Billy Fiske
Encyclopedia
William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III (4 June 1911 – 17 August 1940) was the 1928 and 1932 Olympic champion bobsled
driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action
in World War II
. At the time Fiske was serving in the Royal Air Force
.
in 1928 where he studied Economics and History.
Fiske then worked at the London office of Dillon, Reed & Co, the New York bankers. On 8 September 1938, Fiske married Rose Bingham, Countess of Warwick
, in Maidenhead
.
to win the Olympics, Fiske became the youngest gold medalist in any winter sport (until eclipsed by Toni Nieminen
in 1992), aged just 16 years at the 1928 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz
, Switzerland
. His American
team-mates were Geoffrey Mason
, Nion Tucker, Clifford Grey
and Richard Parke
.
Fiske competed again at the 1932 Winter Olympics
at Lake Placid, New York
, USA
, where he was given the honour of carrying the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony. The format of the race was altered to a four-man team, but again Fiske and his team-mates, Clifford Grey, Eddie Eagan
, and Jay O'Brien
took gold.
He was invited, but declined to lead the bobsled team in the 1936 Winter Olympics
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
in Germany. It is believed by some that this decision was due to his disagreeing with the politics in Germany at the time, which may also explain his later decision to join the War-effort in 1940.
Fiske was also a Cresta Champion
, and was well-known for jumps from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel
's bar chandelier in St. Moritz.
accompanying a bank colleague who was also a member of No. 601 (County of London) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Fiske was one of seven US aircrew personnel who fought in the Battle of Britain, although due to the neutrality of the United States, Fiske pretended to be a Canadian. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
and was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer on 23 March 1940.
Fiske undertook his flying training at No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire
, before moving to RAF Brize Norton
, Oxfordshire, for advanced flying training. As an American citizen, he "duly pledged his life and loyalty to the king, George VI," and was formally admitted into the RAF. In his diary, a joyous Fiske wrote, "I believe I can lay claim to being the first U.S. citizen to join the RAF in England after the outbreak of hostilities."Kershaw, Alex. "Billy Fiske". World War II Magazine, Volume 25, No. 4, November/December 2010, p. 36.
On 12 July 1940, Fiske joined No. 601 Squadron RAF
at RAF Tangmere
, West Sussex
, the so-called "Millionaires' Squadron", carrying out his first sorties with the squadron on 20 July, when he flew two patrols. On 16 August 1940, in the midst of the Battle of Britain
, No. 601 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept a squadron of German dive-bombers. Fiske was flying a Hurricane
- code number P3358. The Squadron destroyed eight Stukas
, but after just 15 minutes of flying time, a German gunner put a bullet through Fiske’s fuel tank.
With his aircraft badly damaged and his hands and ankles burnt, instead of bailing out, Fiske nursed his Hurricane fighter home, gliding over a hedgerow to the airfield. Although Fiske landed his aircraft safely back at Tangmere, he had to be extracted from the aircraft by ambulance attendants. Shortly after, his fuel tank exploded. Fiske was taken to Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester for treatment, but he died 48 hours later from surgical shock. Fiske was 29 years old.
Of Fiske's role in the Battle of Britain, Bill Bond, founder of the Battle of Britain Historical Society, wrote
Fiske's Flight Commander, Sir Archibald Hope, added:
, Sussex
. The inscription on his gravestone reads simply: He died for England. A memorial stained glass window was dedicated to him on 17 September 2008 at Boxgrove Priory
. At the dedication service, a number of former colleagues of Fiske attended and his green Bentley was on display.Fiske is listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London
and the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
.
On 4 July 1941, a plaque was unveiled in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral
, London
. The inscription reads: An American citizen who died that England might live. The decision to unveil this plaque on American Independence Day
was probably a political one; the United States had not officially joined the war and the British Prime Minister
, Winston Churchill
, was keen to popularise Fiske's story. The plaque was unveiled by Sir Archibald Sinclair
, the Secretary of State for Air
. He said at the ceremony:
Other tributes to Fiske include a memorial tablet dedicated to him in the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York. The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
also created the Billy Fiske Memorial Trophy as a posthumous tribute to him. The trophy is awarded to the national champion four-man bobsled team each year.
