Matthew 'Matt' Clancy was born in New Orleans in 1897. His mother was a seamstress and his father a stevedore at the Port of New Orleans. He grew up speaking Creole. In 1903 his family moved to New York and his father took up a job in the docks there. They lived in Harlem, a 2 or 3 mile walk to the docks for work. By the time he was 14 he had joined his father on the docks and was helping load and unload the big freighters that came in daily.

In 1917 the USA declared war on Germany. Matt enlisted right away, joining the 369th Infantry Regiment. Known by the Germans as the Hell-fighters. The regiment was despatched to Europe to fight on the front there. Due to racial hatred on the part of other American units, who refused to fight with African-Americans, the 369th were assigned to the French amry where they were welcomed with open arms. During his time with the French Matt first encountered aircraft. He was bewitched by the machines from the time he first saw one fly and wanted nothing more to be a pilot. He approached his commanders who laughed at him and told him he was ridiculous. The French on the other hand were much more obliging and sent him to be trained as a pilot.

Once he was trained he was promoted to Lieutenant (only an Officer can fly) and despatched to join the French forces in the Palestine campaign. On arriving there he became the pilot of a Caproni Ca.3, flying many sorties against the German forces. After the Palestine campaign ended he returned to France but continued as a bomber pilot, raiding deep behind German lines bombing troops and supply lines.

After the war Matt went back to the US but could not settle into work as a stevedore. He drifted westwards and found himself joining a troupe of Barnstormers flying crazy stunts to entertain the public. During this time he was approached by a man offering a more lucrative way to ear a living. Flying cargo around various parts of Africa and Europe. Sometimes the cargo was illegal, sometimes not but the journeys were always fraught with danger. It was on one of these trips while in Palestine he met Andrew ‘Chalky’ White. Having just lost his gunner he was in dire need of a new one, Chalky seemed like just the guy and he set about teaching him how to be an air-gunner.

Recently the cargo business seems to have dried up a bit and he now finds himself in Cairo at a loose end looking for work.