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Why did William Faulkner join the Royal Air Force in 1918?
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William Faulkner
American novelist William Faulkner.
In July 1918, William Faulkner joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a cadet pilot, driven by two primary motivations: a desire for martial glory and personal despair following a broken love affair.1
He underwent training in Canada, but the November 1918 armistice of World War I occurred before he could complete his ground school training, meaning he never flew or reached Europe during the conflict.1