Obituaries
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Sgt. David Thatcher 
Retired Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, one of the last two remaining members of the legendary Doolittle Raiders, passed away Monday morning (Jun. 22, 2016) in his hometown of Missoula, Montana. He was 94."It's very sad," said Fort Walton Beach resident Wes Fields, who has worked closely with the remaining Raiders over the years. "It's one more link to that living history that we've lost."Thatcher's passing leaves 100-year-old retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole as the sole surviving member of the group of 80 volunteers who participated in the dangerous World War II mission under the command of then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle.The raid was dramatized in the popular 1944 film "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo." Thatcher, who was portrayed by actor Robert Walker, was one of the main characters in the movie.The men trained for the daring daylight bombing raid over Tokyo, Japan, at what was then known as Eglin Field, and the surviving members of the 16 original crews have visited Northwest Florida frequently in recent years for reunions and other events.Thatcher, who served as the engineer/gunner with Crew 7, was awarded the Silver Star for his heroics during the April 18, 1942, raid. His aircraft, one of 16 B-25B bombers that took part in the raid, crashed over China following the attack. Thatcher is credited with saving most of his seriously injured crew members.Fields remembers Thatcher as a quiet, modest man who was easy-going and friendly."He was a gunner and I was a gunner, so we just hit it off," he said.Fort Walton Beach businessman Lynn Dominique first met Thatcher when he served as an escort during a 2008 Raider Reunion organized by the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce."About a year later, I saw him at another Raider event," Dominique recalled. "I went up to introduce myself to him, and he said, 'I remember you — I met you in Fort Walton, didn't I?' " Dominique said. "I thought that was pretty impressive. Here's a guy that probably shakes a thousand hands a year."Thatcher visited Northwest Florida for the last time in 2013, when he took part in a special Raider reunion. Magnolia Grill owner Tom Rice, who has entertained the Doolittle Raiders and their entourage many times over the years, said the community should be grateful for its connection to the Raiders."Like our own Doolittle Raider, Ed Horton, these men lived a humble life after World War II, and Staff Sergeant Dave Thatcher was no exception," Rice said. "He symbolized a generation of truly humble warriors. We miss Ed Horton and our friend Dave Thatcher and now look to Colonel Dick Cole to carry the flag alone in their honor." Thatcher, who was awarded the Silver Star for his heroics during the daring daylight attack on Tokyo, Japan, in April 1942, died this morning in his hometown of Missoula, Montana. He was 94.Thatcher served as the engineer/gunner with Crew 7, which crashed over China following the bombing raid. He is credited with saving his fellow crew members after the crash.Ret. Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole is now the sole surviving member of the Raiders.
Retired Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, one of the last two remaining members of the legendary Doolittle Raiders, passed away Monday morning (Jun. 22, 2016) in his hometown of Missoula, Montana. He was 94."It's very sad," said Fort Walton Beach resident Wes Fields, who has worked closely with the remaining Raiders over the years. "It's one more link to that living history that we've lost."Thatcher's passing leaves 100-year-old retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole as the sole surviving member of the group of 80 volunteers who participated in the dangerous World War II mission under the command of then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle.The raid was dramatized in the popular 1944 film "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo." Thatcher, who was portrayed by actor Robert Walker, was one of the main characters in the movie.The men trained for the daring daylight bombing raid over Tokyo, Japan, at what was then known as Eglin Field, and the surviving members of the 16 original crews have visited Northwest Florida frequently in recent years for reunions and other events.Thatcher, who served as the engineer/gunner with Crew 7, was awarded the Silver Star for his heroics during the April 18, 1942, raid. His aircraft, one of 16 B-25B bombers that took part in the raid, crashed over China following the attack. Thatcher is credited with saving most of his seriously injured crew members.Fields remembers Thatcher as a quiet, modest man who was easy-going and friendly."He was a gunner and I was a gunner, so we just hit it off," he said.Fort Walton Beach businessman Lynn Dominique first met Thatcher when he served as an escort during a 2008 Raider Reunion organized by the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce."About a year later, I saw him at another Raider event," Dominique recalled. "I went up to introduce myself to him, and he said, 'I remember you — I met you in Fort Walton, didn't I?' " Dominique said. "I thought that was pretty impressive. Here's a guy that probably shakes a thousand hands a year."Thatcher visited Northwest Florida for the last time in 2013, when he took part in a special Raider reunion. Magnolia Grill owner Tom Rice, who has entertained the Doolittle Raiders and their entourage many times over the years, said the community should be grateful for its connection to the Raiders."Like our own Doolittle Raider, Ed Horton, these men lived a humble life after World War II, and Staff Sergeant Dave Thatcher was no exception," Rice said. "He symbolized a generation of truly humble warriors. We miss Ed Horton and our friend Dave Thatcher and now look to Colonel Dick Cole to carry the flag alone in their honor." Thatcher, who was awarded the Silver Star for his heroics during the daring daylight attack on Tokyo, Japan, in April 1942, died this morning in his hometown of Missoula, Montana. He was 94.Thatcher served as the engineer/gunner with Crew 7, which crashed over China following the bombing raid. He is credited with saving his fellow crew members after the crash.Ret. Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole is now the sole surviving member of the Raiders.
