(Author’s note: I’m a PA-born historian whose an academic in the UK. I’ve written the article below about a Bethlehem man whose grave I visited recently.)

I was born in Pennsylvania, but now live in Carlisle, England, and it’s not every day I meet other Pennsylvanians. It’s always notable when I do, though, and this month, I wanted to reflect on a Pennsylvanian I came across in Carlisle Cemetery the other day. His name was James Bartholomew Spangler.

Spangler came from Bethlehem. He was born there in 1913. He died over here in England, though, on June 25, 1941, while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He held the rank of sergeant pilot and died on a training exercise around Kershopefoot, near the Scottish border. He was survived by his parents, Adam and Pearl, his wife, Mildred, and his two-year-old daughter, Patricia Louise.

The United States hadn’t officially entered the Second World War at that point. It wouldn’t do so until December. Tensions were on the rise, though. Just that spring President Franklin Roosevelt had declared a state of unlimited national emergency. He’d warned that supporting the fight against Nazi Germany was pivotal in preserving the safety and liberty of the United States.

By that time, thousands of Americans were already serving with the Canadian armed forces. Canada had followed Britain into the war in the autumn of 1939, and many in the United States were inspired to join their northern neighbors.

Some felt compelled by principles or family ties. Others were seized by a sense of adventure. Several, like Spangler, were roused to enlist during the Battle of Britain during the summer and autumn of 1940.

In all, by the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, it’s reckoned that more than 6,000 Americans were serving in the RCAF.

Spangler had lived in Bethlehem his whole life. He was his parents’ only son, and he seems to have had a reasonably comfortable start in the world. He was certainly remembered as a good student at Bethlehem High School, though he left without completing his degree.

The school’s superintendent explained that Spangler’s ‘conduct was exemplary’ and that he’d left ‘school voluntarily’ in 1930 ‘to seek employment.’ That wasn’t uncommon at the time. The United States was in the grips of the Great Depression.

Spangler found a job with Bethlehem Steel, where his father worked. Having studied electrical engineering at school, Spangler was hired by the company as an electrician. In 1939, he also started his own radio service business.

But if electrical and radio work was Spangler’s job, aviation was evidently his passion. He was said to have had ‘a fondness of flying.’ By the time he enlisted in the RCAF in August 1940, he reported having logged over 62 hours of solo time in the air.

Interestingly, Spangler’s recruitment papers also show that he lied about his wife and daughter. He gave his status as ‘single’ and claimed to have no children. I can’t fully account for that decision. The Canadian government had directed recruiters in 1939 to favor unmarried men. So, it’s possible Spangler assumed he stood a better chance if he claimed to be a bachelor.

RCAF’s sources confirm that, ‘after completing his flying course,’ Spangler was sent to Britain in May 1941. He wasn’t the only American in his group. He was joined by Harry Garvin from New York City, Edwin Davis from East Orange, N.J., and James Walker from Corpus Christi, Texas. There were a few Australians and New Zealanders with them as well as, of course, several Canadian servicemen.

Spangler turned 28 just a few days after he arrived in England. He was assigned to No 59 Operational Training Unit, which was then stationed at RAF Crosby-on-Eden, near Carlisle. Today, the site is home to Carlisle Lake District Airport as well as the Solway Aviation Museum, which is a great place to learn more about this extraordinary period of history.

During his time at Crosby-on-Eden, Spangler wrote home to reassure his family that he was well. He explained that he had ‘not yet seen any bombings or other actual warfare,’ save for blackouts, ‘which were quite hard to become accustomed to.’

He also mentioned having ‘met the queen.’ It is not clear on which occasion that was, though. Queen Elizabeth (the mother of Queen Elizabeth II) made several visits to RAF stations that year.

Spangler was assigned to No 59 OTU to complete additional flying time before being placed in the combat division. The unit’s purpose was to produce fighter pilots, but sadly Spangler didn’t survive his training. He crashed into trees near Kershopefoot June 25. The RCAF records explain that he had been ‘engaged in unauthorized low flying’ in his Hawker Hurricane.

Was Spangler being reckless? Had he made a fatal error of judgment? Or was he having trouble controlling his aircraft?

The records do not reveal. The official report simply states he ‘flew into trees at Kershopefoot’ and that this occurred ‘during a training flight.’

As far as I can tell, Spangler was one of the first soldiers from Bethlehem killed in World War II. He must have been among the earliest casualties from Pennsylvania as a whole. By the same stroke, though, he was also one of the more than 700 Americans who died in training or combat with the RCAF during World War II. He may not have seen ‘actual warfare,’ as he put it, but he answered what he believed was duty’s call and gave his full measure in the fight against fascism and tyranny.

Spangler’s body was not returned to Pennsylvania. Instead, he was buried at Carlisle Cemetery. He lies there today alongside over 270 Commonwealth servicemen and women from both world wars, as well as members of the Polish, German and Italian forces. It and local cemeteries around the world are spots well worth visiting this month as we commemorate the end of World War II in Europe.