I recently retired from the Royal Air Force after a career spanning 37 years which included a lot of time spent alongside personnel from all of the US Services whilst working at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. My first experiences of US forces were operating the Tornado GR1 on US-led multi-national exercises, such as RED FLAG, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Participation in such exercises proved very useful for the events of early 1991 when the Gulf War led to Combined Air Operations against Iraq.
Happy 109th birthday to Billy Fiske, from The Billy Fiske Foundation and Friends. Today, 4 June 2020, we would like to remember Fiske’s life & all that he stood for: justice, bravery, and the enduring friendship between the US & UK. Please enjoy this special birthday “Shout-Out” from a few of your friends.
The death of George Floyd was unconscionable. I am outraged, as everyone should be, by the conduct of the police in Minneapolis. The murder by Derek Chauvin was senseless, but even more appalling was that three officers, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng stood by and did nothing. They stood by and did nothing! The outrage that has followed and the response to it should be a wakeup call for all of us.
GIVEAWAY ALERT!
June 4th marks the 109th birthday of Billy Fiske, the first American pilot to die in World War II. Fiske was only 29 when he died from wounds sustained during the Battle of Britain.
I was delighted when Kevin Billings invited me to write a short piece about how Billy Fiske’s sacrifice in 1940 exemplifies the UK/US Special Relationship and, in particular, the unique relationship between the USAF and RAF.
On 12 July 2017, I took command of the 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Alconbury then immediately drove to RAF Fairford so I could oversee the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT). While attending the RIAT Gala Dinner, extremely jetlagged but happily enjoying cold beverages, I saw this RAF Group Captain who looked a lot like one of our old USAF Assistant Secretaries for Installations, Environment and Logistics – Kevin Billings.
I’ve read speculation before that Billy Fiske was nothing more than another bored wealthy American adventurer, searching for thrill in whatever means could be found. This has been an accusation put forward to all of the nine Americans that would leave the USA to fight in what became known as the Battle of Britain. I certainly can’t speak for the motives of each man, but the facts present the opposite for Billy.
Billy Fiske Foundation Board Member Paul Beaver interviews British Military Historian Peter Caddick-Adams on the life of Billy Fiske and his role in World War II.
To be truthful, I did not know anything about Billy before December 2016 when, at a Christmas celebration dinner sponsored by the 601 (County of London) Squadron held in Washington, DC, I met the Honorable Kevin Billings, who in short order introduced me to the fascinating, compelling and incredibly impactful life of Billy Fiske.
