Eagle Squadron (US early entry into WWII)

Firstly let me apologise to all as I haven’t posted recently.  I am suffering from some eyesight issues which is on going but I will do my best to continue posting as often as I can.

133 Squadron

Many months prior to the US actually joining WWII there was some Americans that just felt a need to get amongst it.  133 squadron was made up of American personnel volunteers who wanted to get a head start in the fight against the Third Reich.

These American volunteers joined RAF Eagle Squadron who made their name fighting during WWI, it was first formed 1918 at RAF Ternhill as a training unit for the Handley page 0/400.

Reformed 1941 at RAF Coltishall, the third Eagle Squadron which was equipped with Hawker Hurricane 11B fighters.

By August 1941 they operated out of RAF Duxford and then onto RAF Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, whilst at RAF Eglinton they flew many missions over the seas around Northern Ireland in Supermarine Spitfires 11AS.

Their objective was to protect the many ships transporting supplies from the US to the UK. This was all happening prior to December 7th 1941 when the US finally followed in their footsteps and joined WWII.

Later the fighter squadron flew many missions over France after it was transferred to the USAAF after which it was known as the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group.

I find these obscure  smaller WWII facts fascinating……..

some great links:

http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Wolfe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._133_Squadron_RAF#1941_Spitfire_crash_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland