Willard Cromwell was a witty and linguistically gifted retired RFC fighter pilot who joined Indiana Jones on his adventures in 1930. Cromwell was quite protective of Jones and was known to be heavily armed. He was a master aviator and had been a captain of a squadron in the Royal Flying Corps before being injured. He was then put on a flying boat and became a succesful mechanic. He was also trained in hand to hand combat by Turkish wrestlers who soaked his skin in brine to make it more durable.