Battle of Britain & France - Battle Pilots

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Iain,

Thanks for your comments. I believe - from the information available at present - that at least 7 Battle pilots qualified for the BoB clasp who joined their (Battle) squadrons after these units returned from France.

C.E. Langdon 142 / 43
A.G. McIntyre 12 OTU / 111
D.C. MacKenzie 142 / 56
A.H. Milnes 12 / 32
T.P. Pugh 103 / 263
G.A. Stroud 150 / 504-32-249
R.W.M. Walsh (FAA) 142 / 111

McIntyre, a New Zealander, appears to have gone directly from 12 OTU to Fighter Command. Still technically a Battle unit, but definitely a Battle pilot. He does prove your last point however !

Pugh's case is not clear however. He appears to have joined 103 Squadron after his training was complete, which should be sometime in 1938 or 1939. There is no further mention until the comment that he was with 263 Squadron by early July 1940. All this detail comes from 'Men of ther Battle of Britain' (1st edition, 1989). This also notes that he claimed at least 2 aerial victories (DFC citation) but he has no entry in 'Those Other Eagles'. There is no entry for him in Kenneth Wynn's 'Supplementary Volume' (1993). Maybe some one with his 2000 edition can reveal further information ?
So Pugh could have seen service with 103 Squadron during The Phoney War and even during the May/June Campaign ?

Hope this helps,

Martin.