fubar57
General
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
buffnut453
Captain
Had the privilege to meet David Thatcher and Dick Cole on a couple of occasions - real gents the pair of them.
Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence
Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence, who has died aged 96, was one of only two surviving New Zealand-born Battle of Britain fighter pilots; he later flew in the fierce air battles of the Battle of Malta.
Lawrence was flying a Spitfire of No 234 Squadron when he damaged a German bomber on July 8 1940, the squadron's first success. He went on to damage three more enemy aircraft including a Messerschmitt Bf 110, which ditched in the English Channel. On September 7 the Luftwaffe made its first heavy daylight raid on London. Lawrence was scrambled and, after attacking a bomber, he chased a Messerschmitt Bf 109 to the coast and shot it down south of Folkestone. When his squadron moved to Cornwall for a rest, he transferred to No 603 Squadron and during the fierce fighting on September 15, Battle of Britain Day, he shot down another Bf 109 and saw his gunfire hit two others.
In October Lawrence joined a new unit at Gravesend in Kent. On November 23 he damaged a Bf 110 fighter during a weather reconnaissance flight but four days later was attacked by a Bf 109. One wing of his Spitfire was blown off and Lawrence found himself falling with a useless right arm. He managed to deploy his parachute and landed in the sea. He was picked up by a minesweeper and taken to Ramsgate, where he was admitted to hospital with a broken leg and dislocated arm.
The eldest son of a New Zealand Regiment sergeant severely wounded at Passchendaele, Keith Ashley Lawrence was born at Waitara, New Zealand, on November 25 1919 and attended Southland Boys' High School at Invercargill. He joined the Civil Reserve of Pilots in February 1938 before being accepted by the RAF. He left for the UK in January 1939 and was commissioned in November 1939, when he joined No 234 in Yorkshire. After almost a year recovering from his injuries, Lawrence returned to his old unit, but in February 1942 he left for Malta where he joined No 185 Squadron as a flight commander to fly Hurricanes.
Over the next four months Lawrence flew intensively, leading many patrols during the period when Malta was coming under very heavy attack. Operating from Hal Far airfield he engaged large enemy bomber formations, gaining his first success on March 23 when he shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88 bomber. The German crew took to their dinghy after crashing into the sea.
Scrambled on a daily basis to meet the German bomber formations, often involving more than 40 aircraft, Lawrence and his pilots also flew patrols to protect the vital re-supply convoys, which came under constant fire as they approached the island. Lawrence damaged a number of enemy aircraft and on May 9 he shot down a Junkers 87 Stuka dive-bomber over Valetta. The following day he accounted for another Stuka as it dive-bombed shipping in Grand Harbour. After re-equipping with Spitfires, Lawrence took command of No 185 Squadron, at which point he decided to dispense with his trademark moustache. He continued to lead formations during the fierce fighting until he was rested, returning to Britain in August. For his service in Malta, Lawrence was awarded the DFC. The citation recorded his "great courage and outstanding keenness especially when the odds were great".
He became an instructor, training fighter pilots before serving as a liaison officer with the USAAF fighter units based in East Anglia. In October 1943 he was posted to the Central Gunnery School to train as a gunnery instructor, before returning to fighter training units to pass on his expertise. Lawrence was keen "to do his bit" and he volunteered for a third tour of operations. He joined No 124 Squadron in early February 1945, flying Spitfires on dive-bombing attacks against V-2 rocket launching sites in Holland and on interdiction and bomber escort missions. By the end of the war he had flown a further 50 sorties.
In August the squadron converted to the Gloster Meteor and Lawrence flew 56 sorties in the RAF's first jet fighter before leaving for New Zealand in March 1946. He served with the RNZAF as an air traffic controller and returned to the UK in 1954 to run various commercial enterprises. He retired at 65 and settled in Devon, where he flew with the Devon and Somerset Gliding Club for 18 years. In 2002, as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Battle of Britain Fighter Association nominated him for a flight in a Spitfire, which he was delighted to accept 57 years after his first flight in the fighter.
