Andrew Beck Mamedoff

Military
media-20230.jpeg UPL 20230 No 71 Eagle Squadron RAF Pilot F/O Andrew B Mamedoff on Hurricane 1941.

Object Number - UPL 20230 - No 71 Eagle Squadron RAF Pilot F/O Andrew B Mamedoff on Hurricane 1941.

Mamedoff was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1911. He grew up in Thompson, Connecticut, and attended Bryant College in the early 1930s. He had learned to fly in the USA and even had his own plane with which he performed at airshows. He and Eugene Tobin had been flying friends at Mines Field in California before the war.



Mamedoff initially came to Europe to fight on the side of Finland against the Soviet Union, but hostilities had ceased before he arrived. He then enlisted in the French Air Force, but he was not assigned to a squadron before the fall of France. Along with Tobin, and their friend Vincent Keough, they managed to get out of France and once in England, joined the RAF.



After converting to the Spitfire, Mamedoff was posted to RAF Middle Wallop and joined No 609 Squadron on 8 August 1940. He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star.



He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire on 18 September 1940 and was a founding member of the No 71 'Eagle' Squadron. He was posted to RAF Duxford in August 1941 to another "Eagle Squadron", No 133 Squadron as a Flight Commander.



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

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: No 133 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 67583
  • Highest Rank: Pilot Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: No 133 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 100531
  • Highest Rank: Pilot Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: No 133 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 100535
  • Highest Rank: Pilot Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: Hurricane
  • Unit: No 71 'Eagle' Squadron

Places

Line up of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, at Duxford air base. September 1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '55432 AC - War Birds Home To Rest - Republic P-47 Thunderbolts lined up on an 8th Air Force field in England after a daylight sweep over Germany. Crews have finished inspections and refueling.'
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: "Duckpond"

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Warsaw, Poland 24 August 1912 Son of Natalie Mamedoff

Other

Battle of Britain Veteran

Great Britain, United Kingdom 10 July 1940 - 31 October 1940 One of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star.

Enlisted

AAC Middle Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20, UK 8 August 1940 Posted to RAF Middle Wallop and joined No 609 Squadron on 8 August 1940.

Died

Maughold, Isle of Man 8 October 1941 On 8 October 1941, was flying with 133 Squadron on a standard transit flight from Fowlmere Airfield to RAF Eglinton in Northern Ireland in his Hurricane Z3781. The wreckage of his plane was found near Maughold on the Isle of Man and it is thought that he crashed due to poor weather conditions.

Other

Married

Epping, Epping, Essex CM16, UK In 1941 Mamedoff married an English woman, Alys Laird "Penny" Craven at Epping.

Other

Joined French AF

France Joined the French Air Force.

Other

Joined RAF

England, UK Joined the Royal Air Force in 1940.

Other

Converted to Spitfires

Converted to the Spitfire at OTU.

Other

Posted to No 133

Duxford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22, UK Posted to RAF Duxford in August 1941 to another "Eagle Squadron", No 133 Squadron as a Flight Commander.

Buried

Glades House, Brookwood Cemetery, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL, UK Body later recovered for burial at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.

Other

Attended University

Rhode Island, USA Attended Bryant University Rhode Island, USA.
Thompson, CT, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Removed 4th Fighter Group association as Mamedoff was Killed in Action before the group was formed.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes

Andrew Beck Mamedoff: Gallery (12 items)