On 17th January, 1943, No.402 Squadron, RCAF, paid a terrible price when they headed across the Channel on a fighter sweep, (Rodeo 151), with No.401 and No.412 squadrons - three pilots missing.
Alfred Percy Hall was born on 18th May, 1901, and baptised at St. Matthew's, Northampton. For reasons unknown, he went absent without leave from 31st July, 1924, and it appears that he drowned in unknown circumstances, sometime around 5th August.
Don Lewis was born to Keith Bannatyne Lewis and Doris Lewis on 1 February, 1922, in Hobart, Tasmania.
Michael Joseph 'Joe' Sunstrum was born in Markinch, Saskatchewan on 11th September, 1922. He was the second child of Samuel Henry Sunstrum and Mary Frances Sunstrum (nee Cameron).
At 16.25hrs, on 15th December, 1943, Spitfire IX, BS288, caught fire over East Grinstead, forcing the pilot, Flight Sergeant E. L. Hampson (138274), to abandon the aircraft and take to his parachute. The Spitfire plummeted into the ground at Forest Row.
Squadron Leader MacDonell's memories of a poignant moment for the prisoners of Stalag Luft III.
“Dick” Gazzard was born Richard George Gazzard to Norman Clarence and Veida Gazzard, of Strathfield, New South Wales, on 17 August 1920.
Gerald Barrington Haydon was born in the Southport district of Queensland, on 24 December, 1921, known as Barry to his parents, Harry and Gertrude Haydon.
Christopher Geoffrey Blomfield "Barry" Chapman, son of Christopher Charles and Catherina Chapman, hailed from Uralla in New South Wales and was born on 23 January 1913.
On 8th December, 1940, Sgt. Bronislaw Malinowski, crashed in Hurricane Mk.I, (R4101, SD-I), at Wye, near Ashford, through illness - he had fainted, but was only slightly injured in the crash.
Long demolished, Flintfield House was a large Victorian/Edwardian Villa first acquired by the RAF in 1917, under the Defence of the Realm Act.
Unbelievably, during the Summer of 1940, the nerve centre of RAF Kenley’s Command and Control was located in an ordinary ...