In 2010, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Lawrence was invited to represent "the Few" in a short sequence for the BBC filmed at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne on the Kent coast.
Lawrence was a lifelong Christian Scientist, and was both clerk and treasurer of the Exeter church for many years after his retirement.
Keith Lawrence married Kay Harte in July 1945; she survives him with their three sons and two daughters.
Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence, born November 25 1919, died June 2 2016
source: The Telegraph
Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence, who has died aged 96, was one of only two surviving New Zealand-born Battle of Britain fighter pilots; he later flew in the fierce air battles of the Battle of Malta.
Lawrence was flying a Spitfire of No 234 Squadron when he damaged a German bomber on July 8 1940, the squadron's first success. He went on to damage three more enemy aircraft including a Messerschmitt Bf 110, which ditched in the English Channel. On September 7 the Luftwaffe made its first heavy daylight raid on London. Lawrence was scrambled and, after attacking a bomber, he chased a Messerschmitt Bf 109 to the coast and shot it down south of Folkestone. When his squadron moved to Cornwall for a rest, he transferred to No 603 Squadron and during the fierce fighting on September 15, Battle of Britain Day, he shot down another Bf 109 and saw his gunfire hit two others.
In October Lawrence joined a new unit at Gravesend in Kent. On November 23 he damaged a Bf 110 fighter during a weather reconnaissance flight but four days later was attacked by a Bf 109. One wing of his Spitfire was blown off and Lawrence found himself falling with a useless right arm. He managed to deploy his parachute and landed in the sea. He was picked up by a minesweeper and taken to Ramsgate, where he was admitted to hospital with a broken leg and dislocated arm.
The eldest son of a New Zealand Regiment sergeant severely wounded at Passchendaele, Keith Ashley Lawrence was born at Waitara, New Zealand, on November 25 1919 and attended Southland Boys' High School at Invercargill. He joined the Civil Reserve of Pilots in February 1938 before being accepted by the RAF. He left for the UK in January 1939 and was commissioned in November 1939, when he joined No 234 in Yorkshire. After almost a year recovering from his injuries, Lawrence returned to his old unit, but in February 1942 he left for Malta where he joined No 185 Squadron as a flight commander to fly Hurricanes.
Over the next four months Lawrence flew intensively, leading many patrols during the period when Malta was coming under very heavy attack. Operating from Hal Far airfield he engaged large enemy bomber formations, gaining his first success on March 23 when he shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88 bomber. The German crew took to their dinghy after crashing into the sea.
Scrambled on a daily basis to meet the German bomber formations, often involving more than 40 aircraft, Lawrence and his pilots also flew patrols to protect the vital re-supply convoys, which came under constant fire as they approached the island. Lawrence damaged a number of enemy aircraft and on May 9 he shot down a Junkers 87 Stuka dive-bomber over Valetta. The following day he accounted for another Stuka as it dive-bombed shipping in Grand Harbour. After re-equipping with Spitfires, Lawrence took command of No 185 Squadron, at which point he decided to dispense with his trademark moustache. He continued to lead formations during the fierce fighting until he was rested, returning to Britain in August. For his service in Malta, Lawrence was awarded the DFC. The citation recorded his "great courage and outstanding keenness especially when the odds were great".
He became an instructor, training fighter pilots before serving as a liaison officer with the USAAF fighter units based in East Anglia. In October 1943 he was posted to the Central Gunnery School to train as a gunnery instructor, before returning to fighter training units to pass on his expertise. Lawrence was keen "to do his bit" and he volunteered for a third tour of operations. He joined No 124 Squadron in early February 1945, flying Spitfires on dive-bombing attacks against V-2 rocket launching sites in Holland and on interdiction and bomber escort missions. By the end of the war he had flown a further 50 sorties.
In August the squadron converted to the Gloster Meteor and Lawrence flew 56 sorties in the RAF's first jet fighter before leaving for New Zealand in March 1946. He served with the RNZAF as an air traffic controller and returned to the UK in 1954 to run various commercial enterprises. He retired at 65 and settled in Devon, where he flew with the Devon and Somerset Gliding Club for 18 years. In 2002, as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Battle of Britain Fighter Association nominated him for a flight in a Spitfire, which he was delighted to accept 57 years after his first flight in the fighter.
