James Harrington ran away from his home in NYC when he was 17 to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, after which he transferred to the RAF. He was assigned to the No. 71 Eagle Squadron, one of three squadrons composed of American volunteers, but he didn’t arrive early enough to fight in the Battle of Britain. He married E Walker of Longwick, Buckinghamshire, England in 1942 at the St Mary's Church. After the US entered the war, No. 71 Squadron was transferred to the USAAF to become the 334th Fighter Squadron. He stayed in the USAF and attained the rank of colonel. He became the private pilot to actor Cliff Robertson (who had ironically portrayed an Eagle pilot in a movie), and then afterwards he was personal pilot to sheik Mohammed bin Laden (Osama’s father). They died together on September 3, 1967 when the plane he was piloting crashed during landing in Saudi Arabia. He is buried in St Mary's Churchyard, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England. His headstone reads: In memory of / a much loved / husband and father / Lieutenant Colonel / James C Harrington / (ret) DFC / July 26th 1918 - September 3rd 1967