Airforces – Page 3 – They Were There – Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat

10 September 2020

WEST, Ferdinand (#28)

Air Commodore Ferdinand ‘Freddie’ WEST VC CBE MC Recipient of the Victoria Cross. RFC & RAF, Captain Royal Munster Volunteers, 3 and 8 Sqns, last Air action, 17 Sqn, OC 4 Sqn WW1 VC Sqn, CO Farnborough, in WW2 Odiham & Air Attaché Berne

9 September 2020

CURTIS, Lawrence (#260)

Squadron Leader Lawrence ‘Larry’ CURTIS DFC. Squadron Leader Larry Curtis flew more than 70 bombing operations during the Second World War and had the very unusual distinction for a wireless operator of earning two DFCs.

6 September 2020

ROSIER, Fred (#17)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Fred ROSIER GCB CBE DSO 43 (F) Sqn on Furies & Hurricanes at Tangmere 1936 to 1939, in France, UK, Western Deser t and Europe, developing close tactical fighter support with 22. ~ Harry Broadhurst ~

4 September 2020

LEAROYD, Roderick AB (#59)

Recipient of the Victoria Cross. Courageous 12 Aug 1940 attack in five HAMPDENS (2 shot down, 2 hit ahead, on attack run) on Dortmund Ems Aqueduct, became Harris’s BOMBER COMMAND exemplar.

2 September 2020

ATKINS, George (#3)

Corporal ‘Tommy’ George ATKINS Nos 1(F) & 43(F) Sqns, in pre-war motor industry serviced BATTLE OF BRITAIN HURRICANES, SPITFIRES in ITALY & 1944/45 LANCASTERS One of many GROUND TECHNICIANS who played a vital role throughout.

1 September 2020

OLDS, Robin (#97)

Brigadier General Robin OLDS AFC DSM* Silver Star (4) Legion of Merit DFC (6) AM (40) DFC (UK) Croix de Guerre (45 e/a) ‘Triple Ace’ for US, USAAF & 8th AIR FORCE (12 e/a, 9 in P-38s, 3 in P-51 +11 strafed); and in Vietnam 1967 destroyed 4 MiG 21/17 in F-4 aged 44 (son of Major General Robert OLDS WW1)

30 August 2020

CHESHIRE, Geoffrey Leonard (#31)

Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard, Baron CHESHIRE of Woodhall Spa VC OM DSO** DFC Recipient of the Victoria Cross. VR Oxford UAS, 102, 35, Wing Commander OC 76 Sqn, CO Marston Moor, Master Bomber 617 Sqn & UK NAGASAKI observer charity pioneer, born Chester 7 September 1917, served Bomber Command 1940-45, 102 Squadron 1940, DSO 1940 (and two Bars 1941), 35 Squadron 1941, DFC 1941, CO 76 Squadron 1942, RAF Station Marston Moor 1943, CO 617 Squadron (Dambusters) 1943, attached Eastern Air Command South-East Asia 1944, British Joint Staff Mission Washington 1945, official British observer of dropping of Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki 1945, Chairman World War Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief 1989-92, VC 1944, OM 1981

30 August 2020

ALABASTER, RC (#57)

Wing Commander R C ‘Cliff’ ALABASTER DSO* DFC* (Subsequently contributed to the development of POSTWAR AVIATION, then as pilot Captain, Comets & BOAC) Representing OBSERVERS, the PATHFINDER FORCE, and 1943 PEENEMUNDE RAID (Operation Hydra)

30 August 2020

WHEELER, Neil (#53)

Unusually varied operational war career across BOMBER, FIGHTER (inc. Reconnaissance) and COASTAL COMMANDS

30 August 2020

VERITY, Hugh (#87)

Group Captain Hugh VERITY DSO* DFC MA Oxon. UAS, 252 & 29 Sqn BEAUFIGHTERS then 161. Representing SPECIAL DUTY LYSANDER & HUDSON SQUADRONS, SOE & OSS RESISTANCE & OPERATIONS

30 August 2020

TAIT, James B (#66)

