I just feel that being ex RAF myself that the American volunteer pilots were magnificent . We needed at that time every little bit of help to win the war , and they joined up to help us risking their lives in doing so . God bless them all especially those that were killed . Thank you Eagle Squadron you were superb in battle .
My uncle (Duane Beeson) tried to get in the U.S. as a pilot but was rejected because he didn't have two years of college. The Royal Canadian Air Force took him and trained him. Then he was sent to the RAF 71st. He later became a commander in the U.S. 4th Fighter Group where he had 19+ confirmed kills before he was shot down. funny, he was a commander without two years of college. ;^) God bless our fighting men and women. God bless America.
I’ve read about your uncle in the book about the 4th. From Eagle squadron to the end of the war those men were heroes and cavaliers. As irrational as it sounds, I greatly envy those men and I’m jealous of the chance to fly and fight in those magnificent machines
Just today, Amazon sent me "The Flying Greek," by Col. Steve N. Pisanos, USAF (Ret.), formerly of 71 Eagle Squadron, RAF (Potomac Books). I had the honor to meet him, as well as Jim Goodson, "Red" McColpin and some other pilots at a dinner in Santa Ana, about 15 years ago. Time works against us. They truly were Eagles! Many thanks for the great video post.
GOD LOVE THEM. thanks for your service.one story my uncle told that the RCAF stood for royal California air force because they had so many americans training at pearce,orton fort McLeod alberta in 1940
Brilliant footage, reading War Eagles, published 1943. (71 Squadron)Great to relate this to the book. Amazing young men. I thank them all for helping to rid us of the Nazis'
MOONman480: God bless your Grandfather, and all who fought against the Nazis. No honor is too great to the British airmen who held the line, alone. My Dad flew in B-24s in the 458th BG, he held the British fliers in great respect.
My Uncle Jack was part of the eagle Squadron before being shot down which my sister wrote a semi fictional mystery tale about call Telegram for Mrs Mooney which is the first book in a three-part series.
This is a nice introduction to the RAF's Eagle Squadrons, and certainly adds to the history of these famous squadrons. I would love to have the pilots identified, and I would be interested in the background of these films which were certainly part of the overall information campaign, that would be part of the British campaign to enlist a reluctant, isolationist America into World War II. Many of the individual stories were told, and I would recommend James Goodson's books as lively starters.
Great newsreel. Don`t forget that besides the Eagle Squadron some Americans served in the other units, most notably Francis "Gabby" Gabreski with the Polish 315 RAF fighter sqn.
Hi Richard, So sorry to hear that Red passed away. I knew Red and talked to him a couple of times on the phone; email many times. I wanted to meet him in person, and I was afraid we would lose him before I could get out to Tucson. He told me stories about Don. They actually roomed together for a while. I wonder if there is anybody, anywhere, left who knew Don.
I Have recently Restored a Bsa wm20 motorcycle from 269 Eagle squadron based in Wick Scotland before they were moved to Iceland . The Engine and frame has the eagle squadron's logo stamped in them so looking for some info at the mo !
God bless ordinary American folks... as much as i hate their government, from the bottom of my hearth i admire plain, ordinary Americans who stood for liberty and freedom, and gave their lives so we can live and enjoy in today's world . May the memory of them and their bravery never fade!
They recently found wreckage of a Spitfire of the 133 Eagle Squadron in Co. Donegal, Ireland. We filmed the recovery of the Spitfire for everyone to watch. The plane was piloted by Roland 'Bud' Wolfe, and he bailed out of the plane over the Inishowen peninsula in November, 1941. The video is on our channel if you want to watch it.
Hi, re the Eagle Squadron uploaded 29th Sept 2007. My mother was married to Squadron Leader Stanley Meares DFC who commanded 71st Eagles in 1941. I would be very grateful chat and find out more about the source of this upload. Many thanks.
Greetings Dan, My name is Richard and my father-in-Law knew Don Geffene very well. They were good friends and flew togther in North Africa. My father-in-law's name is John Campbell (Red). Red passed away on AUgust 1, 2012. You can see a video on you tube of Red (and us, his family) attending the last Eagle Sq reunionin San Diego by doing a search in You Tube for a video called RAF Reunion by RSH123. you can contact me if you have any questions...
John Joseph "Jack" Mooney is the pilot in the back right in frames 2:09-2:11. He was killed in action in June 1942, two weeks before he was to be married. If anyone knew him, or his fiance (a W.A.A.F.) please get in touch. I'm his niece.
