Excalibur Squadron OOC - Too Tough To Die? (CLOSED)

[Morrdh]

Throwing out a couple of book recommendations.

The British Airman of the Second World War by Stuart Hadaway, Shire Library

The Royal Air Force 1939-45 Osprey Books, Man At Arms No.225

RAF Fighter Command Pilot Osprey Books, Warrior No.164

[Monfrox]

I need to read books about the mob. I know surprisingly little about them.

[Cylarn]

If we are re-writing our characters, I would like to take the opportunity to alter Clark's background a bit.

[Morrdh]

Also, Tigger, are we flying Spitfires (booo) or Hurricanes (yeah!)?

I mean, the Spitfire is pretty objectively a higher-performance craft than the Hurricane, so that's preferred, but I don't think it would be entirely out of sorts to keep a Hurricane or two around if its pilot was to prefer it.

Fun Fact: Before 1941 operational training was done at front-line squadrons, hence why many BoB pilots had so few hours on a Hurri or Spit.

1941 onwards the Operational Training Units were gradually setup, meaning an average fighter pilot when from 30-36 weeks of flying training in 1939 to 70-72 weeks of flying training by 1944.

[Reverend Norv]

If we are re-writing our characters, I would like to take the opportunity to alter Clark's background a bit.

Wrong WWII thread, I think, Cy.

By the way, I wrote Gerlof into Jean-Martin's background. Hope I didn't tread on your toes any.

[Cylarn]

-snip-

Serves me right for mixing up my RPs.

And I don't mind in the slightest. In fact, it makes his escape into France that much more plausible. Good to have you back, as well.

[Tiltjuice]

Gonna finish up my app tomorrow.

[Grenartia]

Hey, Tigger, since you're the expert here, I was wondering what your thoughts were on the importance of Stalin supplying the Nazis with raw materials prior to Barbarossa, especially in regards to the German war machine.

Off the top of my head, it was particularly important on the oil end of things, seeing as how Germany had no native oilfields under its own control and Stalin had the Caucasus. Soviet wheat was also really important to sustaining the domestic German food economy. Germany also got a whole lot of valuable minerals out of it, like phosphate and chromium, which were needed for all kinds of military uses. This stuff was crucial for the Germans to keep going after they'd decided to subsume the entire civil economy. The German war machine basically ran on Russian oil from June 1940-41.

As an aside, from what I recall from my Russian books, it's interesting to note that these were not nearly equal trades in practice. Theoretically, Russia was supposed to get all sorts of advanced German stuff back in exchange for these resources, mostly in terms of weapons, advanced industrial equipment, and heavy military vehicles. Germany never delivered anywhere near what they promised in this regard, and this was deliberate - and most of what they did deliver was incomplete, low-vale, or late. Stalin was so desperate to please Hitler in 1940-41, though, that he never really called Hitler on it (except in late '40 when he froze exports because of German/Russian arguments over Finland and Romania).
So by mid-1040 or so, Russia had given hundreds of millions of Reichsmarks worth of stuff to the Germans, with the Germans not even giving half of that back in terms of what they had promised.

I mean, would it be safe to say that had Stalin not traded that shit to Hitler, WW2 would've quickly fizzled out?

Okay, this is a long fucking list, so bear with me. I cut some of the wildly esoteric or basically necessary specialties for redundancy.

- Area Knowledge (of a specific region or regions)
- Armory (being able to understand/modify/disassemble weaponry competently)
- Boating
- Bomb Disposal
- Brawling
- Camouflage
- Cartography
- Climbing
- Cooking (heh)
- Demolitions
- Driving (depending on which kinds of vehicles)
- Electronic Operations (Communications/Radio)
- Engineering (Combat)
- First Aid
- Guns (Pistols/Rifle/Light Automatic/Flamethrower/Antitank)
- Gunner (Machine-gun/Cannon/Mortar)
- Intelligence Analysis
- Interrogation
- Knives
- Languages (name which ones)
- Mechanic (of a specific type of mechanism or machine, usually)
- Navigation
- Orienteering
- Parachuting
- Riding
- Savoir-Faire (military) (IE Smythe's mastery of Army regulations and such)
- Scrounging
- Seamanship
- Shortsword (IE the "Kukri Exception")
- Stealth
- Streetwise
- Surveying
- Survival (in a specific biome/biomes)
- Swimming
- Tactics (Guerilla)
- Throwing
- Tracking
- Traps

That should give you something to work with.

