AIRCREW BIOGRAPHIES

Group Captain Douglas Bader, CBE, DSO*, DFC

In November 1939, eight years after he'd lost his legs in a flying accident, at age 29, Douglas Bader flew solo again in an Avro Tudor. As one would expect from someone who'd flown in the RAF's pre-war aerobatic team, Bader's progress was quick and it was no time before he was at the controls of a Hurricane. At once he felt a part of this high-performance fighter and in February 1940 found himself posted to No. 19 Squadron at Duxford. Within two months, with the rank of Flight Lieutenant he was promoted as flight commander of 222 Squadron, another Duxford-based unit equipped with Spitfires.

Paying little heed to Fighter Command's practiced tactics, Bader trained his squadron pilots in his own theories of dog-fighting while waiting for the action to begin. It wasn't long in coming: while covering the British and French evacuation at Dunkirk, 222 Squadron tangled with Luftewaffe Me 110's and Me109's Bader scored his first air victory, destroying one of the Me109's.

In June 1940, Bader was given command of 242 Squadron, a Canadian Hurricane unit that had been badly mauled in France. Low on moral, Bader could see the Canadian pilots were not impressed to receive a new CO with no legs, so climbed into one of the squadron's Hurricanes and performed half an hour of aerobatics over the airfield at Coltishall. His spectacular display dispelled all doubts about the new squadron leader's skills as a pilot.

Though Bader transformed 242 into a top rate fighting unit, they saw little action in the first part of the Battle of Britain, however on 30 August 242 Squadron intercepted a large group of German bombers and fighters attacking North Weald airfield, just north of London. Bader destroyed an Me110 and the squadron claimed 11 victories. But Bader wasn't satisfied, believing that with more fighters many more enemy planes would have been shot down. He was able to convince Leigh Mallory of his Big Wing theory and Nos. 19 and 310 (Czech) Squadrons were placed at under Bader's command at Duxford.

After some success with three squadrons, two more - No. 302 (Polish) Hurricane Squadron and No.601's Spitfires - were added to the Duxford Wing, giving Bader control of five squadrons and 60 fighters. The Big Wing tactic proved itself on September 15, 1940, when Bader's Duxford pilots helped 11 Group break up a massed Luftwaffe attack on London during the climax of the Battle of Britain. Baders Duxford Wing was credited with 152 enemy aircraft destroyed during the battle with the loss of 30 pilots. Bader was awarded both the DSO and the DFC.

In March 1941, Bader, now a wing commander, took over the "Tangmere Wing" based on England's south coast. Consisting of three Spitfire Squadrons - Nos. 145, 610 and 616 - Bader led air attacks against targets in northern France and the Low Countries, for the first time taking the air war to the enemy. During this period Bader introduced the "finger four" formation - two pairs of fighters flying beside each other - replacing the unwieldy Big Wing formation with what became standard battle formation with both RAF and USAAF fighter pilots.

Bader greatly inspired the Tangmere wing pilots - which he christened "The Bee Line Bus Service": Leading from the front with exceptional courage, handling his three squadrons with remarkable dexterity and teamwork, always seemingly able to keep track of events around him in the air, Bader had a knack of knowing where and when to attack. The call sign "Dogsbody" followed by cool orders mingled with ripe language crackling over the intercom, instilled his pilots with utter reassurance and confidence as he led them into battle. Bader was awarded a bar to his DSO for his courageous and inspired leadership.

Returning to base after a mission, as they crossed the Channel Bader would flip back the canopy of his Spitfire, unclip his oxygen mask and, holding the stick between his artificial legs, light up his pipe. Pilots flying alongside the wing commander's Spitfire would sheer off, half in jest and half in earnest, in case his Spitfire blew up.

Though seemingly invincible, while leading his wing over France on August 9, 1941, Bader collided mid-air with a Messerschmitt Me-109. Having lost the entire tail area of his Spitfire, he took to his parachute and, landing in occupied territory, was taken prisoner. He spent the remainder of the war in captivity, including time at Colditz. On liberation, typically, Bader rushed to Paris and demanded a Spitfire for one last fling before the war ended. Understandably, permission was refused, so his personal tally would remain at 22.5 German aircraft destroyed.

Back in England, Douglas Bader appropriately led the 300-aircraft victory flypast over London on September 15 - the anniversary of the day the Battle Britain had been won five years earlier.

