Eagle squadron
Encyclopedia
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons
of the Royal Air Force
formed during World War II
with volunteer pilots from the United States
. While many US recruits simply crossed the border and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force
to learn to fly and fight, many of the early recruits had originally come to Europe to fight for Finland against the Soviets in the Winter War
.
Charles Sweeny, a wealthy businessman living in London, began recruiting American citizens to fight as a US volunteer detachment in the French Air force, echoing the Lafayette Escadrille
of World War I
. With the fall of France a dozen of these recruits joined the RAF. Sweeny's efforts were also co-ordinated in Canada by World War I
air ace Billy Bishop
and with artist Clayton Knight who formed the Clayton Knight Committee
, who, by the time the USA entered the war in December 1941, had processed and approved 6,700 applications from Americans to join the RCAF or RAF. Sweeny and his rich society contacts bore the cost (over $100,000) of processing and bringing the US trainees to the UK for training.
, and 300 hours of certified flying time. These requirements, with the exception of the flight time, were not as strict as those required for service in the USAAC which is the reason some of the pilots joined the squadron. Most Eagle Squadron pilots did not have a college education or prior military experience.
Once in Britain
, and having passed basic flight training the newly qualified pilots were sent for advanced operational training to an operational training unit (OTU) for two to four weeks to learn to fly Miles Master
trainers, Hawker Hurricane
s, and Supermarine Spitfire
s before being posted to a squadron.
) was formed in September 1940, and became operational for defensive duties on 5 February 1941. The three Eagle Squadrons were numbered 71, 121
, and 133
. Of the thousands that volunteered, 244 Americans served with the three Eagle Squadrons; 16 Britons also served as Squadron and Flight commanders.
71 Squadron commenced operations base at RAF Church Fenton
in early 1941, before a move to Kirton-in-Lindsay. In April the Squadron transferred to RAF Martlesham Heath
in Suffolk for operations over Europe. During May they suffered their first loss when Mike Kolendorski was killed during a fighter sweep over Holland. Intensity of operations stepped up with a move into No 11 Group of Fighter Command, being based at RAF North Weald by June 1941. On 2 July William J. Hall became the first 'Eagle' pilot to become a POW when he was shot down during an escort mission. The squadron's first confirmed victory came on 21 July 1941 when P/O
W. Dunn destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109F over Lille
. In August the Spitfire Mk II replaced their Hurricanes, before quickly re-equipping with the latest Spitfire Mk V. The unit soon established a high reputation, and numerous air kill claims were made in RAF fighter sweeps over the continent during the summer and autumn of 1941. In December the Squadron was rested back at Martlesham Heath, before a move to Debden
in May 1942.
121 Squadron were formed at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey in May 1941, flying Hurricanes on coastal convoy escort duties. On 15 September 1941 it destroyed its first German aircraft. The Hurricanes were replaced with Spitfires and the Mk V arrived in November 1941. The following month the Squadron moved to North Weald, replacing 71 Squadron. In 1942 it its offensive activities over the channel included bomber escorts and fighter sweeps.
133 Squadron was the last Eagle unit to be formed, at RAF Coltishall
in July 1941 flying the Hurricane Mk IIb. A move to RAF Duxford followed in August, and re-equipment with the Spitfire Mk V early in 1942. In May the Squadron became part of the famed RAF Biggin Hill Wing. On 31 July 1942 during a bomber escort mission to Abbeville, 52-kill 'ace' Oblt. Rudolf Pflanz
of 11./JG 2 engaged in combat with 133's Spitfires, and after shooting down one was then shot down and killed in his Bf 109G-1 over Berck-sur-Mer, France; 133 claimed 3 destroyed and one probable while losing 3 aircraft. P/O "Jessie" Taylor accounted for 2 of the claims (a Bf 109F and a Fw 190) and P/O W. Baker was credited with a Fw 190 destroyed. On 26 September 1942 11 of the unit's 12 brand new Spitfire Mk IXs were lost on a mission over Morlaix, when escorting B-17s in heavy cloud. Strong winds blew the unit further South than realised and short of fuel the Squadron let down directly over Brest. Six of the squadron were shot down and taken prisoner, four were killed, one bailed and evaded capture while one crash landed in England. One of the British pilots taken prisoner, Flt Lt Gordon Brettell, was to be shot as one of the escapees in The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944.