In addition to a 2005 documentary (American Warrior: Billy Fiske), Red Valley Productions performed a new play based on his life called Billy Fiske: King of Speed at the Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis from 20–25 July 2010.
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At the time Fiske was serving in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Early life
Billy Fiske was born in New York in 1911, the son of Beulah and William Fiske, a New England banking magnate. He attended school in Chicago, and then went to school in France in 1924, where he discovered the sport of bobsled at the age of 16. Fiske attended Trinity Hall, CambridgeTrinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
in 1928 where he studied Economics and History.
Fiske then worked at the London office of Dillon, Reed & Co, the New York bankers. On 8 September 1938, Fiske married Rose Bingham, Countess of Warwick
Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick
Charles Guy Fulke Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, 7th Earl Brooke was born on March 4, 1911 and died on January 20, 1984.On January 31, 1928, he succeeded to the title of 7th Earl Brooke of Warwick Castle [Great Britain, 1746]; and he also succeeded to the title of 7th Earl of Warwick [Great...
, in Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
.
Bobsled career
As driver of the first five-man U.S. Bobsled teamUnited States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
The United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation is the official national governing body for bobsled and skeleton in the United States...
to win the Olympics, Fiske became the youngest gold medalist in any winter sport (until eclipsed by Toni Nieminen
Toni Nieminen
Toni Nieminen is a Finnish ski-jumper who competed from 1991 to 2004.His biggest success came very early in his career at the age of 16, where he won three medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, earning two gold medals in the individual and team large hill events; and a bronze medal in...
in 1992), aged just 16 years at the 1928 Winter Olympics
1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 11–19, 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own as they were not in conjunction with a Summer Olympics...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. His American
United States at the 1928 Winter Olympics
The United States competed at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.- Medalists :- Bobsleigh:- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs- Nordic combined :Events:* 18 km cross-country skiing...
team-mates were Geoffrey Mason
Geoffrey Mason
Geoffrey Travers Mason was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he won a gold medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He died in Rumford, Rhode Island.-References:* *...
, Nion Tucker, Clifford Grey
Clifford Grey
Clifford Grey was an English songwriter, actor, librettist and Olympic medalist. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray, Tippi Gray, Tippi Grey, Tippy Gray and Tippy Grey.As a writer, Grey contributed prolifically to West End and Broadway shows, as librettist and...
and Richard Parke
Richard Parke
Richard Averell Parke was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s. He won a gold medal in the five-man event at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.-References:* *...
.
Fiske competed again at the 1932 Winter Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
at Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was given the honour of carrying the flag for the United States at the opening ceremony. The format of the race was altered to a four-man team, but again Fiske and his team-mates, Clifford Grey, Eddie Eagan
Eddie Eagan
Edward "Eddie" Patrick Francis Eagan was an American sportsman. He is one of only two persons to have won a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.-Olympics:...
, and Jay O'Brien
Jay O'Brien
Jay James O'Brien was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He won two medals at the Winter Olympics with a gold in the four-man event at Lake Placid, New York in 1932 and a silver in the five-man event at St...
took gold.
He was invited, but declined to lead the bobsled team in the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
in Germany. It is believed by some that this decision was due to his disagreeing with the politics in Germany at the time, which may also explain his later decision to join the War-effort in 1940.
Fiske was also a Cresta Champion
Cresta Run
The Cresta Run is a natural ice 1,212.5 m long skeleton racing toboggan track in the Swiss winter sports town of St. Moritz, and one of the few runs dedicated primarily to skeleton. It was built in 1884 near the hamlet of Cresta in the municipality of Celerina/Schlarigna by Major Bulpett, eventual...
, and was well-known for jumps from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel
Badrutt's Palace Hotel
The historic Palace Hotel in St. Moritz — more recently renamed as Badrutt's Palace Hotel — is an internationally known hotel in St Moritz, Switzerland, famous for its glitz and glamor...
's bar chandelier in St. Moritz.