Though offered the rank and seniority he would have enjoyed had he not been brought down in 1941, Bader felt that peacetime offered new horizons and resigned from the Royal Air Force to take up a position with Shell. Throughout the remainder of his life Douglas Bader devoted much of his time giving inspiration and encouragement to others who, like him, had lost limbs, and in 1976 was knighted for his services to the disabled. When Sir Douglas Bader died in 1982 Britain lost one of its greatest heroes.

Please also see "Douglas Bader Foundation" on the navigation bar, above.

Wing Commander Roland Beamont, CBE, DSO*, DFC*

Posted to France in November 1939, "Bee" Beamont joined 87 Squadron, equipped with Mk I Hurricanes and tasked to provide rearguard cover for the Expeditionary Force as they retreated towards Dunkirk. Almost immediately Beamont claimed his first air victory as the Blitzkrieg began. Continuing with 87 Squadron, Beamont flew throughout the Battle of Britain, having claimed 4 victories by August 1940.

A brilliant pilot, Beamont's idea of a rest period from air combat was to spend time at the Hawker factory test flying developing marks and new aircraft. This included the new Typhoon - initially designed as a high altitude fighter, but subsequently to become the best ground attack aircraft of WWII. When the Typhoon became operational Beamont flew first with 56 Squadron and then 609 Squadron at Duxford, which he commanded.

In 1944 Beamont formed the first Typhoon wing (150) where a speciality was combating the deadly V1 "Doodlebug" rockets. Beamont developed a technique of flying alongside the rocket, and using his wingtip to roll the V1 over, upsetting the gyros so the flying bomb crashed in open country well short of the target. He and his Typhoon pilots destroyed 32 V1 Flying Bombs using this hair-raising and highly dangerous tactic.

By 1944 the wing was equipped with Tempests and they were in constant low-level action over northern France attacking ground targets in the lead up to, during, and following the D-Day invasion, however Bee Beamont's luck ran out in October 1944 when he was shot down by flak. He was taken prisoner until the end of the war.

After the war Bee Beamont reverted to test flying ultimately becoming one of Britain's best known test pilots. He first flew many aircraft including the Canberra and the Lightning, one of the most remarkable jet fighters ever built. He was involved in the early development of the Tornado, the front-line jet currently in service with the RAF. His daring air show displays became legend, and by the time this highly decorated, outstanding pilot retired he had become a household name.

Kapitanleutnant Gerhard Bielig, Kriegsmarine

Kapitanleutnant Gerhard Bielig served as the leading engineer on U.177 and was given credit for the U-Boats survival during several desperate situations following violent depth charge attacks. He served on front line duties on patrols in the Atlantic from 1943 till the end of the war. He was awarded the Knights Cross for his heroism on 10th February, 1943.

Colonel Don Blakeslee, USAAF

Obsessed with the urge to fly combat, and with America yet to join the war, Don Blakeslee left his native Ohio in October 1940 to join the RCAF. After completing his training he arrived in England in May 1941, joining No 401 (RCAF) Squadron, flying Spitfires from Biggin Hill. He was soon in combat, where he scored his first victory bringing down an Me 109 over northern France.

Together with other American volunteers he transferred to No 133, one of the three American-manned Eagle squadrons of the RAF, adding to his air successes during the Dieppe operation in August 1942. After completing 120 combat missions the RAF awarded Blakeslee the DFC.

With the arrival of American units in Europe, in September 1942 the Eagle squadrons transferred their Spitfires to the USAAFs 4th Fighter Group, and Blakeslee took command of the 335th Squadron. When re-equipped with the P-47, in April 1943 Blakeslee scored the P-47s first successes when he shot down a FW 190, followed shortly afterwards by a second. He then took command of the recently arrived 354th Fighter Group, the first to be equipped with P-51 Mustangs, almost immediately claiming a victory which convinced him of the Mustangs superiority over the P-47.

On 1st January 1944 Blakeslee was given command of the 4th Fighter Group based at Debden, Essex. Its role was to escort the Eighth Air Forces long-range bomber formations deep into enemy territory, and in March 1944 Blakeslee led the first Mustangs over Berlin, escorting a daylight-bombing raid on the German capital. In just four months his aggressive leadership led to the Group notching up its 500th combat success.

By his own admission Blakeslee was not an expert shot; never-the-less he was credited with 15 victories, but when there was a multiple claim he always gave junior pilots the credit. Many believe that he destroyed at least 30 enemy aircraft. Blakeslees greatest asset was his outstanding ability as a leader in the air. He was everywhere in the battle, twisting and climbing, bellowing and blaspheming, warning and exhorting. His ability to keep things taped in a fight with 50 planes flying at 400mph was a source of wonder.

