I never cease to be fascinated reading about the true story of the Battle of Britain, rather than the Potted version trotted out by so many videos, general background books and well meaning authors. Better still is to meet a pilot, one of those rare men surviving today that we refer to, with honour, as The Few. To hear their stories, related first hand, of long ago events, of friends who passed from their midst during wartime, or in the years since, is to be transported into a wonderful World of living history, and to hear it, as it really happened. I prefer learning of the reality of what actually happened, as related so well in narratives written by these men;In website pages like those of John Gardener for his remembrance of long ago friends of 253 Hurricane Squadron, or Tim Elkington of how it was in 1940, in surviving nearly being killed by the top ranking German ace;Helmut Wick, when he shot Tim down in his 1 Squadron Hurricane. On this Battle of Britain Day, which is commemorated properly this Sunday in various events, and also at Capel-le-Ferne in a memorial Ceremony today in remembrance, I feel it proper to remember the survivors of The Few, not only those who fell;(Around 544 of these men, or the 700 plus others who fell later in the war from the ranks of The Few, or indeed those who passed post war including more recent pilots) but to record the names, as shown in a list shown below (Details believed to be correct at time of posting, ranks are those at the time and no awards are shown): Rank (as in 1940), Name and Squadron or unit served with (10th July to October 31st 1940.) The last of The Few 2014; (SGT) L H Bartlett 17 Hurricane Sqn (P/O) P H Beake 64 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) B W Brown 610/72 Spitfire Squadrons (SGT) O V Burns 235 Blenheim Sqn (SGT) W T Clark 219 Blenheim Sqn (SGT) M E Croskell 213 Hurricane Sqn (P/O) N G Drever 610 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) J F D Elkington 1 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) P C Farnes 501 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) H L Flower 248 Blenheim Sqn. (P/O) C G Frizell 257 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) W J Green 501 Hurricane Sqn (P/O) J P B Greenwood 253 Hurricane Sqn (P/O) P R Hairs 501 Hurricane Sqn (F/O) J S Hart 54/602 Spitfire Squadrons. (F/0) John A Hemingway 85 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) G A Hewett 607 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) W R K Hughes 23 Blenheim Sqn (F/O) T M Kane 234 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) K A Lawrence 234/603/421 Spitfire Squadrons (P/O) R MacKay 234 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) A McInnes 601/238 Hurricane Squadrons R E G Morewood 248 Blenheim Sqn (P/O) M H Mounsdon 56 Hurricane Sqn (P/O) T F Neil 249 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) D B F Nicholls 85/242/151 Hurricane Squadrons (SGT) R C Nutter 257 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) A J M Peace 74/616 Spitfire Squadrons (SGT) T G Pickering 32/501 Hurricane Squadrons (SGT) D N Robinson 152 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) S N Rose 602 Spitfire Sqn (AC2) L Smith 219 Blenheim Sqn (SGT) R H Smyth 25/111/249 Blenheim and Hurricane Squadrons (SGT) R G B Summers 219 Blenheim Sqn (SGT) A H Thom 79/87 Hurricane Sqn (F/O) M T Wainright 64 Spitfire Sqn (P/O) G H A Wellum 92 Spitfire Sqn (SGT) R White 235 Blenheim Sqn (SGT) S A H Whitehouse 32/501 Hurricane Sqn (SGT) K A Wilkinson 611/616/19 Spitfire Squadrons (F/O) A R Wright 92 Spitfire Sqn. May we always remember all of these men, survivors and those who passed before, for a unique achievement in saving their people from the horrors of invasion and the subsequent death camps and other terrible things associated with the countries that were occupied in wartime by the German and Axis forces. Winston Churchill, (the man they voted the best Englishman of the 20th Century and all time in a poll a few years ago) was a superlative word-smith, in my opinion, never beaten, when the need for stirring speeches and a rallying call were needed. He said this, in his famous speech (referred to today as Their Finest Hour): I look forward confidently to the exploits of our fighter pilots-these splendid men, this brilliant youth-who will have the glory of saving their native land, their island home, and all they love, from the most deadly of all attacks.......... History shows that the men were more than equal to the challenge, and they held the fate of the free World, (Britain herself and others too) in their sweating palms as they fought daily, (several times a day), overhead of the people they sought to protect. Here is that glorious speech in full, in remembrance of these men, the task they faced up to and achieved, remembering also those many more men who were lost bombing the Invasion barges over in places like Ostend to also prevent an invasion: winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/122-their-finest-hour 2,937 British and Allied airmen were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp for having flown at least one authorised sortie with an accredited unit of RAF Fighter Command in the period 10th July to 31st October 1940.During the Battle 544 lost their lives and a further 795 were to die before the end of the war. Below are links for more on these men and all those who fought for Britain in 1940, Lest we forget:battleofbritain1940.net/bobhsoc/aircrew/index.html bbm.org.uk/participants.htm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(A%E2%80%93C) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(D%E2%80%93F) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(L%E2%80%93N) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(O%E2%80%93R) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(S%E2%80%93U) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_aircrew_in_the_Battle_of_Britain_(V%E2%80%93Z) Battle of Britain Day, September 15th 2014 by Paul Davies.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 20:41:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015