164 British/Argentine Squadron "Firmes Volamos"
When World War 2 broke out in Europe, more than 800 young men and women from neutral Argentina, some of them schoolboys, rushed to sign up as volunteers and then made the long, dangerous trip to Europe by boat. Some of them were native Argentines while others descended from British who helped develop the country’s railways, mines and farms and later established.
Some 400 of the volunteers were accepted as pilots while the others served as gunners, bomb aimers and wireless operators. The RAF created a special squadron, the 164. The motto of the Squadron was “Firmes volamos” (Determined We Fly) and its insignia was a British lion in front of a rising sun representing Argentina. The 164 saw action first over the English Channel and then over Europe. Around 150 men were killed and many taken prisoners.
These men stories remained untold for a number of reasons, but partly because the pilots scattered, some staying in Europe, some going home and others emigrating. This is a little project to help keep the memory of these courageous people living forever, and preserve the record of service and the achievements of the 164.