Fighter Pilots of Germany.          Fighter Pilots of the United States of America 

Peter Townsend was one of the most inspirational fighter leaders of the Battle of Britain.  In February 1940, flying a Hurricane, he had shot down the first German aircraft to fall on English soil in World War II, and this was the first of a string of successes for the popular commander of 85 Squadron.  Shot down twice, wounded, and flying part of the Battle when he couldn't walk, Peter Townsend survived to lead the first night-fighter squadron.  He later became Equerry to King George VI, a post he held for 8 years

Eric Jones joined the RAF in April 1941 and trained as a pilot in Canada.  Back in England he was posted to No.49 Squadron flying Lancasters, and flew his first operation on the night of 22nd August 1943.  The target that night was Leverkusen.  On the night of 14th January 1944 on a raid against Brunswick his aircraft shot down an Me110 nightfighter south of Hannover.  He flew 12 trips to Berlin, the most heavily defended target in the Reich.  Eric Jones completed a tour of 29 combat operations in the Lancaster.  He was awarded the DFC.

Joining the Royal Air Force in May 1941, Leslie Hay was trained as a pilot in Canada.  On qualifying he returned to England and eventually was posted to join No.49 Squadron, then based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, flying Lancasters.  From there he flew his first operation on 1st August 1944, following the Normandy invasion.  Leslie Hay completed a total of 36 combat operations in the Lancaster, all with No.49 Squadron, at the height of Bomber Commands offensive against Germany

Robert Souter joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in February 1941, and after training was posted in 1942 to the Middle East, joining No.108 Squadron then flying Wellingtons.  He first flew operationally in June of that year, in the Western Desert campaign, and the last operation of his first tour was in Nov 1942 with the battle of El Alamein.  After a period with No.26 OTUWing, Robert undertook a second tour - this time flying Lancasters with No.49 Squadron, up to the end of the war.  He had completed a total of 47 operations by that time.  After the war he flew Dakotas and Liberators with RAF Transport Command.

After joining the Royal Air Force in June 1941, Ernie Webb was chosen for training as a pilot.  After qualifying he was posted in 1943 to join No.49 Squadron, based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire.  The squadron were by that time flying Lancasters, and heavily involved in the RAF Bomber Command offensive against the major targets in Germany.  He flew a total of 30 combat operations in the Lancaster during his tour with No.49 Squadron, and later went on to serve with No.242 Squadron, RAF Transport Command.  Ernest Webb was awarded the DFC.

Philip Bristow joined the Royal Naval Air Service in August 1917 and was sent for immediate flying training in France.  Transferring to the RAF on April 1, 1918, he was posted to 219 Squadron, flying the Short 184, where he saw active service flying combat patrold on the Northern Front.

Alex Henshaw perhaps understands the Spitfire better than any other living pilot today - for he was Vickers Chief Test Pilot on Spitfires at the new Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich during World War II.  By the end of the war he had personally test flown a total of 2360 different Spitfires and Seafires - more than ten per cent of the entire production.  It is often stated that those lucky enough to have seen Alex handle the Spitfire in flight, that it is an experience that can never be forgotten, he was acknowledged as a virtuoso in aerobatics.

Bob Stanford Tuck was a flamboyant fighter pilot, his dashing good looks, courage, and success in the air coming to epitomise the young flyers who fought and won the Battle of Britain.  To the British public he was a hero in the mould of the knights of old, and today his name is legend.  In the early stages of the Battle of Britain Bob fought with 92 Squadron flying Spitfires, quickly becoming one of the leading aces.  Promoted to command 257 Squadron, now flying Hurricanes, Bob's dashing style of leadership inspired his pilots to great success.  He went on to command the Duxford and Biggin Hill Wings, taking his personal score to 29 air victories before being shot down by ground fire over Northern France in 1942.

Lancaster pilot Bob Knights joined 619 Squadron RAF Woodhall Spa in September 1943, successfully completing his first tour of 26 operations. In January 1944 he was asked to join 617 Squadron with Leonard Cheshire, and carried out the precision bombing attacks for which 617 Sqn was famed. These included three attacks on the Tirpitz, and attacks on factories, U-boat pens, and V1 rocket sites. Bob Knights completed a further 44 operations with 617 Squadron.

