Foreigners in BoB

[Arneken]

After the blitz and dunkirk; England was stuffed with foreigners. young men who wanted to do something to revenge the Germans. Some off them wanted to join the groundtroops others wanted to do something in the air.They didn't brought aircrafts with them and where overrun by the luftwaffe in the beginning of the war. How did the RAF solved this in the Battle of Britain ?

Did they immediatly made squadrons for foreigners? Did foreigners and Englishman fight together in one squadron? Did the RAF refused these pilots who had some training in the fighters off the country the represented ? Or did they had to do some training at first?

(The first thing I now come up with is the poor condition off the Belgian Airforce who had just a handfull of Hurricanes and Spits in 1940 and flew with outdated planes.)

I'm pretty sure that some polish pilots served in a "regular" squadron and where known as daredevils because in all weather types they flew to get them some "hun killing-fun", like I once read.

But what with the Belgians,Dutch,French,Danish,Finnish,... Pilots?

Most Belgian pilots only saw action after 1940-1941 and most off them in Africa with Blenheims. Some off them got themselves Hurricanes and Spitfires and fought over Europe. Who doesn't know the story of Baron Jean de selys-Longchamps who strafed the gestapo-building in Brussels.

But now I'm just saying this who have got nothing to do with my questions. So how (is this word with or without the 'w'?) was it with the foreigners in Battle of Britain?

Many thanks

Arneken

[comiso90]

Originally Posted by Arneken

But what with the Belgians,Dutch,French,Danish,Finnish,... Pilots?

Arneken

Don't for get the Yanks!

Of the thousands that volunteered, 244 Americans served with the three Eagle Squadrons; 16 Britons acted as Squadron and Flight commanders. The Dieppe Raid was the only occasion that all three Eagle Squadrons saw action operating together.

Eagle Squadrons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



.

[Arneken]

I did didn't I Maybe because I already knew about the eagle-squadrons.

Wasn't it that many off them where registrated as being non-american but as finnish or canadien?

[pbfoot]

Here are the numbers i have
Australian 56........9 kia
New Zealand 103..... 14 kia
Canada 90..... 20kia
South African 21 .....9kia
Jamaica 1
Irish 9
American 7 ......1kia
Polish 141 ......29kia
Czech 86 ........8kia
Belgian 29 .......8kia
French 12
Palestinian 1

[Arneken]

Some fine surprises !! A Jamacain.

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by Arneken

Some fine surprises !! A Jamacain.

and a palestinian

[comiso90]

wow, the poles and the South Africans lost the most proportionally..

any theories as to why?

happened to be involved in most fierce fights?
poor training?
fighting emotionally?
most aggressive?

.

[Arneken]

Originally Posted by pbfoot

and a palestinian

I overlooked that one.

[bigZ]

Both France and Britain treated foreign pilots poorly and with suspicion intially. What also got the backs up of the British was the atempts by seinior foreign officers to try and establish airforces independently the RAF from very early on.

The common perception today of the Polish airforce is the herioc efforts shown in the film the BOB. But it does not tell all. True Polish pilots were the sought after guests for a party during and immediately after the battle. But very early on High ranking Polish officers where seen in general to be anti semectic. Letters sent to newpapers in 45 /46 complain about these 'foreigners' and demand to know when they would be forceably sent back.

Augustin Preucil was a Czech pilot and the only known Nazi spy to infiltrate the RAF. He escaped to Beligium and assumed he had been shot down in the channel but phots of his hurricane in a German museum during the war have since come to light. It is thought that he also had a German handler in the RAF whose identity has not been established.

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by bigZ

Both France and Britain treated foreign pilots poorly and with suspicion intially. What also got the backs up of the British was the atempts by seinior foreign officers to try and establish airforces independently the RAF from very early on.

.

Including the RCAF RAAF RNZAF etc they were very upset that the Colonials wanted their own Squadrons .

[seesul]

Yep, there were also 3 Czech fighter squadrons (312th,3132th,313th) and 1 bomber squadron (311th).
Czechoslovak airmen in the wartime Royal Air Force
One of them, Josef Stehlik, lived and died in my born town (Slavicin). More at http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/sto...rces-1603.html (S/Ldr Josef Stehlík - In Four Airforces)
There´s also great movie about our pilots during BoB http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/avi...rld-11775.html (Dark Blue World)

[marshall]

There were few Polish squadrons in Britian during BoB. The most famous 303 sqn was the highest scoring unit during BoB.

No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


If someone would be more intrested there is a good book about it "A Question of Honor".

A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: The Forgotten Heroes of World War Two, by Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud

[MONDARIZ]

As I'm Danish myself, maybe its appropriate I should fly the flag a bit. Since we really didn't do that much as a country.

There were individuals in allied service, and some of them flew in RAF (although not in BoB, as far as i know), but there was also a group of businessmen/women who all chipped in and presented Winston Churchill himself, wich a check for £38,000. That was enough for 3 Spitfires.

BL831 - "Skagen Ind"
BL855 - "Niels Ebbesen"
BL924 - "Valdemar Atterdag" (A replica is at Tangmere museum).

Our most famous RAF pilot was Wing Commander Kaj Birksted (OBE, DFC, DSO). Who managed to down 10 enemy planes, making him a double ace.

He later became a founding officer in the Royal Danish Air Force.

Danish Spitfires at war

But i guess our absolute "claim to fame" would be Major Anders Lassen, who served with the Special Boat Squadron of No. 1 Special Air Service Regiment. Lassen was awarded not only 3 military crosses, but also the famous Victoria cross. Unfortulatly he was killed shortly before the war ended.

Anders Lassen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Arneken]

Interesting to read an look at all these things.

Thank you very much guys.

If any should have some information about that Palestinian and Jamacian Pilot, it would be great.

[evangilder]

Originally Posted by comiso90

Don't for get the Yanks!

Of the thousands that volunteered, 244 Americans served with the three Eagle Squadrons; 16 Britons acted as Squadron and Flight commanders. The Dieppe Raid was the only occasion that all three Eagle Squadrons saw action operating together.

Eagle Squadrons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



.

Keep in mind that most of the 244 were after the BoB. Only a handful actually served during the BoB.