Chris Dickon and "The Foreign Burial of American War Dead"

In November 2010 Wally Fydenchuk, Author and researcher for the Book “Immigrants of War” and author of www.immigrantsofwar.blogspot.com passed on to me information regarding a book which he had come across titled “The Foreign Burial of American War Dead” - By Chris Dickon. He had been in touch with both the Author and publishers “McFarland Publishing” to point out the numerous inaccuracies there were in this work, including a reference to my father suggesting he was an American – as the title of the book suggests.

In addition to this mistake, when I wrote to Mr. Dickon regarding this matter I pointed out that as my father was a Canadian, his name should not have appeared in his book at all. His first retort was to say that “Your father's mention in the book is only in the appendices” as detailed below:-

Appendix 13: Americans Buried or Memorialised in Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries Since World War II

These American-related casualties who fought with Commonwealth Forces in World War II are buried or memorialised in CWGC cemeteries in all parts of the world. The vast majority are American born, and a good number are American immigrants. Some were next of kin to American wives or parents, though not necessarily American citizens. This list is distilled, as given, from CWGC records. More complete information about origins, age, place and cause of death, related battle action, and next of kin can be found in the name search engine of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Website.

Gravesend Cemetery, Kent

Reilley, Hugh William, Pilot Officer.

As the reader can clearly see the heading again refers to “Americans”. Mr. Dickon admits that his source for the information which he used was taken from the “Commonwealth War Graves Commission Website” which again as I pointed out has since been updated after I complained about the reference to my Father being “born in Detroit, USA” and “one of the few Americans who took part in the Battle of Britain”. He agreed that the information had been updated. 

Mr. Dickon then goes on to try and justify his claim that my father was an American because his name appeared on an American 1920's Census Form (full of other inaccuracies) with his Nationality of Canadian crossed out and the words “Am Cit” written above with the suggestion that this is an “official document regarding his Nationality”. To also justify his statement he cited two US Acts relating to this subject (in my view these only substantiate my claim that my father never took up American Nationality as required by these Acts) :-

THE CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 1934 in the which the last paragraph reads

“In cases where one of the parents is an alien, the right of

citizenship shall not descend unless the child comes to the United States and resides therein for at least five years continuously immediately previous to his eighteenth birthday, and unless, within six months after the child's twenty-first birthday, he or she shall take an oath of allegiance to the United States of America as prescribed by the Bureau of Naturalization.(Section 1, 48 Stat. 797.)”

and

THE NATIONALITY ACT OF 1940 in which again the last paragraph reads

“....Provided further, That, if the child has not taken up a residence in the United States or its outlying possessions by the time he reaches the age of sixteen years, or if he resides abroad for such a time that it becomes impossible for him to complete the five years' residence in the United States or its outlying

possessions before reaching the age of twenty-one years, his American citizenship shall thereupon cease. (Section 201, 54

Stat. 1137)”

I am absolutely sure that my father made no such Oath of allegiance to the United Sates and I have challenged Mr. Dickon to produce the documentary proof, with no response.

To make matters worse Mr.Dickon did not contact me directly in his research and refuses point blank to make any amendments to his book or any future printings thereof even though I made a personal request for these amendments to be made on behalf of my family and and our name before making this Blog entry.

In an effort to try and get help from the Publishers, I contacted them directly:- The Publishers:- McFarland & Company, Inc.960 Nc Hwy 88 W Jefferson, NC 28640, United States. 

They have also refused to take any independent action in this case, other than referring the matter to the Author.

There is no doubt in my mind that this book is a very poor research tool for anyone interested in this subject and the Author deserves every criticism for writing it and his unwillingness to correct the many errors. In essence another example of "The lack of scholarship shown by many authors is appalling and represents a great disservice to the memory of a young Battle of Britain pilot."

C.H.A.Reilley