Entering the RAF in 1940 he joined No 114 Squadron as a sergeant pilot flying Blenheims.  After 12 operations he and his crew were allocated to No 105 Squadron and then No 107 Squadron, the last remaining Blenheim Squadron in Malta.  The Squadron remained there without relief for five months carrying out low level attacks on the shipping.  Very few of the original crews survived the detachment, in fact he was commissioned during this period, when 107 Squadron had lost all their officers and for a short time was the only officer, other than the CO, in the Squadron.  At the end of this tour he was awarded the DFC.  In early 1943 he became one of the first Mosquito instructors in the Pathfinder Force and later moved to No 571 Squadron with the Light Night Strike Force.  He then formed No 163 Squadron as acting Wing Commander.  He was awarded a bar to his DFC for a low level moonlight mining attack on the Dormund - Ems Canal from 50ft and then a second bar for getting a 4000lb bomb into the mouth of a railway tunnel during the final German Ardennes offensive.  During his time on Mosquitoes his navigator was Tommy Broom, together they formed an inseparable combination.  Remaining with the RAF after WWII and in accordance with peacetime rules for a much smaller Air Force he was reduced in rank first to Squadron Leader and then to Flight Lieutenant in 1948.  Promoted to Air Marshal in 1974 he became the Head of the UK National Air Traffic Services and was the first serving officer to be appointed to the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority.  Retiring from the RAF in 1979 he has been actively engaged in civil aviation since then.

Wing Commander Singleton flew the Mosquito in both the offensive and defensive role.  During the latter, his more notable engagements included the interception of three JU 88s in a matter of minutes.  The three aircraft were the lead pathfinders of a much larger bomber force heading for the city of Hull.  The downing of these three aircraft effectively put an end to the success of the enemy raid.

As an observer with 105 Squadron he spent the early months of the WWII on Fairey Battles in France and then on Blenheims back in England.  After spending a period as an instructor at 13 OTU he rejoined 105 Squadron on Mosquitoes, they were in fact the first squadron in the RAF to receive them.  Through early 1942 he was navigator on many of the daylight raids carried out by 105 Squadron.  In 1943 he became navigator to Ivor Broom (no relation) in 163 Squadron as part of the Light Night Strike Force and together they formed an inseparable and very successful combination.  Known as 'The Flying Brooms' they were together throughout their time on Mosquitoes including the low level attack on the Dortmund - Ems Canal and 22 attacks on Berlin.

He initially joined the RAFVR in 1937 and was commissioned and posted to Bomber Command in 1941.  Joining 97 Sqn flying Manchesters he was involved in the famous Augsberg daylight raid for which he received a DFC.  At the end of 1942 he joined RAF Scampton helping to convert to Lancaster Bombers before rejoining 97 Sqn at Bourn as a Pathfinder.  After a spell at Warboys as an instructor he took command of 128 Sqn at Wyton, flying Mosquitoes as part of the Light Night Strike Force.  Staying with this unit he finished the war having completed 87 operations.

Joining the RAF in July 1941 he trained as a pilot in the USA and was posted to 420 Sqn as part of no 6 Group (RCAF) initially flying Wellingtons.  The unit then converted to Halifaxes and he moved firstly to 427 Squadron and then 434 Sqn still flying this aircraft.  In November 1944 he joined OTU as an instructor on Halifaxes, converting to Mosquitoes in January 1945.  He then joined 571 Sqn as part of the Light Night Strike Force, flying the B Mk XVI and dropping 4000lb 'cookie' bombs over Germany.  He left the RAF in 1946 but rejoined, finally leaving in 1958

Joining the RAF in 1940 he was posted in April 1941 to 83 Sqn at Scampton flying Hampdens and Manchesters, joining OTU as an instructor on Wellingtons in March 1942.  He then rejoined 83 Sqn now at Wyton as a Pathfinder flying Lancasters until he was shot down by German Night Fighters in March 1943.  Having been captured he escaped to Switzerland and after a period there managed to return to Britain through France and Spain.  In May 1944 he joined 571 Sqn flying Mosquitoes with the Light Night Strike Force taking part in many of the units operations over Western Germany.  He left the RAF in December 1967.            

