Squadron 201: the history of the aviators unit of Mexico that fought in World War II

@DefAviation ES 12·17·2022 · 21:46 0

During World War II there were only two Ibero-American countries that sent military forces to fight against the Axis: Brazil and Mexico.

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In the North American country a Mexican Expeditionary Air Force (FAEM) was formed, made up of Squadron 201, divided into four Squads (A, B, C and D). The Mexican aviators were trained in the United States and sent to fight in another country of Hispanic descent: the Philippines, taking part in the liberation of the island of Luzon. 201 Squadron consisted of 30 pilots and 300 ground crew members. Of those 30 pilots, three were killed in combat and another three were killed in accidents.

201 Squadron was equipped with 25 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. The FAEM was embedded in the 58th Fighter Group of the 5th Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), so its planes wore the regulatory American insignia, but they wore the colors of the Mexican flag on the tail rudder, in addition to the triangular insignia of the Mexican Air Force on the starboard wing and under the port wing.

This unit of Mexican airmen carried out 95 combat missions in the Philippines and earned the respect of their American allies for the audacity of their pilots, especially in dive bombing raids. Today, the 201 Squadron has a monument in his honor in Manila, which was designed by one of its pilots, Miguel Moreno Arreola, and elaborated by the Filipino sculptor Guillermo Tolentino. The monument was inaugurated before the Mexican airmen returned to their homeland, and symbolizes the gratitude of the Filipino people, displaying the names of the fallen Mexican pilots. It is also a sign of the good relationship that the Mexican military maintained with the local population.

The channel Tropa Guripa, which always has very interesting and well-documented content on history military, has just published an excellent video about the history of Squadron 201 (the video is in Spanish but has English subtitles, you can activate them in the bottom bar of the player):

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Main image: México Aeroespacial y Defensa.