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New Instructor's Wings BFTS School


Wingcommander
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Russ, or anyone with such knowledge....the father of a friend of mine was an AAF cadet graduate pilot, but that's almost all they know about him beyond a couple of portraits. He was thought to have been an instructor of some type, but I think he was too young and having been a cadet, probably not likely to have had enough experience to be an instructor.

 

His training billets were Bakersfield---Lincoln NE---Pecos, TX. I've found enough to persuade me that he was in the B-29 program as both Lincoln and Pecos were B-29 bases. Name was Bretz.

 

PS

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Wingcommander
A photo of R.A.F. Wing Commander Tomkins (far right) and #1 BFTS Squadron Leader Billington (far left) with U.S.A.A.C. General Kraus during graduation ceremonies for Course #22.

 

Great photos Russ! Do you have the name of the RAF Air Commodore in the photo with Billington?

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Great thread and one with personal interest to me as I was fortunate enough to obtain a few items directly from a meteorologist assigned to the training school. I have two examples of the BFTS #1 wing, a leather jacket patch, RCAF and RAF wings given to him by officers or students at the school, and misc. other patches. Thanks for starting this thread.

 

Best Regards,

 

Dave

 

post-4484-1314446580.jpg

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Nice stuff Dave! I especially like your leather patch with depictions of both the British Lion and American Eagle. Thanks for posting.

 

Russ

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Great photos Russ! Do you have the name of the RAF Air Commodore in the photo with Billington?

 

From left to right: Squadron Leader W. Billington, General Walter Kraus, Air Commodore H.E. Nowell, and Wing Commander F.B. Tomkins. (Photo taken on December 1, 1944).

IMG_2602_crop.jpg

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Russ, or anyone with such knowledge....the father of a friend of mine was an AAF cadet graduate pilot, but that's almost all they know about him beyond a couple of portraits. He was thought to have been an instructor of some type, but I think he was too young and having been a cadet, probably not likely to have had enough experience to be an instructor.

 

His training billets were Bakersfield---Lincoln NE---Pecos, TX. I've found enough to persuade me that he was in the B-29 program as both Lincoln and Pecos were B-29 bases. Name was Bretz.

 

PS

 

Paul, I'm not finding anything under the last name "Bretz."

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Paul, I'm not finding anything under the last name "Bretz."

Thanks for having a look, Russ. They're going to have to find some more information in their things. I found him as an enlistee in Miami but nothing beyond that in records I'm aware of.

 

PS

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