The Dieppe Raid
was the only occasion that all three Eagle Squadrons saw action operating together. No. 71 moved from Debden to Gravesend in mid August in anticipation of the Dieppe action, while No. 121 operated from Southend. 133 Squadron moved with No. 401 RCAF from Biggin Hill to Lympne
, on the English south coast. 71 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 shot down, 121 a single Fw 190, while 133 claimed 4 Fw 190s, a Ju 88 and a Dornier Do 217 downed. Six 'Eagle' Spitfires were lost, with one pilot taken prisoner and one killed.
Through to the end of September 1942, the squadrons claimed to have destroyed 73½ German planes while 77 American and 5 British members were killed. 71 Squadron claimed 41 kills, 121 Squadron 18 kills, and 133 squadron 14½ kills.
When informed of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, most of the Eagle Squadron pilots wanted to immediately join the fight against Japan
. Representatives from 71 and 121 Squadrons went to the American Embassy in London
and offered their services to the United States. The pilots from 71 Squadron decided they wanted to go to Singapore
to fight the Japanese and a proposal was put to RAF Fighter Command
, but it was turned down.
On 29 September 1942, the three squadrons were officially turned over by the RAF to the fledgling Eighth Air Force
of the USAAF and became the 4th Fighter Group. The Eagle pilots had earned 12 Distinguished Flying Cross
es and one Distinguished Service Order
. Only four of the 34 original Eagle pilots were still present when the squadrons joined the USAAF. Typical were the fates of the of the eight original pilots in the third squadron: Four died during training, one was disqualified, two died in combat, and one was a prisoner of war. About 100 Eagle pilots had been killed, were missing, or were prisoners. Negotiations regarding the transfer between the Eagle Squadrons, USAAF, and the RAF had to resolve a number of issues. The RAF wanted some compensation for losing three front-line squadrons in which they had heavily invested. Determining what rank each pilot would assume in the USAAF had to be negotiated, with most being given a rank equivalent to their RAF rank. For example, a Wing Commander
became a Major
. None of the Eagle Squadron pilots had served in the USAAF and did not have US pilot wings. It was decided to give them US pilot wings upon their transfer.
Major General
Carl Spaatz
, head of the USAAF in Europe, wanted to spread the experience of the Eagles amongst various new US fighter squadrons. However, the pilots of the three Eagle Squadrons wanted to stay together. The 71, 121, and 133 squadrons were respectively designated by the USAAF as the 334th
, 335th
, and 336th
and transferred as complete units, retaining their Spitfires until P-47 Thunderbolt
s became available in January 1943. The 4th Fighter Group flew Spitfires until its conversion to P-47s was completed in April 1943. The 4th Fighter Wing
, along with the 334th
, 335th
, and 336th
Fighter Squadrons, exist today at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
in Goldsboro, North Carolina
and are part of the Ninth Air Force
.
in September 1940. They were:
All three men were Battle of Britain veterans, having served together in No. 609 Squadron RAF
, at RAF Middle Wallop.
They had joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) together (receiving consecutive service numbers), having been posted to 609 Squadron together, having fought the Battle of Britain together, and having transferred to 71 together. The trio had also all been killed by the time of the transfer of the Eagle Squadrons to the USAAC in 1942:
Another Battle of Britain veteran was Phillip Howard Leckrone
. He had served in another squadron with an Auxiliary Air Force heritage: No. 616 Squadron RAF
. He was another who was killed early:
The lives of these four pilots has been described in THE FEW by Alex Kershaw.
It is reported that Pilot Officer Art Donahue
DFC
stayed with the Eagle Squadron only a short time before requesting a transfer back to his original RAF unit. He did not appreciate the unruly behavior of many of the American pilots. He was KIA in 1942.
Captain Don Gentile was a pilot with 133 Squadron, claiming 2 air victories, and by March 1944 became the 4th FG's top ace in WWII with 22 air kills.
Chesley 'Pete' Peterson had 130 sorties with the Eagle Squadrons, he then became the youngest Squadron Commander in the RAF. When the Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the USAAC 4th Fighter Group, Peterson became the group's executive officer, succeeding to command of the group in April 1943, and at 23 years of age the youngest (at the time) Colonel in the US Army Air Corps.
Col. Donald Blakeslee
was a pilot in 121 and 133 Squadrons during 1942, making 120 sorties and claiming 3 air kills, became deputy commander of the 4th Fighter Group under Chesley Peterson, then commanded the group from January to October 1944. Blakeslee flew briefly with the 354th and 357th Fighter Group
s in January 1944 when the P-51 Mustang
was introduced to combat in Europe and immediately became the driving force behind conversion of all but one of the Eighth Air Force fighter groups to the Mustang. His insistence on converting to the Mustang resulted in a rapid turnover of airplanes, with the former Eagle squadrons flying their first Mustang mission on February 24, 1944.
Flt Lt Charles A. Cook Jr. was a member of 133 Squadron. He was shot down in September 1942 and was a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III until 1945. He was a member of what was known as "The Long March", when German forces decided to empty the camps in the face of the Russian advance.
wrote a march, "Eagle Squadron", in honour of the pilots of the squadron. It is also a "thank you" to the American pilots: small sections of the Star Spangled Banner can be heard in the low brass during the trio.
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
of 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...
formed during 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...
with volunteer pilots from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. While many US recruits simply crossed the border and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
to learn to fly and fight, many of the early recruits had originally come to Europe to fight for Finland against the Soviets in the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
.
Charles Sweeny, a wealthy businessman living in London, began recruiting American citizens to fight as a US volunteer detachment in the French Air force, echoing the Lafayette Escadrille
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. With the fall of France a dozen of these recruits joined the RAF. Sweeny's efforts were also co-ordinated in Canada by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
air ace Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace, and according to some sources, the top ace of the British Empire.-Early life:Bishop was born in Owen Sound,...
and with artist Clayton Knight who formed the Clayton Knight Committee
Clayton Knight Committee
The Clayton Knight Committee, established by Billy Bishop and Greenwich Village artist Clayton Knight, with funding from Homer Smith, and assistance from several pro-war German emigres, was a covert and illegal recruitment agency established in 1940 to transport Americans up to Canada to train and...
, who, by the time the USA entered the war in December 1941, had processed and approved 6,700 applications from Americans to join the RCAF or RAF. Sweeny and his rich society contacts bore the cost (over $100,000) of processing and bringing the US trainees to the UK for training.
Training
The basic requirements for those interested in joining the Eagles were a high school diploma, being between 20 and 31 years of age, eyesight that was 20/40 correctable to 20/20Visual acuity
Visual acuity is acuteness or clearness of vision, which is dependent on the sharpness of the retinal focus within the eye and the sensitivity of the interpretative faculty of the brain....
, and 300 hours of certified flying time. These requirements, with the exception of the flight time, were not as strict as those required for service in the USAAC which is the reason some of the pilots joined the squadron. Most Eagle Squadron pilots did not have a college education or prior military experience.
Once in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and having passed basic flight training the newly qualified pilots were sent for advanced operational training to an operational training unit (OTU) for two to four weeks to learn to fly Miles Master
Miles Master
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
trainers, Hawker 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...
s, and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s before being posted to a squadron.
Formation and evolution
The first Eagle Squadron (No. 71No. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, the number has been used three times, once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron, in the second world war as an Eagle Squadron and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit based in Royal Air Force Germany.-First World...
) was formed in September 1940, and became operational for defensive duties on 5 February 1941. The three Eagle Squadrons were numbered 71, 121
No. 121 Squadron RAF
No. 121 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squadrons manned by American volunteers.-In World War I:...