Blakeslee forged the 4th Fighter Group into one of the most formidable and successful USAAF fighter combat units in WWII many claim the best. By the end of the war it had become the top-scoring American fighter Group. Having flown more than 400 operational sorties since transferring to the USAAF, he was finally grounded in September 1944.

Don Blakeslee was one of Americas most decorated pilots: Already awarded the DFC by the RAF, he was twice awarded Americas Distinguished Service Cross, as well as a Silver Star and numerous other medals. He was greatly admired by all American fighter pilots and was undoubtedly one of the finest American combat leaders of the Second World War.

Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell

A Canadian, Henry Botterell volunteered for flying training and arrived in England in 1916, joining the Royal Naval Air Service as a pilot in May 1917 aged just 20. On 18 September he crash-landed his Sopwith Pup at Dunkirk receiving injuries that put him in hospital for six months and ended his short career as a navy pilot.

After recuperation and about to return to Canada, Botterell ran into a number of his old No. 8 Naval Squadron colleagues in London who arranged for him to be re-enlisted and he made his way to Manston in Kent for a pilot refresher course. After 10 hours flying he re-qualified and was promptly dispatched to France to rejoin his old No. 8 Naval Squadron which, in his absence had been renamed No.208 Squadron and attached to the Royal Flying Corps.

Back in France in the immediate aftermath of the great German spring advance, Henry Botterell flew an assortment of hazardous missions, piloting a variety of different aircraft on patrols and artillery spotting during which he reported "he was constantly shot at". In the 60 days between June and August 1918 he flew almost 100 missions in his Sopwith Camel, on 29 August bringing down a heavily defended German observation balloon near Arras. The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa now houses a fence post that was caught in the wing of Botterell's Sopwith Camel during one of his low-level sorties.

When Henry Botterell died in January 2003 aged 106, the last of the First World War pilots passed into history.

Oberst Hermann Buchner, Luftwaffe

Hermann Buchner was an accomplished ground attack fighter pilot. He flew 215 combat missions in the Bf 109, a further 396 piloting the FW 190, and towards the end of the war, completed 20 combat missions flying the Luftwaffes brand new Me 262 jet fighter. His first combat role was ground attack but on his 215th missions he was badly injured when his Me109 exploded at 22,000ft. After recuperating he returned to combat flying in 1943 completing another 200 missions before again being wounded in combat.

Back in action a third time, he fought in the Crimea and Romania campaigns building a reputation as an outstanding ground attack pilot. During this phase of his career he was credited with personally destroying at least 46 tanks, numerous mechanical vehicles and anti-aircraft units.

After 500 ground attack missions he transferred to the 'Nowotny', Me262 jet trials unit, and then joined 9./JG7 flying the new jet in combat becoming the first jet pilot in history to score an air-to-air victory.

During 631 combat missions Hermann Buchner was hit 5 times, twice forced to use his parachute, and was wounded three times. Aside from his ground attack flying, Buchner flew some 130 air-to-air combat missions in which he achieved no fewer then 58 aerial victories including 12 while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. He was decorated with the Knights Cross.

Captain Turner Brashear, USAAF

Having qualified in 1943 on heavy bombers in the States, Turner Brashear arrived at Ridgewell in time to fly his first combat mission on 24 November 1944 with the 535th Bomb Squadron, the 381st Bomb Group. Commanding a B-17 Flying Fortress, Brashear flew 27 missions, remaining on active service in Europe until VE-Day. Flying in packed formations, there was always the danger of colliding with other aircraft and on 11th April 1945 his worst fears became reality: his B-17 was involved in a mid-air collision when another B-17 in the formation descended from above, crashing into his plane. High over the Rhine on a bombing mission to Munich, the right horizontal stabiliser on the tail of his aircraft was sheared off sending his B-17 into a deadly spin that few bombers ever recovered from. After dropping some 8000 feet, with great skill Brashear managed to regain control of his bomber and bring it, with its crew, safely home.

Air Commodore Pete Brothers, DSO, DFC*

Pete Brothers learned to fly at 16, joined the RAF in 1936, and was posted to No.32 Squadron where they practiced "scrambles" in their bi-planes intercepting civil airliners. In 1938 he was elevated to flight commander with the arrival of the squadrons first Hurricanes.

