EAGLE SQUADRON

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21244, 15 October 1940, Page 7

EAGLE SQUADRON

TRADITION OF LAFAYETTE STORY OF COLONEL SWEENY SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (Times Air Mail Service) LONDON. August 23 The Royal Air Force, I learn, is to have an American squadron carrying on the tradition of the Escadrille Lafayette, who performed great deeds with the French forces in the last war, writes a correspondent in the Evening Standard. The squadron, which is being formed by young Mr Charles Sweeny, will be known officially as the Eagle Squadron. These young eagles will number about forty. Some are already flying with the R.A.F.. Others are expected here shortly. Soldier of Fortune Air Commodore of the Eagle Squadron will be Colonel Charles Sweeny—“Sweeny of the Legion,” the world’s most colourful soldier of fortune. The younger Charles Sweeny, who is associated with a City financial house, is the Colonel’s nephew. Colonel Sweeny, millionaire’s son. went to West Point, the United States Sandhurst. He wanted adventure. He found it in Mexico, guerrilla fighting—on the losing side —against President Diaz, and receiving the first of many wounds. He went to Morocco in 1914, hastened back to Paris when war seemed imminent, and enlisted in the Foreign Legion. He was the most daring of the many daring spirits of the Legion. At the battle of the Marne he captured single-handed a German machine-gun. Major in a Day After two years of hazard he was caught by a machine-gun. He crawled to a shell-hole. In hospital the Cross of the Legion of Honour was pinned on his breast. He had already received the Croix de Guerre and numerous “mentions.” In 1917 he went home to become an American private—drilled by boy officers. Within 36 hours he was a major. Recovered from another wound, received towards the end of the war, he found more fighting, helping the Poles against the Russians. In 1925 he turned up again in Morocco, where the Riffs were turbulent, and this time he took to the air. An Escadrille Lafayette, which he organised, once again helped the French. Two Survived The dare-devil courage of the original Escadrille has inspired several American air-ace films of the past. Seven young Americans, enlisted, like Colonel Sweeny, in the Foreign Legion, and transferred in 1916 to the French air force, formed the nucleus of the Escadrille. The insignia of the squadron was a Red Indian’s head. Two of the seven survived the war. They were Willie Thaw and Bert Hall. Last year another Escadrille Lafayette was formed in France. The machines had the same Red Indian badge, the pilots used the bar that the Americans of 24 years ago had used; and, as the Americans had done, they kept a bottle of whisky which could be drunk only by pilots who had brought down an enemy airplane.

But this time there were no Americans. The squadron was allFrench.