Excalibur Squadron OOC - European Tour '39 - CLOSED

by **The Tiger Kingdom** » Sat Apr 07, 2018 11:15 pm

Excalibur Anthem (Arrival Of The Super-Commandos)

Welcome to Excalibur Squadron, one of the most successful and respected RPs in the history of Nationstates. Since our inception, ES has been devoted to bringing together pulp WW2 action-adventure style with high-quality writing and research to create war RPs which are second to none. If you're here, you've made it as an RPer on this site, and that's just a fact.

The concept?

In a nutshell - An elite Allied squadron, formed at the very dawn of the Second World War, bringing together the most skilled and dangerous soldiers, spies, pilots, and all sorts of other violent do-gooders, intent on stopping the Axis Powers from overrunning the world.
That's you. And that's us.
We'll be fighting all across the world, on the most dangerous missions that can be devised. We'll be decked out with all the best equipment. We'll be meeting all sorts of interesting people, and in most cases, will both be shooting at them and being shot at by them. There may even be some riches and glory in it for you - and above all, you'll know that you're at the vanguard of the Allied Nations, saving the world from Nazi domination. Now THAT'S priceless.

So if you think you've got the skill, the style, and the guts for it, leave an app below - and get your boots on fast.
The Germans just invaded Poland.

Squadron Roster
Red Flight:
Sword 1/Sword Leader: Squadron Leader Robert Page (UK) - The Tiger Kingdom
Sword 2: Warrant Officer Patrick Wade (IR) - Morrdh
Sword 3: Flying Officer David Richter (GE) - Len Hyet
Sword 4: Flying Officer Clifford McTavish (US) - Gibberan
Gold Flight:
Sword 5: Flight Lieutenant Henry White (UK) - Goram
Sword 6: Flying Officer Conor Fitzpatrick (IR) - Alversia
Sword 7: Flight Sergeant Samuel Melody (US) - Monfrox
Sword 8: Flying Officer Howard Cavalier (UK) - Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
Blue Flight:
Sword 9: Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Talbot (UK) - The Two Jerseys
Sword 10: Flight Sergeant Adahy Jim Chee (US) - Bakra
Sword 11: Flying Officer Jimmy Thibodeaux (US) - Grenartia
Sword 12: Flying Officer Henri Vodat (FR) - United Kingdom of Poland

Associated Knockabouts and Associated Characters

- Major Gerald Saunders (UK) - The Two Jerseys
- Aoife Fitzpatrick (IR) - Alversia

Squadron Member App

Code: Select all: Name: Date of Birth: Rank: Physical Description/Picture: Place of Origin: Flight/Flight Combat Experience: Ground Combat Experience: Intelligence and Espionage Experience: Combat Specialties and Skills: Weapons of Choice: RP Experience: Personal History:

Non-Squadron Character App:

Code: Select all: Name: Age: Occupation: Physical Description/Picture: Place of Origin: Specialties/Skills: RP Experience: Personal History/Bio:

(I reserve the right to reject all applications based on reasons that may only be apparent to me. All rights reserved.)

Operation History
- Operation GRYPHON - October 1939 - ONGOING

Backstory Archive

THE EXCALIBUR FILES

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

UNITS AND FORMATIONS

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

British Weapons and Equipment
- Webley Mark VI .455 - Pistol

- Browning Hi-Power - Pistol

- Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark III - Rifle

- M1928 Thompson - Submachine Gun

- Bren Gun - Light Machine Gun

- Rifle, Anti-Tank, Boys - Antitank Rifle

- British Military Field Gear

French Weapons and Equipment
- French Military Field Gear

VEHICLES, PLANES, AND SHIPS

British Aircraft
- Avro Anson - Utility Aircraft

- Hawker Hurricane Mark I Rev. - Fighter

British Ships
- T-Class - Fleet Submarine

LOCALES AND BATTLEGROUNDS
- RAF Station Manston

BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS

Pre-War Battles and Campaigns
- The Invasion of Poland - The Polish-Soviet War

- [url]The Invasion of Poland - The Interwar Years[/url]

Battles and Campaigns of 1939
- The Battle of the Polish Post Office

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARIES

THEORIES, MYSTERIES, AND ANOMALIES

TIGER'S SOAPBOX
- An Analysis of Interwar French Military Strategy - Or Alternately - You Are All Wrong About The Maginot Line

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

by **Monfrox** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 12:15 am

Alright, time to kick things back into gear.

by **Goram** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:51 am

Hello there.

by **The Two Jerseys** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:10 am

Tigger, were you going to have an intelligence/espionage experience section in the app like Norv came up with? It seemed like we were making pretty decent use of that the last time around, might be worth keeping it.

by **Morrdh** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:18 am

Red Three standing by.

by **The Two Jerseys** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:32 am

Morrdh wrote:Red Three standing by.

Just for that, you're being assigned to a different flight.

by **Morrdh** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:37 am

The Two Jerseys wrote:
Morrdh wrote:Red Three standing by.

Just for that, you're being assigned to a different flight.