In 2010, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Lawrence was invited to represent "the Few" in a short sequence for the BBC filmed at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne on the Kent coast.
Lawrence was a lifelong Christian Scientist, and was both clerk and treasurer of the Exeter church for many years after his retirement.
Keith Lawrence married Kay Harte in July 1945; she survives him with their three sons and two daughters.
Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence, born November 25 1919, died June 2 2016
source: The Telegraph
fubar57
General
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
R.I.P Sqn Ldr Lawrence.
Wildcat
Major
S/Ldr Bob Cowper, Night fighter ace
Squadron Leader Bob Cowper, Australian fighter 'ace' – obituary
Squadron Leader Bob Cowper, who has died aged 93, is thought to have been the last surviving Australian fighter "ace" of the Second World War; flying night fighters, he was credited with destroying at least six enemy aircraft.
During the air operations to support the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944, Cowper and his colleagues of No 456 Squadron RAAF, mounted standing patrols over the beachhead and in a few days accounted for 35 enemy aircraft. On the night of June 9/10 Cowper and his navigator, Flying Officer William Watson, were on patrol near Cherbourg when they attacked a Heinkel 177 bomber and damaged it so severely it was forced to crash land. Later in the sortie, they intercepted a Dornier Do 217 bomber and destroyed it near Beaumont.
A few days later Watson picked up a contact on his radar and homed their Mosquito on to a Junkers 88 bomber. He opened fire and hit the port engine, which soon caught fire, forcing the crew to bale out. The Cowper/Watson team achieved their fourth success on the night of July 4/5. They identified a Heinkel 177 attacking enemy shipping south of Selsey Bill and shot it down into the sea.
Bob Cowper Credit: Barry Spicer
Later in July the squadron was tasked to attack incoming V-1 flying bombs launched from the Pas de Calais region and claimed the destruction of 24 of them. Cowper claimed one but it was later credited to an anti-aircraft battery. In February 1945 he was awarded a Bar to an earlier DFC and Watson was awarded the DFC.
Robert Barson Cowper was born on June 24 1922 at Broken Hill, NSW, before his family moved to South Australia. He attended Queen's College in Adelaide before working as an engineering draughtsman. In 1940, on his 18th birthday, he joined the RAAF. He completed his training in Canada and arrived in Scotland in September 1941. He trained as a night fighter pilot and in November joined No 153 Squadron in Northern Ireland. The squadron was replacing its old Defiant aircraft with the powerful Beaufighter when he teamed up with Watson.
Running out of fuel Cowper crash landed behind enemy lines in the desert at night. Arab nomads sheltered him until he was picked up by a British armoured patrol
After almost a year flying patrols over the Irish Sea, Cowper and Watson were posted to the Middle East. They ferried a new Beaufighter to Gibraltar but on the onward flight to Malta became lost. Running out of fuel Cowper crash landed behind enemy lines in the desert at night. Arab nomads sheltered them until they were picked up by a British armoured patrol. Their adventures entitled them to join the "Late Arrival's Club".
They joined No 89 Squadron based in Malta and flew interdiction raids over northern Sicily and attacked trains with bombs. In March 1943, they transferred to No 108 Squadron and a month later had their first combat in the region. They were engaged in a long duel with a German night fighter off the west coast of Sicily. Cowper's fire damaged the Messerschmitt 210 and it disappeared into cloud. The invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, was mounted on the night of July 9/10 and two nights later the crew engaged a Junkers 88 that was attacking Allied shipping. Cowper opened fire and the enemy bomber exploded, showering the Beaufighter with debris.
He lost consciousness but came to as he fell and pulled the ripcord of his parachute landing in the sea moments later
The night fighter was badly damaged and the navigator (a stand in for Watson) baled out never to be seen again. Cowper had great difficulty leaving the stricken Beaufighter. He lost consciousness but came to as he fell and pulled the ripcord of his parachute landing in the sea moments later. With deep cuts, a broken nose and bruising he waited until dawn to fire his distress flare when he was spotted and picked up by a naval vessel. His experiences entitled him to join the Caterpillar Club and the Goldfish Club giving him the rare distinction of membership of the trio of survival clubs.
Despite his wounds he was flying again a few weeks later and he and Watson destroyed a Junkers 88 off Sicily. By mid-August his tour was over and he was awarded the DFC for his "great courage and determination".
After a period as a night-fighter instructor, during which he met and married an Australian WAAF, he joined No 456 Squadron in March 1944 when Watson, who had also been on a rest tour, rejoined him.
