Luke Elbert Allen

Military

media-19124.jpeg UPL 19124 71 [Eagle] Sqn Pilots - L-R Sam A 'Uncle' Mauriello, Luke E Allen, Unknown, Peter 'Pete' Provenzano, Gregory A 'Gus' Daymond.

Correction of identity of pilot extreme left.

Object Number - UPL 19124 - 71 [Eagle] Sqn Pilots - L-R Sam A 'Uncle' Mauriello, Luke E Allen, Unknown, Peter 'Pete' Provenzano, Gregory A 'Gus' Daymond.

From Ignacio, Colorado. Volunteering for the RAF just as the Battle of Britain was reaching its climax, Luke joined 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF, flying his first combat operation in April 1941 on Hurricanes.

Converting to Spitfires the squadron had a busy period of patrols, sweeps and escorts before transferring to the USAAF as the 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF.

Luke flew over 60 combat missions in Europe.

Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

Post War: He later became a corporate pilot for a small Texas oil company.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

334th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

4th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

No 71 'Eagle' Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Type Category: Fighter

Places

Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row: Hub Zemke, 479th Grp, Roy Caviness, 361st Grp, Dave Schilling, 56th Grp, Everett Stewart, 355th Grp, Ben Rimermann, 353rd Grp, John Henry, 339th Grp, GT Crowell, Unk. REAR: James Maydon, 352nd Grp, WH Swanson, Unk, Joe McManus, 364th Grp, Calirborn Kinnard, 4th Grp, Philip Tukey, 356th Grp. Fred Gray, 78th Grp, Don Graham, 357th Grp. Date is unknown but it has

Bushey Hall

Site type: Military site
Known as: Watford

Debden

Site type: Airfield

Fort Logan National Cemetery

Site type: Cemetery

Kirton-in-Lindsey

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Ignacio, CO, USA	27 September 1917	Son of Frank and Eugenia [Fullbright] Allen.
Died	St George, UT, USA	28 May 2009	Luke Elbert Allen Luke Elbert Allen, age . 91 , passed away peacefully on May 28, 2009, after a short illness. The son of Eugenia Fullbright and Frank Allen, Luke was born September 27, 1 91 7 on land his father homesteaded near Rule Creek, Colorado. He grew up in Elizabeth, Colorado, Farmington and Gallup, New Mexico and graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1935. His father was a well known guide to the Southwest. In 1939, Luke married Mollie Chepin of Gallup, New Mexico and they moved to Denver. Luke had a life-time love of flying. As a young boy, he had his first ride in a barnstormer's biplane. In 1937, he graduated from the Curtiss-Wright Institute of Aeronautics. He received his pilot's license in 1938. In 1939, he and Mollie travelled to western New York State to pick up a Piper Cub at the factory, and Luke flew it across the country to Denver landing in pastures, staying in farmhouses and sometimes hitchhiking to the nearest town for gasoline. In August, 1940, during the Battle of Britain, he travelled to Montreal, then to England, enlisted in the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer and was one of the first members of Squadron 71, the Eagle Squadron. The Eagle Squadron was one of three squadrons of American fighter pilots serving in the Royal Air Force. Luke flew 60 combat missions with the RAF. In 1942, Luke joined the US Army Air Corps as a Captain and served with the Fifth Ferry Command. For the next four years, he flew B-17's and B-24's across the North Atlantic to England in every sort of weather. He flew B-29's to India by way of the South Atlantic, Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Luke flew the South Atlantic in a B-17, shutting off two engines that were burning excessive oil so that , he wouldn't be delayed while the engines were replaced. Later, he served with the US Air Force in the Panama Canal Zone, Eglin Field, Florida and the Philippines. In 1952, he resigned his commission to become a" commercial pilot for Vernon F. Neuhaus Enterprises and the McAllen State Bank, McAllen, Texas. Luke retired from flying in 1982 having accumulated over 25,000 hours in the air. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002. Luke and Mollie moved to St. George in 1994. Luke is survived by his wife Mollie, his son and two sisters. He was preceded in death by his sister Frances Lacey and by his brother Charles Allen, who was lost in Europe while serving with the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Luke was a modest man who served the interest of others before his own. He was always a devoted husband and father. He now joins his many colleagues who preceded him. He will be interred in Fort Logan Nation Cemetery in Denver on June 5, 2009. Arrangements under the direction of Metcalf Mortuary 435-673-4221.
Buried	Fort Logan National Cemetery	31 May 2009	Fort Logan National Cemetery Denver Denver County Colorado, USA Plot: Section 44, Site 793
Other Assigned	Kirton, Lincolnshire, UK		Joined 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF.
Other On Op's	France		Flew his first combat operation in April 1941 on Hurricanes.
Other Converted to Spitfires	England, UK		Converted to Supermarine Spitfires.
Other Transferred USAAF	RAF Bushey Hall, Bushey, Hertfordshire WD23 2ED, UK		Transfered to the USAAF as the 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF.
Other 60 combat missions ETO	France		Flew over 60 combat missions in Europe.
Other Corporate pilot	Texas, USA		Became a corporate pilot for a small Texas oil company.
Other Joined RAF	England, UK		Volunteered for the RAF.
	Gallup, NM, USA