In May 1940 the squadron flew to French and Belgian airfields from which they fought off Luftwaffe attacks on the retreating British Expeditionary Force as it retreated towards Dunkirk. It was during one such encounter Brothers scored his first air victory when he brought down an Me 109 near the beaches.

Out the outset of the Battle of Britain 32 Squadron was based at Biggin Hill but by August their heavy losses enforced withdrawal. However Brothers was immediately posted to 257 Squadron at Martlesham where he joined Bob Stanford-Tuck both as flight commanders. Air fighting raged at a blistering pace, and Pete Brothers described a typical combat that occurred of 15th September during the Battle: "Leading a section of 9 Hurricanes we attacked a formation of 25 Dornier 17 bombers at 18,000 feet as they approached London. Above them at 23,000 feet I could see the escorting yellow-nose Me109s waiting to pounce. We dived in from their quarter and I put in a 3 second burst into the middle Dornier at the rear. His port engine and fuselage caught fire and he went down. The back line bombers concentrated heavy but inaccurate fire on me causing only minor damage to my aircraft and on breaking away I spotted another lone Dornier which crashed two mile south of Sevenoaks".

Pete Brothers survived the Battle of Britain and in mid-1941 was given command of No. 457 Squadron (Royal Australian Air Force) in the Kenley Wing. Here, after the exhaustive defensive air battles, the squadron enjoyed taking the fight to the enemy over France. By mid-1942 Brothers was in command of No. 602 Squadron which he led on the Dieppe Operation, following which he was promoted to command the Tangmere Wing in October 1942. He later led the Exeter Wing, participating in the Normandy invasion sweeping the beaches, by which time RAF Fighter Command had complete control of the skies over the Channel and northern France.

Pete Brothers flew Mk I and II Hurricanes, then almost all marks of the Spitfire in combat, and was considered one of the great RAF fighter pilots of the war. He was awarded the DSO and two DFC's.

Group Captain Frank Carey, CBE, DFC**, DFM, AFC

Frank Carey flew almost continually in combat throughout the war and became one of the RAF's top-scoring pilots in WWII. Initially flying with 43 Squadron and having already shot down three He 111 bombers, Carey was posted to 3 Squadron in France in April 1940. Flying Hurricane Mk I fighters, this aggressive fighter pilot immediately threw himself into the thick of the air fighting, claiming the squadrons first success over French territory. By the end of the Battle of France Frank Carey had downed 9 German aircraft.

Back in England he flew Hurricanes constantly throughout the Battle of Britain, sometimes recording up to six combat missions in a single day, but at the height of the battle he was himself shot down and badly wounded.

After convalescence and itching to return to the fray, in late 1941 Carey was posted to Rangoon in Burma with 135 Squadron. Here he was able to bring his vast combat experience to the air fighting in the Far East, and in February 1942 he was given command of 267 Hurricane wing. By the end of the war Frank Carey was credited with 25 air victories, and three more shared successes, and was considered one of the greatest exponents ever to fly the Hurricane in combat. He was awarded the DFC no fewer than three times - a remarkable record in itself - to add to his DFM earned in the early air fighting back in Europe.

Colonel Oscar Cohen, USSAF

Oscar Cohen was one of the American volunteers that joined the RAF via the Royal Canadian Air Force. Arriving in England in 1941 Cohen was posted to No. 71 American Eagle Squadron flying Spitfires. He took part in some of the heavy fighting over the English Channel and northern France and in a daring raid over occupied France he destroyed a complete German ammunition train in a single pass. The explosion was so violent that flying debris damaged his Spitfire to such extent he was forced to bale out at very low level.

Evading capture Cohen made contact with the French Resistance in his effort to make his way home. Together with a small group of downed British pilots including Battle of Britain ace Denis Crowley-Milling, they made their way through Paris, down to the south of France, over the Pyrenees and home via Spain. Returning to the Eagles, he resumed flying combat missions with the RAF till the three American Eagle squadrons transferred to the Fourth Fighter Group, USAAF, in October 1942. Still equipped with Spitfires, now sporting American markings, the seasoned fighter pilots were welcomed by the raw young USAAF pilots anxious to learn from those with battle experience.