Excuse me? "Many Americans volunteered to serve in the RAF Fighter command"? Really? Out of a population of 130 million just 11 pilots flew RAF fighters at that stage of WW2. In comparison N.Z (population 2 million at the time) had 130.
When the US entered the war, the Americans in RAF service were absorbed into American units. They then insisted on being able to have the RAF wings displayed on their USAAF uniforms - over the right side pocket.
I just googled iwannabeawhitemanosis and apparently no-on eelse thought it was funny enough to copy. Personally I found it hilarious too. Glad to see someone agrees with me.
Excellent and most informative video. I am an officer in the training branch of the RAF VR serving with 121 squadron of the Air Training Corps. We are all very proud to carry the same number as the second eagle squadron 121. you can visit our website at aircadetonline
@MechelenManiac They weren't fighting for Britain they were fighting for the adrenaline rush of flying state of the art aircraft in combat. If the 'character of the American citizen' was the motivating factor then the US would have entered the war in 1939, not years later. Please be logical.
I suppose the fact that many Americans, like Billy Fiske, fought and died doesn't seem to matter, right? It should be pointed out that we were also providing aid to Britain in the form of Lend-Lease. As for our delayed entry into the war, there's a reason for that. All Europeans have done for centuries, frankly, is fight among themselves - that is presently manifesting itself in Ukraine. The US had come out of the Great War some 20 years earlier and didn't feel compelled to enter another European dust-up. Simply put, our attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese alliance with Germany, changed all that. At that point, we were in, whether we wanted to be or not. It should also be pointed out that even though our primary beef was with the Japanese, we actually gave the European theatre of operations greater priority over the Pacific theatre of operations.
Yes, a book has been written!! THE FEW, by Alex Kershaw. Eugene Quimby "Red" Tobin's sister is my grandmother. Bomberguy if you have any video with the Americans please let me know. Facebook: Guinnavere Maher
There are several great books about 'The Eagle Squadrons' written by Vern Haugland . My favorite living Eagle is John (Red) Campbell, there are at least 2 more still in good health John Carpenter and Jim Gray. Red was a very close friend of my brother Earl who flew out of Kirton in Lindsey England in 1941 Lbmason71 at comcast dot net
For me, the best shot was the US officer on parade with his hands in his pockets - lovely. In the RAF, that would have merited cashiering/flogging. It seems the poor s@ds of 'the brass' still have great faith in the military therapy of synchronized, mass square-bashing. Ah, the sound of chreographed, hobnail boots hitting gravel - strikes terror in foreign Johnnies' hearts.
@maureenOWW Wasn't our fight noe did we have any allegiance to Britain or to any other country for that matter. Read up on history son The British-American allegiance wasn't born till during the war.
Well I want to thank you for your wisdom to marry their beautiful daughter. We had a wonderful visit with them in San Diego and later in San Mateo. I did see your video and am disappointed that we didnt make the last reunion. If you have Carpenter's Gray's and Miluck's Email addresses please forward to me Lee
@radenbg Your hate of government is at least misplaced. Today, cannot be compared to 1940. It is not the same thing and is in the least unfair to compare them as equal. When trouble in the world rears its ugly head it is ALWAYS the common American man & women who pull other people's buts out of the fire. American Gov't needs ajusting and we will do it this Nov.
No coz! Polscy lotnicy mieli najwieksza ilosc zestrzelen podczaz obrony Angli i jakos o nich cicho! A w podziece Anglicy nie zaprosili Polakow na defilade zwyciestwa! Hanba dle Anglikow!🎃🎃👹👹👹
@matthewmttyd 'To all Americans.You're our one true ally' - are you crazy? Have you forgotten Canada, Aus, NZ and a dozen other places who share the same head of state and voluntarily joined the UK in two world wars without a moments hesitation, and when they were under no threat of attack themselves? The US only got involved in both wars because they were attacked. WW1 Lusitania, Zimmerman telegraph, WW2 Pearl Harbor. They were happy to sit on the sidelines making huge profits in both wars. OK?
+SuperEdge67 Um ..yea they risked their lives to simply fly a new aircraft? You're an idiot. They volunteered to help their allies...period. Show some respect.
+Edwin Blanco Actually they didn't really . For many it was an adventure with the old ' it won't happen to me it will happen to someone else' mentality. The chance to fly a Spitfire would be the equivalent of volunteering to to fly an F-22 today and many were already licenced pilots. Plenty of people would volunteer to do that. I wasn't disrespecting them........but just remember 1000s of Aussies and Kiwis were flying in the RAF 12 000 miles from home but don't seek endless praise and gratitude in the way the US does. Also remember regardless of nationality ALL AIRCREW WERE VOLUNTEERS. At no stage in the war were there a shortage of volunteers to fly........better that than being in a foxhole or trench.
