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Saga of Billy Fiske: Part one

Air Classics, Dec 2003 by Holmes, Tony

THE STORY OF A FAMOUS AMERICAN WHO WENT TO BRITAIN TO FIGHT THE NAZIS IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. BILLY FISKE'S INCREDIBLE LIFE WILL SOON be THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

Although Billy Fiske may not have shot down as many enemy aircraft as the legendary American aces Gabby Gabreski or George Preddy, or led fighter groups into combat over Germany like Don Blakeslee or Hub Zemke, his contribution to the Allied victory in Europe during World War Two is still noteworthy. After all, he was the first American airman to make the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle of Britain.

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His modest contribution to RAF Fighter Command's victory in the summer of 1940 is well-known to those enthusiasts and historians who have researched the history of this pivotal campaign. The story of Fiske's brief life will also soon be familiar to tens of millions of filmgoers the world over following the recent announcement that Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and legendary director Michael Mann are to collaborate on a film chronicling his exploits. Titled The Few, and based on a manuscript by Alex Kershaw, the motion picture is set for release in 2005, and will star Tom Cruise in the lead role of William Meade Lindsley Fiske III.

Known for his portrayal of fictional all-action heroes in such films as Mission Impossible I/II and Minority Report, Cruise has in Billy Fiske a real-life hero whose exploits would prove a match for even the best Tinseltown scriptwriter. A wealthy banker, dual Olympic gold medallist, Hollywood film producer and fighter pilot all by the age of 29, the handsome Fiske enjoyed a breathtaking lifestyle that is eminently suited to portrayal on the silver screen.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on 4 june 1911 tu successful investment banker William Fiske and his wife Beulah, Billy would enjoy a moneyed upbringing that saw him schooled by private tutors both in America and France, before entering Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1928 - where, he read economics and history. Cambridge was an appropriate destination for the young Fiske, as his ancestors had migrated to America from Suffolk in the 17th century. Having enjoyed many European winters, Fiske developed a passion for bobsledding - then still a relatively unknown sport in the USA. Indeed, he became so proficient that in 1928, aged just 16, he was selected to drive one of two sleds entered by the US team in the Winter Olympics, held that year in the Swiss city of St. Moritz.

A colorful character, Fiske's unusual approach to team wear was eloquently described by Bud Greenspan in his article "He Was Absolutely Fearless" published in Parade Magazine on 12 August 1990: "Always a flamboyant young man, Billy named his sled Satan and outfitted his teammates with yellow turtleneck sweaters. A few days before the competition was to begin, Fiske added another flourish. Each of the five members appeared at a practice session with a single letter sewn to the back of his sweater, spelling out the name SATAN. This was too much for US Olympic officials. After threats of barring the team, Billy agreed tu wear the official American Olympic uniform, and to re-christen his sled USA II.

"His victory in St. Moritz was the beginning of Billy's firsts. Today, after more than six decades, he remains the youngest man to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Four years later, 20-year-old Billy was given the honor of carrying the American flag in the opening-day ceremonies of the 1932 Lake Placid Games. Then he went on to win his second gold medal."

The speed rush associated with bob-sledding suited the future pilot well. A member of his 1920 medal-winning team was 1920 Olympic light-heavyweight boxing champion, and Yale and Oxford graduate, Eddie Egan, who recalled his first practice run with Fiske to New York Hcyaid Tn'bime reporter W.O. McGeehan: "The first ride will always be vivid in my memory. In a car, in the cab of a railroad engine or in a plane, speed has never frightened me. But it did on that bobsled. It took only about two minutes to make that run, but to me it seemed like an eon. I remember the snow-covered ground flashing by like a motion picture out of focus. Speeding only a few inches from the ground without any sense of security, I hung on to the straps. My hands seemed to be slipping, but still I clung. We hit a turn. My head snapped backward. We went through a zig-zag. I was dizzy as my head snapped first to the right, then to the left. Finally, the sled neared the bottom."

Following his success at Lake Placid, Fiske spent 1933 dabbling in motion pictures in California and Hawaii, coproducing White Heat with Whitney De Rhan. The film starred Virginia Cherill, who had heen Charlie Chaplin's leading lady in the 1931 motion picture City Lights. Cherill was engaged to future husband Gary Grant at the time, and the latter was reportedly concerned about a possible affair between his future wife and the dashing Fiske! White Heat opened to mixed reviews in june 1934, and although he is rumored to have been involved with other film projects involving William "Hopaiong Cassidy" Boyd, Fiske was never officially involved in further filmic ventures.

Saga of Billy Fiske: Part one

Air Classics, Dec 2003 by Holmes, Tony

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