The following article is one of the seventy-five selected stories from Tom Walsh’s new 480-page hardcover book entitled “American RCAF Warriors.” The book highlights the contributions of over 8,864 Americans who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during World War II. These individuals joined the RCAF because they were ineligible for American military pilot training programs because of age, education, or marital status. Currently, the book is not available in paperback or e-book formats, and direct sales are not being handled by the author. Instead, interested readers can order the book through the website americanrcafwarriors.com, which directs them to the publisher. Key Books has switched its North American distribution from Casement to Gardner Books. Additionally, a second volume with new profiles is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026. As more American and Canadian booksellers and outlets stock the book, updates will be provided through the author’s site. For more information and to order the book, visit americanrcafwarriors.com.
Salvatore Bassi “Budd” Walcott was a fascinating figure whose wartime service became the subject of both desertion and defection accusations. However, a thorough review of his Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) records reveals no official proceedings to support these claims. Born in New York City on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1919, Walcott was the son of John Walcott and Alma Roberts. Tragedy struck early when his mother passed away while he was still an infant. His father, an ironworker, left him in the care of his grandmother, Alma Bassi, in Providence, Rhode Island. He received his education in Lenox, Massachusetts, attending the Center Elementary School and later Lenox Memorial High School from 1925 to 1938.
After finishing school, Walcott briefly pursued a career as a magician, performing in nightclubs. When work dried up in late 1939, he found employment as a drug store soda manager in Providence and New York City. Despite financial limitations, he managed to take flying lessons and accumulated 12 hours of flight time—eight hours dual and four solo—before voluntarily enlisting in the RCAF on December 6, 1940, at No. 12 RC in Ottawa, Ontario. At 20 years old, standing six feet one inch tall and weighing 156 pounds, Walcott made a strong impression on his recruiting officer, who described him as intelligent, calm, and eager to fly. Assigned the service number R.79006, he underwent basic training in Toronto before serving on guard duty at No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School in Jarvis, Ontario. His training continued at various institutions, where he was noted for his intelligence and enthusiasm. Although he struggled with navigation and was not particularly keen on aerobatics, instructors recognized his ambition and potential as a fighter pilot.
Walcott completed his training in September 1941 at No. 14 Service Flying Training School in Aylmer, Ontario, logging 111 flight hours on Harvard Mk II aircraft. He shipped out to England in November and was stationed at RAF No. 59 Operational Training Unit in Cumbria, flying early-model Hawker Hurricanes. By early 1942, he joined RAF No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, which operated Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc fighters in Scotland. In the spring of 1942, Walcott became part of Operation Calendar, a mission to reinforce Malta with badly needed Spitfires. On April 13, he and his fellow pilots gathered in Glasgow as their aircraft were loaded onto the USS Wasp (CV-7), an American aircraft carrier enlisted for the mission at the request of Winston Churchill. Departing on April 14, the carrier group, accompanied by British and American naval vessels, launched 47 Spitfires north of Algiers on April 20. Each aircraft carried a 90-gallon belly tank for the 580-mile flight to Malta.
As the Spitfires arrived on the island, they were met with fierce Axis air attacks, which decimated the reinforcements. Of the 47 aircraft launched, 46 reached Malta safely. The only aircraft missing was BP958, piloted by Salvator Walcott. Walcott later recounted that he had suffered engine trouble and fell behind the formation. Unable to communicate due to strict radio silence, he descended to sea level near the African coast and overflew a small boat. Immediately after passing, his engine began pouring black smoke, and the temperatures fluctuated before the Merlin engine seized completely. He crashed near Sétif, Algeria, and lost consciousness for approximately 30 minutes. Upon waking, he was taken into custody by French authorities, who questioned him about his identity and mission.
Claiming to be an American ferry pilot, Walcott avoided revealing his true assignment. However, suspicions arose when bullet holes were found in his aircraft. He was subsequently interned at the Laghouat Prisoner of War Camp. In July, he attempted an escape but was captured and placed in solitary confinement for 16 days. Another escape attempt in October ended tragically when a fellow prisoner was shot. Following the Allied landings in North Africa during Operation Torch in November 1942, Walcott and other prisoners were freed and transported to the United Kingdom. Despite the accusations that would later arise, official interviews conducted by RAF and RCAF officials found no evidence of misconduct. His training records from Canada had noted his weakness in navigation, which likely contributed to his misadventure.
Deciding to continue his service under the flag of his birth, Walcott transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces, which offered him a commission and better benefits. He was honorably discharged from the RCAF on December 8, 1942, and soon after was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps under service number O-885686. Assigned to the 346th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, he was sent to North Africa to fly Bell P-39N-1 Airacobras. Between February and December 1943, he completed numerous missions and earned a reputation as a capable and daring pilot. His fellow aviators, including Captain Hugh D. Dow, noted that Walcott’s brush with disaster the previous year seemed to make him more responsible in the cockpit.
In early 1944, Walcott fell ill and was sent back to the United States for treatment. Later that year, he married Virginia Tillotson, a member of a prominent Lenox, Massachusetts, family. Remaining in the U.S. Army Air Forces and later the U.S. Air Force, he rose to the rank of captain by 1946 and transitioned to flying helicopters. Tragically, Major Salvatore Bassi Walcott’s life was cut short on July 5, 1962, when he perished in a helicopter crash. He was laid to rest in Grave 1, Lot 50, Plot D, at the Church on the Hill Cemetery in Lenox, Massachusetts. For more information and to order the book, visit americanrcafwarriors.com
