Education
Mamedoff attended Bryant College in the early 1930s.
Mamedoff attended Bryant College in the early 1930s.
He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with Royal Air Force Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939-1945 campaign star. Born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s. Interestingly, it is believed that he was Jewish of Russian heritage.
He had learned to fly in the United States of America and even had his own plane with which he performed at airshows.
He was attempting to set up charter services in Miami immediately prior to the war. Mamedoff initially came to Europe to fight on the side of Finland against the Soviet Union, but hostilities had ceased before he arrived.
In 1941 Mamedoff married an English woman, Alys Laird "Penny" Mamedoff (née Craven) at Epping. He became the first of the Americans to take a war bride during World World War World War II
After converting to the Spitfire, Mamedoff was posted to Royal Air Force Middle Wallop and joined Number.
609 Squadron on 8 August 1940.
71 "Eagle" Squadron along with Art Donahue, Eugene Tobin and Vernon Keogh. He was posted to Royal Air Force Duxford in August 1941 to another "Eagle Squadron", Number. 133 Squadron as a Flight Commander.
Death
On 8 October 1941, Mamedoff was flying with 133 Squadron on a standard transit flight from Fowlmere Airfield to Royal Air Force Eglinton in Northern Ireland in his Hurricane Z3781.
The wreckage of his plane was found near Maughold on the Isle of Manitoba and it is thought that he crashed due to poor weather conditions. His body was later recovered for burial at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.
He was posted to Royal Air Force Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire on 18 September 1940 and was a founding member of the Number.