Feb 18 2013
Pierre Lorillon, a fighter ace from the French Normandie-Niémen group that fought on the Russian front in World War Two, died on February 17th in Bastia (Corsica). With his death, there are now only two surviving pilots of the legendary French fighter unit: Gaël Taburet and Jean Sauvage. Pierre Lorillon was born on May 13, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/18/pierre-lorillon-%e2%80%a0/
Feb 08 2013
Squadron Leader Tom Bennett, who has died aged 93, flew as a navigator in one of the specialist crews on No 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. After the war, he remained with the RAF until 1955 and then worked at the Port of London authority. He stayed close to 617 Squadron and is the author of an …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/08/squadron-leader-tom-bennett-%e2%80%a0/
Oct 24 2012
Roland de la Poype, a French ace of the Normandie-Niémen group, died aged 92 at Saint-Tropez in Southern France on 23 October. Roland Paulze d’Ivoy de la Poype, Compagnon de la Libération and Hero of the Soviet Union, was one of the first Frenchmen to rejoin General de Gaulle in June 1940. He volunteered to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/10/24/roland-de-la-poype-%e2%80%a0/
Oct 03 2012
Six people were killed yesterday in the crash of a 1934 de Havilland DH.84 Dragon (VH-UXG) in Australia yesterday. The aircraft was flown by pilot Des Porter, accompanied by his wife and four friends. Returning from an airshow in Monto in Queensland, the aircraft’s distress beacon was activated when they ran in foul weather. A …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/10/03/six-killed-in-de-havilland-dh-84-dragon-crash-in-australia/
Sep 09 2012
Bob Odegaard, the famous pilot and owner of Super Corsair #74, was killed when his aircraft crashed during a practice session for the Barnes County Airshow, near Fargo, North Dakota, USA. The meeting has been cancelled but the organizers. It seems, based on eyewitnesses’ reports, that the aircraft went into a barrel roll after takeoff …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/09/09/bob-odegaard-killed-in-super-corsair-crash/
Aug 31 2012
Flight Lieutenant Robert Bruce, who has died aged 96, formed a formidable night fighter crew with his Canadian pilot, Russ Bannock; their successes included the destruction of 19 V-1 flying bombs in addition to nine enemy aircraft. Read his obituary on the Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/08/31/flight-lieutenant-robert-bruce-%e2%80%a0/
Jul 22 2012
The pilot of a Fokker Dr. I triplane replica (F-AZAQ) was killed this afternoon in the crash of his aircraft. The aircraft was being displayed as part of the Couhé-Vérac meeting in Charente, France. The pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed, was a 66 year-old man who lived near Paris. The accident took place …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/07/22/pilot-killed-in-fokker-dr-i-replica-crash/
Jul 02 2012
Major Hubert “Nick” Knilans, who has died aged 94, epitomised the contribution of RAF Bomber Command to the Allied war effort by flying a great range of missions with No 619 and No 617 “Dambuster” Squadron, notably against Tirpitz and on D-Day; he was awarded the DSO and DFC. Read his obituary on the Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/07/02/major-nick-knilans-%e2%80%a0/
Apr 07 2012
Howard Pardue, a valued member of the warbird community was killed in the crash of his Grumman F8F Bearcat on April 4, 2012, shortly after taking off from Breckenridge, Texas. The aircraft reportedly crashed at the end of the runway and burst in flames, leaving no chance of survival to the pilot.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/07/howard-pardue-killed-in-the-crash-of-his-f8f-bearcat/
Nov 24 2011
Flight Lieutenant Charles Palliser, who has died aged 92, shot down four enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of seven others while flying Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain and, a year later, over Malta. Read his obituary on the Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/11/24/flight-lieutenant-charles-palliser-%e2%80%a0/
Nov 09 2011
Less than three months after the tragedy that cost Jon Egging his life, another pilot of the Red Arrows display team died yesterday. F/L Sean Cunningham was killed yesterday when his ejection seat fired while his aircraft was at a standstill.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/11/09/red-arrows-pilot-killed-in-ejection-seat-accident/
Nov 07 2011
Brigadier General Dick Lord, the Fleet Air Arm pilot who has died aged 75, was instrumental in the development of America’s Top Gun fighter pilot academy, made famous by the film of the same name. Read his obituary on the Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/11/07/brigadier-general-dick-lord-%e2%80%a0/
Oct 25 2011
Henri de Bordas, Free French ace, died on October 22, 2011. Bordas was still a student when France fell and he rallied England in 1940. Trained as a fighter pilot in the RAF, he flew during most of the war, flying some 320 wartime missions. He was credited with 11 aerial victories, including ten V-1 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/25/henri-de-bordas-%e2%80%a0/
Oct 25 2011
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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/25/tadeusz-sawicz-%e2%80%a0/
Oct 11 2011
Flight Lieutenant Wallace Cunningham, who has died aged 94, flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, when he was awarded the DFC. Read his obituary on the Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2011/10/11/flight-lieutenant-wallace-cunningham-%e2%80%a0/
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