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By Andrew A. Rooney Stars and Stripes Staff Writer Sixteen American officers in the RAF and RCAF transferred to the U.S. forces yesterday in London. Ten flying officers joined the Air Force as first lieutenants and six pilot officers accepted USAAF commissions as second leutenants. Fighter and bomber pilots, gunners and air observers were among the 16. Their experience ranged from a bomber pilot with 37 missions, and a fighter pilot with more than 60,sorties and 200 operational hours to untried pilot officers who recently completed their advanced flying course. F/O Jack Berry, of Parkersburg, W. Va., one of the 16, recently holds the DFC. “I haven’t seen the citation yet. am not sure what it’s for,”’ Berry said. Friends explained that last October Berry and five other Wellington pilots were briefed for a low altitude, daylight raid on Essen. Cloud formations were supposed to provide cover for the opera tions but weather cleared as the small squadron approached the target. Five of the planes turned back, but Berry felt he could do the job and bring his crew and ship back safely. He carried out the one plane raid on the heavily guarded area at about 2,500 feet with no casualties. The Americans said they had joined the RAF and the RCAF for a hundred different reasons. Some of them were too young to join the U.S. forces, so they headed for Canada or England where they accepted 18-year-old cadets even at that time. Others were veteran fliers when they joined, and did it either because they were looking for adventure or because they wanted to fight the war before other Americans thought it was time. F/O Albert Eckert,an RCAF transferee from Sand Point, Idaho, claimed he joined because “ I was too lazy to work. Eckert’s logbook indicates he has a sense of humor. He has 200 operational hours, has been on 63 sorties, offensive and defensive, and shot down a Dornier 217 over the commando action at Dieppe and a FW190 over England. He wears the Maltese Cross below his right pocket. It represents six months’ service on the Mediterranean hot spot, fighting beside already legendary |ars such as George ‘“ Screwball” Beurling. Eckert confirms the story that Beurling (Continued on page 4)
Newspaper Details
London Stars and Stripes
London, Middlesex, GB
Wed, Apr 28, 1943
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 25 Jun 2026
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