, and 133
No. 133 Squadron RAF
133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the RAF during World War II.-History:133 Squadron was first formed in 1918 at RAF Ternhill. It was a training unit for the Handley Page O/400, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, that was...
. Of the thousands that volunteered, 244 Americans served with the three Eagle Squadrons; 16 Britons also served as Squadron and Flight commanders.
71 Squadron commenced operations base at RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Plans for a new airfield adjacent to the village of Church Fenton were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable...
in early 1941, before a move to Kirton-in-Lindsay. In April the Squadron transferred to RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force airfield in England. The field is located 1½ miles SW of Woodbridge, Suffolk.- RFC/RAF prewar use:Martlesham Heath was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I...
in Suffolk for operations over Europe. During May they suffered their first loss when Mike Kolendorski was killed during a fighter sweep over Holland. Intensity of operations stepped up with a move into No 11 Group of Fighter Command, being based at RAF North Weald by June 1941. On 2 July William J. Hall became the first 'Eagle' pilot to become a POW when he was shot down during an escort mission. The squadron's first confirmed victory came on 21 July 1941 when P/O
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
W. Dunn destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109F over Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
. In August the Spitfire Mk II replaced their Hurricanes, before quickly re-equipping with the latest Spitfire Mk V. The unit soon established a high reputation, and numerous air kill claims were made in RAF fighter sweeps over the continent during the summer and autumn of 1941. In December the Squadron was rested back at Martlesham Heath, before a move to Debden
Debden
Debden could mean:* Debden, Epping Forest, England** Debden House, adult education college** Debden tube station* Debden, Uttlesford, England** RAF Debden* Debden, Saskatchewan, Canada...
in May 1942.
121 Squadron were formed at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey in May 1941, flying Hurricanes on coastal convoy escort duties. On 15 September 1941 it destroyed its first German aircraft. The Hurricanes were replaced with Spitfires and the Mk V arrived in November 1941. The following month the Squadron moved to North Weald, replacing 71 Squadron. In 1942 it its offensive activities over the channel included bomber escorts and fighter sweeps.
133 Squadron was the last Eagle unit to be formed, at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
in July 1941 flying the Hurricane Mk IIb. A move to RAF Duxford followed in August, and re-equipment with the Spitfire Mk V early in 1942. In May the Squadron became part of the famed RAF Biggin Hill Wing. On 31 July 1942 during a bomber escort mission to Abbeville, 52-kill 'ace' Oblt. Rudolf Pflanz
Rudolf Pflanz
Rudolf "Rudi" Pflanz was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Pflanz claimed 52 aerial victories, all of them over the Western Front...
of 11./JG 2 engaged in combat with 133's Spitfires, and after shooting down one was then shot down and killed in his Bf 109G-1 over Berck-sur-Mer, France; 133 claimed 3 destroyed and one probable while losing 3 aircraft. P/O "Jessie" Taylor accounted for 2 of the claims (a Bf 109F and a Fw 190) and P/O W. Baker was credited with a Fw 190 destroyed. On 26 September 1942 11 of the unit's 12 brand new Spitfire Mk IXs were lost on a mission over Morlaix, when escorting B-17s in heavy cloud. Strong winds blew the unit further South than realised and short of fuel the Squadron let down directly over Brest. Six of the squadron were shot down and taken prisoner, four were killed, one bailed and evaded capture while one crash landed in England. One of the British pilots taken prisoner, Flt Lt Gordon Brettell, was to be shot as one of the escapees in The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944.
The Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
was the only occasion that all three Eagle Squadrons saw action operating together. No. 71 moved from Debden to Gravesend in mid August in anticipation of the Dieppe action, while No. 121 operated from Southend. 133 Squadron moved with No. 401 RCAF from Biggin Hill to Lympne
Lympne
Lympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
, on the English south coast. 71 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 shot down, 121 a single Fw 190, while 133 claimed 4 Fw 190s, a Ju 88 and a Dornier Do 217 downed. Six 'Eagle' Spitfires were lost, with one pilot taken prisoner and one killed.
