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Eagle Squadron Memorial

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Details:

The southern of two memorials in the center of Grosvenor Square Monument

  A tapered shaft of white Portland stone topped by a bronze bald eagle. Sculpted by Dame Elizabeth Frink, unveiled on May 12, 1986, sponsored by the Hearst Corporation.

 The first Eagle Squadron was formed in September 1940 mostly from American citizens who had volunteered to join the Royal Air Force. The monument lists the names of 260 Eagle Squadron members; 71 of the Eagle Squadrons were KIA.

71st "Eagle Squadron:  On 19 September 1940, No. 71 was reformed at Church Fenton as the first 'Eagle' Squadron to be manned by American personnel. The Squadron received Hurricanes in November and became operational on defensive duties on 5 February 1941. No. 71 converted to Spitfires in August and took part in sweeps over northern France. On 29 September 1942, the Squadron was transferred to the 4th Pursuit Group, US Army Air Force as the 334th Pursuit Squadron and ceased to be an RAF unit.'

121st "Eagle" Squadron:  On 14 May 1941, No. 121 was reformed at Kirton-in-Lindsey as the second 'Eagle' Squadron to be manned by American volunteers. Equipped with Hurricanes, it began defensive patrols in October but in November it converted to Spitfires. It moved to North Weald in December 1941 and in February 1942 began to take part in fighter sweeps over northern France. These continued until the Squadron was transferred to the US Army Air Force on 29 September 1942, becoming the 335th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group at Debden.

133rd "Eagle" Squadron:On 1 August 1941, No. 133 reformed at Coltishall as the third 'Eagle' Squadron manned by American personnel. Equipped with Hurricanes it became operational at the end of September. The next month the Squadron moved to Northern Ireland, returning to Lincolnshire at the end of the year. In April 1942 the Squadron took part in its first fighter sweep over France and moved to Biggin Hill early in May. Sweeps continued until 29 September 1942 when the Squadron was transferred to the USAAF as the 336th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group.

From raf.mod.uk


Monument Text:

Eagle Squadrons

This memorial is to the
memory of the 244 American
and 16 British Fighter Pilots
and other personnel who
served in the three Royal
Air Force Eagle Squadrons
prior to the participation of
The United States Of America
in the Second World War

They Served With Valor

Founded by Charles F Sweeny
June 1940

Erected Through the Generosity
of the 
Hearst Corporation of America
in the name of
William Randolph Hearst
Publisher
The other faces commemorate each of the three squadrons: 

Squadron 133 on the east, with an emblem of a spread eagle on a bed of stars, and the motto, ‘LET US TO THE BATTLE’; 

Squadron 121 on the south with a carved crest showing a Native American at the centre, and the motto, ‘FOR LIBERTY’; 

 Squadron 71 on the west, has a carved spread eagle crest and the motto ‘FIRST FROM THE EYRIES’. 

The names, rank and decoration of the 289 subjects, of whom 71 died, are ordered by regiment and surname. 




