Lance Cleo Wade | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Wildcat |
Born | Broaddus, Texas, United States | 18 November 1916
Died | 12 January 1944 Foggia, Italy | (aged 27)
Buried | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1940–1944 |
Rank | Wing Commander |
Service number | 68717 |
Unit | No. 33 Squadron RAF No. 145 Squadron RAF |
Battles / wars | World War II |
Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars |
Wing Commander Lance Cleo "Wildcat" Wade DSO, DFC & Two Bars (18 November 1916[1] – 12 January 1944) was an American pilot who joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War and became a flying ace. He remained with RAF until his death in a flying accident in 1944 in Italy. He was described as a "distinguished American fighter ace who epitomized perhaps more than any other American airman the wartime accords between Britain and the United States".[2]