthur Donahue, 64 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer J.K. Haviland, 153 Squadron. Pilot Officer W.M.L. Fiske, 601 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer Vernon Keough, 609 Squadron. Pilot Officer Phil Leckrone, 616 Squadron. Pilot Officer Andrew Mamedoff, 609 Squadron Pilot Officer Eugene Tobin, 609 Squadron

    Their names can be found here on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour:

    http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/roll.html


    Best Regards,
    MB_Avro.
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  3. #3
    Isn`t Fiske notable because he`s the only American that got a kill in the BOB?
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  4. #4
    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MB_Avro_UK:
    Hi all,

    The Battle of Britain occured between July and October 1940.

    I always thought that Fiske was the only American fighter pilot to serve with the RAF in this period;and he was killed.

    But there were other American fighter pilots who fought during this period.

    The seven 'official' Americans in Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 were:

    Pilot Officer Arthur Donahue, 64 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer J.K. Haviland, 153 Squadron. Pilot Officer W.M.L. Fiske, 601 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer Vernon Keough, 609 Squadron. Pilot Officer Phil Leckrone, 616 Squadron. Pilot Officer Andrew Mamedoff, 609 Squadron Pilot Officer Eugene Tobin, 609 Squadron

    Their names can be found here on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour:

    http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/roll.html


    Best Regards,
    MB_Avro. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I could have sworn there were as many as 11 Americans in the Battle, but perhaps some where there as RCAF pilots?
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  5. #5
    WTE_Galway's Avatar Senior Member
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    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by crucislancer:
    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MB_Avro_UK:
    Hi all,

    The Battle of Britain occured between July and October 1940.

    I always thought that Fiske was the only American fighter pilot to serve with the RAF in this period;and he was killed.

    But there were other American fighter pilots who fought during this period.

    The seven 'official' Americans in Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 were:

    Pilot Officer Arthur Donahue, 64 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer J.K. Haviland, 153 Squadron. Pilot Officer W.M.L. Fiske, 601 Squadron.
    Pilot Officer Vernon Keough, 609 Squadron. Pilot Officer Phil Leckrone, 616 Squadron. Pilot Officer Andrew Mamedoff, 609 Squadron Pilot Officer Eugene Tobin, 609 Squadron

    Their names can be found here on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour:

    http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/roll.html


    Best Regards,
    MB_Avro. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I could have sworn there were as many as 11 Americans in the Battle, but perhaps some where there as RCAF pilots? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


    My list gave ....

    Pilot Officer William M.L. Fiske of No. 601 Squadron. KIA

    Flying Officer Carl R. Davis. No. 601 Squadron

    Pilot Officers Vernon C. Keough,
    Andrew Mamedoff
    and Eugene Q. Tobin
    all No. 609 Squadron.

    Pilot Officer Phillip H. Leckrone of No. 616 squadron.

    Pilot Officers Arthur G. Donahue,
    John K. Haviland,
    Hugh W. Reilley (64 and 66 Sqds)

    De Peyster Brown No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force


    I make that 10. But some names on the list originally posted are not on this one.
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  6. #6
    M_Gunz's Avatar Banned
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    There's a show out where one pilot recounts leaving the US to Canada to go to England just
    to fly for the RAF. But I don't remember just when except it was before Dec 7, 1941.
    It had stated that many went that route and the practice was illegal, you could come home
    and get put in prison as we have people that do those A-Retentive sorts of things.

    There was even a kid who lied about his age to join the Navy, fought at Midway and was
    decorated and then sent to prison for lying about his age by just that sort of.. people.
    He may not have served his time but he was treated inhumanely while incarcerated.

    We had a name for those sorts that were in the Army, btw, they're called REMF's and they
    will take combat troops just back from the field and have them clean already clean floors
    and do other dirt work so the REMF can prove he is leadership material without actually
    going into combat. I wonder how people like that survive a war? They do, I've seen em.
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  7. #7
    Buzzsaw-'s Avatar Senior Member
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    Salute

    Compared to other nationalities, very few Americans served with RAF Fighter Command in the BoB.

    Here are some figures for the foreign nationalities flying Fighters with the RAF according to Wikipedia:

    Poland 139
    New Zealand 98
    Canada 86 (Official Canadian government figures say over 100, many longserving RAF members as well as those in No. 1 Squadron RCAF. For example, Douglas Bader's No. 242 Squadron was predominantly Canadian, and fought in the BoF before the BoB. As well some 100 flew with Bomber Command.)
    Czechoslovakia 84
    Belgium 29
    Australia 21
    South Africa 20
    France 13
    Ireland 10
    United States 7
    Jamaica 1
    Palestine Mandate 1
    Southern Rhodesia 1
    Unknown 8

    Highest scoring Ace for the RAF in the BoB was Sergeant Josef František, originally Czech Air Force, then Polish, then French, and finally RAF. He scored 11 victories flying with other services, then 17 with the RAF. Killed in flying accident in October 1940, apparently while stunting over his girlfriend's house in Surrey England. He was a "Buzz" Beurling type, a lone wolf who was ferocious in his campaign against the Germans, but impossible to discipline. Finally his Superiors assigned him to No. 303 Polish Squadron as a "Guest" flyer, who then gave him a plane, and carte blanche to fly as much as he wanted.

    May his memory shine bright.

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  8. #8
    The highest scoring squad. were the Pole's in BOB.
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  9. #9
    WTE_Galway's Avatar Senior Member
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    ... and highest casualty rate, for either side, (something close to 90% KIA) was among the Australians
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  10. #10
    Buzzsaw-'s Avatar Senior Member
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    Without all these disparate nationalities fighting in the RAF alongside Britons, the BoB would have been lost. And most of them knew what they were getting into, very many had seen their countries overrun, and had no home anymore, many did not survive the war.

    One of our Squad members, RAF74_Bimmer, recently visited England and I am happy to say that in that country, the sacrifices of those few who were from elsewhere is not forgotten:



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