IIRC, quite a few Americans went to Spain in the late 1930s to fight
fascism. (Ironically, one WAS a "Jordan"-- the fictitious Robert
Jordan in_For Whom the Bell Tolls_.) ((:-))

Were they considered to be "illegal combatants"?

The Spanish Republicans formed a Spanish military unit called the Republican's
International Brigade. This brigade was made up Americans, French, British and
even Soviets (although the Russians sent entire military units, like Germany to
participate). They wore Spanish uniforms and were formally indoctrinated into
the Spanish military. This made them legal combatants.

How about the Americans who flew for the RAF before December 7, 1941?

The Yanks in the RAF were legal combatants in the same way the Spanish
volunteers were. They wore RAF uniforms and were indoctrinated into the British
military. The only unlawful combatants from the U.S. I know of were the Flying
Tigers (American Volunteer Group). These pilots and ground crew were
mercenaries, who were not inducted into the Chinese military or even wore any
distinctive military uniform. They entered China posing as tourists with
passports listing their profession as teachers. They did not serve under a
Chinese officer, their chain of command ended with Clair Chennault whose only
ties to the Chinese military was a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-Shek
and his wife who was Chief of the Chinese Air Force (or what was left of it by
1940). Not that any of this mattered as the Japanese disregarded nearly every
article in the Geneva Accords and these guys were unlikely to be treated within
the protocals even if they were legal combatants.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"