This will come in handy for the second character I'm considering.

Name: Ali Rassid Singh

Shit. Now when we get a cool boat, we can't have a guy with that name for a first officer.

I need to read books about the mob. I know surprisingly little about them.

A former friend of my mom's used to be connected to the mob (she was a sex worker back then, so you can guess in what capacity she was connected) in the 70s and shit, and apparently, she said she knows the locations of some bodies in eastern TX and western LA. Not sure how reliable that claim is, though, since she said that bit a little after she stopped taking her meds, and flipped her lid.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

Name: Ali Rassid Singh

Date of Birth: January 19th, 1909

Rank: Master Warrant Officer

Physical Description/Picture:

(Image)

Place of Origin: British Raj/India

Flight/Flight Combat Experience: Served in IAF from 1932 to 1939.

Ground Combat Experience: Regular training, no real experience.

Combat Specialties and Skills:

- Riding
- Boxing
- Aerial Reconnaissance
- Fluent in Hindi, English, and French

Weapons of Choice: No. 4 Mk I Lee–Enfield and Colt Official Police

RP Experience:

viewtopic.php?p=31896934#p31896934
viewtopic.php?p=31388149#p31388149

Personal History:

Born in Hyderabad to Muhammad Singh and Ishira Singh, Ali's parents had been rich for generations though by the time of his generation, it had went through decline after a series of bankruptcy following British's control over resources and economy of India. Ali was taught on modern British education since he was a child, with education ranging from general sciences, knowledge, Indian history, and languages to riding horses and boxing. Both of Ali's parents converted to Islam before the birth of Ali and he was named as such, a combination of both Islam and Sikh-related surnames, who had been their surname for years.

The family dedicated their wealth on the Hyderabad state in the economy conditions and welfare. In time, Ali grew up to be quite of a young man, impulsive but also sometimes wise to himself, tending in a school and at the same time doing boxing training in his spare time. He graduated from senior high and enrolled at Osmania university at the age of 18. He was also began to doing polo sport in his time at the university, where he graduated from French when he was 22, 4 years after first admission. By this time, his parents hadn't encouraged him to any employment, or even to their textile business but since his uncle was at that time a senior military officer in British Raj navy, he was then encouraged to joined the military, eventually enlisted in Indian Air Force on 1932, and he was then sent to Royal Air Force College for a training for a year and half, before served in the IAF.

On 1936 to 1937, he was involved with a rebellion in North-West Frontier and as part of aerial reconnaissance in the area. His skills was made known by this time, and until 1939 he served in IAF before stationed in United Kingdom, being put as part of a clandestine-organization of 319 Squadron.

[Tiltjuice]

Doink.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

I mean, would it be safe to say that had Stalin not traded that shit to Hitler, WW2 would've quickly fizzled out?

I surmise not. it would've probably meant that the Nazis would have had to double down on coal--->oil hydrogenation, as expensive and inefficient as it was, and then either invaded Russia as quickly as possible in order to get dat Caucasus oil, or place way more of an impetus on fighting the British in North Africa and the Middle East to get to the Iraqi/Saudi fields. I view the former as more likely, but this would put the Germans in an extremely awkward position. They could feasibly have invaded the USSR in the spring of '40, given that weather would have been great and presumably the USSR would've still invaded Poland and suffered unbelievable losses as per the usual timeline, but that would presumably also still leave the BEF and France intact and untouched. With the entire German Army needing to be committed to Russia in a dash to get the oil, I don't see any way the British or French could have begged off trying to invade Germany again, as they did in September '39.

The Germans could also have launched the offensive into the Low Countries and France on schedule and left Russia alone until later, with the idea being that they could steal French oil reserves to keep the machine running, but that runs the risk of the Panzers running dry right as they're about to reach Paris, with no guarantee that they'd have enough to beat France, turn around, cross the continent, and make a run for Baku. An invasion of Britain would be totally out of the question. U-boat operations might have to be curtailed.

