Eugene Tobin
Encyclopedia
Eugene Quimby "Red" Tobin (1917–1941) was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.
, California
, the son of I. Quimby Tobin and Mary Alicia Tobin. Tobin initially came to Europe to fight Finland against Russia, but too late for that war. He was already a qualified pilot, having learned to fly in the 1930s.
Tobin and Andrew Mamedoff
had been flying friends at Mines Field in California before the war.
towards the end of the Battle of France
, but as France fell he came to England with his friends and fellow Americans Andrew Mamedoff
and Vernon Keogh
and joined the Royal Air Force
in 1940.
On 8 August 1940 Tobin was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF
at Middle Wallop airfield
. He flew his first mission on 16 August 1940. He flew many missions during the height of the Battle of Britain
in August and September. He was credited with two shared 'kills': an Me110
on 25 August and a Do17
on 15 September.
He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey
in Lincolnshire
on the 18 September 1940 and was a founded member of the No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron
along with Art Donahue
, Andrew Mamedoff and Vernon Keogh. On 7 September 1941, Tobin was killed in combat with Me109's
of JG 26 on 71 Squadron's first sweep over France, one of three Spitfires shot down. He crashed into a hillside near Boulogne-sur-Mer
and was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France
. He was 24 years old.
Early life
Born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the son of I. Quimby Tobin and Mary Alicia Tobin. Tobin initially came to Europe to fight Finland against Russia, but too late for that war. He was already a qualified pilot, having learned to fly in the 1930s.
Tobin and Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew B "Andy" Mamedoff was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Biography:Born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1931...
had been flying friends at Mines Field in California before the war.
Second World War
He joined the French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
towards the end of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, but as France fell he came to England with his friends and fellow Americans Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew B "Andy" Mamedoff was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Biography:Born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1931...
and Vernon Keogh
Vernon Keogh
Vernon Charles "Shorty" Keogh was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York around 1912, Keogh had earned a civil pilots licence in America and was also a professional parachute jumper with over 500 jumps, performing at...
and joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1940.
On 8 August 1940 Tobin was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, originally formed as a bomber squadron and in World War II active as fighter squadron, nowadays provides personnel to augment and support the operations of the Royal Air Force. The squadron is no longer a flying Squadron, but instead has the role...
at Middle Wallop airfield
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop is a British Army base near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. The base hosts 2 Regiment Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation. The role of 2 Regiment is training and so AAC Middle Wallop is the base where most Army Air Corps pilots begin their careers...
. He flew his first mission on 16 August 1940. He flew many missions during the height of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
in August and September. He was credited with two shared 'kills': an Me110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
on 25 August and a Do17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
on 15 September.
He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey
RAF Kirton in Lindsey
RAF Kirton in Lindsey is a Royal Air Force airfield in Lincolnshire. The field is located 15 miles north of Lincoln.It hosts No.1 Air Control Centre , the RAF’s only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, parented by RAF Scampton.-First World War:The Royal Flying Corps...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
on the 18 September 1940 and was a founded member of the No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron
No. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, the number has been used three times, once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron, in the second world war as an Eagle Squadron and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit based in Royal Air Force Germany.-First World...
along with Art Donahue
Art Donahue
Arthur Gerald "Art" Donahue was a United States fighter pilot and ace who volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. He was killed in action.-Early life:...
, Andrew Mamedoff and Vernon Keogh. On 7 September 1941, Tobin was killed in combat with Me109's
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
of JG 26 on 71 Squadron's first sweep over France, one of three Spitfires shot down. He crashed into a hillside near Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
and was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was 24 years old.
See also
- List of Battle of Britain pilots
- Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain