Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Lou Spence

Lou Spence

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/31 March 2021 by Wehwalt (talk) 22:41, 16 February 2021 (UTC)



Lou Spence (1917–1950) was a fighter pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II and the Korean War. In 1941 he was posted to North Africa with No. 3 Squadron, which operated P-40 Tomahawks and Kittyhawks; he was credited with shooting down two German aircraft and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). He commanded No. 452 Squadron in 1944, flying Supermarine Spitfires in defence of Australia's North-Western Area against the Japanese, and received a Mention in Despatches. In February 1950 he took command of No. 77 Squadron, operating P-51 Mustangs as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. He led his squadron in the opening months of the Korean War, and was awarded a bar to his DFC, as well as the US Legion of Merit and the US Air Medal, for his leadership. Spence was killed during a low-level mission over South Korea in September 1950.
 * Most recent similar article(s): March 2
 * Main editors: Ian Rose
 * Promoted: February 25, 2019
 * Reasons for nomination: March 31 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Australian Air Force
 * Support as nominator. Ian Rose (talk) 06:56, 13 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Support. I see no problem in a rather close "recent" in case of a centenary. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 08:16, 13 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Note -- Don't want to muddy the waters here but if the community prefers not to run two Australian military bios this close together, I've just realised that an alternative to Lou Spence is No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF. I knew this had already been TFA but I see now it was in January 2016, which just puts it outside the 5-year limit for running again.  An added bonus of 1FTS is that it was there at the formation of the RAAF in 1921 and, after disbanding in 1993, recently re-formed in 2019. Whichever works... Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 08:49, 13 February 2021 (UTC)