Of course, the Germans could just translate this into having to dial down the mechanized aspect of their forces and run a style similar to how they did it in 1918, with grinding attrition and limited stormtroop tactics instead of emphasizing the modern elements of their armies. That could've kept the war going for a long time, WW1-style, in a manner more or less foreseen by the generals at the start of the war, with no shattering attack against France and the hordes of bombers unable to strike Britain in the numbers they actually did.

Germany would probably lose the war anyways, it probably just wouldn't be as dramatic, and would probably go quicker.

Doink.

Accepted, although there's references to Dunkirk and other stuff that doesn't really make sense yet.

Name: Ali Rassid Singh

Date of Birth: January 19th, 1909

Rank: Master Warrant Officer

Physical Description/Picture:

(Image)

Place of Origin: British Raj/India

Flight/Flight Combat Experience: Served in IAF from 1932 to 1939.

Ground Combat Experience: Regular training, no real experience.

Combat Specialties and Skills:

- Riding
- Boxing
- Aerial Reconnaissance
- Fluent in Hindi, English, and French

Weapons of Choice: No. 4 Mk I Lee–Enfield and Colt Official Police

RP Experience:

viewtopic.php?p=31896934#p31896934
viewtopic.php?p=31388149#p31388149

Personal History:

Born in Hyderabad to Muhammad Singh and Ishira Singh, Ali's parents had been rich for generations though by the time of his generation, it had went through decline after a series of bankruptcy following British's control over resources and economy of India. Ali was taught on modern British education since he was a child, with education ranging from general sciences, knowledge, Indian history, and languages to riding horses and boxing. Both of Ali's parents converted to Islam before the birth of Ali and he was named as such, a combination of both Islam and Sikh-related surnames, who had been their surname for years.

The family dedicated their wealth on the Hyderabad state in the economy conditions and welfare. In time, Ali grew up to be quite of a young man, impulsive but also sometimes wise to himself, tending in a school and at the same time doing boxing training in his spare time. He graduated from senior high and enrolled at Osmania university at the age of 18. He was also began to doing polo sport in his time at the university, where he graduated from French when he was 22, 4 years after first admission. By this time, his parents hadn't encouraged him to any employment, or even to their textile business but since his uncle was at that time a senior military officer in British Raj navy, he was then encouraged to joined the military, eventually enlisted in Indian Air Force on 1932, and he was then sent to Royal Air Force College for a training for a year and half, before served in the IAF.

On 1936 to 1937, he was involved with a rebellion in North-West Frontier and as part of aerial reconnaissance in the area. His skills was made known by this time, and until 1939 he served in IAF before stationed in United Kingdom, being put as part of a clandestine-organization of 319 Squadron.

I'll keep you on file. I think at this point we're pretty heavily overbooked, so I'll have to close the OOC to further apps, unless someone contacted me via TG earlier.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

Da, Tiger. Is good.

[Goram]

So, when are we going to start again?

[The Two Jerseys]

So, when are we going to start again?

I assume whenever Tigger gets his shit together.

I bet right now he's on page 7 of Page's bio...

[Goram]

So, when are we going to start again?

I assume whenever Tigger gets his shit together.

I bet right now he's on page 7 of Page's bio...

Hopefully sooner rather than later. We've tried to reboot before, but the longer you go without starting the harder it gets. If it were up to me, I'd say just go back to the original characters, maybe edit the backstories a bit, and carry on from wherever we got to - Jan. 1941?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

I assume whenever Tigger gets his shit together.

I bet right now he's on page 7 of Page's bio...

Hopefully sooner rather than later. We've tried to reboot before, but the longer you go without starting the harder it gets. If it were up to me, I'd say just go back to the original characters, maybe edit the backstories a bit, and carry on from wherever we got to - Jan. 1941?