On 31st January 1943, Mosquitos bombed Berlin for the first time.  Timed to coincide with a speech by Hermann Goering, three Mosquitos from 105 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader R W Reynolds and Ted Sismore, attacked at exactly 11.00 hrs to disrupt the Reichmarshall's speech for over an hour.  Ted later navigated the final large daylight raid by 105 Squadron in May 1943, when both men led the attack on the Zeiss Optical factory and the glassworks in Jena.  Ted Sismore planned the route for the famous Amiens prison raid, and 'master-navigated' all three Gestapo raids in Denmark - Aarhaus, Shelhaus and Odensa.

Joining the RAF in 1941, Douglas completed his training in Canada and qualified as a navigator, returning to the UK to spend a brief time with the Navigation Research Flight before being posted to 162 Squadron in No.8 Pathfinder Group at Bourn, near Cambridge, flying Mosquitos.  At the end of the war he went briefly to Black Bush Airport flying operations, dropping diplomatic mail in Oslo, Visbarden and Brussels before being posted back to 8 group with 692 Squadron Light Night Strike Force to prepare for the then proposed invasion of Japan.

Posted to 85 Squadron on night-fighters in October 1941, Branse Burbridge flew Havocs on his first tour, scoring just a single claim, but when he returned to 85 Squadron for a second tour - this time on Mosquitos, he was far more successful.  During the period of the build up to the invasion of Normandy, and after, together with his radar navigator, Bill Skelton, he claimed 21 victories in a ten month spell.  In June 1944 he also shot down three V-1s.  With his final air victory, in January 1945, he passed the total set by John 'Cats Eyes' Cunningham to become the highest scoring RAF night fighter Ace of the war.

Flying Hurricanes, George Westlake joined 43 Squadron at the height of the Battle of Britain.  On 29th September he moved to 213 Squadron at Tangmere, and on 15th November shot down an Me109.  In May of the following year the squadron flew their Hurricanes off HMS Furious to Malta bound for Egypt and was briefly attached to 80 Squadron during the Syrian campaign, where he had some further success.  Returning to 213 Squadron he took temporary command in October 1942.  In 1944 he led 239 Wing in Italy.  He finished the war with eleven victories.

At the outbreak of war Bill Sizer was flying Hurricanes with 213 Squadron.  The squadron flew to France in May 1940, where he scored his first victories, before being attacked by five Me109s and shot down.  Rejoining his squadron soon after, he took part in the air battles over Dunkirk before again being shot down and escaping back to England.  He flew throughout the Battle of Britain.  In April 1941 he was posted to join 1 Squadron, and then 91 Squadron.  In April 1942 he joined 152 Squadron flying Spitfires, with whom he went to North Africa.  In January 1943 he was given command of 93 Squadron and took part in the Sicily landings.  He finished the war with 7 and 5 shared victories.

Joining the RAFVR in 1938, at the outbreak of war Tom was called up and posted to 139 Squadron as a Sergeant Pilot flying Blenheims on low level bombing raids.  He was commissioned in 1941.  In August 1943 he joined 464 Squadron flying Mosquitos, and in February 1944 took part in 'Operation Jericho' when 18 Mosquitos of 140 Wing , nd TAF, attacked the Gestapo held prison at Amiens, liberating over 100 French Resistance fighters, many of whom had been condemned to execution the following morning.  Flying number two on the raid he was promoted to Squadron Leader as a result.  From June 1944 he was posted to a Forward Control Unit until the end of the war.

Jack Rose flew one of the last Hurricanes to leave France in 1940.  He formed the new 184 Squadron in 1942, initially on Hurricanes, later Spitfires.  In late 1943 the squadron converted to rocket firing Typhoons, and were heavily involved in the build up to D-Day, moving to France in late 1944.  He later transferred to the Far East, finishing the war with 3 victories.