Looking at the old roster, it should've been Red Two. :roll:

Though kudos if you got the reference, but Blue Leader sounds good as well.

by **Morrdh** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:38 am

Name: Patrick Wade
Date of Birth: 6th August 1903
Rank: Warrant Officer (RAAF)
Physical Description/Picture:

Place of Origin: Cork, County Cork, Ireland
Flight Experience:
No.2 Flying Training School, RAF Digby (UK)
No.60 Squadron, RAF Kohat (India)
Bush pilot, Australia
Freelance pilot, China
Ground Combat Experience:
No.6 Armoured Car Company (Iraq)
Specialties:
Speaks Arabic and Gaelic in addition to English.
Fighter aircraft qualifications include the Bristol F.2 Fighter, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire.
Bomber/attack aircraft qualifications include the Airco DH.9A, Westland Wapiti, Westland Wallace.
Miscellaneous aircraft qualifications include the Avro 504.
Weapons of Choice:
RP Experience:
Personal Bio:

Patrick was born in 1903 in the Irish province of Munster, though Patrick hasn't given much information beyond this but it is believed that his family hailed from County Cork. His father worked in the local railway workshops and was a militiaman, even saw service during the Second Boer War with the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Patrick's uncle was a strong Irish nationalist, which often caused disagreements between him and Patrick's father before the uncle eventually left for Dublin with the Irish Volunteers at the start of the Great War. However, Patrick's younger brother Sean had been influenced by their uncle and this would lead to the brothers going their separate ways. The Irish War of Independence broke out in 1919 and Patrick's father, having an inkling of the trouble ahead, decided to move the family to England. Sean objected to this and, after a blazing row, ran away with the intent of finding his uncle. It would be more than a few years before the two brothers would meet again.

Over a year later the city of Cork was burned, proving Patrick's father justified.

Enlisted into the Royal Air Force in Bristol December 1921; accepted and posted to RAF Central Depot Uxbridge with rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class, effective 7th December 1921.

Posted to the School of Technical Training (Men) RAF Manston, late May 1922, for the Armoured Car Crew Course. Qualified as 'Fitter, Driver Petrol' and sent out to Iraq as part of the First Armoured Car Detachment in September 1922. Assigned to No.6 Armoured Car Company.

Promoted to Corporal 1st June 1925.

No.6 Armoured Car Company earmarked for disbandment March 1927, volunteers for flying duties. Application for flight training course accepted 1st April 1927, transferred to No.2 Flying Training School (RAF Digby) 4th May 1927. Passed basic and flight combat training at No.2 Flying Training School and awarded Sergeant Pilot brevet, effective 16th May 1928 and assigned to No.60 Squadron at RAF Kohat in India.

Flew Airco DH.9As with No.60 Squadron during the Kabul Airlift, Dec 1928 - Feb 1929

Promoted to Flight Sergeant 16th May 1929.

Leaves the RAF 'under a dark cloud' following an incident with a new officer in 1930, emigrates to Australia to become a bush pilot in the Australian Outback.

Approached by MI6 in early 1932, convinced to become a 'freelance pilot' in China during the Interwar civil war and later Second Sino-Japanese War. Enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force with his previous RAF rank of Flight Sergeant, later promoted to Warrant Officer in 1937.

After the German invasion of Poland, Wade was recalled back to the UK. Upon arrival, he was 'debriefed' by MI5 and asked about connections with his brother who was known to be involved with the IRA (especially since the IRA's S-Plan was in action at the time). Wade hadn't seen his brother since his left left Ireland in 1919 and was 'cleared' by MI5 for transfer to No. 319 (Special Operations) Squadron, effective 17th September 1939.

by **Len Hyet** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:55 am

Red October, schtanding by

by **The Two Jerseys** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:04 am

Len Hyet wrote:Red October, schtanding by

Cover me, Porkins!

by **Len Hyet** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:09 am

The Two Jerseys wrote:
Len Hyet wrote:Red October, schtanding by

Cover me, Porkins!

I'm right with ya Red Three!

by **Vrijstaat Limburg** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:10 am

tagging this

by **Len Hyet** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:22 am

Name: David Richter

Date of Birth:January 12, 1916

Rank: Flight Officer

Physical Description/Picture:

Place of Origin: Berlin, Germany.

Flight/Flight Combat Experience:

Served for two and a half years as a pilot in the German Luftwaffe from 1933-1935, when he was forced out for his Jewish heritage.
Spent 2 years as a pilot with the Republican Forces, from 1936-1938.
Joined the RAF as a "friendly enemy alien" in 1939.

Ground Combat Experience: Some combat seen in the International Brigades in late 1938 after he was grounded and transferred to the Republican ground forces.

Specialties:

Air Combat
Speaks fluent German and English, passable Spanish

Weapons of Choice:

Polikarpov I-16 Type 6
Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Pistole Modell 1908 9x19 parabellum
Oveido Arsenal Spanish Mauser 7x57mm

RP Experience: Just a couple small, kinda weird RPs. Nothing anyone here would have heard of. Yknow, commando pilots in World War II, that kind of thing.

Personal History/Bio: David was born misfortunately. He was unlucky to be born a Jew in Germany, unlucky to be born just before the end of the Great War, but it can be said he was lucky to be too young to remember times of prosperity because he could never miss them. His father had served as a member of the German Air Force first in the Eastern Front against the Russians, then later in the air against the French and British. For many of the first few years of David’s life, even when times were truly hard (as they often were in the Weimar Republic), his father could be sure of work by dint of either his service or his religion. Of course, most of the work was day laboring offered by more prosperous Jewish families in the community, but it kept food on the table and clothes on their backs.

