[Gregory A. Daymond oral history interview]

Fighter ace Gregory A. “Gus” Daymond is interviewed by Eugene A. Valencia about his military service with the Royal Air Force during World War II. Daymond describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot and his time in England with No. 71 Squadron, one of the RAF Eagle Squadrons made up of American volunteers. Topics discussed include Daymond’s early interest in aviation and experiences as a young pilot; his motivations for joining the RAF as an American volunteer; and his combat missions over England and mainland Europe.

Gregory A. Daymond was born on November 14, 1920 in Great Falls, Montana. After touring Europe in 1938 and seeing the impact of Nazism firsthand, he decided to join the Royal Air Force as an American volunteer pilot. He flew with No. 71 Squadron (Eagle Squadron) and became its commander in 1942. Daymond later flew with the 334th Fighter Squadron after the Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, Daymond pursued a career in the aerospace and engineering industries and worked for Interstate Electronics Corporation from 1957 until his retirement in 1987. He passed away in 1996.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.