Eugene Quimby Tobin
Eugene Tobin (left) withAndrew Mamedoff (right) andVernon Keough, Church Fenton, Yorkshire, October 1940
Nickname	Red
Born	(1917-01-04)4 January 1917 Salt Lake City,Utah, U.S.
Died	7 September 1941(1941-09-07) (aged 24) nearBoulogne-sur-Mer,German-occupied France
Place of burial	Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France
Allegiance	France United Kingdom
Branch	France  Royal Air Force
Service years	1940–1941
Rank	Flying Officer
Service number	81622
Unit	No. 609 Squadron RAF No. 71 Squadron RAF
Conflicts	World War II European air campaign  † Battle of Britain

Flying OfficerEugene Quimby "Red" Tobin (4 January 1917 – 7 September 1941) was an American pilot who flew with theRoyal Air Force during theBattle of Britain inWorld War II. He was one of 11 American^[1] pilots who flew with RAFFighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britainclasp to the1939–45 campaign star.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but raised from early childhood inLos Angeles,California, the son of Ignatius Quimby Tobin and Mary Alicia Tobin (née O'Fallon). Tobin initially came to Europe to fight on the side of Finland against the Soviet Union's invasion of that country, but hostilities had ceased before he arrived.^[2] He was already a qualified pilot, having learned to fly in the 1930s.

Tobin andAndrew Mamedoff had been flying friends atMines Field in California before the war.^[3]

Tobin and his friends and fellow AmericansAndrew Mamedoff andVernon Keogh were among 32 pilots recruited by American soldier of fortuneCharles Sweeny to join theFrench Air Force.^[4] However, by the time they reached France,Germany had already invaded the country. The trio made their way to England and joined theRoyal Air Force in 1940. (Of the rest of Sweeny's recruits, four were killed, 11 were taken prisoner, and two others reached England.^[5])

On 8 August 1940 Tobin was posted toNo. 609 Squadron RAF atMiddle Wallop airfield. He flew his first mission on 16 August 1940. He flew many missions during the height of theBattle of Britain in August and September. He was credited with two shared kills – aBf 110 on 25 August and aDo 17 on 15 September.

He was posted toRAF Kirton in Lindsey inLincolnshire on 18 September 1940 and was a founding member of theNo. 71 'Eagle' Squadron along withArt Donahue, Andrew Mamedoff and Vernon Keogh.^[6]

After arriving in Britain Tobin had been diagnosed withlupus which at the time was a fatal disease, but kept his illness a secret so he could continue to fly for the RAF.

On 7 September 1941, Tobin was killed in combat withBf 109s ofJG 26 on 71 Squadron's first sweep over northern France, one of threeSpitfires shot down.^[7] He crashed into a hillside nearBoulogne-sur-Mer and was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. He was 24 years old.

• Eagle Squadrons
• List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain
• Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain § United States

• Klaus Ulrich Spiegel: "Quel canto mi conquide" - Stuttgart Spinto in his Era - HAfG Disc Edition - Hamburger Archiv

• 1917 births
• 1941 deaths
• American expatriates in France
• American Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
• American military personnel killed in World War II
• Aviators killed by being shot down
• Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II
• French Air Force personnel of World War II
• French military personnel killed in World War II
• Military personnel from Los Angeles
• The Few
• People with lupus
• North American expatriate military officers

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