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The evening began with a formal event with speeches from Dr. Roy
Heidicker, 4th FW historian, and guest speaker, retired Lt. Col.
Charles Konsler, a WWII veteran and pilot of the 335th Fighter
Squadron. The informal part of the night ended with the burning of
seven donated pianos. Each piano was decorated by some of the
squadrons at Seymour Johnson AFB and judged by Col. Christopher
Sage, 4th FW commander, and Flt. Lt. Douglas McKay, Royal Air Force
exchange officer and pilot assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron.
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September 23, 2016 - Officers from various fighter squadrons lift a
piano into a burning pit at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North
Carolina. Pianos are burned every year in memory of the Battle of
Britain during World War II and those pilots who never came home.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Shawna L. Keyes)
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“The ethos and importance of this event is heavily
imbedded within the Royal Air Force,” said McKay. “We
celebrate the [Battle of Britain] with the wake, which is
the burning of the pianos, for all the dead fighter pilots
who don't come back.”
In May 1940, the Armed Forces
of Germany had annihilated the Armies of England and France
throughout the low-countries and France. Hitler's next
target was England and Reichmarshal Hermann Goering, head of
the German Luftwaffe, assured Hitler that he could defeat
the British Royal Air Force and leave England open to
conquest.
“In the [Battle of Britain], the Royal Air
Force against great odds stood up to the power of the German
Luftwaffe and brought them to a standstill,” said Heidicker.
Seven Americans flew for the RAF during this battle.
Three of them were the initial cadre of No. 71 (Eagle)
Squadron, Vernon Keough, Andy Mamedoff, and Eugene Tobin,
who went on to become the founding fathers of the 4th FW.
“Once a year we celebrate the Battle of Britain because of our
ties to the Royal Air Force,” said Heidicker. “As far as I know, we
are the only American wing that actually does that.”
According to Heidicker, one of the key components of the celebration
is the burning of the pianos, which he believes can be traced back
to one of two stories.
“The first is that during WWII there was this belief in England
that in order to be an officer you had to also be a gentleman,” said
Heidicker. “Well, what do gentlemen do? They play the piano. It was
insisted upon that British officers who were flying in the RAF take
piano lessons.”
Heidicker explained that during WWII, one of
the RAF bases was bombed by the Germans and the building where the
piano was kept, burned to the ground, taking the piano with it.
Whereupon, an RAF pilot told other squadrons that their piano had
been burned to the ground so he no longer had to take piano lessons.
This prompted other squadrons to drag their pianos out and burn them
so they too would not have to continue their piano lessons.
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Eugene “Red” Tobin (left), Vernon “Shorty” Keough and Andy
Mamedoff, volunteers with the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons,
fought in the Battle of Britain during World War II. Considered the
founding fathers of the 4th Fighter Wing, their efforts led to
establishment of the 334th, 335th, and 336th Fighter Squadrons which
still operate today. (Courtesy Photo)
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“The story that I believe is the actual origin of the
piano-burning tradition happened during WWII where there was
a pilot in one of the squadrons who just happened to be an
excellent piano player,” said Heidicker. “At the end of the
day when they licked their wounds and counted their losses,
they would sit around in the club and he would beautifully
play the piano. As fate would have it, one day this pilot
went out to fight Germans and never came back, he was killed
in action. That evening the officers and pilots sat around
feeling the sorrow of losing their comrade, but also no more
piano playing. They were moping around the piano when
finally the squadron commander just looked at the men,
looked at the piano and said, ‘Drag the damn thing outside
and burn it.' And that's what they did. To the best of my
knowledge that is the origin of the piano burning tradition
and that's why we celebrate the Battle of Britain here at
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.”
By U.S. Air Force Airman Shawna Keyes
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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