As the economy worsened, their fortunes actually improved. David’s father, through the community, was able to get work as a pilot for one of the few transport and cargo air companies operating in Germany at the time. He often took David flying with him, and it became David’s love and passion. By the time he was 15 David was picking up the occasional shift as a cargo hauler. In 1933, when the National Socialist party took office, David, in large part due to his experience as a pilot, became one of the many Luftwaffe secretly trained in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He spent two years in training, deliberately tuning out the increasingly vitriolic anti-Semitism of the Nazis in hopes of continuing to fly. In 1935 however, the Nazis officially forbade all Jews from serving in the German military, and David was forced out of the Luftwaffe. Bitter, and with a rapidly deepening hatred of the fascist regime, in November of 1936 David fled to Spain and the Republicans, where he had heard that experienced pilots would be put in the air with no questions asked.

Because of his experience as a pilot, the Republicans immediately put David in the cockpit of one of their new Soviet-supplied I-16 Type 6 fighters. Barely two weeks later, he was part of the first combat operation of the I-16s, on the 13th of November 1936. David and 11 other pilots intercepted a Nationalist bombing raid of Madrid, and claimed 4 victories. Over the next six months David scored two air to air combat kills against the far inferior Heinkel He 51. However as the war dragged on, the Condor Legion appeared in the skies over Spain, and with them the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Faster, better armed and armored than the I-16s, the Bf 109s coupled with increasingly incompetent Republican leadership put an end to David’s kill log. Over the next six months David flew thirteen combat missions, and managed only a single additional victory. When another accident on takeoff destroyed David’s third I-16 (the average life of an I-16 was unfortunately 87 days), he was officially grounded for lack of replacement aircraft. David spent the next several months attached to the Naftali Botwin Company, Palafox Battalion until its demobilization in September of 1938. Now officially out of the Republican Army, and with no desire to return to the now overwhelmingly hostile Nazi Germany, David was granted asylum as a “friendly enemy alien” in Britain. In November, word reached David of Kristallnacht in the first letter from his mother in almost six months. His father and 30,000 other Jewish men had been arrested and incarcerated somewhere secret. Although neither of them knew it, the men had been sent to Dachau. Knowing war with Germany was inevitable, David almost immediately began petitioning to be allowed into the Royal Air Force. When Chamberlain announced the full British support of Poland in March of 1939, David was admitted as a non-combatant in the ground crews.

However, the Royal Air Force soon became worried that it would find itself well short of the number of trained pilots necessary to carry out its commitments. So, after two months as a non-combatant, David was transferred to a training group and spent five months there, four in the Service Flying Training School, and one in the Operational Training Unit learning to handle the Supermarine Spitfire. So it was that in late August, David was brought into a windowless room, and handed a stack of papers. A man in a nondescript suit told him to sign the papers, so he did. The man informed him that so much as hinting at a word that was said in this room would result in him spending the rest of his life in a windowless cell, and then offered him a chance to join a unit that would “be the knife in the dark in the fight against the Nazis”. His abiding hatred of the Nazis by this point both deeply seated and well known (a fact that had not gone unnoticed), David accepted immediately.

by **Goram** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:54 am

Name: Henry "Chalkie" White
Age: 44
Rank: Flight Lieutenant

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Flight/Flight Combat Experience (MANDATORY): RFC/RAF, mid-1916/1919. Recruited as a test pilot by the Sopwith Aviation Company. Later worked for H.G. Hawker Engineering after Sopwith was bought by Harry Hawker.
Ground Combat Experience: Fought in France, August 1914/late 1915.
Specialities (air or ground - communications, demolitions, disguises, languages, etc.): Gifted pilot. Speaks good French but only passable German. Also something of a socialite. He knows or at least has met, virtually everyone worth knowing - including certain members of his new squadron.
Weapons of Choice: Owns a Colt 1911, won at cards from an American officer in 1918. Remains competent with a rifle.
Intelligence and Espionage: Owing to his social status, military and sporting career, White is a man who knows people. He's met high ranking officers and politicians, both British and, indeed, German.
Personal History/Bio (more than one line please):

Harry White was born August 4th, 1895, in Hampshire. He was born to a well to do, upper class, family, who owned a small estate to the west of Winchester. He attended Eton College at 13 and graduated shortly after his 18th birthday. All the while, the clouds of war had been gathering over Europe and it was at about this time that the storm was threatening to break. This was not lost on the teenage White, who'd taken a keen interest in politics during the latter stages of his education. Barely a week after leaving Eton, he volunteered as an Officer in the British Army- much to the chagrin of his parents, who threatened to disown him if he continued down a career path that they believed to be unfitting to his social rank.

White found himself at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and eventually was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant with 1st battalion, Scots Guards. He arrived in France with the BEF in 1914 and saw his first action at the Battle of Mons. Later, he would see action at the Marne, 1st Ypres and numerous other engagements. In October 1915, around Loos, White organised an impromptu defence against an enemy trench raid and sustained wounds in doing so. For his actions during the fighting, he was awarded the Military Cross. Whilst recovering from his wounds, he met an RFC officer. Here his interest in flight was piqued, and thus he applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. His transfer request was accepted and, after receiving basic training, he was posted to the newly formed No. 19 Squadron at Savy, France. In this posting, he spent the rest of the war and proved himself a gifted pilot with a knack for aerial gunnery. Whilst flying Spad S.VII and later the Sopwith Dolphin, White managed to tally 37 kills before the end of hostilities. As a result, he was decorated a second time - with the newly created Distinguished Flying Cross. He stayed in the infant Royal Air Force until being demobbed in 1919, and was almost immediately approached by the Sopwith Aviation Company and offered a position as a test pilot. He accepted and flew for Sopwith until it was bought by Harry Hawker, and formed into H.G. Hawker Engineering - later Hawker Aircraft. He stayed in the job for almost twenty years, whilst also doing occasional work for Imperial Airways. In this fashion, he accrued thousands of flight hours becoming one of the most experienced pilots in the country.

