Yankee Squadron

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Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940) in 1930

The Yankee Squadron was a group of American pilots who flew military aircraft for the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.

In 1936 agents of the Spanish Loyalists began a campaign to hire American pilots to fight in the Spanish Civil War. By December 21, 1936 six U.S fliers were on the ocean liner Normandie, headed for Spain, to join Bert Acosta. They were to be paid $1,500 a month, plus $1,000 for each "White" plane brought down. The "Yankee Squadron" abandoned plans for a Christmas party with their wives at Biarritz, in France, and instead planned to raid Burgos, Franco's headquarters, dropping incendiary bombs that they described as "Messages of Christmas Cheer for the boys in Burgos."

Members of the squadron included:

Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (1895-1954), co-pilot on America, the third plane to fly the Atlantic (1927).
Eddie August Schneider (1911-1940)
Thomas George Lanphier, Sr., it is disputed whether Lanphier actually went to Spain or not.
Frederic Ives Lord (1897-1967), ^[1] a.k.a. Frank I. Frederick Lord ^[2]
Gordon K. Berry, aka George F. Berry ^[3]
Eddie Semons, aka Edwin Semons, he recruited pilots. ^[1]

Eddie August Schneider explained his motives in flying for the Republic on January 20, 1937:

I was broke, hungry, jobless ... yet despite the fact that all three of us are old-time aviators who did our part for the development of the industry, we were left out in the cold in the Administration’s program of job making. Can you blame us for accepting the lucrative Spanish offer?

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Brian Bridgeman; The Flyers: The Untold Story of British and Commonwealth Airmen in the Spanish Civil War; ISBN 1854210548
^ Lincoln Brigade archives
^ Lincoln Brigade archives

Time (magazine); December 21, 1936; Hilariously celebrating in the ship's bar of the Normandie with their first advance pay checks from Spain's Radical Government, six able U.S. aviators were en route last week for Madrid to join Bert Acosta, pilot of Admiral Byrd's transatlantic flight, in doing battle against Generalissimo Francisco Franco's White planes. Payment for their services: $1,500 a month plus $1,000 for each White plane brought down.
The Washington Post, December 25, 1936; Bert Acosta's Flyers Ravage Rebels' Base. The "Yankee Squadron." most daring of the aviators fighting with the Spanish loyalists, swept over the rebel capital of Burgos tonight on a Christmas Eve errand of death.
Time (magazine); January 4, 1937; On Christmas Eve the "Yankee Squadron" of famed U. S. aviators headed by Bert Acosta, pilot of Admiral Byrd's transatlantic flight, at the last minute abandoned plans for a whoopee party with their wives at Biarritz, swank French resort across the Spanish frontier. They decided that they would rather raid Burgos, Generalissimo Franco's headquarters. The hundreds of incendiary bombs that they dropped on White hangars and munition dumps they jokingly described as "Messages of Christmas Cheer for the boys in Burgos."
Oshkosh Northwestern; Oshkosh, Wisconsin; January 6, 1937; "American aviators through with Spain" via AP
The Washington Post, January 07, 1937, page 5, "Yankee Fliers Quit"
New York Times, New York, NY, January 16, 1937, "Flyer says lawyer sent him to Spain"
The Washington Post, January 16, 1937, page 7, "Aviator Says N.Y. Attorney Is Leftist Agent" via AP
The Washington Post, January 17, 1937, page 5, "U.S. Socialists Sift Volunteers To Fight Rebels" via AP
The Washington Post, January 20, 1937, page 5, "3 U.S. Airmen Here to Explain Aid to Loyalists; Acosta, Berry, Schneider Fly to Capital With Their Attorney"
New York Times, February 6, 1937, page 4, "Lanphier was not in Spain. Major did not fly for loyalist forces as reported. In the late editions of The New York Times of January 16, 1937, and in the early editions of January 17, 1937 there appeared an item concerning the return of Eddie Schneider, aviator, from serving a month in the so-called Yankee Squadron with the Spanish Loyalists and Schneider's appearance at the Federal Building, where he was questioned by John F. Dailey Jr., Chief Assistant United States ..."