Date of birth:

June 4th, 1911 (Brooklyn/New York, United States)

Date of death:

August 17th, 1940 (Chichester/West Sussex, Great Britain)

Buried on:

American War Grave Boxgrove

Service number:

78092

Nationality:

American

William Meade Lindsley "Billy" Fiske III was born June 4th, 1911, son of Leulah and William Fiske. He was educated in Chicago and in France. He studied economics and history at Trinity Hall in Cambridge. In the Olympic Winter Games of 1928 and 1932 he and his bobsleigh team won the Gold Medal for the United States. In 1936 he refused to participate in the Olympic Games in Germany. Fiske was employed at the London branch of Dillon, Reed & Co. September 8th, 1938 he married Rose Bingham.
Just prior to World War Two, his employer recalled him to the U.S. but he returned to England on August 30th, 1939 and joined the Royal Air Force. As the U.S. were still neutral, he pretended to be a Canadian.
August 16th, 1940, his Hawker Hurricane P3358 was hit during an engagement with some Junkers Ju 87 aircraft. His hands and ankles got badly burned by fuel but Fiske managed to fly his damaged aircraft back to Tangmere. Gravely injured, he was taken to Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chicester where he passed away the next day. Fiske was buried with military honors on August 20th, 1940.

Promotions:
March 23rd, 1940: Acting Pilot Officer;
July 13th, 1940: Pilot Officer on probation.

Career:
?: No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Yatesbury;
?: RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire;
July 12th, 1940: No. 601 (County of London) Squadron.

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• Photo 1: Wikimedia Commons
• Photo 2: Wikimedia Commons
• - The London Gazette of 27th August 1940, Issue 34932
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 31st December 1940, Issue 35029, dated 1st January 1941
  

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