Aside from flying, harbours a keen interest in sports. At school, he excelled in all manner of athletics - especially on the football pitch and in cricketing whites, but to a lesser extent in boxing and rugby as well. During his military service, he played for both the Army and the RFC in impromptu contests against rival battalions, squadrons and on some occasions even the Navy. After the war, and especially after his wounding at Loos, White attempted to keep his physical fitness and sporting prowess. He made several appearances for minor counties during the 1922 season, culminating in a single First Class (if non-professional) appearance at Lords against Middlesex, in the County Championship. His gritty, match-saving, 124* on debut was noted by the spectators, many of whom had known him during his service and had retained their commissions in the Air Force. Regretfully, the wounds he had received prevented his career from truly "taking off" and he was forced to retire before the end of the season. Yet, he remains supremely fit and his sporting career (military and civil) along with his military record and his social status as being relatively upper class has allowed him to forge relationships with officers who are now at the top of Air Force hierarchy. This has allowed him to pull strings that are out of reach to most.

Now the clouds are gathering over Europe again, and a secret unit is being formed to combat the storm when it breaks. White is pushing fifty years old, but he was once a keen warrior and is still an expert aviator. As such, the Air Ministry has offered him his old rank of Flight Lieutenant back, and dangled an impressive salary - a tempting offer for a man with wife and child to support. Thus he finds himself putting the uniform on once more, almost 20 years after he took it off. He's on his way to RAF Manston, to help set up (and to act as an adviser, if nothing else) a highly secretive unit populated by men young enough to be his sons.

by **Gibberan** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:10 am

reposti imminent...

Name: Clifford John Clavin "Cliff" McTavish

Date of Birth: 14 July, 1913 (age 26)

Rank: Flying Officer

Physical Description/Picture:

Country of Origin: United States (he's from Bahston, see?)

Flight/Flight Combat Experience (MANDATORY): US Navy; RAF

Ground Combat Experience: Basic Training, as well as commando

Specialties (air or ground - communications, demolitions, disguises, languages, etc.):

Taking off/landing seaplanes or carrier-based planes
Flying ground support roles/Counter-insurgency flying
Survival situations (ocean, desert, jungle, you name it)
Smoking
Swearing
Uh...fishing, I guess

Weapons of Choice: Browning Hi-Power (and sten guns, once they come into use)

RP Experience: One of the greatest P2TM RPs of all time (and also Excalibur Squadron

)

Personal History/Bio (more than one line please): Clifford John Clavin McTavish was born on July 14th, 1913 in the small village of Cohasset, Massachussetts, in the Greater Boston area. He came into a large Irish-American working-class family; his mother was a seamstress and his father was a fisherman. His family had long been one with the sea; Cliff could trace his bloodline all the way back to a fisherman-turned-sailor during the revolutionary war. His great-great grandfather on his father's side had been on the United States when it captured the Macedonian and his grandfather had been on the Conestoga while it bombarded Fort Henry. His father himself was a veteran of Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, but, finding it easier to have an extra naval pension rather than live off naval pay, returned to what the McTavishes had always done best: fishing. Taking his young son with him on these long daily trips, the elder McTavish would regale him with stories of far-off adventure. As they cast their nets, seaplanes on their daily patrols from the nearby Naval Air Station at Squantum would buzz low overhead, and once in a while they would waggle their wings in acknowledgment of the awestruck child down below. It was here that his love of flying would be born.

In 1927, at the age of 14, he heard the news of Charles Lindbergh's landing in Paris after completing his transatlantic flight, further inspiring Cliff to pursue aviation (much to the dislike of his seagoing father). Despite his aerial ambitions, he continued to work on his father's fishing boat until the Great Depression hit. His mother was laid off, and his father was forced to do the same to many of his fishermen as well. Life got harder, and Cliff got more cynical with it. Although Cliff offered to stay and help his father, he was told instead to go out west so he too could help support his family at home. Along with many of his older siblings, he volunteered with the Civilian Conservation Corps and was sent to North Dakota, where he was stunned by the low-flying cropdusters. After his six-month enrollment was up with the CCC, he secured a job flying as one, which he held until being laid off in 1934. With nowhere else to go, he chose to enlist in the US Navy, as so many of his forefathers had done. However, with the rising tensions in the Pacific, he decided instead he could serve his country better (and perhaps make a little more) by becoming a naval aviator. He excelled in his rigorous 18 month training, and with the rank of ensign, he was posted initially to the USS Marblehead, piloting Curtiss SOC floatplanes, and eventually to the Lexington, flying Grumman F2Fs and eventually the new Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers.

