Andrew Mamedoff

Flight lieutenant Andrew Beck Mamedoff (12 August 1912 – 8 October 1941), known as Andy, was an American pilot who flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain in World War II. He was one of 11 American pilots[1] who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star.

Andrew B Mamedoff
Andrew Mamedoff (right) with Vernon Keough and Eugene Tobin, Church Fenton, Yorkshire, October 1940
Nickname(s)Andy
Born(1912-08-12)12 August 1912
Thompson, Connecticut, U.S.
Died8 October 1941(1941-10-08) (aged 29)
near Maughold, Isle of Man, England
Place of burial
Brookwood Military Cemetery
Allegiance France
 United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1940–1941
RankFlight lieutenant
Service number81621
UnitNo. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 133 Squadron RAF
Battles/warsWorld War II

Biography

Some sources say that he was born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s.[2]

Andrew was son of Lev Mamedoff and Natalia Mamedoff (née Vonsiatsky), and nephew of Anastasy Vonsiatsky. Mamedoff's family fled Russia after the Civil War, and lived in Europe for a short time. After Vonsiatsky has settled in Thompson, he convinced his wife to buy a neighboring farm for his sister's family.[3][4][5]

It is believed that he was Jewish of Russian heritage,[6] which is rather unlikely, given the fact that his mother was of orthodox descent, and his father served in gendarmes, where no Jews were allowed.

In Thompson Andrew attended Tourtellotte Memorial High School.[7] Later enrolled to Bryant University[8]

He had learned to fly in the US and even had his own plane with which he performed at airshows.[9] He and Eugene Tobin had been flying friends at Mines Field in California before the war.[10] He was attempting to set up charter services in Miami immediately prior to the war. Mamedoff initially came to Europe to fight on the side of Finland against the Soviet Union, but hostilities had ceased before he arrived.[11]

In 1941 Mamedoff married an English woman, Alys Laird "Penny" Mamedoff (née Craven[12]) at Epping. He became the first of the Americans to take a war bride during World War II.[13]

Second World War

He joined the French Air Force towards the end of the Battle of France, but as France fell he came to England with his friends and fellow Americans Eugene Tobin and Vernon Keogh and joined the Royal Air Force in 1940.

After converting to the Spitfire, Mamedoff was posted to RAF Middle Wallop and joined No. 609 Squadron on 8 August 1940. He was member of A Flight. On 24 August he took off at 16.10 as tail-end charlie. He was severely shot up by Me 109 and crashed at Tapnell Farm, near Freshwater flying in L1082.

He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire on 18 September 1940 and was a founding member of the No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron along with Art Donahue, Eugene Tobin and Vernon Keogh.[14] He was posted to RAF Duxford in August 1941 to another "Eagle Squadron", No. 133 Squadron as a flight commander.

Death

On 8 October 1941, Mamedoff was flying with 133 Squadron on a standard transit flight from Fowlmere Airfield to RAF Eglinton in Northern Ireland in his Hurricane Z3781. The wreckage of his plane was found near Maughold on the Isle of Man and it is thought that he crashed due to poor weather conditions. His body was later recovered for burial at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Battle of Britain – Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. Alex Kershaw, World War II Magazine Volume 25, No.4 November/December 2010, pp.36
  3. http://www.thompsonhistorical.org/Newsletters/2004_Fall.pdf
  4. http://quinnbrookfarm.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-russian-bear.html
  5. http://quinnbrookfarm.blogspot.com/2017/04/andy-mamedoff.html
  6. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ww2/sugar4.html
  7. https://www.facebook.com/ThompsonProud/photos/a.287698328258080.1073741837.258149007879679/287698601591386/?type=3&size=2048%2C1557&fbid=287698601591386
  8. MAMEDOFF, ANDREW "ANDY"
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Alex Kershaw, World War II Magazine Volume 25, No.4 November/December 2010, pp.36
  11. http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/To-pilots.html
  12. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2667710
  13. http://www.geocities.ws/rafeaglesquadron/wedding.html
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. Flight Lieutenant ( Pilot ) Andrew B. Mamedoff
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