Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 21st March 2017, 13:55
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
John Carroll, actor, with connection to French Units/Corsica

There is a thread on the Army Air Forces forum about a Hollywood actor, John Carroll, who served in the Army Air Force in WWII. We are trying to trace his air force service and it "seems" to have some connection to French units and Corsica. Wonder if anyone here can help. There is a lot of conflicting info on the web. He was apparently not a pilot (photos show him wearing gunner's wings, see the link below) and a French award. He was an aid to General Morris (XII Fighter Command) in Algiers probably starting in January, 1944. He had previous been an aid to Gen Morris in the 4th Fighter Command (West Coast of the US). The crash landing where he badly injured his back seems to have occurred in Italy probably in the summer of 1944. He returned to the US in July, 1944 and spent some more time in hospitals. He resumed his acting career late in 1944.


http://forum.armyairforces.com/threa...173/#post-9032

Last edited by RSwank; 21st March 2017 at 22:17.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 21st March 2017, 21:29
Bruce Lander's Avatar
Bruce Lander Bruce Lander is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lees, Oldham. UK
Posts: 438
Bruce Lander is on a distinguished road
Re: John Carroll, actor, with connection to French Units/Corsica

Hi,
John Carroll had along career in Hollywood from 1936 and in WW2 served as pilot in the USAAF in the MTO , he was badly injured in a crash and later resumed his acting career until the late 1950's
Bruce Lander
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 22nd March 2017, 14:08
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: John Carroll, actor, with connection to French Units/Corsica

There is a photo of him here. There is a zoom button on the left. He is wearing gunner's wings. Looks like he has the EAME campaign ribbon with one star and the American Campaign ribbon. There may be a third solid color ribbon (left most ribbon). The fancy lapel pins show he was an Aide to a Brigadier General (one star on the shield). He was an aide to Gen. Edward M Morris , both in the US and later in North Africa. What is not there is an Air Medal (indicating combat flights).

https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/13359140

The fancy pin on his right side (left side of the photo) is a Lafayette Escadrille pin. See here:

https://airandspace.si.edu/collectio...tte-escadrille

He claimed in an interview when he returned to the US because of his back injury that the French had given him the pin. He said that he and Elliott Roosevelt were the only two men to get it. He said he flew with the French out of Corsica. Since he was not apparently a pilot, he possibly could have flown as an observer/gunner. But did he?

Last edited by RSwank; 22nd March 2017 at 19:44.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Monolog? Grozibou Off Topic 16 27th August 2008 21:07
1939-45 airpower and professional historians Grozibou Allied and Soviet Air Forces 32 22nd August 2008 00:10
French books on the 1939-1940 fighting Hawk-Eye Books and Magazines 6 9th April 2005 23:11
Fighter pilots' guts Hawk-Eye Allied and Soviet Air Forces 44 8th April 2005 15:25
Fighter pilots chicken? Hawk-Eye Allied and Soviet Air Forces 7 26th March 2005 14:17


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 23:21.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net