In March 1943 the group replaced their aging Spitfires with gleaming new P-47 Thunderbolts, but not to everyone's liking, Cohen remarking that it was like "flying a tank" after the nimble and highly aerobatic qualities of the Spitfire. Cohen was by now a squadron commander and proudly wore the DFC awarded by the RAF on his tunic. He continued to fly combat till the end of the war completing over 250 combat missions, and earning the coveted "ace" status with 5 air-to-air victories.

Leonard Cheshire VC, DSO**, DFC*

Extract from The London Gazette Friday 8th September 1944

This officer began his operational career in June, 1940. Against strongly-defended targets, he soon displayed the courage and determination of an exceptional leader. He was always ready to accept extra risks to ensure success. Defying the formidable Ruhr defences, he frequently released his bombs from below 20,000 feet. Over Cologne in November, 1940, a shell burst inside his aircraft, blowing out one side and starting a fire; undeterred, he went on to bomb the target. About this time, he carried out a number of convoy patrols in addition to his bombing sessions.

At the end of his first tour of operational duty in January, 1941, he immediately volunteered for a second. Again, he pressed home his attacks with the utmost gallantry. Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Duisburg, Essen and Kiel were among the heavily-defended targets which he attacked. When he was posted for instructional duties in January, 1942, he undertook four more operational missions.

He started a third tour in August, 1942, when he was given command of a squadron. He led the squadron with outstanding skill on a number of missions before being appointed in March, 1942, as a station commander.

In October, 1943, he undertook a fourth operational tour, relinquishing the rank of Group Captain at his own request so that he could again take part in operations. He immediately set to work as the pioneer of a new method of marking enemy targets involving very low flying. In June, 1944, when marking a target in the harbour of Le Havre in broad daylight and without cloud cover, he dived well below the range of the light batteries before releasing his marker-bombs, and he came very near to being destroyed by the strong barrage which concentrated on him.

During his fourth tour which ended in July, 1944, Wing Commander Cheshire led his squadron personally on every occasion, always undertaking the most dangerous and difficult task of marking the target alone from a low level in the face of strong defences.

Wing Commander Cheshire's cold and calculated acceptance of risks is exemplified by his conduct in an attack on Munich in April, 1944. This was an experimental attack to test out the new method of target marking at low level against a heavily defended target situated deep in Reich territory. Munich was selected, at Wing Commander Cheshire's request, because of the formidable nature of its light anti-aircraft and searchlight defences. He was obliged to follow, in bad weather, a direct route which took him over the defences of Augsburg and thereafter he was continuously under fire. As he reached the target, flares were being released by our high-flying aircraft. He was illuminated from above and below. All guns within range opened fire on him. Diving to 700 feet, he dropped his markers with great precision and began to climb away. So blinding were the searchlights that he almost lost control. He then flew over the city at 1,000 feet to assess the accuracy of his work and direct other aircraft. His own was badly hit by shell fragments but he continued to fly over the target area until he was satisfied that he had done all in his power to ensure success. Eventually, when he set course for base, the task of disengaging himself from the defences proved even more hazardous than the approach. For a full twelve minutes after leaving the target area he was under withering fire, but he came safely through.

Wing Commander Cheshire has now completed a total of 100 missions. In four years of fighting against the bitterest opposition he has maintained a record of outstanding personal achievement, placing himself invariably in the forefront of the battle. What he did in the Munich operation was typical of the careful planning, brilliant execution and contempt for danger which has established for Wing Commander Cheshire a reputation second to none in Bomber Command.

Flight Lieutenant Roy Crane, RAF

Roy Crane completed flight training in Canada, received his Wings and was commissioned in the RAF in December 1942. After a period flying Hurricanes he joined No. 182 Typhoon Squadron in August 1943 where he flew dive bombing and fighter escort missions. In April 1944 he transferred to 181 Squadron where he again flew the Typhoons now equipped with 20mm cannon and rockets for their attacks against the heavily defended V1 and V2 rocket sites, gun positions, petrol dumps, trains and marshalling yards in preparation for the invasion.

Following the D-Day invasion in June 1944, operating from forward airfield bases established in Normandy, Crane took part in 181 Squadrons hazardous low-level attacks against German ground forces the Typhoon ground attack fighters playing a major role in defeating the German armoured divisions in the battle of the Falaise Gap.

Flying his 72nd operational mission, while attacking tanks and motorized transport with rockets in the area of Falaise on 2nd August, Cranes Typhoon was hit by flak at low level forcing him to bale out seconds before his aircraft crashed. Taken prisoner, and while being escorted by armed guard, as they passed a column of German tanks his party was attacked by six Typhoons. After two successive runs at their target firing 20mm rockets and cannon, Crane recalls the Typhoons leaving a trail of carnage giving him the unusual experience of both delivering and being on the receiving end of a concentrated Typhoon rocket attack in the same day. Lucky to survive both incidents he was taken to Oberursal for intensive interrogation, and from there he became resident at Stalag Luft III for the remainder of the war.

Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling, CBE, DSO, DFC

Denis Crowley-Milling qualified as an operational pilot on Gladiators and joined No. 615 Squadron in France in June 1940. With the fall of France and his return to England he was posted to 242 Squadron with whom he flew throughout the Battle of Britain. Under the command of Douglas Bader, 242 Squadrons Hurricane pilots became a tough fighting force and, having demonstrated all the best qualities in a young fighter pilot, the young Crowley-Milling was picked to fly in the squadron leaders section. When Bader moved to the south coast in early 1941 to take over the Tangmere Wing he arranged for Crowley-Milling to join him as a flight commander on 610 Squadron.

Flying a sweep over northern France in August, Crowley-Milling was shot down, baling out over occupied territory. He managed to evade capture, made contact with the underground and found his way down the escape route via Paris, Marseilles, and over the Pyrenees. On arrival in Spain he was taken prisoner by Spanish authorities sympathetic to Nazi Germany and spent three months in a Spanish concentration camp. After release in 1942 he made his way back to England returning to take up his position as flight commander with 610 squadron.

With Johnnie Johnson now in command of 610 Squadron, Crowley-Milling saw continual action, adding to his victory tally and being awarded a Bar to his DFC. In September 1942 he was promoted Squadron Leader and with 181 Squadron formed the first Typhoon ground attack bomber squadron tasked with attacking German fighter airfields in northern France. He later led the 124 Typhoon Wing when he was awarded the DSO before being taken off operations. His final tally was 11, with numerous ground victories during the hair-raising ground attacks against heavily defended German airfields.

Denis Crowley-Milling remained in the RAF after the war, rose to the rank of Air Marshal, was knighted, and became the first chairman of the Douglas Bader Foundation.

Group Captain Dennis David, CBE, DFC*, AFC

Dennis David was one of the RAF's early aces having been posted to France at the outbreak of war. Flying Hurricanes with No. 87 Squadron as part of the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force he was involved in all the heavy air fighting leading up to and during the evacuation at Dunkirk. On the very first day of the Blitzkrieg he shot down a Dornier Do17 and shared an He111, and by May 1940 he had destroyed a total of 11 enemy aircraft over Belgium and northern France. He was awarded the DFC and at the outset of the Battle of Britain Dennis David was already one of the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilots.

His early experiences flying against the Luftwaffe in France served him well during the Battle of Britain when he was again in daily combat against the Luftwaffe flying a Hurricane. Posted as a flight commander to No. 213 Squadron on 19 October he downed a Ju 88 bringing his score to 20 by the end of his first operational tour. In November he joined No. 152 Squadron.

By 1943, with the rank of Wing Commander, Dennis David was posted to North Africa to take command of No. 89 Squadron flying Beaufighters, and November took the squadron to Ceylon where he was promoted to Group Captain. He completed the war in Burma having received two DFC's. Dennis David was recognised a one of the great Hurricane fighter pilots of WWII.

Air Commodore Alan Deere, DSO, DFC*

Alan Deere sailed from his native New Zealand in 1937 to join the RAF. After training on Tiger Moths, Deere flew Hawker Harts and Furys, followed by Gloster Gladiators with 54 Squadron, his first operational squadron. It was with 54 Sqn that Deere flew his first Spitfire, the aircraft he was to fly throughout his operational career.

Alan Deere was credited with having the very first combat between a Spitfire and a Messerschmitt Me109 on 23rd May 1940 during the evacuation of Dunkirk. During that combat over Calais, Deere shot down one Me109 before encountering a second which set upon him in revenge. At the precise moment of his first victory a warning shout over the R/T from his wingman alerted him to the enemy aircraft on his tail. Wrenching his Spitfire into the tightest of turns, he spent the next few minutes turning inside the Me109 until he got around onto its tail when, although out of range, he peppered away with his guns. The joust ended when, out of ammunition, Deere seized a moment to disengage, but not before he had proved conclusively to himself that the Spitfire could out-turn the Me109 - an advantage that was to save the lives of countless Spitfire pilots during the next few years. In his combat report Deere stated categorically that the Spitfire could out-fly the Me109 - except in a dive - but his assertion was given little credence by the powers-that-be who were beguiled with the Me109's past successes. They paid little regard to this young inexperienced New Zealand pilot's claim at the time, but a few short weeks later, the Battle of Britain was to prove Alan Deere right.

Deere was a ferocious fighter pilot that subjected his aircraft to stresses beyond the makers prescribed warnings, was always in the thickest of the dog-fighting, and led a charmed life: He and his aircraft parted company no fewer than 9 times, but during a distinguished combat career he accounted for 22 enemy aircraft destroyed, and many others damaged and probably destroyed. Alan Deere had fought throughout the Battles of France and Britain, commanded the Biggin Hill Wing in 1943, and flew Spitfires continually until his final operational sortie over the Normandy bridge-head on D-Day in 1944. By this time there was no more experienced pilot in the RAF to have flown the Spitfire in combat.

Group Captain Sir Hugh Cocky Dundas, DSO*, DFC

Cocky Dundas was one of World War IIs most respected fighter pilots. Joining the RAF in 1939, he was posted to No.616 Squadron and took part in the Battle of Britain flying Spitfires. He shared several victories but was shot down on 22 August and wounded. His elder brother John, a Battle of Britain ace with 11-victories, was killed in action over the Isle of Wight while flying with 609 Squadron in November 1940.

Having recuperated from his injuries, the younger Dundas rejoined 616 squadron in September 1940 to see out the remainder of the Battle and in early 1941 the Squadron was posted to Tangmere on the south coast to become part of Douglas Baders newly formed Wing. Dundas often flew with Bader during the time they introduced the finger-four battle formation which later became standard throughout the RAF and during this period formed what became life-long friendships with Bader and another young fighter 616 Squadron pilot, Johnnie Johnson. When Douglas Bader was brought down over France in the summer of 1941 it was Dundas who, together with Johnson, led the search for their fallen leader.

Now decorated with the DFC and a highly experienced and competent fighter pilot with a number of victories to his credit, to his utter consternation Dundas was posted to 56 Training Squadron in July 1941 for a rest. Making a general nuisance of himself he managed to engineer what was possibly the shortest rest on record, and got himself transferred to 610 Squadron as a flight commander within days!

Already an ace, in December 1941 he was given command of No. 56 Squadron, the first to be equipped with the new Hawker Typhoon. Later, posted to the Mediterranean in 1943, Dundas led 244 Spitfire Wing from Malta and through Italy, winning the DSO during this grueling campaign. As the youngest Group Captain in the RAF he was awarded a Bar to his DSO in March 1945 completing the war with 11 confirmed air victories.

A natural leader, in peacetime Hugh Dundas became a captain of industry holding many company directorships, including his appointment as Director in 1966, then Chairman of Thames Television until 1987, when he was knighted.

Wing Commander John Freeborn, DFC*

At the outbreak of war John Freeborn was flying Spitfires with No. 74 Squadron at Hornchurch and in May claimed his first enemy aircraft when he shot down a Ju88. Before the commencement of the Battle of Britain Freeborn had also brought down an enemy Me109, and had been credited with two further "probable" Me109's. During the Battle he brought down four further Me109's, an Me110, a Dornier Do17, and a Dornier Do215. He was promoted to flight commander and awarded the DFC.

In November 1940 he shared another Me109, and destroyed two more in early December, and was given a Bar to his DFC. In December 1942 Freeborn was posted to 602 Squadron, again as a flight commander, then given command of 118 Squadron at Coltishall which he led till January 1944.

Having joined the RAF in 1938, John Freeborn saw action from the outbreak of World War II, and was considered to have been one of the outstanding Spitfire pilots of the Battle of Britain. He continued to serve till the end of hostilities.

Kapitanleutnant Heinz Franke, Kriegsmarine

Kapitanleutnant Heinz Franke served several tours as watch officer aboard before being given command of U.262, and was heavily involved in the torturous war in the Atlantic. As captain of U.262 he was awarded the Knights Cross in November 1943, serving till the end of the war by which time he had taken command of the new diesel-electric U.2502. A highly respected U-Boat commander.

General Adolf Galland

Wanting to learn to fly, Adolf Galland joined a Lufthansa aviation school in 1932, but transferred to the new and technically illegal Luftwaffe in 1933. He suffered a bad crash during training in Italy, survived, and following qualifying as an air force pilot in 1935, was posted to the 1st Fighter Group, based at Doberitz.