Eagle Squadron Pilots
F/S Richard Alexander - +P/O William Arends - P/O Henry Ayres - +F/O William Baker DFC - +P/O Charles Barrell - P/O Richard Beaty - SGT Joe Bennett - P/O Edwain Bicksler - S/L Donald Blakeslee DFC - P/O Richard Braley - +F/L E Gordon Brettell DFC Br - +P/O Hugh Brown - +P/O George Bruce - F/O Charles Cook - +P/O James Coxetter - P/O Stephen Crowe - +P/O Ben de Haven - F/O Eric Doorly - P/O Wilson Edwards - +P/O Grant Eichar - +P/O DaO William Ford - P/O Tony Gallo - PP/O Don Gentile - F/S James Goodson - P/O Leroy Gover - +P/O Dick Gudmundsen - +P/O Harry Hain - +P/O Fletcher Hancock - +P/O Carter Harp - F/S Robert Hobert - F/L Marion Jackson - F/L Hugh Johnston CMG OBE DFC/BAR Br - P/O Karl Kimbro - +F/L Coburn King - P/O Donald Lambert - P/O Lyman Loomis - +F/L Andrew Mamedoff - P/O Joseph Matthews - +P/O Hugh McCall - S/L Carroll McColpin DFC - P/O Cecil Meierhoff - P/O George Middleton - P/O Carl Miley - P/O Ervin Miller - P/O Denver Miner - F/S George Mirsch - SGT John Mitchellweis - +P/O Moran Morris - P/O Robert Mueller - P/O Don Nee - F/O James Nelson AFC - +P/O Gene Neville - +P/O Gilbert Omens - P/O Kenneth Peterson - P/O Robert Pewitt - +P/O Hiram Putnam - F/S Chesley Robertson - +P/O Leonard Ryerson - +P/O Seymour Schatzberg - F/L George Scott MBE AFC Br - P/O Fred Scudday - P/O William Slade - P/O Glenn Smart - +P/O Dennis Smith - P/O Robert Smith - +P/O Walter Sares - F/O George Sperry - P/O Andrew Stephenson - +P/O Roy Stout - L/O E Dale Taylor - S/L Eric Thomas DSO DFC/BAR Br - P/O William Wallace - P/O John Warner - +P/O Samuel Whedon - +P/O William White - +F/S Walter Wicker - P/O Roland Wolfe - P/O Gilbert Wricht - F/S Raymond G Fusch

Administrative and Special Duties Officers -
P/O T C Beswick Br - F/O F I S Chapman Br - F/O I M Emerson Br - F/O I G Staveley-Dick Br - F/O R T Wood Br -


Eagle Squadron Pilots
+F/L Thomas Allen - F/O Fred Almos - +F/S Frederick Austin - P/O Ernest Beatie - SGT Leon Blanding - +P/O Carl Bodding - F/O Douglas Booth - P/O Frank Boyles - +P/O Robert Brossmer - F/O John Brown - P/O John Campell DFC - SGT George Carpenter - +SGT Norman Chap - P/O Forrest Cox - F/L W James Daley DFC - P/O Bruce Downs - P/O Joseph Durham - F/L Selden Edner DFC - P/O Paul Ellington - F/O Roy Evans - P/O Paul Ellington - F/O Roy Evans - P/O Gene Fetrow - SGT Frank Fink - SGT Philip Fox - +P/O Ralph Freiberg - +P/O Frederick Gamble - +P/O Jack Gilliland - P/O James Griffin - P/O Chester Grimm - P/O Gilbert Halsey - P/O James Happel - P/O Charles Hardin - +P/O Kenneth Holder - P/O William Jones - P/O John Kearney - P/O William Kelly - S/L Hugh Kennard DFC Br - +P/O Loran Laughlin - P/O Jackson Mahon DFC - F/S Clifford Marcus - F/L Clarence Martin - +P/O Earl Mason - P/O Richard McHan - P/O Donald Mcleod - P/O Collier Mize - ++F/L John Mooney - P/O Herbert Nash - P/O Lyman O'Brien - P/O Julian Osborne - P/O Cadman Padgett - P/O Vernon Parker - +F/O R Fuller Patterson - SGT Robert Patterson - P/O James Peck DFC - S/L R Peter Powell DFC/BAR Br - P/O Lawson Reed - SGT Donald Ross - P/O James Sanders - P/O Warren Shenk - SGT Nicholas Sintetos - P/O Roy Skinner - +P/O John Slater - P/O Bradley Smith - P/O F Donald Smith - P/O Fred Smith - P/O Kenneth Smith - SGT Frank Smolinsky - SGT Aubrey Stanhope - F/O Malta Stepp - P/O Benjamin Taylor - +P/O James Taylor - P/O Clifford Thorpe - P/O Reade Tilley DFC - P/O Thaddeus Tucker - +SGT Fred Vance - +F/L Vivian Watkins - S/L W Dudley Williams DFC Br - F/O Donald Willis - P/O Donald Young - +P/O Norman Young -

