John Kenneth Haviland (1921 - 2002)

Born 19 Jan 1921 in Mount Kisco, Westchester, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 2002 at age 81 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

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Biography

John Haviland is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Air Force 1939-1945 during the Second World War.

John Haviland was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom).

John Haviland was awarded the 1939-1945 Star.

Dr. John Kenneth Haviland was born in 1921. He was the son of John Haviland and Phyllis Olive Aldridge (1900–1971). He passed away in 2002.

During World War II Flight Lieutenant John Kenneth Haviland was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) during the Battle of Britain. He was one of nine American pilots (sometimes shown as eleven) who flew with R.A.F. Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940. His participation in the Battle of Britain is not disputed.

He was educated in England from the age of five and was educated at the University of Nottingham and the University of London. He joined the Royal Air Force Reserve in July 1939 and was called up for war service in September of the same year. Has posted to R.A.F. Digby to join No. 151 Squadron flying Hurricanes on 23 September 1940. He was involved in a mid-air collision on 24 September during formation flying practice and would see no further significant action in the Battle of Britain and served with No. 152 Squadron during that period. Haviland served throughout the war, doing tours as an instructor, intruder operations and bomber support. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 16 February 1945, by when he was a flight lieutenant flying with No. 141 Squadron. I appears that he did not integrate as a pilot with the USAAS or USAAF upon America's entry into the conflict, which may have something to do with his mother's British citizenship.

After the war he moved to Canada before obtaining a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and becoming a professor in engineering in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Virginia, specializing in aerospace projects.

Sources

• Wikipedia Page [1]
• Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 via Ancestry.com [2]