There will be an OP in the morning (PST). I have tomorrow off anyways, so I can literally stay up all night with zero problems.
Here's the honest deal: We actually had somewhat of a crisis at my work this week, which stalled things out some. Us interns ended up having to do a considerable amount of work out of left field. There are also ongoing political issues in my state that my boss kept having to leave and go deal with, which slowed things down even more.
Hopefully, that won't keep happening.

[Goram]

Hopefully sooner rather than later. We've tried to reboot before, but the longer you go without starting the harder it gets. If it were up to me, I'd say just go back to the original characters, maybe edit the backstories a bit, and carry on from wherever we got to - Jan. 1941?

There will be an OP in the morning (PST). I have tomorrow off anyways, so I can literally stay up all night with zero problems.
Here's the honest deal: We actually had somewhat of a crisis at my work this week, which stalled things out some. Us interns ended up having to do a considerable amount of work out of left field. There are also ongoing political issues in my state that my boss kept having to leave and go deal with, which slowed things down even more.
Hopefully, that won't keep happening.

Sweet as.

But yeah, no worries if it does. Shit happens, I suppose. Still, I hope this one doesn't fizzle out as well. I've just been rereading all the old Ops and Tempsford. Forgot how much I liked this.

Any clues on what we'll be doing this time?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

There will be an OP in the morning (PST). I have tomorrow off anyways, so I can literally stay up all night with zero problems.
Here's the honest deal: We actually had somewhat of a crisis at my work this week, which stalled things out some. Us interns ended up having to do a considerable amount of work out of left field. There are also ongoing political issues in my state that my boss kept having to leave and go deal with, which slowed things down even more.
Hopefully, that won't keep happening.

Sweet as.

But yeah, no worries if it does. Shit happens, I suppose. Still, I hope this one doesn't fizzle out as well. I've just been rereading all the old Ops and Tempsford. Forgot how much I liked this.

Any clues on what we'll be doing this time?

You'll be seeing within a few days. The only hint I'll give is this:
As old as it is now, I've always thought that Lancer was one of the best pure ideas for an operation, only needing a few tweaks...

[Goram]

Sweet as.

But yeah, no worries if it does. Shit happens, I suppose. Still, I hope this one doesn't fizzle out as well. I've just been rereading all the old Ops and Tempsford. Forgot how much I liked this.

Any clues on what we'll be doing this time?

You'll be seeing within a few days. The only hint I'll give is this:
As old as it is now, I've always thought that Lancer was one of the best pure ideas for an operation, only needing a few tweaks...

That was the pinch a Polish General one?

Honestly, I thought all the Ops were pretty good. Far fetched, maybe, but fun though. Who wants 100% realism anyway?

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

You'll be seeing within a few days. The only hint I'll give is this:
As old as it is now, I've always thought that Lancer was one of the best pure ideas for an operation, only needing a few tweaks...

Honestly, I thought all the Ops were pretty good. Far fetched, maybe, but fun though. Who wants 100% realism anyway?

100% realism is no good.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

I liked Norv's modifications and style, so I decided to shamelessly scrap a lot of stuff and cop it.

Name: Robert John Page
Date of Birth: 5 October 1912 (age 28)
Rank: Squadron Leader, Royal Air Force
Physical Description/Picture:

Page has dark brown hair, usually worn slightly longer than RAF regulations, frequently paired with several days worth of carefully-trimmed stubble. He is frequently ill at ease in formal uniform, and usually eschews it whenever possible, especially in the field, in favor of simpler and more comfortable wear. He has several identifying scars, including numerous shrapnel marks on his chest left from a Nationalist mortar shell, burn marks from Condor Legion incendiary bombs on his lower right leg, and a knife scar on his left arm from a violent disagreement in Finn's Pub in the East End of London. He is of slightly above-average height - just on the borderline of discomfort in a typical fighter cockpit - and has a sinewy, athletic physique, as well as a slight residual tan left over from service in numerous tropical climes.