In March 1945 the squadron re-equipped with a more powerful Mosquito and from an airfield in Essex provided support for bombing raids over southern German. By the end of the war, Cowper was the acting squadron commander of No 456, the only Australian night fighter squadron.
After the war, he and his young family returned to Australia where he worked for Dunlop before owning a service station. He later became a farmer and racehorse owner.
He worked tirelessly to achieve recognition of No 456 Squadron's war record and was instrumental in having the squadron's logo adopted as the official badge. In September 2008 this was laid in a slate tile in the floor of the RAF's church of St Clement Danes in the Strand. In 2004 he was appointed to the Légion d'Honneur for services during the Liberation of France and in 2010 received the Medal of the Order of Australia. In 2007 he published his autobiography, Chasing Shadows.
Bob Cowper married Katherine McCall in December 1943; she died in 2014 and their four daughters survive him.
Squadron Leader Bob Cowper, born June 24 1922, died June 21 2016
Squadron Leader Bob Cowper, Australian fighter 'ace' – obituary
Thorlifter
Captain
fubar57
General
Squadron Leader Percy Beake- fighter pilot
Squadron Leader Percy Beake, who has died aged 99, flew Spitfires in the latter stages of the Battle of Britain and commanded a Typhoon squadron in support of the D-Day landings and the campaign in Normandy.
Beake was an experienced fighter pilot when he was given command in May 1944 of No 164 Squadron, flying the rocket-firing Typhoon. Operating from airfields on the south coast, Beake and his pilots attacked targets on the Normandy coast in preparation for the Allied invasion. On D-Day the squadron was particularly busy. On its third sweep of the day over the beachhead, Beake shot down a Focke Wulf 190 eight miles east of Caen, the squadron's first air-to-air success.
On July 17 the squadron moved to a makeshift airstrip at Sommervieu, near Bayeaux, from where it flew "cab rank" sorties directed by a ground controller to attack enemy armour and troop concentrations. Supporting the Canadian Army, the Typhoons inflicted severe damage on the retreating German forces but losses among the squadrons were high.
Beake led his squadron during the intensive fighting of the summer months, including the fierce battles around Falaise and during the rapid Allied advance into Belgium that followed. In September he was rested and was awarded the DFC. The citation described him as a "first class leader whose great skill, thoroughness and untiring efforts contributed materially to the successes gained". A few weeks earlier he had been mentioned in despatches.
Percival Harold Beake, always known as Percy, was born on March 17 1917 in Montreal, Canada, to English parents who returned to Britain eight years later. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He joined the RAFVR in April 1939 and commenced training as a pilot, being mobilised in August.
After completing his training on Spitfires, in September 1940 he joined No 64 Squadron at Leconfield in Yorkshire before the squadron moved to Biggin Hill and then to an airfield in Norfolk. He flew patrols in the final stages of the Battle of Britain.
In June 1941 he asked to join a squadron at Biggin Hill in order to see more action. Flying Spitfires with No 92 Squadron, he participated in many sweeps and escort missions over northern France. Returning from one of these sorties he crash-landed in a field in Kent having run out of fuel.
In July Messerschmitt Bf 109s attacked him over the French coast and damaged the radiator of his Spitfire. Shortly afterwards the aircraft's engine seized and he was forced to bale out. Trapped in the cockpit, he inverted the aircraft and fell clear to land in the sea 18 miles south of Dover. He clambered aboard his dinghy but searching Spitfires failed to find him in the misty conditions. Some time later, by then suffering from hypothermia, he was picked up by an air-sea rescue launch.He was given a week's leave.
On September 24, Bf 109s engaged his formation over France and in the ensuing fight he managed to damage one. He finally came off operations in April 1942 to be an instructor at a fighter school.
He returned to the frontline in December when he was made the flight commander of a new squadron, No 193, which was forming with the Typhoon. The Brazilian branch of the Fellowship of the Bellows, an international group formed during the conflict to collect funds for the purchase of aircraft for the RAF, paid for some of the squadron's aircraft.
Over the following months he attacked shipping, flew standing patrols over the south coast and, later in the year, dive-bombed the V-1 sites under construction in the Pas de Calais. On February 8 1944, during a sweep over Brittany, he engaged a Focke Wulf 190 and shot it down. In May 1944 he was promoted to squadron leader to take command of No 164 Squadron.
After his time with the squadron, Beake joined the staff of the Fighter Leader's School as an instructor and he was released from the RAF in January 1946. He resumed his career in the animal feed manufacturing business with Robinson's, which later became part of BOCM – British Oil & Cake Mills – and later Unilever. He became the manager of the feed mills at Selby and later in Exeter.
