Where Eagles Dare.. by debbielove

Photography • Aviation • posted on Jan 08, 2015

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Description

Greeting Folks, Something for our U.S. friends now.. Here is Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia, P7308, in Eagle Squadron Markings, No 71 and their crest is on the nose.. The Spitfire’s new scheme represents the Eighth’s 'Eagle' Squadron forebears, the American fighter pilots who joined the Royal Air Force in the early 1940s, flying and fighting a common enemy alongside their British comrades before the USA officially entered the war in Europe in 1942. The markings are those of Pilot Officer William R. Dunn, an early American ‘ace’, credited with downing five Luftwaffe aircraft between May and August 1941. Dunn was badly wounded in an accident in P7308 at North Weald on 27 August 1941. After a period of rehabilitation, Dunn returned to flight with the USAAF, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt with the 53rd Fighter Group, also based at Duxford. He would go on to score a further kill during WWII, his sixth in total. He continued flying with the USAAF, and latterly the USAF, until his retirement in 1973. You will also notice that the Pilot Piloting this Eagle Spitfire IS an American, cool huh? Zoom for details, prop blur included free lol Taken at Legends 2014, enjoy Rob

Comments (13)

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jayfar

8:59AM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Love it, this is a fab pic Rob and great info too.

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magnus073

8:59AM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Wow Rob, this is one awesome presentation.

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taliesin86001

9:31AM | Thu, 08 January 2015

A great photo, Rob! Most folks interested in aviation are well aware of the Americans who went to France in WWI before the U.S. entered the war. The Hat in the Ring Squadron is very famous. I don't understand why, when the same thing was done in WWII in England, the same sort of publicity was not spread here in the U.S. I think it's a shame. Thank you for making more folk aware of this!

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Diemamker

11:02AM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Super!! great shot of this cool aircraft!!... the Germans didn't stand a chance against this bird... very nice photo work..

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bebopdlx

1:45PM | Thu, 08 January 2015

A WOW photo Rob.

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Buffalo1

3:45PM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Love it, Rob. I want hear that Merlin engine roar! To answer talliesin 8601: It was technically illegal for Americans to serve in any of the belligerent armies under the Neutrality Act and Presidential Orders. Recruitment by pro-Allied American groups for foreign service was also forbidden. This didn't stop much as American recruits for a new Lafayette Escadrille for the French AF started to show up. After France fell the Roosevelt administration turned a blind eye to Americans crossing the border to Canada to join up. Since it was still illegal for Americans to recruit there was very little publicity. However several American groups happily recruited and paid the way for Americans to join the RCAF and RAF using legal dodges. Eventually the British agreed to give Americans an oath of loyalty to their "commanders" and not specifically the king. In 1941 the U.S. military began recruiting USAAC and Naval Aviation pilots for the American Volunteer Group to fight for China as mercs so the whole point became moot.

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Faemike55

6:29PM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Very cool airplane and very interesting history lessons

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goodoleboy

10:43PM | Thu, 08 January 2015

Great shot and prop blur depicting the American pilot warming up the Spitfire before taking off, or did he just land? Cool on the history of our guys joining the RAF before we got legally into the conflict. In any event, not only do you have all of the American WWII aircraft in the UK, you also have some of our pilots. On the other side of the ledger, I haven't encountered one British built WWII aircraft in all of my visits to local air shows.

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RodS

11:40PM | Thu, 08 January 2015

A really excellent photo, Rob! I knew there were some Americans flying Spits alongside British pilots before we 'officially' entered the war, but this is an interesting bit I wasn't aware of. He was still flying when I joined the USAF, and finally retired a year after I got out.. That's dedication, indeed!

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