In civilian garb, he favors practicality over style, usually preferring combat boots, dark jumpers, riveted blue denim pants (what Americans refer to as "jeans"), and specially imported Ray-Ban Aviator's Sunglasses, the later two being affectations adopted from some American comrades in Spain. He is fiercely devoted to Lucky Strike cigarettes, with one frequently visible hanging out of his mouth.
Place of Origin: Dover, County of Kent, United Kingdom
Flight Combat Experience:

• Flying Officer, No. 274 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Iraq Peacekeeping Duty, 1935
• Flying Officer, No. 274 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Kirkuk Uprising, 1935-6
• Teniente, Escuadrilla Powers, Spanish Republican Air Force - Defense of Madrid Campaign, 1937
• Teniente, Escuadrilla Powers, Spanish Republican Air Force - Jarama Valley Campaign, 1937
• Teniente, Escuadrilla Powers, Spanish Republican Air Force - Battle of Guadalajara, 1937
• Teniente, Escuadrilla Powers, Spanish Republican Air Force - Biscay Campaign, 1937
• Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service - Operation PRIVATEER, 1938
• Independent Contractor, Private Employers, Various Contracts, 1938-39

Ground Combat Experience:

• Flying Officer, No. 274 Squadron, Kirkuk Uprising, 1935
• Guerilla, Navarre Liberation Front, Spanish Civil War, 1937-38
• Independent Contractor, Private Employers, Various Contracts, 1938-39
• Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service, 1939

Covert Action Experience:

• Independent Contractor, Private Employers, Various Contracts, 1938-39
• Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service, Operation PRIVATEER (theft of a prototype BF109-E fighter aircraft), Spain, 1939
• Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service, Operation FREEBOOTER (extraction of an SIS agent and valuable intelligence), USSR, 1939
• Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service, Operation SHILLELAGH (targeted neutralization of an IRA bombmaker/suspected German intelligence asset), Ireland, 1939

Specialties:

• Speaks Spanish and German in addition to English.
• Fighter aircraft qualifications include the Gloster Gauntlet, Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, Dewoitine D.500, and the Polikarpov I-16.
• Bomber/attack aircraft qualifications include the Westland Wapiti, Hawker Hardy, Tupolev SB, and Bristol Blenheim.
• Miscellaneous aircraft qualifications include the Vickers Valentia/Victoria, Lockheed Electra, Ford Trimotor, and the de Havilland Tiger Moth.
• Has an intuitive grasp of the foibles and traits of unfamiliar aircraft. If Page hasn't flown a type of plane before, he can adapt to its quirks pretty quickly.
• Has an odd talent for making friends and allies out of unlikely persons, frequently being able to gain and reciprocate the trust of groups as diverse as Spanish partisans, Iraqi shepherds, or Irish gangsters. This may turn into a liability when forced to choose between his friends and his loyalties to the His Majesty's Government, however.
• Extensively experienced in a wide range of small-unit warfare tactics, again drawing from guerrilla service, encompassing everything from sentry-disposal techniques, to railway sabotage methods, to the minutiae of room-to-room fighting.
• While his scruffy demeanor and individualistic attitude have frequently made Page the bane of his superior officers, they often stand him in good stead with his comrades on the same or lower rank level. Has a naturally decisive and "leaderly" air about him.
• Has a high threshold for pain, excellent reflexes, and an only-partially-suppressed death wish that lends a fearless flair to his combat style. Remarkably good at improvisation under pressure.
• Has survived multiple shootings, stabbings, bombings, and crash-landings with no noticeable permanent mental or physical damage. One might reasonable conclude from this that Page is in excellent physical shape and has a considerable constitution.

Weapons of Choice: Carries an heirloom Webley Mark VI .455 revolver, as well as a boot dagger on his right ankle and a trench knife on his left hip. Other than that, has no particular favorite, and has general experience in everything from antique Spanish hunting shotguns to the newest and slickest German submachine-guns. Tends to favor automatic weapons in general, both for their use at close range and for their excellent shock value. Rifles are all well and good, but one-shot precision doesn't count for much in close quarters, where much of modern killing seems to be done these days.
RP Experience: *radio crackle*
Personal Bio:

Born to David and Sian Page in Dover, Kent, the elder of two brothers. Father was a family doctor and veteran of the British Expeditionary Force, mother was a housewife and amateur social activist, brother Paul currently registered as a student and Army reservist. Upbringing is solidly middle-class, with strict but supportive parents encouraging an "independent spirit" in both their children. Interest in flying and RAF service registered from a young age, reportedly accumulating massive piles of war stories and adventure pulps, which were frequently favored above schoolwork.