In 2015, 71 years after his service during the liberation of France, the French government appointed him to the Legion d'honneur.
Percy Beake's wife Evelyn (née Viner), to whom he had been married for 75 years, predeceased him by five weeks. Their two daughters survive him.
Squadron Leader Percy Beake, born March 17 1917, died June 25 2016
source: The Telegraph
Squadron Leader Percy Beake, who has died aged 99, flew Spitfires in the latter stages of the Battle of Britain and commanded a Typhoon squadron in support of the D-Day landings and the campaign in Normandy.
Beake was an experienced fighter pilot when he was given command in May 1944 of No 164 Squadron, flying the rocket-firing Typhoon. Operating from airfields on the south coast, Beake and his pilots attacked targets on the Normandy coast in preparation for the Allied invasion. On D-Day the squadron was particularly busy. On its third sweep of the day over the beachhead, Beake shot down a Focke Wulf 190 eight miles east of Caen, the squadron's first air-to-air success.
On July 17 the squadron moved to a makeshift airstrip at Sommervieu, near Bayeaux, from where it flew "cab rank" sorties directed by a ground controller to attack enemy armour and troop concentrations. Supporting the Canadian Army, the Typhoons inflicted severe damage on the retreating German forces but losses among the squadrons were high.
Beake led his squadron during the intensive fighting of the summer months, including the fierce battles around Falaise and during the rapid Allied advance into Belgium that followed. In September he was rested and was awarded the DFC. The citation described him as a "first class leader whose great skill, thoroughness and untiring efforts contributed materially to the successes gained". A few weeks earlier he had been mentioned in despatches.
Percival Harold Beake, always known as Percy, was born on March 17 1917 in Montreal, Canada, to English parents who returned to Britain eight years later. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He joined the RAFVR in April 1939 and commenced training as a pilot, being mobilised in August.
After completing his training on Spitfires, in September 1940 he joined No 64 Squadron at Leconfield in Yorkshire before the squadron moved to Biggin Hill and then to an airfield in Norfolk. He flew patrols in the final stages of the Battle of Britain.
In June 1941 he asked to join a squadron at Biggin Hill in order to see more action. Flying Spitfires with No 92 Squadron, he participated in many sweeps and escort missions over northern France. Returning from one of these sorties he crash-landed in a field in Kent having run out of fuel.
In July Messerschmitt Bf 109s attacked him over the French coast and damaged the radiator of his Spitfire. Shortly afterwards the aircraft's engine seized and he was forced to bale out. Trapped in the cockpit, he inverted the aircraft and fell clear to land in the sea 18 miles south of Dover. He clambered aboard his dinghy but searching Spitfires failed to find him in the misty conditions. Some time later, by then suffering from hypothermia, he was picked up by an air-sea rescue launch.He was given a week's leave.
On September 24, Bf 109s engaged his formation over France and in the ensuing fight he managed to damage one. He finally came off operations in April 1942 to be an instructor at a fighter school.
He returned to the frontline in December when he was made the flight commander of a new squadron, No 193, which was forming with the Typhoon. The Brazilian branch of the Fellowship of the Bellows, an international group formed during the conflict to collect funds for the purchase of aircraft for the RAF, paid for some of the squadron's aircraft.
Over the following months he attacked shipping, flew standing patrols over the south coast and, later in the year, dive-bombed the V-1 sites under construction in the Pas de Calais. On February 8 1944, during a sweep over Brittany, he engaged a Focke Wulf 190 and shot it down. In May 1944 he was promoted to squadron leader to take command of No 164 Squadron.
After his time with the squadron, Beake joined the staff of the Fighter Leader's School as an instructor and he was released from the RAF in January 1946. He resumed his career in the animal feed manufacturing business with Robinson's, which later became part of BOCM – British Oil & Cake Mills – and later Unilever. He became the manager of the feed mills at Selby and later in Exeter.
In 2015, 71 years after his service during the liberation of France, the French government appointed him to the Legion d'honneur.
Percy Beake's wife Evelyn (née Viner), to whom he had been married for 75 years, predeceased him by five weeks. Their two daughters survive him.
Squadron Leader Percy Beake, born March 17 1917, died June 25 2016
source: The Telegraph
Old Wizard
2nd Lieutenant
Wing Commander Howard Murley
Wing Commander Howard Murley, who has died aged 92, flew four-engine bombers with Bomber Command before spending a number of years as a test pilot.