The Eagle Squadrons were much appreciated, though the number of accepted recruits only numbered 244. Considering that 55,000 aircrew were killed in action in Bomber Command alone, including my uncle, this small number must be put in perspective. I am proud of these pilots but shocked how Hollywood had overstated the contribution these Americans made to the RAF war effort. Every film that was ever made about RAF ops had a striking Eagle Squadron pilot, usually in command, yet not too clever, or conceited, as to not alienate US audiences, leading the charge. This was not only an insult to all the brave British pilots, but also to those from the Eagle Squadron who were actually ridiculed and threatened for breaking neutrality. Pilots from Poland, NZ, Canada, France etc, hugely outnumbered the American recruits into the RAF, yet 'Hollywood history' has cut them out. The Polish were especially more numerous and effective, but history doesn't seem to care. .
I just feel that being ex RAF myself that the American volunteer pilots were magnificent . We needed at that time every little bit of help to win the war , and they joined up to help us risking their lives in doing so . God bless them all especially those that were killed . Thank you Eagle Squadron you were superb in battle .
My uncle (Duane Beeson) tried to get in the U.S. as a pilot but was rejected because he didn't have two years of college. The Royal Canadian Air Force took him and trained him. Then he was sent to the RAF 71st. He later became a commander in the U.S. 4th Fighter Group where he had 19+ confirmed kills before he was shot down. funny, he was a commander without two years of college. ;^)
God bless our fighting men and women. God bless America.
My grandfather was also here. I wonder if they knew each other.
I’ve read about your uncle in the book about the 4th. From Eagle squadron to the end of the war those men were heroes and cavaliers. As irrational as it sounds, I greatly envy those men and I’m jealous of the chance to fly and fight in those magnificent machines
I salute your uncle and all brave Americans who fought for Britain, airman, sailors and soldiers
Remarkable that the Americans volunteered to join the RAF before the US entered the war, says volumes about the character of the American citizen.
Just today, Amazon sent me "The Flying Greek," by Col. Steve N. Pisanos, USAF (Ret.), formerly of 71 Eagle Squadron, RAF (Potomac Books). I had the honor to meet him, as well as Jim Goodson, "Red" McColpin and some other pilots at a dinner in Santa Ana, about 15 years ago. Time works against us. They truly were Eagles! Many thanks for the great video post.
A friend and mentor, "Butch" Korbish, served w/ one of the three RAF Eagle Squadrons which were eventually formed. Thanks for remembering them.
We owe them everything, thankyou.
Blakeslee, Gentile, and Godfrey. Legends.
GOD LOVE THEM. thanks for your service.one story my uncle told that the RCAF stood for royal California air force because they had so many americans training at pearce,orton fort McLeod alberta in 1940
Brilliant footage, reading War Eagles, published 1943. (71 Squadron)Great to relate this to the book.
Amazing young men. I thank them all for helping to rid us of the Nazis'
My grandad was a pilot in 71 squadron!.
My Uncle Don Geffene I think was in that squadron as well.
MOONman480: God bless your Grandfather, and all who fought against the Nazis. No honor is too great to the British airmen who held the line, alone. My Dad flew in B-24s in the 458th BG, he held the British fliers in great respect.
Thank you for posting this excellent video!
My Uncle Jack was part of the eagle Squadron before being shot down which my sister wrote a semi fictional mystery tale about call Telegram for Mrs Mooney which is the first book in a three-part series.
my dad was ground crew with71 sq north weald and tangmere
Great video. They had to do 300 hours flying, which is a lot. Many of the British pilots had only 10 hours. The Americans did so much to save Britain.
This is a nice introduction to the RAF's Eagle Squadrons, and certainly adds to the history of these famous squadrons. I would love to have the pilots identified, and I would be interested in the background of these films which were certainly part of the overall information campaign, that would be part of the British campaign to enlist a reluctant, isolationist America into World War II. Many of the individual stories were told, and I would recommend James Goodson's books as lively starters.
Great newsreel. Don`t forget that besides the Eagle Squadron some Americans served in the other units, most notably Francis "Gabby" Gabreski with the Polish 315 RAF fighter sqn.
Hi Richard, So sorry to hear that Red passed away. I knew Red and talked to him a couple of times on the phone; email many times. I wanted to meet him in person, and I was afraid we would lose him before I could get out to Tucson. He told me stories about Don. They actually roomed together for a while. I wonder if there is anybody, anywhere, left who knew Don.
BRAVO!