Enlisted into Royal Air Force at Dover, Kent; accepted and posted to RAF Recruit Training Depot (RAF-Uxbridge) with rank of Aircraftman, effective 6th Oct. 1930, one day after 18th birthday. Non-elite background was atypical for an aspiring officer in the RAF, but was nevertheless accepted due to RAF difficulty retaining and recruiting new young officers due to peacetime inactivity and budget cuts.

Recruit training completed 9th Jan. 1931, transferred to No. 5 Flying Training School (RAF-Shotwick) 11th Jan 1931.Passed basic and combat flight training at No. 5 Training School, awarded Pilot Brevet effective 1st Jun. 1931. Instructors report Page as having a remarkably intuitive grasp of flying and a considerable degree of natural skill, although reports also indicate a disfavor for "book-work" and abstract theory of aerial tactics and strategy. Instructors also report a pronounced individualistic streak in Page's character that "militated against future leadership roles".

Application to RAF College Cranwell for officership courses accepted 11 August 1931, promotion to Officer Cadet and subsequent transfer effective 14 August 1931. Officership courses completed with honors on 13 April 1932, graduates successfully and is commissioned as a Pilot Officer effective 14 April 1932.

Assigned to No. 19 Squadron posted to RAF Duxford, effective 16 Dec. 1931. Reports from superiors indicate "unbelievable" potential and undeniable natural flying skill, but also highlight Page's already-existing predisposition for egocentric flying habits, unwillingness to cooperate, lack of discipline and drive, etc. Disciplinary reports also highlight penchant for dangerous and flamboyant conduct, including numerous reported fistfights with members of other squadrons, inappropriate drunkenness, unapproved acrobatics while in flight, and an apocryphal incident pertaining to a scandalous tryst with the daughter of the Japanese attache to the Royal Air Force during an RAF Display Day ball. Promotion to Flight Lieutenant delayed several times as a result of these incidents.

Promoted to Flying Officer and transferred to No. 274 Squadron stationed at RAF Hinaidi, effective 3rd March, 1935. No. 274 Squadron's primary mission was to serve as deterrent for any Turkish/Soviet aerial incursions into Iraqi territory, and to serve as reconnaissance auxiliaries to support RAF policing efforts throughout the country. Superiors report that Page displayed a previously-unknown drive to improve his flying and leadership skills, with a considerable fall-off in disciplinary incidents. Reports also indicate Page being perceived as an informal "first-among-equals" within 274 Squadron, taking on an unspoken leadership role. Appointed Squadron Executive Officer 2nd May, 1935.

Received Empire Gallantry Medal for actions on 18th May, 1935. While on patrol over Baghdad-Samarra-Ramadi area, Flying Officer Alan Ayrton reported engine trouble, forcing an emergency landing on rough ground in hostile tribal territory. Landing resulting in Ayrton's craft overturning and catching on fire. Page, flying as Ayrton's wingman, accomplished a risky landing near Ayrton's crash site, successfully retrieving Ayrton from the wreckage before it exploded, and ensured the wounded pilot's survival until forces from the RAF Armored Car Company could arrive to extract both of them.

Served in No. 274 Squadron through the period of the Kirkuk Uprising from approximately September 1935 to February 1936. Under the leadership of Mullah Hassan, and with suspected implicit support from anti-British elements of the Iraqi government, numerous tribes throughout the area Baghdad-Haditha-Mosul-Sulaymaniyah rose up in opposition to the Kingdom of Iraq and the British government in order to force a British departure from Iraq and to force King Ghazi to undertake land reforms and redistribution of Kirkuk oil wealth. No. 274 Squadron assigned to scout for RAF air policing efforts and armored car incursions originating from Hinaidi, and to support policing efforts via pamphlet-dropping and mock-strafing runs.

