asdarley Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 Just watched the trailer to the DVD of Flyboys and noticed the African American pilot. Is this based on reality? Or are we seeing Hollywood being baltantly PC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 There was also a Black Sergeant Pilot in the RFC. He flew in action 1915-1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 I've seen a report that there was one black American pilot, a Lt who had transfered from the infantry to the flying corps. This must have taken some doing as US forces were definitely segregated with black and white soldiers from the same state serving in different units. Unfortunately it seems that he was not made very welcome and eventualy requested a transfer back to the infantry. If I can locate a name I can check this as I have a monumental tome. picked up on a visit to Stanford, that lists every single American airman of WW1, including those still in training at wars end, those who washed out etc etc with some details about them. France certainly had some airmen of non European origin (a good source for this is the series in old Windsock magazines called France's Forign legion of the Air), Britain seems to have had two Indian airmen in France and Russia had at least one black air gunner whose exact origin varies depending on which source you read, one at least claims he was an American (one possibility is that there were two men, one an American and the other from one of France's African colonies) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 In short, yes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Bullard I don't know that much about him, so I shall demure to the experts. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 12 May , 2007 Share Posted 12 May , 2007 We discussed this on a previous thread on the Flyboys film I made exactly the same assumption, that including black airman was anachronistic PC, but was told that the character was based on Eugene Bullard who was a very respected pilot. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 There was also a Black Sergeant Pilot in the RFC. He flew in action 1915-1918. Do you have any more details please Paul? This is so tantlizing! Guess what he was left out of the 'Oxford Companion of Black British History.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vb136 Posted 13 May , 2007 Share Posted 13 May , 2007 A gunner serving with the French escadrille VC 113 was black. He was originally from the French navy, and was one of a number of naval ratings assigned to this unit, to man the guns of the Voisin-aircraft operated by VC 113. His name, nor any of his naval comrades, is not mentioned in the personnel records of this unit unfortunately, but there is a photo of him with a pilot from the unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palomino96 Posted 30 June , 2009 Share Posted 30 June , 2009 Yes, there was a black airman in the Lafayette Escadrille. As noted in earlier posts, his name was Eugene Bullard and he was one of the best pilots in the Lafayette Escadrille (other than Raul Lufbery). His nickname was "Black Swallow of Death". Here is a website link for some more information about him http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheet...heet.asp?id=705. I hope this helps!! Spad Chick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john-g Posted 1 July , 2009 Share Posted 1 July , 2009 The RFC/RAF had more than two Indian Officers, they were, 2/Lt Jeejeebhoy Piroshaw Bomanjee Jeejeebhoh, 2/Lt Daltaraya Laxman Patwardhaw 2/Lt Erroll S C Sen 2/Lt Indra Lal Roy and 2/Lt Sardar Hardit Singh Malik. john_g www.66squadron.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James A Pratt III Posted 2 July , 2009 Share Posted 2 July , 2009 The Turks did have a airman who was of Black/Arab ancestry. He is possibly the first black military pilot. The Russians did have a Black man a gunner on a IM. He is possibly the first Black man to shot down an enemy aircraft. For Bullard see the Aerodrome.com for more on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadawwi Posted 2 July , 2009 Share Posted 2 July , 2009 The Toronto Star reported on this subject on August 29th, 1918. The article was titled: "BAR ALL COLORED MEN / R.A.F. Officials Say there Are Not Enough Applications to Warrant Change in System." According to the report, a Pte. Harold Bell, "a coloured man", and an American by birth, contacted the Star (newspaper) to complain that although he enlisted with a the Canadian 1st Depot Battalion, Sussex, New Brunswick, and then applied for a transfer to the mechanics section of the R.A.F., he was told that he would be refused admission to that unit because of his race. Note the last paragraph in the article: "It is not that the R.A.F. doesn't want colored people, but there is not sufficient enough applicants for the R.A.F. to enlist coloured men." Logic? Looking at his military attestation, Harold Leopold Bell, 4062231, was born in Jamaica. He was an auto mechanic by trade, and also stated that he was an air brake repairman. Link to attestation. - Marika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Birch Posted 12 July , 2009 Share Posted 12 July , 2009 Morning All. According to "On a Wing and a Prayer - page 254" by Joshua Levine "One of the replacments at this time [April 1917] was Sergeant William Robinson Clarke of 4 Squadron, the first black West Indian to serve as a pilot in the RFC. Born in kingston, Jamaica, Clarke had initially seen service as a driver, before beoing sent on pilot training. On July 28 Clarkes RE8 was attacked by five enemy aircraft. Clarke was wounded and lost consciousness but his observer took the controls and managed to land the machine. Clarke survived his wounds and returned to Jamaica after gthe war. Not a very good picture I am afraid but there we go. Simon And pilot record card for above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¤Bruno¤ Posted 12 July , 2009 Share Posted 12 July , 2009 A gunner serving with the French escadrille VC 113 was black. He was originally from the French navy, and was one of a number of naval ratings assigned to this unit, to man the guns of the Voisin-aircraft operated by VC 113. His name, nor any of his naval comrades, is not mentioned in the personnel records of this unit unfortunately, but there is a photo of him with a pilot from the unit. Bonjour By reading SHD archives about VC 113 ("Carnets de comptabilite en campagne") 4 Naval gunners are listed (Quartier- maitres pointeur) Augustin Fralin Mahou Julien Gaignet Albert Sainte Luce Calixte Quartier maitre Calixte was born in Martinique and I think that he could be a good canditate for the black man who is on your photo Cordialement Bruno http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.go...mp;_C=294580330 http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.go...006/viewer.html (pge 10/37) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 12 July , 2009 Share Posted 12 July , 2009 Before the 1920s it was impossible for an African American to gain a pilot's license in the US and those who did gain licences went to France to do so. The first black pilot to gain a US Dept of Commerce pilots licence was J. Herman Banning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 13 July , 2009 Share Posted 13 July , 2009 Sergeant William Robinson Clarke Clarke is featured in the exhibition From War to Windrush at the Imperial War Museum. http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.2377 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossjthomas@bigpond.com Posted 19 June , 2011 Share Posted 19 June , 2011 Hi John, could you provide any more information on Errol SC Sen who was an Indian RAF pilot who was shot down in September 1917 during the Great War and became a POW at Holzminden in Germany. Kindest regards, Ross Thomas rossjthomas@bigpond.com The RFC/RAF had more than two Indian Officers, they were, 2/Lt Jeejeebhoy Piroshaw Bomanjee Jeejeebhoh, 2/Lt Daltaraya Laxman Patwardhaw 2/Lt Erroll S C Sen 2/Lt Indra Lal Roy and 2/Lt Sardar Hardit Singh Malik. john_g www.66squadron.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex revell Posted 19 June , 2011 Share Posted 19 June , 2011 Bullard flew with the LE but as soon as the Americans had their own squadrons he was posted back to the infantry. Land of the free and all that. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils d Posted 24 June , 2011 Share Posted 24 June , 2011 Bullard flew with the LE but as soon as the Americans had their own squadrons he was posted back to the infantry. Land of the free and all that. :-) It didnt help that he once whacked a French officer in a dispute over a woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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