I Have recently Restored a Bsa wm20 motorcycle from 269 Eagle squadron based in Wick Scotland before they were moved to Iceland . The Engine and frame has the eagle squadron's logo stamped in them so looking for some info at the mo !
MrTedwise My uncle Don Geffene had a Royal Enfield when he was over in Ceylon.
I have a great-uncle who was in the 71. George S Maxwell. Still alive and kicking in Maryland.
Any chance he is still alive?
God bless ordinary American folks... as much as i hate their government, from the bottom of my hearth i admire plain, ordinary Americans who stood for liberty and freedom, and gave their lives so we can live and enjoy in today's world .
May the memory of them and their bravery never fade!
They recently found wreckage of a Spitfire of the 133 Eagle Squadron in Co. Donegal, Ireland. We filmed the recovery of the Spitfire for everyone to watch. The plane was piloted by Roland 'Bud' Wolfe, and he bailed out of the plane over the Inishowen peninsula in November, 1941.
The video is on our channel if you want to watch it.
Hi, re the Eagle Squadron uploaded 29th Sept 2007. My mother was married to Squadron Leader Stanley Meares DFC who commanded 71st Eagles in 1941. I would be very grateful chat and find out more about the source of this upload. Many thanks.
Bang on chaps! Chocks away!
i love these awesome brave guys (:
@matthewmttyd that was cold blooded!
Greetings Dan,
My name is Richard and my father-in-Law knew Don Geffene very well. They were good friends and flew togther in North Africa. My father-in-law's name is John Campbell (Red). Red passed away on AUgust 1, 2012. You can see a video on you tube of Red (and us, his family) attending the last Eagle Sq reunionin San Diego by doing a search in You Tube for a video called RAF Reunion by RSH123. you can contact me if you have any questions...
A very interesting video, again many thanks.
One question, has anybody written a book about them?.
if they have not, they ought to.
3 years later LOL but that is well spoken my friend...
these americans are our true heroes.
@matthewmttyd Aww.. Shucks. No worries mate glad we done it.
John Joseph "Jack" Mooney is the pilot in the back right in frames 2:09-2:11. He was killed in action in June 1942, two weeks before he was to be married. If anyone knew him, or his fiance (a W.A.A.F.) please get in touch. I'm his niece.
eagle squedron was mentioned in pearl harbour
I would like to see a statue erected in their honour
Excuse me? "Many Americans volunteered to serve in the RAF Fighter command"? Really? Out of a population of 130 million just 11 pilots flew RAF fighters at that stage of WW2. In comparison N.Z (population 2 million at the time) had 130.
When the US entered the war, the Americans in RAF service were absorbed into American units. They then insisted on being able to have the RAF wings displayed on their USAAF uniforms - over the right side pocket.
My uncle was Don Geffene who was shot down during the Battle of Ceylon. Anyone out there know him? Please contact me. Thanks. Dan Shapiro
I just googled iwannabeawhitemanosis and apparently no-on eelse thought it was funny enough to copy. Personally I found it hilarious too. Glad to see someone agrees with me.
Excellent and most informative video. I am an officer in the training branch of the RAF VR serving with 121 squadron of the Air Training Corps. We are all very proud to carry the same number as the second eagle squadron 121. you can visit our website at aircadetonline
Any way I could set up an interview?
I was taught there was only 8 us servicemen flying.. in the raf
@matthewmttyd So what are you saying that these men died and fought for nothing?
@matthewmttyd aww....... you as cold as ice.
@MechelenManiac They weren't fighting for Britain they were fighting for the adrenaline rush of flying state of the art aircraft in combat. If the 'character of the American citizen' was the motivating factor then the US would have entered the war in 1939, not years later. Please be logical.
maureenOWW Hate much? Jealous often?
I suppose the fact that many Americans, like Billy Fiske, fought and died doesn't seem to matter, right? It should be pointed out that we were also providing aid to Britain in the form of Lend-Lease. As for our delayed entry into the war, there's a reason for that. All Europeans have done for centuries, frankly, is fight among themselves - that is presently manifesting itself in Ukraine.
The US had come out of the Great War some 20 years earlier and didn't feel compelled to enter another European dust-up. Simply put, our attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese alliance with Germany, changed all that. At that point, we were in, whether we wanted to be or not.
It should also be pointed out that even though our primary beef was with the Japanese, we actually gave the European theatre of operations greater priority over the Pacific theatre of operations.
Yes, a book has been written!! THE FEW, by Alex Kershaw. Eugene Quimby "Red" Tobin's sister is my grandmother. Bomberguy if you have any video with the Americans please let me know. Facebook: Guinnavere Maher
@maureenOWW Yeah but wasn't our war to fight.
