Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Chris Cartledge, DSC, FAA Corsair pilot, British Pacific Fleet

From Twitter< Will Iredale
@WIredale
My old friend Chris Cartledge has died, aged 100. Chris was one of the last of The Kamikaze Hunters — the British fighter pilots who saw action in the Pacific and over Japan in 1945 as the Second World War reached its climax. 1/4
2:04 PM · Jan 25, 2024
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Will Iredale
@WIredale
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Jan 25
He was a softly spoken, gentle man who loved art and music — but under this veneer lay a steely grit. Here he is in 1944 (second from left), aged just 21, on board the aircraft carrier Formidable, after attacking the German battleship Tirpitz — for which he won a DSC. 2/4
Will Iredale
@WIredale
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Jan 25
And here he is in 2015 at Duxford, pictured with friend, squadron mate and fellow fighter pilot Keith Quilter, in front of the Corsair fighter they flew all those years ago (although — geek klaxon — wartime Royal Navy Corsairs didn't have yellow noses!) (Pic: Emilie Sandy) 3/4
Will Iredale
@WIredale
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Jan 25
On a personal level, I shall miss Chris very much, for he was one of the wonderful band of men who helped me write my first book. On a wider note, his death is yet another reminder that we are perilously close to losing the direct link with that Second World War generation. 4/4