Major Hubert 'Nick' Knilans
After growing up on a farm in Wisconsin, Hubert 'Nick' Knilans was drafted into the United States Army in 1941, although he obtained a deferral to help with the harvest. Life in the infantry was unappealing, but Knilans lacked the college education needed for pilot training in the US Army. Instead, in October, 1941, he crossed the border into Canada, and enlisted in the RCAF.
After initial flying training in Canada, Knilans was sent to the UK to carry out multi-engine training. In 1943 he was posted to No.619 Squadron, at RAF Woodhall Spa, as a pilot flying Avro Lancasters. After two trips as a second pilot, he commanded his first operation on the night of 24/25 July, 1943, in the opening operation of the Battle of Hamburg.
In November, 1943, Knilans was transferred to the USAAF, as a 1st Lieutenant. He was immediately detached to return to No.619 Squadron to carry on with his tour, arriving in time to join the Battle of Berlin. Back at Woodhall Spa he discovered that his USAAF 1st Lieutenant's pay was roughly the same as the RAF Group Captain who commanded the station.
In December, 1943, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. By the end of the war he had also received a bar to his DSO, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, two American Distinguished Flying Crosses and five American Air Medals. However:
[The DSO] was the only one I wore while on duty. I was entitled to Canadian, British and American medal ribbons but did not wear them. I thought it would antagonize others on the same squadron, or confirm their prejudice about bragging Yanks. That was another reason that I did not want a scantily clad girl or a humorous name painted on the aircraft assigned to me. This flying into combat night after night, to me, was not very funny. It was a cold-blooded battle to kill or be killed.
In February, 1944, Knilans transferred to No.617 Squadron, who had just arrived at Woodhall Spa. They already contained Flt Lt Joe McCarthy, another American who had crossed to Canada to enlist in the RCAF. In May, 1943, he had led the element of the squadron tasked with breaching the Sorpe Dam, receiving the DSO for his actions.
With No.617 Squadron Knilans conducted pathfinding and pin-point bombing operations over occupied Europe. In April he completed his first tour of operations, but, with the agreement of his crew, they launched straight into their second tour with the same squadron.
