Unacknowledged aircrew in the Battle of Britain

[vampiredave]

I have just been sent his request - can anyone help?

"A friend is trying to compile a list of pilots/aircrew who flew against the enemy during the Battle of Britain but…because they were not on the posted strength of Fighter Command between the relevant dates…were denied the honour of having their names on the list of “The Few”. His Father flew three times, twice in a Hurricane and once in a Blenheim between the dates…but not as a pilot in Fighter Command.

If you ever hear of anyone who might qualify for this additional list, do please let me know."

DW

[jonny956]

So your friend wishes to compile a list that will include all the aircrew flying offensive operations against the enemy (e.g. Bomber Command, Coastal Command, etc) during the period in question? This will be a huge, and if I may respectfully suggest, a somewhat unrealistic undertaking. If however, your friend insists on compiling such a list, then he should camp out at Kew and start wading through the non-fighter command ORBs.

Are you sure your mate does not want to narrow his search criteria a tad?

Rgds

Jonny

[JohnE]

I am very interested in the name of your friends father and in the unit and dates where he flew Hurricanes.

John E.

[Black6]

Isn't it true to say that a number of OTU fighter pilots flew in the BoB, at least one actually scoring a kill(s), but were not on the strength of operational fighter squadrons and as such did not qualify for the small bronze medal "Battle of Britain" bar on their 1939/45 Star ?

[Larry]

You could start with this thread.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...ighlight=P4832

[Brian]

Hi guys

According to a former instructor pilot, Brize Norton formed a fighter defence flight following the attack on the airfield (16 August 1940), using cannon-armed Spitfires from the MU. The pilot implied in an article that the flight accounted for four enemy aircraft.

Any ideas.

Cheers
Brian

[Observer1940]

Westminster Abbey Roll of Pilots and Aircrew Killed or Mortally Wounded in the Battle of Britain

"The Roll of Honour, illuminated by Daisy Alcock and given by Captain Bruce Ingram, contains the names of l,497 pilots and aircrew killed or mortally wounded during the Battle, of which 449 were in Fighter Command (whom the window specially commemorates), 732 in Bomber Command, 268 in Coastal Command, 14 in other RAF commands and 34 in the Fleet Air Arm. The names include 47 Canadians, 47 New Zealanders, 35 Poles, 24 Australians, 20 Czechs, 17 South Africans, 6 Belgians and one American, as well as those from the United Kingdom and Colonies."

If you were to include all who 'flew against the enemy' (besides 'The Few') during the Battle of Britain period, you will have a massive and an impossible challenge, to include all the flyers of the Units in the above Commands etc.

It is unlikely that you could list the FAA Pilots and Airmen, as I have never seen FAA Squadron Diaries with enough information to compile a list. The ADM Squadron diaries in TNA were written from recollections and other files. Not from flying lists.

However, I have official paperwork from TNA, that FAA Pilots of 759 Squadron Eastleigh, Hampshire, did come under a Fighter Command Group.

Also some Training Units flying Night Flights, have no records of Sorties made, only that xxx hours were flown at night during the stated month.

Good idea to recognise all who flew against the enemy during the B of B, but impossible to compile.

My Grandfather (Air Observer) Bomber Command is on the Battle of Britain Roll in Westminster Abbey.

You will see that Bomber Command lost far more flyers during the Battle, than 'The Few' did. However, despite more losses in Bomber Command they do not appear on the separate Battle of Britain Monument for the Fighter Pilots.

I believe, it is laid down somewhere, exactly, who qualified to be classed as 'The Few'?

Mark

[bearoutwest]

You could try this thread for background info on the Spitfire OTUs involved in interceptions.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=Spitfire+OTU

I agree with the others that it will be a very huge task to compile these names, but I don't think your friend should let the enormity of the task discourage him from attempting it. Good luck.

...geoff

[Nick Beale]

You will see that Bomber Command lost far more flyers during the Battle, than 'The Few' did.

Tragically, that was almost a mathematical certainty when flying with a minimum (?) of three men per aircraft, let alone operating almost entirely over hostile territory or the sea.

[Chris Goss]

....and then you have the ground crew casualties 10 July-31 October, a listing of which I have just compiled