20/03/2025
The ‘Red Tails’ a.k.a The ‘Tuskegee Airmen’
From 1942, matters were complicated by the appearance in Britain of American troops. The United States forces were racially segregated and the Americans expected their British allies to accept the fact. A poll taken in 1943, however, showed an overwhelming majority of ordinary British people opposed racial segregation. There were also instances of local men and women siding with Black airmen and G.I.s in arguments, and even fights, with white American soldiers.
The famous “Tuskegee Airmen” of the 332nd Fighter Group became part of the 15th Air Force, es**rting American
bombers as they flew over Italy. As es**rts, they were responsible for protecting larger bombers from German fighter planes.
The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 Aircraft missions between May 1943 and June 1945. Bomber crews often requested to be es**rted by these “Red Tails,” a nicknamed acquired from the painted tails of Tuskegee fighter planes, which were a distinctive deep red. Sixty-six Tuskegee Airmen died in combat. They had one of the lowest loss records of any es**rt fighter group.
The Tuskegee airmen received more than 800 medals for their outstanding service.
In 1948, three years after World War II ended, President Harry S. Truman ended racial segregation in the military.
Photo One shows Air gunners Sergeant J.C. Dickinson RCAF and Sergeant Leslie Gilkes, 9 Squadron, 1943.
Sergeant Dickinson survived the war, but Sergeant Gilkes was shot down and killed on 3 August 1943. The Trinidadian has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
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