Even though he was an excellent flier and took orders well, the low pay and slow promotion rate frustrated him as well as the other fliers, leaving the group’s morale at rock bottom. A particularly traumatic incident near the end of his enlistment further disillusioned him, and he resigned his commission in mid 1938. Going back to work with his father, who by now was back on his feet, was more or less the same as usual, but that proved to be exactly the problem. He aimlessly drifted from one week to the next, with his cigars and alcohol being the only things that could take his mind off of what had happened. When he heard that the RAF was accepting foreign nationals, he sailed to Liverpool and enlisted, hoping this could change something. Graduating basic training, he was assigned to No. 6 Squadron based in Mandatory Palestine, where he flew numerous successful counter-insurgent sorties against the Jewish and Arab terrorists in the desert. This, matched with his exceptional flying, led to further investigation into his Navy background, and, unbeknownst to him but knownst to us, his actions in both services had his superiors put him on a shortlist for some sort of clandestine squadron in England...

by **Alversia** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:28 am

Name: Conor Fitzpatrick
Date of Birth: 26th May, 1913
Rank: Flying Officer
Physical Description:

Place of Origin: County Wicklow, Ireland
Flight Combat Experience:

Flying Officer: No. 56 Squadron RAF (1934 – 1937)
Pilot: Spanish Republican Air Force (1937 – 1939)
Flying Officer: No. 73 Squadron RAF (1939)

Ground Combat Experience:

Ground Operations: Spanish Civil War

Specialties:

Fluent in Spanish and French, Conversant in Russian
Explosives Training
Qualified to fly multiple British and allied aircraft
Excellent driver
Mechanics experience of multiple engine types
Experience of commando operations

Personal Bio: Fitzpatrick was born on County Wicklow, on the eastern coast of Ireland, eldest son of a minor noble, an officer in the Royal Irish Rifles. When he was just 3 years old, his father was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme. Mostly he was sheltered from the political situation both surrounding the Easter Rising and the immediate post-war years, receiving a traditional upper-class education in horse-riding, history, philosophy and languages. As the situation in Ireland grew worse however, the family moved first to England before travelling throughout the Empire, thus young Fitzpatrick spent his teenage years in locations as diverse as America, Canada, Ceylon, India and Singapore before the family settled in England, his mother becoming governess of a much larger household.

An energetic and excitable man, Fitzpatrick quickly became bored with his country life and took up motor racing and design, two vocations at which he was quite adept. His promising racing career ended abruptly when he was involved in an accident from which he was fortunate to walk away. With that outlet now denied to him, he attempted to first join the British Army before settling on the Royal Air Force.

Though highly rated by his commanders and displaying a natural aptitude for flying, Fitzpatrick chaffed in the peace time RAF, earning the ire of the brass with a series of escapades and pranks both on-base and off. By 1937, he was in danger of being discharged as even his most ardent defenders grew frustrated at his antics, these coming to a head when he stole the squadron motorcycle and embarked on a night-long spree of pubs, bars and girls that only ended when he ran out of fuel, forcing him to rent the tractor and trailer of a local farmer and deliver the bike back to the base and to his waiting commanders.

Now grounded from flying and awaiting court martial, Fitzpatrick instead resigned his commission and headed to Spain via France, joining up with the Republican Air Force as a volunteer pilot.

It was here that Fitzpatrick would see his first action, flying alongside soviet and international pilots in Polikarpov I-15s and I-16s. He acquitted himself well, shooting down two Nationalist fighters and claiming a third as well as tussling with the Condor Legion and Italian Air Forces on a number of occasions. By 1938 however, the squadron had run out of operational aircraft and the Irishman joined the International Brigades on the ground, fighting in the defence of Madrid and across the front. He trained in demolitions and joined a small task force whose job was to infiltrate Nationalist lines. Though performing several noteworthy operations as part of this unit, it was too late to change the course of the war and he was evacuated in 1939 as Madrid fell.

With the threat of war now hanging over Europe, Fitzpatrick applied to re-join the RAF, now desperate for experienced pilots. He was accepted and trained to flying Hawker Hurricanes in preparation for action.

by **Monfrox** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 10:48 am

Name: ~~Samantha~~ Samuel Melody
Date of Birth: 02/14/~~1922~~ 1919
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Physical Description/Picture:

Place of Origin: United States of America
Flight/Flight Combat Experience: None
Ground Combat Experience: None (available for listing legally)
Specialties: "Advanced" interrogation techniques, disguises and hiding, thievery, lock-picking, intimidation, and "connections"
Weapons of Choice: M1928A1 Thompson, Smith and Wesson M1917, Stiletto switchblade
RP Experience: Here
Personal History/Bio: Samantha Melody was born in a small rural town in the Midwestern countryside on a farm. Most of her early childhood was spent there until the farm went under and her parents died in a house fire. With the expenses from the farm and funeral already drying up her extended family's wallets, they chose to reluctantly send her off to an orphanage out in the city. She spent many lonely nights there until a few well-dressed men came in and took her home. Samantha had no idea that she had just been adopted by a mob don until later on when the man sought to make her into an heiress of sorts. He began to teach her everything he wanted her to know about organized crime and about the mob family, because she was family now and was treated as such by the other members. It wasn't until she started hitting puberty and her rebellious phase that she started getting a bit tired of the same things to do every day. She had done the usual racketeering and extortion bits (ran out of the flower shop that she helped at legally), even gotten into stealing, which she found she was very good at doing during the night. But as she grew up, and the people she knew were either arrested or killed, she wanted to do more.

