For a more exact match when searching for multiple words, please put the search term in quoatation marks. For example: use "Battle of Britain" instead of Battle of Britain.
…sleeping quarters when, out of his window, he saw a group of Japanese airplanes dropping bombs on the field. He strapped his .45 pistol to the outside of his pajamas and ran to get an airplane. Most aircraft were destroyed but Lt. Rasmussen found an unscathed P-36 Hawk and taxied…
Alan Pollock’s Rough Notes: A work in progress – the fuller biographies will emerge in due course: please sign up to the Newsletter (bottom of the page) and we’ll let you know when we’ve done more justice in writing up our extraordinary signatories. Air Cdre C D “Kit” NORTH-LEWIS DSO…
…years to his real birthdate, 27 Apr 1924, wearing silver buttons of Latymer School Air Defence Cadet Force as he turned up at RAF UXBRIDGE in Mar40 to be attested In July, then Bridgnorth & Blackpool, AIRCRAFT HANDLING & transfer to 600 SQN, as 16 yrs old AC2 receiving an…
…– were up there, engaged in a ferocious and lethally vicious dogfight, in the blue skies above Southern England. They made contrails so beautiful that artists like Paul Nash couldn’t resist painting them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_(painting)… I’m ‘live’ (or is it death?) tweeting this at @TheyWereThere1 on Twitter (but not at They…
…in the Ju-87 raid on the airfield in the Battle of Britain 16 Aug 1940 – his German widow was so impressed with her welcome to Britain and tranquillity of this ancient Saxon church and cemetery, with German Luftwaffe and RAF aircrew lying peacefully so close to each other, that,…
…the 5th Battle Squadron leader at JUTLAND,, survived torpedo from U-30 28Dec39, in the BATTLE of CAPE MATAPAN 28Mar41; bombed off Crete (2 x 5001b) she had needed repairs in Durban; George had later wartime service with 601 FLOTILLA, COMBINED OPERATIONS, mainly with LANDING CRAFT provision and subsequent repair procedures….
…and thousands of other escapers, at appalling risk to their lives and property”; 24 Bns of the GREEN HOWARDS were raised in WW1 (56 Battle Honours. 7,500 KILLED & almost 24,000 wounded) and 1-2 Bns were raised in WW2,, awarded 25 BATTLE HONOURS,, 3 VCs, 19 DS0s, 50 MCs, 16…
…He was awarded a DSO. In December 1944 he was seconded to BOAC, flying from Bristol. He remained with the airline after the war and flew routes to West Africa, the Middle East and to India. He was one of the first pilots to land at Heathrow Airport after its…
…its use. He continued to fight throughout the remainder of the day. His deeds proved a turning point in a desperate battle between veteran Afrika Korps troops and the Irish Guards, an action in which the latter took nearly 90 per cent casualties. His citation recorded that he had “influenced…
…she was posted out to Japan at Iwakuni and Miho near Hiroshima, where she would meet and marry Sqn Ldr N W Pat Hancock DFC, then OC 11 Squadron with Spitfire FR18s at Miho. Pat started on the Fairey Battles of 266 Squadron, then with No.1(F) Sqn Hurricanes in France…
…greatly enhanced the effectiveness of British anti-aircraft defences. Sam Curran (right) with Bruno Touschek. (Credit: The Touschek Family) Subsequently, be worked on developing short-wave (centimentric) radar, which was crucial to night-fighter interception of bombers and to location by aircraft of German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic. In 1944….
…the Battle, so Graf Spee would have a fully armed presence to confront, as well as some purposely deceptive signals traffic. The Midshipman returned to UK on the damaged AJAX; in the ensuing DEFENCE of BRITAIN, he was appointed to the RN BATTALION to form part of an ad hoc,…
…far reaching consequences to help ensure that the tide of losses in the Battle of the Atlantic would gradually be reversed at a most critical time for Britain’s very survival, with her reliance on the transatlantic supply artery for food and munitions. This epic achievement occurred a full seven months…
…still in her teens, was an AK COURIER and represents all POLISH WOMEN, the triumphs and tragedies of POLAND, the POLISH HOME ARMY (ARMII KRAJOWEJ) and the AK’s RESISTANCE, specifically for her 80,000 comrades-in-arms during the heroic but doomed WARSAW UPRISING & the BATTLE OF WARSAW 1 Aug – 3…
…box of grenades as they could hear Jerry trying to repair the bridge. Off he went and he sure must have given them a lovely time because it wasn’t a great while before he was back for more. Just like giving an elephant strawberries.” At 11pm the order was given…
…28, and Jan, 26, wrote new wills. Naturally, they remembered their families but the only others mentioned were their English roses. Their incredible bravery is at the centre of much-anticipated new movie Anthropoid with Fifty Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan and Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy playing the doomed pair. But…
…airfields were being used, often by Dakotas and L-5 Stinson Sentinel light liaison aircraft for a whole variety of supply and casualty evacuation roles, the latter “being able to land on the width of a cricket pitch”.and with its “fuselage opening up like a violin case”, with occasional visiting Lysanders,…
…aircraft, mostly FW190s. Signed in memory of his Pathfinder brother Squadron Leader Johann CHRISTIE DSO DFC who served in Bomber Command, and representing Norway’s Aircrew and 332 Sqn. ‘Born in Vang, with a Scots great grandfather, Werner studied in Berlin 1936-38 before joining the Norwegian Army Air Force. In 1940,…
Alan Pollock’s Rough Notes: A work in progress – the fuller biographies will emerge in due course: please sign up to the Newsletter (bottom of the page) and we’ll let you know when we’ve done more justice in writing up our extraordinary signatories. Helped rescue 27 Allied Escaped Aircrew, for…
…took a BSc in Engineering in 1935. As one of the brightest young engineers of the time, he was invited to join the original team working with Sir Robert Watson-Watt on radar development at the Air Ministry research station at Bawdsey Manor (1936-42). Here he helped develop the first airborne…
…to complaints that he was indulging in self-projection. But such carping was probably unfair. Scarman had no need to court publicity, having established his liberal credentials many years before. During a period of great change in national attitudes and values, he had long been of the view that the law…
…searchlights coned his aircraft, the pilot was forced to dive to low level. The aircraft was hit by flak, and the damaged bomber returned at low level to land at the nearest airfield with just five minutes’ fuel remaining. After 30 operations Curtis was rested, and spent time as an…
…Sqn Beaufighters but predominantly for 94 Sqn, 123 Sqn and then 6 Squadron Hurricanes from Tobruk on into TUNISIA and the early development of the 3″ ROCKET PROJECTILES (“largely brought across to the Desert Air Force with techniques taught by wet beer on a bar top by the “scruffiest officer…
…for which he was awarded Victoria Cross during Battle of Britain, 16/8/1940 REEL 1 Account of bailing out of aircraft after action for which he was awarded Victoria Cross during Battle of Britain, 16/8/1940: bailing out of aircraft; reaction to approach of German fighter; checking his wounds; landing in field….