American Pilots in the Battle Of Britain ...? | Forums

[Hoenire]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaFireLIV:
Isn`t Fiske notable because he`s the only American that got a kill in the BOB? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think so. He went out up on a scramble, got shot up very badly and suffered from some minor burns. He succumbed overnight in a hospital bed and they think it was because of shock. Half of the problem about the chap is that there are so many differing accounts about him.

[Saburo_0]

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

Phillip Leckrone was from my home town, Salem Illinois. I went to school with his brother's Granddaughter. The story I heard was he left for Canada when he was only 17, his Father signed a document to say he was older. He joined the RCAF, I wasn't sure if he made it in time to take part in the BoB but knew he was one of the first Americans in the RAF.
He was killed while training with the Eagle Squadrons (71 IIRC) when the oxygen on his Hurricane failed.
His picture still hangs at our local airport, Leckrone Field, where I took my first flights.
Nice to see him remembered here.

[M_Gunz]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Schwarz.13:
aah, the Urban Dictionary - how foolish of me to not look there first </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I learned the term while in radar school from the prior service guys there.
We had combat vets who didn't think much of spending hours to shine floors, shoes, what have you
and related about the kinds of people who would force that on guys just back from real soldiering.

Later on though it was an 82 AB vet who taught me how to shine shoes really well and it did go
a long way to not getting .. screwed.. with.

REMF's have neither soul nor balls.

[WTE_Galway]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hoenire:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeaFireLIV:
Isn`t Fiske notable because he`s the only American that got a kill in the BOB? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think so. He went out up on a scramble, got shot up very badly and suffered from some minor burns. He succumbed overnight in a hospital bed and they think it was because of shock. Half of the problem about the chap is that there are so many differing accounts about him. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fiske had the misfortune of being the very first American to die fighting in the Battle of Britain.

[MB_Avro_UK]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Saburo_0:
Pilot Officer Phillip H. Leckrone of No. 616 squadron.

Phillip Leckrone was from my home town, Salem Illinois. I went to school with his brother's Granddaughter. The story I heard was he left for Canada when he was only 17, his Father signed a document to say he was older. He joined the RCAF, I wasn't sure if he made it in time to take part in the BoB but knew he was one of the first Americans in the RAF.
He was killed while training with the Eagle Squadrons (71 IIRC) when the oxygen on his Hurricane failed.
His picture still hangs at our local airport, Leckrone Field, where I took my first flights.
Nice to see him remembered here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for your post

Makes all this real if you understand.

MB_Avro.

[Saburo_0]

<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:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Saburo_0:
Pilot Officer Phillip H. Leckrone of No. 616 squadron.

Phillip Leckrone was from my home town, Salem Illinois. I went to school with his brother's Granddaughter. The story I heard was he left for Canada when he was only 17, his Father signed a document to say he was older. He joined the RCAF, I wasn't sure if he made it in time to take part in the BoB but knew he was one of the first Americans in the RAF.
He was killed while training with the Eagle Squadrons (71 IIRC) when the oxygen on his Hurricane failed.
His picture still hangs at our local airport, Leckrone Field, where I took my first flights.
Nice to see him remembered here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for your post

Makes all this real if you understand.

MB_Avro. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I do ;-)

Bloody shame war. Too much lost potential, still hope I'd have had the courage to do the same.
An' not being an ace, doesn't mean he didn't make a difference. Mostly the unknowns did it I figure.

[WTE_Galway]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Saburo_0:

Bloody shame war. Too much lost potential, still hope I'd have had the courage to do the same.
An' not being an ace, doesn't mean he didn't make a difference. Mostly the unknowns did it I figure. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Indeed.

This is a full list of BoB pilots ...

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

Almost all of these men were young, often university educated, often married with families and almost all at this early stage of the war were already trained pilots.

It is rather sobering to scroll quickly through and note how many are simply noted as "killed" (the * notes killed during BoB itself). Only one American on the list seems to have survived the war.

[M_Gunz]

There is a longer list I am sure of those killed on the ground, mostly not pilots.
How many million did that war take all tolled?

[Buzzsaw-]

Salute

Re. the Americans in the BoB:

Although not many Americans participated in the battle, it was reported so thoroughly in the US by people such as Edward Murrow of CBS that it inspired very many to come across the border into Canada to join the RCAF, or to go directly to Britain. The result was the formation of the RAF `Eagle` Squadrons, (No. 71, 121, and 133) ie. Squadrons composed almost entirely of American flyers. The first was formed in September of `40, but wasn`t operational till Jan. `41. Later, when the US joined the war, these Squadrons were reformed into the 4th Fighter Group.

Edward Murrow broadcast from London during Blitz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KLQx...eature=related

Murrow pioneered the technique of reporting in such a way as to put the viewer right in the enviroment. Later of course, he went on to be the man who first confronted Joseph McCarthy and the Witchhunt of the `50`s.

[M_Gunz]

All he did was to expose McCarthy's lies that got bigger and bigger.
Back then it wasn't considered being a liberal, it was just telling the truth.