Samantha asked her father and he gave her a simple hit to do with a few of the other guys, but it went South fast and she was almost caught and jailed. Since that incident, she had been put on the then Bureau of Investigation, now Federal Bureau of Investigation's wanted list, albeit at a very low number. Meanwhile, Samantha decided that she had enough. She got into an argument with her father and stormed off, steaming. Without much else to do, she got a few of her friends in the family together and told them she wanted to head off overseas, as what better place to get away than to another continent? And it looked like things were heating up in Europe anyway, so that was even better. It was then that she got the bright idea of joining the RAF. She cut her hair short, bound her chest, practiced her deep male voice (helped by having an already naturally deeper voice than most females), dressed in men's clothes, and hopped onto the first boat out to England. Using her wits, cunning, and money, she managed to bribe her way past the examination and lied convincingly about her name, gender, and age for enlistment. Of course, it was always awful to sneak a shower in the dark at night and make excuses about not going to them during the day, but she somehow managed to fully adapt to the harsh trials of the first Special Operations Squadron. Besides, flying? That was pretty badass. No way she was going back home after this. Her dad would probably want her dead anyway.

by **The Tiger Kingdom** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:45 pm

The Two Jerseys wrote:Tigger, were you going to have an intelligence/espionage experience section in the app like Norv came up with? It seemed like we were making pretty decent use of that the last time around, might be worth keeping it.

Ooh, forgot about it. I'll edit it in.

by **The Tiger Kingdom** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:26 pm

Morrdh: Accepted pending completion of the app, I know that's still being worked on.

Len: Accepted. I'm still down for maybe trying to do a collab backstory thing about Page and Richter knowing each other from Spain.

Goram: Accepted

Gibberan: Accepted

Monfrox: Accepted

Alversia: Your app is actually new and not a repost, unlike all of the above, so I'll review it tonight.

by **The Two Jerseys** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:56 pm

Name: Geoffrey Talbot

DOB: 17 February 1912

Rank: Flight Lieutenant

Physical Description/Picture:

5'9", light brown/dark blond hair, brown eyes, thin build

Country of Origin: England

Flight/Flight Combat Experience:

No. 5 Flying Training School, RAF Shotwick, 1933
No. 23 (Fighter) Squadron, RAF Biggin Hill, 1933-34
RAF Gosport (attached for fleet flying training), 1934
No. 803 (Fleet Fighter) Squadron, HMS Eagle (on China Station), 1934-35
No. 27 (Bomber) Squadron, RAF Kohat (India), 1935-36
No. 14 (Bomber) Squadron, RAF Ramleh (Palestine), 1936
No. 11 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, RAF Risalpur (India), 1936-37
No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron, RAF Tangmere, 1937
Test pilot, Seversky Aircraft Corp. (Farmingdale, NY, USA), 1937-39
Central Flying School (refresher course), 1939

Ground Combat Experience:

OTC Certificate B
Several firefights with rebel forces in Palestine and on the North-West Frontier
A fair share of boxing matches, schoolyard fistfights, and barroom brawls

Intelligence and Espionage Experience:

Had close-up view of Bf 109 and Do 17 at Zurich International Air Meet, 1937

Specialties:

Low-level flying and close air support
Navigation
Marksmanship (air and ground)
Can read a decent amount of French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and German, though his verbal skills are somewhat lacking
Able to imitate a variety of accents
Skilled automobile driver and mechanic
Trained civil engineer; can both read and draft technical drawings
Experienced hunter
Can ride/drive horses and other draft animals
Can pilot small boats
Good dancer
Plays piano
Blondes
Brunettes
Redheads
Gin
Dance bands

Weapons of Choice:

Colt M1911 (.45 ACP)
Colt M1911 (.38 Super)
Colt Detective Special (.38 Special)
Colt New Service (.455 Webley) (Pistol, Colt, .455-inch 5.5-inch barrel Mk I)
Colt New Service (.357 Magnum)
Colt M1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32 ACP)
Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless (.380 ACP)
Colt M1908 Vest Pocket (.25 ACP)
M1928 Thompson
Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III
Magazine Lee-Enfield
Magazine Lee-Metford
Winchester Model 70 (.30-06)
Winchester M1912 trench gun (12 gauge)
P1907/M1917 sword bayonet

RP Experience: Your request insults me.

Personal History/Bio: Born and raised in Eastbourne, Geoffrey Talbot was the second and youngest son of Edward Talbot, a train driver for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and his wife Sybil. Geoffrey showed promise from an early age, demonstrating an intelligence that earned him a scholarship to St. Cyprian's School, a local prep school which otherwise would have been far above his family’s means and social standing. At school he was very much like his wealthier classmates, developing an interest in military history and joining the Cadets; between terms, however, economic realities set in: during the summer he was sent to work on his cousins' farm outside of town, while during other breaks he would often be found helping neighborhood fishermen crew their boats. Needless to say, such activities led to a fair degree of hazing and a number of fistfights at school, which young Geoff often ended up losing due to his small size. At age 14, he passed the entrance exams to the prestigious Eastbourne College, a public school which, again, would have been far above his family’s means and social standing without a scholarship; as before, he did his best to fit in, joining the Cadets and a number of the school's sports teams, while spending the breaks between terms working at the Southern Railway's Eastbourne locomotive depot (a position obtained via some string-pulling by his father) to help make ends meet. Once again, this led to yet some more hazing from his classmates along with a few physical altercations; these altercations stopped rather abruptly once the other students discovered that working on steam locomotives all day meant that the lanky kid knew how to swing a mean hammer, and those skills translated well to a cricket bat. Buying a motorcycle with some money he had saved from his paycheck, he started displaying an affinity for driving fast, a trait which transferred over to his father’s Austin Seven once he was old enough to drive that. His mother was greatly displeased with his driving habits, though his father didn’t seem to mind, so long as he didn’t damage the car. After obtaining his Higher School Certificate and leaving Eastbourne, he entered Imperial College London to study civil engineering, where he soon made friends with a wealthy, Bentley-driving classmate who shared his affinity for auto racing and military matters; said classmate was a corrupting influence, for as well as serving as Talbot’s partner in racing fast cars, he also introduced Talbot to the world of dance bands, heavy drinking, and fast women. Somewhat unsurprisingly, while at university the two of them signed up for flying lessons as well as the Officers’ Training Corps.