Through to the end of September 1942, the squadrons claimed to have destroyed 73½ German planes while 77 American and 5 British members were killed. 71 Squadron claimed 41 kills, 121 Squadron 18 kills, and 133 squadron 14½ kills.
When informed of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, most of the Eagle Squadron pilots wanted to immediately join the fight against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Representatives from 71 and 121 Squadrons went to the American Embassy in 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...
and offered their services to the United States. The pilots from 71 Squadron decided they wanted to go to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to fight the Japanese and a proposal was put to RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
, but it was turned down.
On 29 September 1942, the three squadrons were officially turned over by the RAF to the fledgling Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
of the USAAF and became the 4th Fighter Group. The Eagle pilots had earned 12 Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
es and one Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. Only four of the 34 original Eagle pilots were still present when the squadrons joined the USAAF. Typical were the fates of the of the eight original pilots in the third squadron: Four died during training, one was disqualified, two died in combat, and one was a prisoner of war. About 100 Eagle pilots had been killed, were missing, or were prisoners. Negotiations regarding the transfer between the Eagle Squadrons, USAAF, and the RAF had to resolve a number of issues. The RAF wanted some compensation for losing three front-line squadrons in which they had heavily invested. Determining what rank each pilot would assume in the USAAF had to be negotiated, with most being given a rank equivalent to their RAF rank. For example, a Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
became a Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
. None of the Eagle Squadron pilots had served in the USAAF and did not have US pilot wings. It was decided to give them US pilot wings upon their transfer.
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Carl Spaatz
Carl Spaatz
Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz GBE was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was of German descent.-Early life:...
, head of the USAAF in Europe, wanted to spread the experience of the Eagles amongst various new US fighter squadrons. However, the pilots of the three Eagle Squadrons wanted to stay together. The 71, 121, and 133 squadrons were respectively designated by the USAAF as the 334th
334th Fighter Squadron
The 334th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, 335th
335th Fighter Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, and 336th
336th Fighter Squadron
The 336th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
and transferred as complete units, retaining their Spitfires until P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s became available in January 1943. The 4th Fighter Group flew Spitfires until its conversion to P-47s was completed in April 1943. The 4th Fighter Wing
4th Fighter Wing
The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit....
, along with the 334th
334th Fighter Squadron
The 334th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, 335th
335th Fighter Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
, and 336th
336th Fighter Squadron
The 336th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina....
Fighter Squadrons, exist today at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located to the southeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for Navy test pilot Seymour Johnson, a native of Goldsboro...
in Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
and are part of the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
Individual pilots
The first three members of the Eagle Squadron obtained their transfers to No. 71 Squadron RAFNo. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, the number has been used three times, once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron, in the second world war as an Eagle Squadron and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit based in Royal Air Force Germany.-First World...
in September 1940. They were:
- Vernon Charles "Shorty" Keough
- Andrew B. MamedoffAndrew MamedoffAndrew B "Andy" Mamedoff was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Biography:Born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1931...
- Eugene Quimby "Red" TobinEugene TobinEugene Quimby "Red" Tobin was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Early life:Born in Los Angeles, California, the son of I. Quimby Tobin and Mary Alicia Tobin. Tobin initially came to Europe to fight Finland against Russia, but too late for that war...
All three men were Battle of Britain veterans, having served together in No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, originally formed as a bomber squadron and in World War II active as fighter squadron, nowadays provides personnel to augment and support the operations of the Royal Air Force. The squadron is no longer a flying Squadron, but instead has the role...
, at RAF Middle Wallop.
They had joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) together (receiving consecutive service numbers), having been posted to 609 Squadron together, having fought the Battle of Britain together, and having transferred to 71 together. The trio had also all been killed by the time of the transfer of the Eagle Squadrons to the USAAC in 1942:
- 81620 Pilot OfficerPilot OfficerPilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
Vernon C. Keough was killed in February, 1941. Age 29.cwgc - 81622 Flying OfficerFlying OfficerFlying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Eugene Q. Tobin was killed in September, 1941. Age 24.cwgc - 81621 Flight LieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Andrew B. Mamedoff was killed in October 1941, by then transferred, with a promotion to be a Flight Commander in another Eagle Sqn., No. 133 Squadron RAFNo. 133 Squadron RAF133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the RAF during World War II.-History:133 Squadron was first formed in 1918 at RAF Ternhill. It was a training unit for the Handley Page O/400, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, that was...
