24-year-old Flying Officer Eugene “Gene” Tobin strikes a classic pose in his Hawker Hurricane after returning from a patrol over the North Sea. Tobin hailed from Los Angeles, California, and was one of only seven Americans who had the distinction of flying combat in the Battle of Britain while serving with the Royal Air Force as fighter pilots.
Gene learned to fly in the 1930s, earning his flying money while employed at MGM Studios as a guide. Seeing movie stars on a regular basis, and even chauffeuring them around town, neither he nor they could have imagined that one day the tall, skinny kid behind the wheel would one day be part of a far greater, and more deadly, show that would eventually span the globe. Lured by adventure, Tobin risked his US citizenship traveling overseas to fight under a foreign flag while America was still technically a neutral nation. But it was youth, a strong sense of adventure, and exciting times that carried the day as Gene served very briefly with the French before their surrender and barely escaped the continent to England to join the Royal Air Force. Gene saw much action with 609 Squadron in the Battle of Britain, scoring a couple of shared kills and possibly downing a Do 217 by himself. Tobin and a few other Americans wearing RAF blue were eventually picked to form the nucleus of 71 Squadron, the first of what became three ‘Eagle’ Squadrons in the RAF composed entirely of US volunteers. In September 1942 the “Eagles” formally transferred to US control and were stood up as the 8th Air Force’s 4th Fighter Group.
On September 7, 1941 Tobin was killed in action flying with 71 Squadron during a ‘routine’ fighter sweep on one of their first missions flying their new Spitfires. Pearl Harbor was still three months off as 71’s formation was bounced by nearly 100 German fighters and three Spits, including Gene’s, went down. Noted historian of the Eagles Philip D. Caine said of the young man from California, “He was one of the experienced flyers who held the fledgling unit (71 Squadron) together and an American who gave his life for freedom before his country even entered the war.”
Completed 2018
Private Collection
24-year-old Flying Officer Eugene “Gene” Tobin strikes a classic pose in his Hawker Hurricane after returning from a patrol over the North Sea. Tobin hailed from Los Angeles, California, and was one of only seven Americans who had the distinction of flying combat in the Battle of Britain while serving with the Royal Air Force as fighter pilots.
Gene learned to fly in the 1930s, earning his flying money while employed at MGM Studios as a guide. Seeing movie stars on a regular basis, and even chauffeuring them around town, neither he nor they could have imagined that one day the tall, skinny kid behind the wheel would one day be part of a far greater, and more deadly, show that would eventually span the globe. Lured by adventure, Tobin risked his US citizenship traveling overseas to fight under a foreign flag while America was still technically a neutral nation. But it was youth, a strong sense of adventure, and exciting times that carried the day as Gene served very briefly with the French before their surrender and barely escaped the continent to England to join the Royal Air Force. Gene saw much action with 609 Squadron in the Battle of Britain, scoring a couple of shared kills and possibly downing a Do 217 by himself. Tobin and a few other Americans wearing RAF blue were eventually picked to form the nucleus of 71 Squadron, the first of what became three ‘Eagle’ Squadrons in the RAF composed entirely of US volunteers. In September 1942 the “Eagles” formally transferred to US control and were stood up as the 8th Air Force’s 4th Fighter Group.
On September 7, 1941 Tobin was killed in action flying with 71 Squadron during a ‘routine’ fighter sweep on one of their first missions flying their new Spitfires. Pearl Harbor was still three months off as 71’s formation was bounced by nearly 100 German fighters and three Spits, including Gene’s, went down. Noted historian of the Eagles Philip D. Caine said of the young man from California, “He was one of the experienced flyers who held the fledgling unit (71 Squadron) together and an American who gave his life for freedom before his country even entered the war.”