After receiving his degree, Talbot joined the RAF as a direct entry officer; while the story among his university peers is that Talbot joined the RAF to stay one step ahead of the law following the events that occurred at a graduation party, both parties deny any wrongdoing, and Talbot maintains that he applied for a commission well before these events occurred. Regardless, Talbot received his commission and, following his training period and a home posting with 23 (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill, in early 1934 he was posted to 803 (Fleet Fighter) Squadron aboard HMS Eagle on the China Station. After spending a year in the Far East, during which time he was engaged in anti-piracy operations, Talbot was transferred to 27 (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Kohat, India, where he provided air support for the British Indian forces involved in the Mohmand Campaign in 1935. With the outbreak of Arab Revolt in 1936, Talbot, whose previous two years of service had made him one of the most combat-experienced of the RAF’s active pilots, was transferred to 14 (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Ramleh, Palestine, where he provided air support for British ground forces, flew air policing missions against rebel-controlled villages, and even served on the ground as a liaison officer coordinating air support for British patrols, a role in which he came under enemy fire several times.

With the situation in Waziristan deteriorating throughout 1936, at the end of the year Talbot was posted back to India with 11 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at RAF Risalpur, where he was to put the air support skills he had honed in Palestine into use against another group of rebels. During one such flight, Talbot’s Hawker Hart developed engine trouble which led to a forced landing in rebel territory; while trying to make repairs, Talbot and his observer were attacked by rebel forces. Although both of them were grazed by enemy bullets, Talbot and his observer managed to hold off the rebels with machine gun and revolver fire long enough for Talbot to douse the plane with petrol and set it alight, and the two of them escaped into the bush. Due in large part to Talbot’s hunting experience, he and his observer were able to evade rebel forces for three days before meeting up with a friendly patrol; the two were both mentioned in despatches for this action.

Returning to England in early 1937, Talbot was posted to 1 (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Tangmere; while transferring a bomber pilot to a fighter squadron with a reputation for aerobatics would seem a curious move, Talbot had little difficulty adapting to the fast and nimble Hawker Fury and soon joined the squadron in aerobatic displays, the highlight of which was the Zurich International Air Meet at the end of July. While 1 Squadron put on a good show, they realized that they were hopelessly outclassed by the new German aircraft on display there: the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Dornier Do 17.

While the Zurich Air Meet may have been an indication of a bleak future for Europe, for Talbot the future would start crashing down much sooner than September 1939: while on the return flight to Tangmere, he was involved in a head-on mid-air collision with a DH.86 airliner in heavy fog near the Channel. Despite sustaining head injuries from flying debris as the metal-framed Hawker tore into the plywood de Havilland, Talbot fought his mortally wounded ship all the way to the ground, managing to pull the nose up just enough to bring the Fury in for a semi-controlled 200 mph crash, finally coming to a stop upside-down. Despite numerous injuries, he made it out of the crash in one piece; the occupants of the rapidly-disintegrating DH.86 were much less fortunate, as the airliner corkscrewed in with no survivors.

Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by the accident inquest, as the accident was judged unavoidable due to the weather conditions (the presiding officer, apparently familiar with the AAEE’s damning report on the DH.86’s stability, grimly added to his remarks that evasive maneuvers would likely have resulted in a loss of control and subsequent crash, and that Talbot probably did the passengers a favor by ramming into the fuselage and killing them outright...), Talbot was quickly made a scapegoat by a pacifist backbench MP seeking to make a name for himself with a “we’re wasting money on the RAF so that they can fly around recklessly and kill innocent people” platform. Faced with a storm of unwanted political pressure, the Air Ministry arranged for Talbot to take a leave of absence, ostensibly to recover from the injuries he sustained in the crash, with the instructions to “keep your head down at least till the next general election...”

Forced against his will to return to Civvy Street, and regularly popping painkillers due to his numerous injuries, Talbot found employment as a draftsman at an engineering firm, but being unable to race cars and fly airplanes for the near future made his life a miserable existence. Then one day, completely out of the blue, he received a letter from Russian-American aircraft designer Alexander de Seversky; Seversky was developing his new combat aircraft for the US Army, and was looking for a pilot with actual, recent combat experience to evaluate the aircraft and provide design input (being pretty damn hard to kill was also a plus). Talbot’s response was short: I'll be on the next boat. And so, by the end of 1937 Talbot found himself in the employ of the Seversky Aircraft Corporation of Farmingdale, New York, in the position of test pilot; this position came with the perk of serving as the company’s backup entry in various air races, meaning that Talbot was flying in support of star pilots like Jimmy Doolittle and Jacqueline Cochran. Unexpectedly, the job also came with a brief Hollywood star turn, as Seversky was providing MGM with aircraft for the production of the Clark Gable/Myrna Loy film Test Pilot.

