US Pilot in RFC/RAF

[Marc Garlasco]

Roy Roswell Spafford was born on May 12, 1897, north of Springfield in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. His parents were Canadian, and he would often travel to Toronto and the environs visiting family.

Roy’s family eventually settled in Hartford, Connecticut where he grew up, and went to high school. He had an early love of flying becoming an aviator cadet in school and he later traveled to Toronto to sign up with the Royal Flying Corps at the age of 20 on August 18, 1917.

He attended ground school in Toronto in August and September, then elementary flying school at Camp Mohawk in October and advanced flight in Camp Borden, Ontario. He had high praise for both camps but in November was sent to Camp Everman in Texas for additional flight training and gunnery school in Camp Hicks, both of which he derided as unhealthy mentally and physically and noted the poor quality of the food served.

He embarked from Halifax on the Tunisian on January 25, 1918, and arrived in Liverpool on February 6. He joined 93 Squadron to continue training in the UK through June and shipped to France on July 1, 1918. He was assigned to 40 Squadron where he flew the Nieuport 17 from August 9 near Arras. He would see aerial engagements over Douai, Cambrai, St Quentin, Mons, Lille, and elsewhere, attaining his sole kill on a Fokker on October 3rd. He spent nine days in hospital in September and returned to flight status. He flew through November 7th then headed to Dublin and Galway for well-earned R&R.

Roy arrived in Montreal on May 15, 1919, fittingly on S.S. Canada and was discharged on May 20. He returned to Toronto and married his sweetheart Nora on October 29th and they returned to Hartford where Roy was an active member of the Aero Club. They had a son, Lockwood, in 1923 and he served in the First Special Service Force during the Second World War. The marriage wouldn’t last the war, and they divorced in 1943.

Roy retired to Florida and died in Miami in 1972. He was buried in the family plot in Toronto. He had no obituary, simply a mention in a paper he had died and would have a funeral. It is my hope this small record will commemorate his most honorable service.

 

Note: The shirt & tie are modern

[warguy]

A beautiful uniform and great write up. Thanks for sharing, I love the US in the RFC/RAF stuff. So cool!

[collectsmedals]

Great write-up. Did Americans service in the RFC normally receive American Victory medals?

[Marc Garlasco]

17 hours ago, collectsmedals said:

Great write-up. Did Americans service in the RFC normally receive American Victory medals?

Since the medals weren’t just issued I imagine he sent in a request with his service history. I don’t know how UK service for Americans was dealt with but at least in this case he got the medal and it had the proper bars for his time in service. 

[GWS]

Here's the findagrave memorial for him. According to it he did re-marry and both are buried in Toronto. Interesting story he lived. Thanks.

                                            https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/276532282/roy-roswell-spafford

 

I did put an edit in for him as a veteran.

 

 

Steve