When Murley joined No 218 Squadron in May 1944 as the pilot of a four-engine Stirling bomber, he was barely 20 years old, the second youngest member of his seven-man crew. His early sorties were to northern France during Bomber Command's campaign to destroy vital targets, particularly rail marshalling yards and infrastructure, in the lead-up to D-Day. On one such sortie, as he was heading south over London, one engine of his bomber failed. The Stirling was at maximum weight and unable to maintain height. By the time Murley reached the Wash to jettison his bombs, the aircraft had lost more 10,000 ft in height. The squadron soon re-equipped with the Lancaster and bombing over Germany was resumed in August. Flying over Homberg on Bomber Command's first major daylight raid for three years, Murley's aircraft was badly damaged by flak and its hydraulics and undercarriage were damaged, but he managed to return to his base in Suffolk and land safely After 39 operations over Germany he was rested and awarded the DFC.
Howard Thomas Murley was born at Enfield on September 9 1923 and educated at Stationers' Company's School, a grammar school in North London, where he excelled at athletics and football. He went to Durham University, where he joined the University Air Squadron. He left early to join the RAF and trained as a pilot in Canada.
After his tour with No 218 Squadron Murley had a spell as a bombing instructor before transferring to the air transport force and flying Dakotas on routes to Italy and the Middle East. He later joined the Transport Command Development Unit and during this period flew sorties on the Berlin Airlift, operating from an airfield in West Germany. He was also seconded to the USAF as an RAF representative, during which time he flew as co-pilot on a C-54 Skymaster as one of the team transporting the much-publicised millionth sack of coal into Berlin. One of his duties on the Development Unit was to fly the RAF's new transport aircraft, the Vickers Valetta. He took one across the North Atlantic to the United States for trials. The outbound route for the relatively short-range aircraft included one leg where there was no alternative airfield in the event of an emergency. Before leaving the unit he was awarded the AFC.
In July 1949 Murley was selected as one of the first two RAF exchange students to train as test pilots at the United States Navy Test Pilot Training School in Patuxent River, Maryland, where he met and married his wife. A year later he returned to Britain to take up a post as a test pilot at Farnborough, flying a wide range of different aircraft types.
In 1953 he became the flight commander of the Aerodynamics Flight, at a time when the first of the V-bombers were being tested. One was the Avro Vulcan, and to provide aerodynamic data for its revolutionary delta-wing configuration a small number of third-scale single-engine research aircraft, the Avro 707, were built to provide aircraft handling data. During the 1953 Farnborough Air Show, he flew one of four of these aircraft in formation with the first two prototypes of the Vulcan, providing a stunning spectacle.
His flying duties also included photographing live trials of the Martin Baker ejector seat, and he flew some of the initial test flights investigating the spinning characteristics of the early high-performance jet fighters. He was then awarded a bar to his AFC.
While flying a Sabre fighter he suffered a pneumothorax as a result of being subjected to high g-forces while breathing 100 per cent oxygen at low level. Although unknown at the time, this is now a recognised risk. He was grounded and spent the next few years at a desk before spending two years as the personal staff officer to the secretary of state for air, George Ward.Returning to flying in July 1960, Murley converted to the Canberra bomber, serving on No 12 Squadron before taking command of No IX Squadron.
After three years in Malta as a staff officer, he returned to the test-flying arena when he was appointed as the Officer Commanding the Experimental Flying Wing at Farnborough. Again he flew a wide variety of aircraft, but he enjoyed none more than a replica SE 5A bi-plane of First World War vintage, which he demonstrated at several air shows.
After two non-flying appointments, the last on the British defence staff in Washington, Murley took early retirement in 1975. He and his wife decided to remain in America and they settled in Mississippi, his wife's home state. For a number of years he flew aerial photographic surveys and was an instructor at a local flying club. In 1990 he moved back to live in Farnham and aged 69 he retired from flying.
His many years' service to the local Rotary club was recognised with the award of the Paul Harris Fellowship. He was also a founding member of the Wey Valley Probus Club and helped with local church duties.
Despite the high-risk flying experiences he had had as a test pilot, his Second World War memories remained uppermost in his mind. He thought daily of his fallen colleagues. He was extremely moved when he first saw the RAF Bomber Command Memorial at Green Park. A modest, reserved man, he did not wish to be present at its unveiling.
Wing Commander Howard Murley, born September 9 1923, died May 31 2016.
source: The Telegraph
Wing Commander Howard Murley, who has died aged 92, flew four-engine bombers with Bomber Command before spending a number of years as a test pilot.