World War II
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Fiske was recalled to the New York offices of Dillon, Reed & Co, but on 30 August 1939 he returned to England aboard the AquitaniaAquitania
Aquitania may refer to:* the territory of the Aquitani, a people living in Roman times in what is now Aquitaine, France* Aquitaine, a region of France roughly between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean and the Garonne, also a former kingdom and duchy...
accompanying a bank colleague who was also a member of No. 601 (County of London) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Fiske was one of seven US aircrew personnel who fought in the Battle of Britain, although due to the neutrality of the United States, Fiske pretended to be a Canadian. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
and was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer on 23 March 1940.
Fiske undertook his flying training at No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, before moving to RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, Oxfordshire, for advanced flying training. As an American citizen, he "duly pledged his life and loyalty to the king, George VI," and was formally admitted into the RAF. In his diary, a joyous Fiske wrote, "I believe I can lay claim to being the first U.S. citizen to join the RAF in England after the outbreak of hostilities."Kershaw, Alex. "Billy Fiske". World War II Magazine, Volume 25, No. 4, November/December 2010, p. 36.
On 12 July 1940, Fiske joined No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in London. The squadron battle honours most notably include the Battle of Britain and the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of this squadron.-History:...
at RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, the so-called "Millionaires' Squadron", carrying out his first sorties with the squadron on 20 July, when he flew two patrols. On 16 August 1940, in the midst of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, No. 601 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept a squadron of German dive-bombers. Fiske was flying a Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
- code number P3358. The Squadron destroyed eight Stukas
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
, but after just 15 minutes of flying time, a German gunner put a bullet through Fiske’s fuel tank.
With his aircraft badly damaged and his hands and ankles burnt, instead of bailing out, Fiske nursed his Hurricane fighter home, gliding over a hedgerow to the airfield. Although Fiske landed his aircraft safely back at Tangmere, he had to be extracted from the aircraft by ambulance attendants. Shortly after, his fuel tank exploded. Fiske was taken to Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester for treatment, but he died 48 hours later from surgical shock. Fiske was 29 years old.
Of Fiske's role in the Battle of Britain, Bill Bond, founder of the Battle of Britain Historical Society, wrote
Fiske's Flight Commander, Sir Archibald Hope, added:
Memorials and tributes
Fiske is buried in St Mary and St Blaise churchyard in BoxgroveBoxgrove
Boxgrove is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of the English county of West Sussex, about five kilometres north east of the city of Chichester. The village is just south of the A285 road which follows the line of the Roman road Stane Street.The parish has an area of...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. The inscription on his gravestone reads simply: He died for England. A memorial stained glass window was dedicated to him on 17 September 2008 at Boxgrove Priory
Boxgrove Priory
Boxgrove Priory, in the village of Boxgrove in Sussex, was founded in about 1066 by Robert de Haye, who in 1105 bestowed the church of St. Mary of Boxgrove upon the Benedictine Abbey of Lessay. In about 1126 upon the marriage of Robert's daughter Cecily, to Roger St...
. At the dedication service, a number of former colleagues of Fiske attended and his green Bentley was on display.Fiske is listed on the Battle of Britain Monument in London
Battle of Britain Monument in London
The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment overlooking the River Thames in central London, England which pays tribute to those who took part in the Battle of Britain during World War II...
and the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
The Battle of Britain Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. It is sited on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent. It was initiated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, and opened by the Queen Mother on July 9 1993...
.
On 4 July 1941, a plaque was unveiled in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The inscription reads: An American citizen who died that England might live. The decision to unveil this plaque on American Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
was probably a political one; the United States had not officially joined the war and the British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, was keen to popularise Fiske's story. The plaque was unveiled by Sir Archibald Sinclair
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
, the Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
. He said at the ceremony:
"Here was a young man for whom life held much. Under no kind of compulsion he came to fight for Britain. He came and he fought and he died."
Other tributes to Fiske include a memorial tablet dedicated to him in the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York. The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
The United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation is the official national governing body for bobsled and skeleton in the United States...
also created the Billy Fiske Memorial Trophy as a posthumous tribute to him. The trophy is awarded to the national champion four-man bobsled team each year.
In addition to a 2005 documentary (American Warrior: Billy Fiske), Red Valley Productions performed a new play based on his life called Billy Fiske: King of Speed at the Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis from 20–25 July 2010.
See also
- List of Battle of Britain pilots
- Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain