Battle of Britain – World Warbird News https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com The latest in warbirds and historical aviation Sat, 09 May 2020 08:52:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/WWN-icon-256-150x150.png Battle of Britain – World Warbird News https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com 32 32 Terry Clark, one of the two last Battle of Britain airmen, has passed away https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/05/09/terry-clark-one-of-the-two-last-battle-of-britain-airmen-has-passed-away/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/05/09/terry-clark-one-of-the-two-last-battle-of-britain-airmen-has-passed-away/#respond Sat, 09 May 2020 08:52:09 +0000 https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=3985

Continue reading]]> William Terence Montague Clark, DFM, AE, better known as Terry Clark, passed away on 7 May 2020 at the age of 101, just a few hours before the 75th anniversary of VE-Day.

Born on April 11, 1919 , Terry Clark flew as navigator and radar operator in the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1945.

With his passing, there is now only one known surviving airman of the Battle of Britain : F/O John Hemingway.

Our thoughts and prayers go to Terry Clark’s family and friends.

Source : Battle of Britain Memorial

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/05/09/terry-clark-one-of-the-two-last-battle-of-britain-airmen-has-passed-away/feed/ 0 W/C Paul Farnes, last surviving Battle of Britain ace, has passed away https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/01/31/w-c-paul-farnes-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-ace-has-passed-away/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/01/31/w-c-paul-farnes-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-ace-has-passed-away/#respond Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:52:48 +0000 https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=3952

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Paul Caswell Powe Farnes (Photo Oem89 (CC BY-SA 4.0))

Wing Commander Paul Caswell Powe Farnes, the last surviving ace of the Battle of Britain, passed away on 28 January 2020 aged 101. His death takes place only a few weeks after that of Maurice Mounsdon, and there are now only two surviving Royal Air Force pilots of the Battle of Britain: F/L William Clark and F/O John Hemingway.

Born on 16 July 1918, Paul Farnes joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1938. He was mobilized in July 1939 and was assigned to No 501 Squadron RAF . He took part in the Battle of France, claiming two shared victories against bombers and an individual victory against a Heinkel He 111. After the retreat from France, he took part in the battle of Britain, claiming another five aerial victories, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in October 1940.

He later served in Malta, North Africa and the United-Kingdom. After the war, he remained in the RAF until his retirement in 1958 with the rank of Wing Commander.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Paul Farnes.

Sources:

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/01/31/w-c-paul-farnes-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-ace-has-passed-away/feed/ 0 Maurice Mounsdon, one of the last surviving pilots of the Battle of Britain, has passed away https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/12/13/maurice-mounsdon-one-of-the-last-surviving-pilots-of-the-battle-of-britain-has-passed-away/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/12/13/maurice-mounsdon-one-of-the-last-surviving-pilots-of-the-battle-of-britain-has-passed-away/#comments Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:44:03 +0000 https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=3926

Continue reading]]> Maurice Mounsdon at the controls of his Hurricane (Photo Crown Copyright)

Maurice Mounsdon at the controls of his Hurricane (Photo Crown Copyright)

Flight Lieutenant Maurice Mounsdon, one of the last surviving pilots to have fought during the Battle of Britain, passed away on December 6 at the age of 101.

Born on 11 February 1918, Maurice “Mark” Mounsdon began his training on 24 August 1939 and was assigned to No 56 Squadron of the Royal Air Force on 3 June 1940 as the Battle of Britain was raging. Flying a Hurricane, he shared the destruction of a Dornier Do 17 on 3 July, and three weeks later probably destroyed a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. In August, he scored two victories against Messerschmitt fighters, as well as a probable victory. He destroyed or damaged about seven German aircraft before being shot down himself over Colchester on 31 August 1940.

He was able to bail out from his stricken aircraft but was seriously burned in the process and spent nine months recovering in hospital before returning to serve with the RAF Headquarters and later as a flight instructor and flight commander. Returning to civilian life in 1946, he resumed his engineering career with the General Electric Company.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc LF363 in July 2000, adorning the colours of Mounsdon's Hurricane during the battle. (Photo Andrew Thomas (CC BY-SA 2.0))

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc LF363 in July 2000, adorning the colours of Mounsdon’s Hurricane during the battle. (Photo Andrew Thomas (CC BY-SA 2.0))

Mounsdon moved to Spain in the 1970s with his wife Mary, who passed away in 1993. For his hundredth birthday in 2018, the RAF’s Red Arrows team made a flyby next to his house in Melorca.

With Maurice Mounsdon’s passing, there are only three surviving British pilots of the Battle of Britain: F/L William Clark, W/C Paul Farnes and F/O John Hemingway.

Sources:

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/12/13/maurice-mounsdon-one-of-the-last-surviving-pilots-of-the-battle-of-britain-has-passed-away/feed/ 2 S/L John Hart, one of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots, has passed away https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/09/01/s-l-john-hart-one-of-the-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-pilots-has-passed-away/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/09/01/s-l-john-hart-one-of-the-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-pilots-has-passed-away/#respond Sun, 01 Sep 2019 08:30:09 +0000 https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=3861

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Squadron Leader John Hart DFC, one of the last four surviving Battle of Britain veterans according to Metro News, passed away on 18 June 2019. Born in 1916, Hart was a Canadian pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1938 to 1946. He flew Lysanders in the RAF Army Cooperation Command, Spitfires in the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes in Burma and Mustangs in Italy.

Source:

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2019/09/01/s-l-john-hart-one-of-the-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-pilots-has-passed-away/feed/ 0 G/C Allan Wright, one of the last Battle of Britain aces, passes away https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/09/22/gc-allan-wright-one-of-the-last-battle-of-britain-aces-passes-away/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/09/22/gc-allan-wright-one-of-the-last-battle-of-britain-aces-passes-away/#respond Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:52:08 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=2833 Group Captain Allan Wright

Group Captain Allan Wright

Group Captain Allan Wright, one of the last three aces of the Battle of Britain passed away on 16 September aged 95.

After the war, he remained in the Royal Air Force, retiring in 1967.

Read his complete biography from The Telegraph

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/09/22/gc-allan-wright-one-of-the-last-battle-of-britain-aces-passes-away/feed/ 0 45 Spitfires, Hurricanes and Blenheim for Battle of Britain Day Flypast ! https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/08/15/45-spitfires-hurricanes-and-blenheim-for-battle-of-britain-day-flypast/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/08/15/45-spitfires-hurricanes-and-blenheim-for-battle-of-britain-day-flypast/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2015 09:19:05 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=2790

Continue reading]]> Battle of Britain Day Memorial FlypastOn Battle of Britain day, September 15th, a formation of 45 aircraft will take off from Goodwood aerodrome36 Supermarine Spitfires, 8 Hawker Hurricanes and the only airworthy Bristol Blenheim.

The formation will be led from the back seat of a twin-seat Spitfire by Wing Commander Tom Neil, DFC, AFC, AE, a 95-year old Battle of Britain veteran. After reaching Selsey Bill, the formation will break into groups of four, which will fly different paths across south and south-east England and land at various airfields used during the battle: Biggin Hill, Duxford, Northweald, Northolt, with some returning to Goodwood.

It is the first time since the end of World War II that so many Battle of Britain aircraft fly together.

More information on this fantastic event can be found the Battle of Britain Day Flypast website. [NB:bad link corrected]

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2015/08/15/45-spitfires-hurricanes-and-blenheim-for-battle-of-britain-day-flypast/feed/ 1 Flight Lieutenant Bill Green ✝ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/14/flight-lieutenant-bill-green-%e2%9c%9d/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/14/flight-lieutenant-bill-green-%e2%9c%9d/#respond Sun, 14 Dec 2014 04:18:35 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=2368 Bill GreenFlight Lieutenant Bill Green, who has died aged 97, was twice shot down: first flying a Hurricane during the Battle of Britain; five years later he was taken prisoner after again being shot down whilst flying a Tempest over Germany.

Read his obituary from The Telegraph.

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/14/flight-lieutenant-bill-green-%e2%9c%9d/feed/ 0 Wing Commander Bob Foster † https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/10/wing-commander-bob-foster-%e2%80%a0/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/10/wing-commander-bob-foster-%e2%80%a0/#respond Sat, 09 Aug 2014 22:29:00 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=2319

Continue reading]]> Bob FosterWing Commander Bob Foster, who has died aged 94,  was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot who went on to become an ace flying Spitfires in defence of Australia.

In 2004, Bob Foster was reunited with Hawker Hurricane R4118, which he flew during the Battle of Britain.

After the war Foster worked for Shell-Mex and BP as a marketing executive until his retirement in 1975. He published his autobiography, “Tally Ho!”, in 2009.

Read his obituary on The Telegraph.

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/10/wing-commander-bob-foster-%e2%80%a0/feed/ 0 Tadeusz Sawicz † https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/25/tadeusz-sawicz-%e2%80%a0/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/25/tadeusz-sawicz-%e2%80%a0/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:57:46 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=838

Continue reading]]> Tadeusz Sawicz died on October 19, 2011. Born in 1914 in Warsaw, he joined the Polish air force in 1934 and fought the German invaders in 1939, flying P.11c fighters. After the fall of Poland, he joined France and began flying with Groupe de Chasse III/10 but had to flee to North Africa after the defeat.

He reached Great-Britain in time to take part in the Battle of Britain and flew with the RAF for the rest of the war. He was credited with 3 confirmed aerial victories and 3.5 damaged aircraft. He was commander of all three Polish Fighter Wings in the RAF.

After the war, Sawicz stayed in England before moving to Canada in 1957.

Sources:

]]> https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/25/tadeusz-sawicz-%e2%80%a0/feed/ 2 Kiwi veteran of Battle of Britain dies https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/05/26/kiwi-veteran-of-battle-of-britain-dies/ https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/05/26/kiwi-veteran-of-battle-of-britain-dies/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 13:51:20 +0000 http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/?p=153

Continue reading]]> Group Captain John Gard’ner passed away on May 6, 2011 in Tauranga, New Zealand. With his death, only three of the 95 New Zealand pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain are still alive. Gard’ner also fought during the Korean War, during which he was attached to a US Marine Corps squadron.

Gard’ner joined the RAF in 1938 and was posted to 141 Squadron flying the Boulton-Paul Defiant after training. On June 19, 1940, his squadron was patrolling with their totally obsolete aircraft when they were jumped by a greater force of German Me 109s. Out of nine aircraft, only three returned to base. The loss was such that the squadron was temporarily removed from active service.

Gard’ner stayed with the RAF until the end of the war, eventually becoming a squadron leader. He was credited with one aerial victory, a Fw 190 shot down in November 1944. During the Korean War, Gard’ner was assigned to a USMC unit and flew F3D Skyknights.

He retired in 1965 and settled back in New-Zealand. He is survived by his wife Suzanne, two sons and two daughters.

Sources:

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