Volunteered for extremely risky hostage-rescue duty during Kirkuk Uprising after news reaches Hinaidi that local tribes affiliated with Mullah Hassan had kidnapped numerous European civilians and had threatened to kill them within a week unless all RAF facilities were immediately abandoned. Ultimately succeeded in leading hostage rescue efforts while also revealing that the true captors were not Hassan's forces, but were actually agents of the "Bochel Consortium", a shadowy European oil cartel with links to German intelligence, intending to take over control of the Kirkuk oilfields from the Iraq Petroleum Company. Suffered multiple wounds and serious aftereffects from prolonged desert exposure. Uprising ends quietly by February 1936.

Promoted to Flight Lieutenant and transferred to No. 19 Squadron, both effective 8th March, 1936. Enlistment status in RAF formally terminated via resignation on 4th Dec. 1936. No reason is formally given. Friends within 19 Squadron report Page taking a sudden interest in geopolitics before his resignation, specifically the escalating conflict in Spain between the Soviet-aligned Republican forces and Fascist-aligned Nationalist rebels. Rumors circulate that Page intended to join the International Brigades and join in active combat against Nationalist forces in Spain.

MI5 domestic agent "Tadpole" reports observing Page in Finn's Pub in the East End of London on the evening of 13 Dec. 1936, speaking to Ronald "Red" Tiller, a known Comintern sympathizer and a suspected recruiter for the International Brigades/Spanish Republican forces in Britain. Departs Britain 21 Dec. 1939.

Enlistment in Spanish Republican Air Force confirmed 29 Dec. 1936. Assigned to fly French and Soviet-supplied fighter, attack, and transport aircraft in support of International Brigade and Spanish Republican forces as part of "Escuadrilla Powers", a mixed-purpose aerial unit composed mostly of expatriate English-speaking volunteers. Apocryphally reported to have shot down numerous Nationalist aircraft, including several belonging to the Condor Legion and Corpo Truppo Voluntarie and played an important role in Republican aerial operations over Madrid, Jarama, Guadalajara, and numerous other fronts. Received numerous decorations from the Republican government, including the Laureate Plate of Madrid.

Reported shot down over somewhere over Basque country 17 Apr. 1937 while escorting a Republican bomber flight attempting to interdict Nationalist vehicle traffic. Survived crash with moderate injury. Rescued by "Navarre Liberation Front", a small Republican-aligned partisan cell with Trotskyist sympathies operating primarily in the Biscay region. Page appears to join their ranks for approximately 18 months after this, serving with the NLF to assist Republican efforts in the area and harass and thwart Nationalist-aligned forces in the area. During this time, the NLF becomes one of the preeminent guerilla organizations throughout the entirety of the Spanish theater. Witnesses the destruction of the city of Guernica by bomber forces of the Condor Legion.

Abandoned the NLF on 15 Sept. 1938 after receiving word that the International Brigades were to be disbanded by the Republican government. Crossed French Alpine border and returns to England on 22 Sept. 1938. Attempted to rejoin RAF on 25 Sept. 1938, was declined as a potential security risk given known connections to Comintern and Communist fellow-traveler organizations. Reportedly damages property of RAF recruitment office upon leaving, no subsequent police action reported.

Allegedly goes into private business as a pilot and soldier of fortune from 26 Sept. 1938 to approximately 25 Mar. 1939. Page is reportedly sighted by SIS operatives in the employ of private citizens in the Kingdom of Egypt, the Crown Colony of Jamaica, and various South American countries. Suspected to have been involved in the defeat and subsequent mysterious death of far-right-wing military autocrat Colonel Emilio San Roman in early January 1939, who attempted to rally a combined army and unify Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the Honduras under his leadership as the "Iron Fuhrer of the Mosquito Coast", among other, more low-profile incidents and escapades.

Contact established with Secret Intelligence Service on 27 Mar. 1939. Quid pro quo agreement established for SIS to clear Page's name with HM's Government in exchange for Page working as an informal hired operative for SIS in a series of highly sensitive covert military missions abroad. Informally agrees to said arrangement upon confirmation of substantive pay.

