Pilot Officer Photo Identification - Battle of France

[Iain Torrance]

Attached is a IWM photo from the C Series, 103 Sqn Officers, known to have been taken at Rheges.

I, and 103 Sqn Assoc, are confident it was taken on 31st May or 1st June 1940.


Note the pilot with the eye bandage:

- the bandage looks very new, clean.
- he is the only officer in the group wearing flying boots

I can identify almost all the rest of the group - but not him

So my thought/theory is that he might be a pilot from another squadron who baled-out or crashed nearby. Otherwise why the flying boots? With an injury like that he would not be expecting to fly, so if he had shoes that fitted surely he would be wearing them?

Also nothing in 103 records that fits with the injury....

Appreciate any help/suggestions.

Lastly my initial thought was Paul Richey, but the injury is not right and the date and location does not fit with his visit to 103 Sqn

Many thanks

Iain

[Andy Saunders]

He might not have been wearing boots in the incident when he injured his eye (if it was a flying/combat injury?) and may have lost his shoes in that episode...whatever it was! As a result, perhaps boots were all he had left?

Just a thought! Perhaps not that silly a one?

[Iain Torrance]

Andy - What you suggest is clearly a possibility. Another observation is that with the photo 'under glass' it looks like there is a bundle of flying gear behind him.

[Andy Saunders]

Yes, I agree.

So possibly a pilot who has been injured and has just returned to the squadron, perhaps via a dressing station or hospital, and has just arrived back and still in his boots and carrying his kit.

[Iain Torrance]

Andy - possibly, but no record of such an injury in Squadron records (not that saying that means much for the Battle of France and with the ORB written in the UK) and certainly not a known 'face' from the other 103 Sqn pilot photos. Also I think all pilots known to have been at Squadron on that date are accounted for in the photo. That said nothing obvious that fits in fighter records, nor for other Battle Sqns.Hence just a bit of a puzzle !