When Murley joined No 218 Squadron in May 1944 as the pilot of a four-engine Stirling bomber, he was barely 20 years old, the second youngest member of his seven-man crew. His early sorties were to northern France during Bomber Command's campaign to destroy vital targets, particularly rail marshalling yards and infrastructure, in the lead-up to D-Day. On one such sortie, as he was heading south over London, one engine of his bomber failed. The Stirling was at maximum weight and unable to maintain height. By the time Murley reached the Wash to jettison his bombs, the aircraft had lost more 10,000 ft in height. The squadron soon re-equipped with the Lancaster and bombing over Germany was resumed in August. Flying over Homberg on Bomber Command's first major daylight raid for three years, Murley's aircraft was badly damaged by flak and its hydraulics and undercarriage were damaged, but he managed to return to his base in Suffolk and land safely After 39 operations over Germany he was rested and awarded the DFC.
Howard Thomas Murley was born at Enfield on September 9 1923 and educated at Stationers' Company's School, a grammar school in North London, where he excelled at athletics and football. He went to Durham University, where he joined the University Air Squadron. He left early to join the RAF and trained as a pilot in Canada.
After his tour with No 218 Squadron Murley had a spell as a bombing instructor before transferring to the air transport force and flying Dakotas on routes to Italy and the Middle East. He later joined the Transport Command Development Unit and during this period flew sorties on the Berlin Airlift, operating from an airfield in West Germany. He was also seconded to the USAF as an RAF representative, during which time he flew as co-pilot on a C-54 Skymaster as one of the team transporting the much-publicised millionth sack of coal into Berlin. One of his duties on the Development Unit was to fly the RAF's new transport aircraft, the Vickers Valetta. He took one across the North Atlantic to the United States for trials. The outbound route for the relatively short-range aircraft included one leg where there was no alternative airfield in the event of an emergency. Before leaving the unit he was awarded the AFC.
In July 1949 Murley was selected as one of the first two RAF exchange students to train as test pilots at the United States Navy Test Pilot Training School in Patuxent River, Maryland, where he met and married his wife. A year later he returned to Britain to take up a post as a test pilot at Farnborough, flying a wide range of different aircraft types.
In 1953 he became the flight commander of the Aerodynamics Flight, at a time when the first of the V-bombers were being tested. One was the Avro Vulcan, and to provide aerodynamic data for its revolutionary delta-wing configuration a small number of third-scale single-engine research aircraft, the Avro 707, were built to provide aircraft handling data. During the 1953 Farnborough Air Show, he flew one of four of these aircraft in formation with the first two prototypes of the Vulcan, providing a stunning spectacle.
His flying duties also included photographing live trials of the Martin Baker ejector seat, and he flew some of the initial test flights investigating the spinning characteristics of the early high-performance jet fighters. He was then awarded a bar to his AFC.
While flying a Sabre fighter he suffered a pneumothorax as a result of being subjected to high g-forces while breathing 100 per cent oxygen at low level. Although unknown at the time, this is now a recognised risk. He was grounded and spent the next few years at a desk before spending two years as the personal staff officer to the secretary of state for air, George Ward.Returning to flying in July 1960, Murley converted to the Canberra bomber, serving on No 12 Squadron before taking command of No IX Squadron.
After three years in Malta as a staff officer, he returned to the test-flying arena when he was appointed as the Officer Commanding the Experimental Flying Wing at Farnborough. Again he flew a wide variety of aircraft, but he enjoyed none more than a replica SE 5A bi-plane of First World War vintage, which he demonstrated at several air shows.
After two non-flying appointments, the last on the British defence staff in Washington, Murley took early retirement in 1975. He and his wife decided to remain in America and they settled in Mississippi, his wife's home state. For a number of years he flew aerial photographic surveys and was an instructor at a local flying club. In 1990 he moved back to live in Farnham and aged 69 he retired from flying.
His many years' service to the local Rotary club was recognised with the award of the Paul Harris Fellowship. He was also a founding member of the Wey Valley Probus Club and helped with local church duties.
Despite the high-risk flying experiences he had had as a test pilot, his Second World War memories remained uppermost in his mind. He thought daily of his fallen colleagues. He was extremely moved when he first saw the RAF Bomber Command Memorial at Green Park. A modest, reserved man, he did not wish to be present at its unveiling.
Wing Commander Howard Murley, born September 9 1923, died May 31 2016.
source: The Telegraph
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