Administrative and Special Duties Officers -
F/O Sir M D AAssheton-Smith BT Br - P/O C L Bessey Br - F/O H H R Browne Br - F/O D Laing Br - P/O CC D Sorrie Br - P/O H E Wilson Br - P/O C E Wood Br - P/O C P Wright Br -


Eagle Squadron Pilots
P/O J Keith Alexander - P/O Luke Allen - P/O Charles Ambrose CBE DFC AFC Br - +F/L Newton Anderson - +P/O Paul Anderson - P/O Stanley Anderson - F/O Thomas Andrews - +P/O Roger Atkinson - +P/O John Ayer - F/L C Edward Bateman - P/O Duane Beeson - S/L Ernest Bitmead DFC Br - SGT Vernon Boehle - F/O Victor Bono - P/O Robert Boock - F/S William Brite - S/L George Brown DFC Br - P/O Raymond Care - +P/O Lawrence Chatterton - +S/L Walter Churchill DSO DFC Br - P/O James Clark - F/L Oscar Coen DFC - P/O Gilmore Daniel - S/L Gregory Daymond DFC/BAR - +P/O Arthur Donahue DFC - P/O Forrest Dowling - +P/O William Driver - F/L John Dufour - P/O William Dunn - +F/S Jack Evans - +P/O Hillard Fenlaw - P/O Morris Fessler - +F/O John Flynn - SGT Victor France - P/O Charles Galbraith - +P/O Donald Geffene - P/O William Geiger- +F/L Humphrey Gilbert DFC Br - F/O James Gray DFC - P/O William Hall - P/O James Harrington - +P/O Joseph Helgason - P/O Howard Hively - F/O Walter Hollander - P/O Alfred Hopson - +P/O William Inabinet - P/O J Michael Kelly - PP/O Byron Kennerly - +P/O Vernon Keough - +P/O Stanley Kolendorski - +P/O Philip Leckrone - P/O John Lutz - F/O John Lynch DFC/BAR - +P/O Robert Mannix - P/O Nathaniel Maranz - P/O Harold Marting MC - F/L Sam Mauriello DFC - P/O George Maxwell - +P/O Ben Mays - +P/O Thomas McGerty - +P/O James McGinnis - F/O Richard McMinn - F/O Michael McPharlin - +S/L Stanley Meares DFC Br - P/O Henry Mills - F/O Edward Miluck - P/O Richard Moore - P/O W Brewster Morgan - F/O William Nichols - F/O Leo Nomis - +P/O Virgil Olson - +P/O Edwin Orbison - F/O William O'Regan - P/O Wendell Pendleton - S/L Chesley Peterson DSO DFC - P/O Spiros Pisanos - F/O Eugene Potter - P/O Robert Priser - P/O Peter Provenzano - F/O Arthur Roscoe DFC - P/O Gilbert Ross - P/O Dean Satterlee - +P/O Ross Scarborough - SGT Anthony Seaman - F/L Robert Sprague - F/O Hubert Stewart - F/O Harold Strickland - +P/O Kenneth Taylor - +P/O William D Taylor - S/L William E G Taylor - +P/O George Teicheira - + F/O Eugene Tobin - P/O Reginald Tongue Br - F/O C Wallace Tribken - F/O Murray Vosburg - F/O Thomas Wallace - P/O Rufus Ward - +P/O Jack Weir - P/O Gordon Whitlow - F/L Royce Wilkinson QBE DFM/BAR Br - +S/L Henry Woodhouse DFC AFC Br - +P/O Frank Zavakos -

Administrative and Special Duties Officers -
F/O W A Becker - P/O F N B Bennett Br - F/O F A Binks Br - F/O F Brookes Br - P/O R F Collin Br - F/O B J Hudson Br - F/O N J Jackson Br - F/O D G G Jones Br - F/L A S Osborne - F/L J R Robinson PC GBF KCAIG Br - P/O P T Salkeld Br - P/O W J Smith Br - P/O R V Sweeny DFC - P/O F H Tann Br -