The Eclectic Veteran

[Riverkilt]

There were some touchy things. After Pearl Harbor dad went from Missoula, MT to Spokane, WA to enlist in the RAF. But there was no actual enlistment for a while. First he went to Imperial, CA for British Refresher School, which was flight training. Then he and his fellow American pilots took the train to Nova Scotia and a ship to Scotland. On arrival in England in April 1942 they enlisted in the RAF as Flying Sergeants.

The U.S. was well into the war by this time. The enlistment oath was altered to where they didn't have to swear an oath to the King so they kept their U.S. Citizenship.

By the time the Army Air Corps settled in to England in September 1942 they scooped up these Americans in the RAF because they were experienced combat fighter pilots. Most were the nucleous of new fighter groups being formed and were sent to North Africa to fight. Dad flew a P-39 from England to Africa in January 1943 after the mechanics assembled it from a crate it was in -originally being sent to Russia.

His early letters home reflect his intense interest in things Scottish and with Great Britain over all. I'm sure his decision to fly for the RAF was partially rooted in his heritage, not just that the U.S. forces wouldn't take him even though he was an experienced pilot. His earlier medical discharge from the U.S. Navy precluded that.

Interesting, after nearly two years of combat he was sent home to train fighter pilot instructors. He kept getting into trouble for not doing things the Army way...for all his experience as a fighter pilot he'd never had much training in how to be an officer, dress the right way, march in straight lines kind of stuff that was big back on the home front. He did survive the rear echilon and left as a Captain after the war was over.

Though he never much spoke of his combat adventures, he often talked about Scotland and England.

Ron

[GMan]

Great tribute Ron, Well done!

[Steeplechase]

Looks great Ron.