.cwgc
Another Battle of Britain veteran was Phillip Howard Leckrone
Phillip Leckrone
Phillip Howard Leckrone was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.Leckrone was from Salem, Illinois, the son of William and Lottie Leckrone. He was married to Naomi J. Leckrone. He was an experienced pilot, owning his own aircraft.Leckrone travelled to...
. He had served in another squadron with an Auxiliary Air Force heritage: No. 616 Squadron RAF
No. 616 Squadron RAF
No. 616 Squadron was a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force and later the Royal Auxiliary Air Force between 1938 and 1957.-Formation:...
. He was another who was killed early:
- 84653 P/O. Phillip H. Leckrone was killed in January, 1941. Age 28.cwgc
The lives of these four pilots has been described in THE FEW by Alex Kershaw.
It is reported that Pilot Officer Art Donahue
Art Donahue
Arthur Gerald "Art" Donahue was a United States fighter pilot and ace who volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. He was killed in action.-Early life:...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
stayed with the Eagle Squadron only a short time before requesting a transfer back to his original RAF unit. He did not appreciate the unruly behavior of many of the American pilots. He was KIA in 1942.
Captain Don Gentile was a pilot with 133 Squadron, claiming 2 air victories, and by March 1944 became the 4th FG's top ace in WWII with 22 air kills.
Chesley 'Pete' Peterson had 130 sorties with the Eagle Squadrons, he then became the youngest Squadron Commander in the RAF. When the Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the USAAC 4th Fighter Group, Peterson became the group's executive officer, succeeding to command of the group in April 1943, and at 23 years of age the youngest (at the time) Colonel in the US Army Air Corps.
Col. Donald Blakeslee
Donald Blakeslee
Donald James Matthew Blakeslee was an officer in the United States Air Force, whose career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force and flew Spitfire fighter aircraft, during World War II. He then became a member of the Royal Air Force Eagle squadrons...
was a pilot in 121 and 133 Squadrons during 1942, making 120 sorties and claiming 3 air kills, became deputy commander of the 4th Fighter Group under Chesley Peterson, then commanded the group from January to October 1944. Blakeslee flew briefly with the 354th and 357th Fighter Group
357th Fighter Group
The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
s in January 1944 when the P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
was introduced to combat in Europe and immediately became the driving force behind conversion of all but one of the Eighth Air Force fighter groups to the Mustang. His insistence on converting to the Mustang resulted in a rapid turnover of airplanes, with the former Eagle squadrons flying their first Mustang mission on February 24, 1944.
Flt Lt Charles A. Cook Jr. was a member of 133 Squadron. He was shot down in September 1942 and was a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III until 1945. He was a member of what was known as "The Long March", when German forces decided to empty the camps in the face of the Russian advance.
Dedication
British composer Kenneth J. AlfordKenneth Alford
Frederick Joseph Ricketts was a British composer of marches for band. Using the pen name Kenneth J. Alford, his marches are considered to be great examples of the art...
wrote a march, "Eagle Squadron", in honour of the pilots of the squadron. It is also a "thank you" to the American pilots: small sections of the Star Spangled Banner can be heard in the low brass during the trio.
See also
- Flying TigersFlying TigersThe 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
—American volunteers who fought for the ROC in the Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese WarThe Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
(1937–1945). - Kościuszko SquadronPolish 7th Air EscadrillePolish 7th Air Escadrille , better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US volunteers...
—American volunteers fighting for Poland in the Polish-Soviet WarPolish-Soviet WarThe Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
(1919–1921). - Lafayette EscadrilleLafayette EscadrilleThe Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
—American volunteers in the French Air Service during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - Non-British personnel in the Royal Air Force during the Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe 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...
.