Group Captain James B TAIT DSO*** DFC* Long, distinguished service on BOMBER OPERATIONS, CO 617 Sqn and the Tallboy LANCASTERS for the SINKING of TIRPITZ in Tromso Fjord 12NOV44

30 August 2020

SPOONER, AR Tony (#52)

MALTA GC Assn, COASTAL COMMAND, author books on RECCE Wing Commander ADRIAN WARBURTON DSO* DFC** + Terry BULLOCH [73] + Sir Ivor BROOM [74]

30 August 2020

SHEEN, Desmond FB (#88)

Group Captain Desmond F B SHEEN DFC* (5e/a) from Sydney, AUSTRALIA for BofB & 72 Sqn SPITFIRE operations, friend of Wing Commander JB ‘Nick’ NICOLSON VC DFC & Representing the support of DOMINION AIR FORCES.

30 August 2020

SCARMAN, Leslie (#241)

Leslie Scarman, Baron SCARMAN PC OBE RAF 1940-45, BOMBER COMMAND and Squadron Leader ‘TORCH’, IKE-MONTY Liaison, Nov42-May45 PSO AM TEDDER Desert & to Europe SURRENDERS

30 August 2020

ROWLANDS, John (#83)

Air Marshal Sir John ROWLANDS GC KBE Representing the continuing vital role of GROUND ARMAMENT & BOMB DISPOSAL, A.R.P. and the CIVIL DEFENCE in minimising BLITZ bombing effects & V-1 & V-2 casualties

30 August 2020

ROWLAND, John N (#243)

Squadron Leader John N ROWLAND DSO DFC* RAF: 613 SQN Hectors + LYSANDERS May40, CALAIS supply CFS HALIFAX & LANCASTER WICKENBY BOMBING OPS 12 SQN (+109 & 626) & 625 SQN Kelstern. Awarded DSO twice in three days during bombing operations over Germany in 1943.

30 August 2020

REID, William I (#61)

Flight Lieutenant William I REID VC Recipient of the Victoria Cross. AFVR Scot in hit LANCASTER 3NOV43, twice attacked, with dead Navigator and fatally wounded WIRELESS OPERATOR, stuck to course, bombed target & returned to base semi-conscious.

30 August 2020

POCOCK, Donald A (#108)

Served Western Desert, Middle East and Balkans, founder member ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT (formed 8 Jan and 12 Feb 1942). Representing ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT / Tactical GROUND DEFENCE of RAF AIRFIELDS

30 August 2020

O’BRIEN, Terence P (#147)

Author from NSW, AUSTRALIA, RAF BALLOON COMMAND & two pilot 1940/41 COASTAL BLENHEIM tours, later CHINDIT Air Liaison, 357 SD Sqn FORCE 136 + SEAC

30 August 2020

NORTH-LEWIS, CD (#286)

Air Cdre C D "Kit" NORTH-LEWIS DSO DFC* died in March 2008 just after his 90th birthday. He was born in Dunbar with his father a collier in the Rhonda valley, joining the Army in 1938 and commissioned into the 60th Battalion, QUEEN VICTORIA TERRITORIAL RIFLES, he transferred to the RAF.

30 August 2020

MITCHELL, John B (#69)

Wartime ROYAL & VIP flights, inc. CHURCHILL to YALTA & other flights. Representing TRANSPORT COMMAND & OBSERVERS and ALL NAVIGATOR AIRCREW

30 August 2020

MAX, Roy (#289)

Group Captain Roy Max travelled from New Zealand to join the RAF as a pilot and survived the crippling losses of bombers deployed to France at the outbreak of the Second World War; already a veteran at 24, he was made a wing commander and appointed to command No 75 (NZ) Squadron, the first Commonwealth squadron in Bomber Command.

30 August 2020

MACLENNAN, Ian R (#128)

Flight Lieutenant Ian MacLennan was one of the last surviving fighter “aces” who engaged in fierce air battles during the Siege of Malta to secure the island’s survival.

30 August 2020

HOLDER, Paul (#191)

AIR MARSHAL SIR PAUL HOLDER took part in the Second World War defence of Habbaniya, Iraq, when the RAF’s station there was attacked and besieged by the Iraqi nationalist rebel Raschid Ali.