American attached to RAF

[Brian]

Hi guys

Does anyone know anything about Flight Officer B.F. 'Bud' Miller USAAF, who flew Tempests with the FIU and 501 Squadron in 1944? He accounted for several V-1s. Christian names? Where was he from? Which US unit before being seconded to RAF? Why selected to fly with the RAF?

Cheers
Brian

Dear Brian,

I suspect this American enlisted in the RCAF and was assigned to an RAF unit. When the USA entered the war, many Americans in the RCAF switched over to the USAAF voluntarily or were forced to transfer to USAAF units under threats of losing their US citizenship. But many Americans, though they transfered to the USAAF, remained with their RAF units, dressed in USAAF uniforms and received USAAF pay. Now this is what I suspect.

I never heard of Americans going to RAF units on temporary duty status. Most arrived at the RAF unit as listed above.

Norman Malayney

[Tom Semenza]

USAAF personnel attached to RAF units was definitely a fact. According to Chris Shores in "Aces High, Vol. 2," Flight Officer B.F. Miller was USAAF attached to 605 Sqn. flying Mosquitos and the FIU and 501 Squadron on Tempests. He claimed 1 a/c destroyed, 2 damaged and 9 V-1s destroyed.

Other noteworthy RAF "visitors" include Francis Gabreski who was attached to 315 (Polish) Sqn. before becoming top 8th A.F. ace, and James F. Luma who claimed 5 with 418 Sqn. RCAF. Luma initially joined the RCAF but transferred to the USAAF before his posting to 418.

The opposite was also the case with RAF and Commonwealth pilots attached to USAAF units.

Tom

[Brian]

Hi Norman & Tom

Thanks for your comments. I have just come across another - Flight Officer Richard Seage USAAF who was awarded a British DFC for operations with 21 Squadron RAF flying Mosquitos.

Cheers
Brian

Dear Tom,

At the time Luma transferred on paper over to the USAAF, he was still under RAF administrative control as were all RCAF personnel stationed in the UK. If I recall correctly from my interview with him, he did not transferred to a USAAF unit and then to 418 Squadron. He remained within the RAF administrative control until he left 418 and transferred to Watton, UK to help organize a USAAF Mosquito unit, the 802nd Recon Group (Provisional).

I interviewed him by telephone back in 1993 when he lived in the state of Washington. Once the 802nd became fully operational (later to become the 25th BG Rcn) he transferred to the continental US for further assignments.

Norman Malayney