Assigned to SIS Operation PRIVATEER, 1st Apr. 1939-3rd Apr. 1939. Operation intended to steal prototype German BF109E fighter aircraft from Spanish Air Force inventories at Cordoba Air Base and surreptitiously deliver it to RAF Gibraltar. Numerous Condor Legion advisors present, despite Spanish assurances otherwise and substantive German military activity reported to be ongoing in the vicinity. Operation is carried out successfully and with minimal casualties, although a considerable amount of ex-German military equipment is destroyed in the process. 109E is subsequently dismantled and delivered to Royal Air Force for qualitative analysis and competitive testing.

Assigned to SIS Operation FREEBOOTER: 20th Apr. 1939-22nd Apr. 1939. Operation intended to extract endangered SIS agent embedded within Soviet military/diplomatic circles, along with a high volume of high-value documents, photographs, and related intelligence material gathered through HUMINT and SIGINT methods. Operation accomplished successfully despite substantial NKVD interference and pursuit. Information gained from extraction of source confirms circumstantial reports that the USSR is drifting further from isolation or their informal French alliance in favor of rapprochement with Nazi Germany, perhaps founded on an agreement based on the amicable division of Eastern Europe/Baltic region. Important information is also gleaned on ongoing border hostilities between the USSR and Japan, which are more intense than SIS analysis previously indicated.
Simultaneous SIS analysis of Page's movements and communications provides plenty of evidence for support of antifascist politics, but no evidence of further direct Soviet or Comintern connections beyond Republican/International Brigade service.

Assigned to SIS Operation SHILLELAGH, 4th June 1939 - 11th June 1939. Operation intended to track and terminate Vincent Gannon, an IRA terrorist and bombmaker confirmed to have taken part in numerous attacks on British military installations in Ireland and abroad, potentially with German/Soviet assistance. Gannon reported to be successfully terminated by Page and SIS personnel in a dramatic shootout on McDonnell Island in the Hebrides Archipelago, with various pro and anti-communist factions of the IRA and several suspected German agents present.

SIS issues confirmation of Page's political reliability 13 July 1939. Reenlistment request submitted to RAF 15 July 1939. Request is accepted with full reinstatement of Flight Lieutenant rank and transfer to No. 19 Squadron immediately following. Numerous interviews with RAF Intelligence on the subject of German aerial doctrine and capabilities learned from Spanish service recorded from 20 July 1939-29th July 1939.

Unofficially promoted to Squadron Leader rank on 13 Aug. 1939, pending transfer to squadron command position, continues as acting member of No. 19 Squadron pending transfer. Is specifically named by First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill in the "Excalibur Memorandum", suggesting the formation of a unified RAF-Commonwealth-AA-volunteer special operations unit combining aerial combat capabilities, commando-style raiding ability, and covert intelligence-gathering capacity, with Page as a candidate for its leader. RAF confirms Page as first choice for 319 (Special Operations) Squadron leadership on 3rd Sep. 1939, marking squadron's formal activation date.

Formally promoted to Squadron Leader and transferred to No. 319 (Special Operations) Squadron on 17 Sept. 1939.

[Cylarn]

Cough, cough cough cough.

Jean-Martin, Gerlof, and Robert flew sorties together at Guadalajara and Madrid.

Cough cough cough.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Cough, cough cough cough.

Jean-Martin, Gerlof, and Robert flew sorties together at Guadalajara and Madrid.

Cough cough cough.

That occurred to me too. Perhaps we could have a proto-Excalibur flight for a little while in Madrid? Florac's connections in helping Gerlof flee the country could also be applied to Page's escape from the NLF as well...

[Grenartia]

Cough, cough cough cough.

Jean-Martin, Gerlof, and Robert flew sorties together at Guadalajara and Madrid.

Cough cough cough.

That occurred to me too. Perhaps we could have a proto-Excalibur flight for a little while in Madrid? Florac's connections in helping Gerlof flee the country could also be applied to Page's escape from the NLF as well...

I've decided against including any Spanish experience for Jimmy, but once we get rolling, I'll probably submit an app for another character, who most likely will have SCW experience.

[The Two Jerseys]

*wall of text*

So, when are we going to start again?

I assume whenever Tigger gets his shit together.

I bet right now he's on page 7 of Page's bio...

Called it.