Americans Who Flew with the RCAF During WW II

[L-4Pilot]

I wrote my first book on this subject, "Remembering The Canadian Yanks", in 2012. It is available at amazon.com. A second book tentatively entitled "American RCAF Warriors" will be out before the end of this year. I have sufficient material to do several more down the road. These are fascinating stories that deserve to be told.

Cheers,
Tom Walsh.

[Dave Hadfield]

Tom,

Thanks for the correction about RAF vs RCAF for Gentile.

And how do you pronounce that; rhyming with Tilly or Nile?

Quite a record of accomplishment, and service, anyway...

Dave

[TOM WALSH]

RCAF Sergeant Pilots and Flight Sergeants entered the Army Air Corps as Flight Officers (FO). This rank was created and used only in World War II by the Air Corps. It allowed those US citizens who were serving as non-commissioned pilots in the RCAF to smoothly transfer into the American air force as officers. The repatriation agreement to transfer thousands of trained military personnel from Canada to the United States had been worked out at the highest levels of both Federal Governments in May, 1942. However, there were some old school Army officers who greatly resisted the spirit of the concept. Some of the returnees were openly greeted with hostility and were reminded that they had not gone to College, were considered to be an undisciplined lot and were told; "the Army has agreed to take you, but we don't have to like it". What was particularly irksome to a few was that the returnees were entitled to wear two sets of wings on their US uniforms. They wore their Air Corps metal wings over their left breast pocket and their RCAF cloth wings over their right breast pocket. At social functions and dances, women seemed to gravitate to those pilots whose uniforms sported double wings. They just assumed the wearers of same to be highly trained or superior airmen! The cagey pilots did nothing to dispel the young ladies erroneous assumptions and happily went along with what the nubile damsels mistakingly believed.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[TOM WALSH]

Dave,

I have heard it pronounced both ways. The consensus seems to be Tilley.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[kenair]

What I find extremely courageous is that these brave Americans lost their US citizenship in swearing an allegiance oath to the King of England, some lost their lives and their country!

"Under American law, it was illegal for United States citizens to join the armed forces of foreign nations. In doing so, they lost their citizenship, although Congress passed a blanket pardon in 1944. Even so, hundreds if not thousands of American citizens volunteered to fly with the Royal Air Force before America officially entered the war in December, 1941. Perhaps the most famous result of this were the Eagle Squadrons." from http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/americans-in-the-royal-air-force/eagle-squadrons.aspx

[TOM WALSH]

Not true for 99% of the 8,860 Americans who volunteered to fly and fight in the RCAF. The air force did not ask them to swear an oath to King George the VI when they enlisted, rather they had the applicants swear to obey their superiors and to abide by all air force regulations. Late in 1939 and early in 1940 there were a handful who unknowingly got caught up in a mass swearing in ceremony at some recruiting offices. I estimate it was no more than several dozen. When it was determined, sometimes many years later what had transpired, they were quickly brought before a Federal Judge to have their citizenship restored.

That erroneous rumour, about loss of citizenship, began right after America joined the war effort on December 8, 1941.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[Dan K]

And how do you pronounce that; rhyming with Tilly or Nile?

When in doubt, I prefer a primary source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-3R2BrCE2I

[TOM WALSH]

Captain John Trevor Malcome "Johnny" Godfrey was one half the duo Sir Winston Churchill referred to as the Damon and Pythais of the twentieth century. The other half was Captain Dominic Salvatore "Gentle" Gentile who was better known by his Americanized name "Don Gentile". Together these two fighter aces destroyed 58.4 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and on the ground. Britain's top scoring World War II ace, Group Captain (GC) J. E. "Johnnie" Johnson, stated the Gentile/Godfrey Team "were the best pair ever to fight over Germany". They were even paid an offhanded compliment by the Head of the German Air Force. Hermann Goering, in a Berlin radio speech, called Gentile and Godfrey the "Debden Gangsters" for their unorthodox fighting style. He said he would give two Luftwaffe Fighter Squadrons for their capture.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[TOM WALSH]

The shoulder patch/flash, worn on the tunics by the 244 Americans and 16 Englishmen whose members comprised the three Royal Air Force (RAF) Eagle Fighter Squadrons, was inspired by the Eagle illustration on the US Passport.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

[norman malayney]

"...successful in his endeavor to join the RCAF but 9,000 Americans did join the RCAF before Pearl Harbor and 840 were killed."

Though some 9,000 joined the RCAF, a large number became ground crew members. When USA entered the war in December 1941, the US government forcefully solicited Americans in the RCAF to transfer to USAAC or lose their US citizenship. The USAAC selected mainly pilots and navigators and ignored the non-flying personnel and ground crew members. Even today, these "ignored" Americans remain totally unknown.

"That erroneous rumour, about loss of citizenship, began right after America joined the war effort on December 8, 1941."

I interviewed several Yanks in the RCAF who transfered to USAAF and served with the 25th BG Rcn flying Mosquitoes. Lionel Proulx said a USAAF representative requested he and several others at Bovingdon transfer to American units which they welcome to serve the USA. He was told of the option regarding loss of US citizenship. Bob Walker mentioned that word filtered among Americans in the RCAF of the potential for loss of US citizenship. "Lefty" Whitman, from Pennsylvania, shot down 15 V-1s. I was told he lost his US citizenship for refusal to transfer to the USAAF. I visited him in the hospital seeking permission to tape an interview, which he welcomed. I mentioned the US citizenship issue and he became extremely hostile, verbalizing the "bastards...theatened" him with American citizenship loss, but he refused to leave the RCAF. I never learned if he indeed lost his US citizenship. Lefty died two days later before I could tape record the interview. He remained in the RCAF attached to an RAF unit and became a Canadian citizen.

May I suggest a continuing series of books, "Immigrants of War" by Walter Fydenchuk as an excellent reference source to Yanks in the RCAF.

[TOM WALSH]

Norm,

The US kept track of every American that joined the RCAF prior to America's involvement in WW II. The threat of losing ones citizenship was a military proclamation that had no basis of official support from either the Canadian or US Governments. It was one of those untrue rumours that somehow got started and ran rampant through the ranks. Less than half of the 8,860 "RCAF Americans" transferred over to a US military service before the end of the war. Some, wanted to fight under the US flag, others, such as sergeant pilots, were seeking officer status and some wanted the benefit of the $10,000.00 life insurance policy which was not available to RCAF or RAF personnel. It really didn't matter what uniform one was wearing, as we were fighting the same enemies for the same reasons. Another good book for reference on this subject is Spencer Dunmore's "Wings For Victory."

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.