| Original caption: “Hurricane Mark I, V7608 ‘XR-J’, of Number 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF, lined up with other aircraft at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.” Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane Mark I, V7608 XR-J, of Number 71 Eagle Squadron, lined up with other aircraft. Ground crewman dismounts the wing of XR-J, having assisted the pilot with his straps; XR-C in the background awaits its pilot. The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (1940), prior to the United States’ entry into the war in December 1941. With the United States still neutral, many Americans simply crossed the border and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to learn to fly and fight. Many early recruits had originally gone to Europe to fight for Finland against the Soviet Union in the Winter War. Charles Sweeny (October 3, 1909 – March 11, 1993), a wealthy businessman living in London, persuaded the British Government to form a RAF squadron composed of Americans. His uncle, also named Charles Sweeny, had been working along similar lines, recruiting American pilots to fight in France. Sweeny’s efforts were also coordinated in Canada by the World War I air ace Billy Bishop (February 8, 1894 – September 11, 1956) and the artist Clayton Knight (March 30, 1891 – July 17, 1969), who formed the Clayton Knight Committee, which by the time the United States entered the war, had processed and approved sixty-seven applications from Americans to join the RCAF or RAF. Sweeny and his rich society contacts bore the cost (over a hundred thousand) of processing and sending the men to the United Kingdom for training. Number 71 Eagle Squadron became operational at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey on February 5, 1941. In April, it moved to RAF Martlesham Heath in Suffolk. Number 71 Eagle Squadron was based at RAF North Weald in Essex by June. They specialized in fighter sweeps over France. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Eagle Squadron transferred to the United States Air Force (USAAF) and became the 334th Fighter Squadron of the Fourth Fighter Group. Hawker Hurricane Mark I V7608, with a Merlin III engine, was delivered to Number Five Maintenance Unit on October 7, 1940. Three days later, the Hurricane was sent to Number 253 Squadron. On January 5, 1941, V7608 was transferred to Number 303 Squadron. A month later, on February 3, V7608 was assigned to Number 71 Eagle Squadron. On June 11, 1941, the Hurricane was transferred to Number Fifty-Five Operational Training Unit. On July 27, 1941, Czech Sergeant Augustin Přeučil (July 3, 1914 – April 14, 1947) had an accident at Houghton-le-Spring. Přeučil would later defect in Hurricane W9147, resulting in the execution of two Belgian civilians and the exhibition of his aircraft in the Reich Aviation Museum until it was destroyed by bombing in November 1943. Přeučil was executed as a traitor by hanging. V7608 was repaired and returned to service. On August 15, 1941, Royal Canadian Air Force Sergeant Frank Percy Stamp (September 9, 1918 – August 15, 1941) was killed when his aircraft lost control in clouds and flew into the ground at Wardenlaw Golf Course, destroying V7608. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0305.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.72 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2738 x 1898 |
| Photographer | G. Woodbine |
| Photographer Title | Royal Air Force Official Photographer |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | May 17, 1941 |
| Location | |
| City | Kirton-in-Lindsey |
| State or Province | Lincolnshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | CH 2412 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database