Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Halo on April 01, 2004, 09:47:42 PM

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: Halo on April 01, 2004, 09:47:42 PM

Furball's interesting addition of a Swiss aircraft in the Aircraft category evokes a corollary question:  Are there any fighter aces from nations neutral in WWII, e.g., Switzerland and Sweden?

If so, what type aircraft did they fly?

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: Furball on April 03, 2004, 11:57:12 AM

http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-1.htm

found this

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: Jester on April 20, 2004, 11:33:19 PM

If they were from a Neutral country - who would they be fighting against long enough for pilots to rack up 5 kills?

Considering the number of pilots even in a small air force you would have to have prolonged contact with the enemy to get enough engagements to produce Aces.

From what I have read - most of the time when enemy aircraft entered the neutral countries airspace (Sweden & Switzerland) they escorted them to the nearest airfield and then interned their crews and confiscated the planes. Both Switerzerland and Sweden gained several aircraft for their air forces doing this.

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: wasq on April 21, 2004, 01:46:36 AM

The F19 was indeed from a neutral country (Sweden), but they were fighting in Finland in Winter War so they were not actually in their own country when they were fighting.

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: Angus on April 23, 2004, 07:08:40 PM

Iceland was neutral and provided 1 ace, but he flew for the RAF as a volunteer. Does that one count?

Title: Any Neutral Country Aces?
Post by: Halo on April 23, 2004, 09:08:02 PM

Sure, Iceland ace is certainly valid -- I had forgotten Iceland was neutral in WWII in spite of being occupied by British and U.S. forces.