TWO GREEKS IN EAGLE SQUADRON . STEVE PISANOS , F.G. ZAVAKOS K.I.A.
There are several great books about 'The Eagle Squadrons' written by Vern Haugland . My favorite living Eagle is John (Red) Campbell, there are at least 2 more still in good health
John Carpenter and Jim Gray. Red was a very close friend of my brother Earl who flew out of Kirton in Lindsey England in 1941 Lbmason71 at comcast dot net
For me, the best shot was the US officer on parade with his hands in his pockets - lovely. In the RAF, that would have merited cashiering/flogging. It seems the poor s@ds of 'the brass' still have great faith in the military therapy of synchronized, mass square-bashing. Ah, the sound of chreographed, hobnail boots hitting gravel - strikes terror in foreign Johnnies' hearts.
@maureenOWW Wasn't our fight noe did we have any allegiance to Britain or to any other country for that matter. Read up on history son The British-American allegiance wasn't born till during the war.
Well I want to thank you for your wisdom to marry their beautiful daughter. We had a wonderful visit with them in San Diego and later in San Mateo. I did see your video and am disappointed that we didnt make the last reunion. If you have Carpenter's Gray's and Miluck's Email addresses please forward to me Lee
@radenbg
Your hate of government is at least misplaced. Today, cannot be compared to 1940. It is not the same thing and is in the least unfair to compare them as equal. When trouble in the world rears its ugly head it is ALWAYS the common American man & women who pull other people's buts out of the fire. American Gov't needs ajusting and we will do it this Nov.
No coz! Polscy lotnicy mieli najwieksza ilosc zestrzelen podczaz obrony Angli i jakos o nich cicho! A w podziece Anglicy nie zaprosili Polakow na defilade zwyciestwa! Hanba dle Anglikow!🎃🎃👹👹👹
@matthewmttyd 'To all Americans.You're our one true ally' - are you crazy? Have you forgotten Canada, Aus, NZ and a dozen other places who share the same head of state and voluntarily joined the UK in two world wars without a moments hesitation, and when they were under no threat of attack themselves? The US only got involved in both wars because they were attacked. WW1 Lusitania, Zimmerman telegraph, WW2 Pearl Harbor. They were happy to sit on the sidelines making huge profits in both wars. OK?
maureenOWW Uh, most countries go to war because they were attacked. I think I heard that somewhere.
I'm sure all the countries you mentioned haven't been forgotten, but the brief film does concern the "Eagle Squadron," does it not?
These guys were over the moon to fly Spits......the US had obsolete crap aircraft in 1940.
+SuperEdge67 Um ..yea they risked their lives to simply fly a new aircraft? You're an idiot. They volunteered to help their allies...period. Show some respect.
+Edwin Blanco Actually they didn't really . For many it was an adventure with the old ' it won't happen to me it will happen to someone else' mentality. The chance to fly a Spitfire would be the equivalent of volunteering to to fly an F-22 today and many were already licenced pilots. Plenty of people would volunteer to do that. I wasn't disrespecting them........but just remember 1000s of Aussies and Kiwis were flying in the RAF 12 000 miles from home but don't seek endless praise and gratitude in the way the US does. Also remember regardless of nationality ALL AIRCREW WERE VOLUNTEERS. At no stage in the war were there a shortage of volunteers to fly........better that than being in a foxhole or trench.
+Red-tailed Hawk Thanks for the lecture..........you don't possess the intellect to understand the point I am making.
+Red-tailed Hawk You're an idiot. I suggest you go back to school and improve your reading comprehension.
+Red-tailed Hawk Go wave your Stars and Stripes and play with your gun collection.........idiot.
The Eagle Squadrons were much appreciated, though the number of accepted recruits only numbered 244. Considering that 55,000 aircrew were killed in action in Bomber Command alone, including my uncle, this small number must be put in perspective. I am proud of these pilots but shocked how Hollywood had overstated the contribution these Americans made to the RAF war effort. Every film that was ever made about RAF ops had a striking Eagle Squadron pilot, usually in command, yet not too clever, or conceited, as to not alienate US audiences, leading the charge. This was not only an insult to all the brave British pilots, but also to those from the Eagle Squadron who were actually ridiculed and threatened for breaking neutrality. Pilots from Poland, NZ, Canada, France etc, hugely outnumbered the American recruits into the RAF, yet 'Hollywood history' has cut them out. The Polish were especially more numerous and effective, but history doesn't seem to care. .
binkyboobosh1 303 (Polish) Squadron had the most confirmed kills didn’t it?