And so, things were going along swimmingly for Talbot, until one day in late August 1939; as he was preparing for that year’s National Air Races, a telegram arrived recalling him to active service and ordering him to report to Air House as soon as possible.

by **Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 3:06 pm

Applying again for Howard, but I'm going to put a lot more work into this app. So, regard it as a WiP until I have all the details worked out!

Name: Howard ‘Hurricane’ Cavalier
Date of Birth: 7th of September 1912
Rank: Flying Officer
Physical Description/Picture:

Place of Origin: Newton Mearns, Scotland, UK
Flight/Flight Combat Experience: Pilot training, no real combat experience
Ground Combat Experience: Regular training, no real experience
Specialities: Airplane engineering, mechanical duties, on-the-spot repairs and maintenance, fixing a Hawker Hurricane with some duct tape and a piece of string.
Weapons of Choice: Eight wing-mounted machine guns, Lee–Enfield No. 4 Mk I
RP Experience: Hella lots
Personal History/Bio: WiP

by **Len Hyet** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 3:13 pm

The Tiger Kingdom wrote:Len: Accepted. I'm still down for maybe trying to do a collab backstory thing about Page and Richter knowing each other from Spain.

I dunno, it sounds like it'd be fun to write but I think it'll take away from some of the RP-value a German has if the CO knows and at least kinda trusts him.

The Tiger Kingdom wrote:Alversia: Your app is actually new and not a repost, unlike all of the above, so I'll review it tonight.

Excuse you I changed his preferred weapons and added bullet points.

by **Morrdh** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 3:27 pm

The Tiger Kingdom wrote:Morrdh: Accepted pending completion of the app, I know that's still being worked on.

Effectively done, just little details to be sorted.

by **The Tiger Kingdom** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 12:13 am

Alversia: Accepted

The Two Jerseys: Accepted

GCCS: Accepted pending completion

Len Hyet: Do not TEST me on this I will revoke acceptance if you WANT me to

Morrdh: Accepted, of course

by **The Tiger Kingdom** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 12:18 am

I guess I gotta post some shit

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 scars on his chest left from a Nationalist mortar shell, burn scars 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:

Aircraftman, RAF Recruit Training Depot, Royal Air Force - Intake Training, 1930
Aircraftman, No. 5 Flight Training School, Royal Air Force - Pilot Training, 1931
Officer Cadet, RAF Staff College Cranwell, Royal Air Force - Officer Training, 1932-34
Pilot Officer, No. 19 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Duxford Station, 1934-35
Flying Officer, No. 274 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Iraq Peacekeeping Duty, 1935
Flying Officer, No. 274 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Kirkuk Uprising Campaign, 1935-6
Flight Lieutenant, No. 19 Squadron, Royal Air Force - Duxford Station, 1936
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 - Guadalajara Campaign, 1937
Teniente, Escuadrilla Powers, Spanish Republican Air Force - Biscay Campaign, 1937
Independent Contractor, Private Employers, Various Contracts, 1938-39
Intelligence Operative, Secret Intelligence Service - Operation PRIVATEER, 1939
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 experience includes 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. Middle-class 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 13 Dec. 1931.

Application to RAF College Cranwell for officership courses accepted 16 Jan. 1932, promotion to Officer Cadet and subsequent transfer effective 2 Mar. 1932. Officership courses completed with honors on 13 Apr. 1934, graduates successfully and is commissioned as a Pilot Officer effective 14 April 1935. 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".

Assigned to No. 19 Squadron posted to RAF Duxford, effective 2 May 1934. 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, 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 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 military incursions into Iraqi territory, and to serve as reconnaissance auxiliaries to support RAF aerial 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 resulted 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 shortly thereafter, campaign formally concluded by February 1936.

Promoted to Flight Lieutenant and transferred to No. 19 Squadron (RAF-Duxford), 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 (named after its commander, Canadian socialist and Great War veteran Randolph Powers). Reported to have shot down numerous Nationalist aircraft, including several belonging to the Condor Legion and Corpo Truppo Voluntarie (CTV), and to have played an important role in Republican aerial operations over Madrid, Jarama Valley, Guadalajara, and numerous other fronts. Received numerous decorations from the Republican government, including the Order of the Second Spanish Republic.

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" (NLF), 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 and harass and thwart Nationalist-aligned forces in the area. During this time, the NLF becomes one of the preeminent guerrilla organizations throughout the entirety of the Spanish theater. Witnesses the destruction of the city of Guernica by bomber forces of the Condor Legion and CTV.

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 RAF-Upavon 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. Transferred to RAF-Upavon for acclimatization training on RAF aircraft, confirming accreditation on Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire single-engine fighters.

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 on 17 Sept. 1939. Transferred to No. 319 Squadron on October 8th, 1939 upon squadron's formal activation.

Excalibur Squadron OOC - European Tour '39 - CLOSED

Excalibur Squadron OOC - European Tour '39 - CLOSED

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