He first saw action in the Spanish Civil War, and from mid-1937 commanded a Kondor Legion squadron, flying the Heinkel He-51s, when he completed over 300 operational missions. In 1939 he was awarded the Spanish Cross.

Just before the outbreak of WWII Galland was promoted to Captain, took part in ground-attack missions in Poland, then in April 1940 transferred to JG-27 flying the Messerschmitt Me109 fighter. With the Battle for control of the skies over the Channel and southern England looming, in June 1940 Galland was promoted to Group Commander of JG-23. He then took command of JG-26 at the start of the Battle of Britain, flying Me109's from bases in the Pas de Calais in northern France.

Like many Luftwaffe pilots that had flown in the Spanish war, Galland was by now an experienced fighter pilot, and equipped with the formidable Me109, he and his pilots were a match for the young inexperienced RAF fighter pilots. In July he was promoted to Major, then Kommodore, and in November 1940 to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel). During the Battle of Britain he was credited with 58 victories, and during this part of his operational flying he had been shot down only once, on June 21, 1941, but survived after baling out over friendly territory.

Galland was well known to the British fighter pilots, and his Abbeville Me109's constantly tangled with the RAF squadrons based on the south coast of England. When Douglas Bader was brought down by one of his JG-26 aircraft in 1941, Galland personally entertained Bader in his mess before handing him over as a P.O.W. It was the start of a friendship built on mutual respect that was renewed after the war, and lasted till Douglas Bader died.

With his credited victories standing at 97, at the age of just 29, in November 1941 Galland was promoted to the rank of general, the youngest general in the German forces. Appointed by Hermann Göring, he became General of all Luftwaffe Day and Night Fighters - a massive responsibility for one so young. The position took him off operational flying, however he became involved in organising many fighter operations including master-minding the air protection when the Kreigsmarine battleships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and the Prinz Eugen famously made their daylight dash from Cherbourg, through the English Channel, to Keil in Germany. As America joined the war and the day and night bombing raids escalated, Galland was responsible for the air defence of Germany.

Typically honest and blunt, and a repeated critic of his superior Göring, General Galland was ultimately distanced from the Nazi hierarchy, and after the 'Fighters Revolt' meeting of January 1945 he was relieved of his command. Goring famously threatened to have Galland shot, but Hitler personally intervened, allowing him to form the elite JV-44 jet fighter wing dubbed "Squadron of Experts" as so many top-scoring pilots had joined the wing. Adolf Galland led them until his last mission on April 26, 1945 when his jet was badly damaged and crashed on landing, Galland suffering severe injuries. He ended the war as the only full general ever to fly operationally, with 103 victories to his name. He was awarded Germany's highest military honours: the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves, Swords, and Diamonds.

He was captured on May 14, 1945 and remained a POW until 1947, during which time he renewed the acquaintances of Douglas Bader, Bob Stanford-Tuck, and other RAF pilots, and ironically his first post-war job was for the RAF lecturing on tactics. Two of Galland's brothers were also pilots, Paul was killed in 1942 and Wilhelm in 1943. Adolf Galland died in February, 1996 at the age of 84.

Squadron Leader Tony Gaze, DFC**

Australian Tony Gaze joined the RAF and having qualified as a fighter pilot in the early summer of 1941, was posted to fly Spitfires with No.610 Squadron. He was quickly into the action claiming two Me109's shot down, one shared, and another damaged within his first month with the squadron. Awarded the DFC, he moved on to 616 Squadron as a flight commander the following summer, where he continued to add to his tally. After a brief spell with 64 Squadron Gaze rejoined 616 Squadron and in February 1943 and was awarded a Bar to his DFC. Back with 610 Squadron in 1944 his score continued to mount and in early 1945 he became the first Australian to shoot down a German Me262 jet - later claiming a second German jet when he brought down an Arado 234 jet bomber. Gaze was awarded a further Bar to his DFC and promoted to Squadron Leader, and became one of the first to pilot the RAF's new Meteor jet fighter.

Having flown with Douglas Bader, Johnnie Johnson, and many other luminaries, Tony Gaze ended his war with 12 confirmed victories, four further probables, and a number of shared successes. He flew Spitfires almost exclusively, was rated as one of the RAF's top fighter pilots, becoming one of the very few to be awarded three DFC's. After the war he became a successful Grand Prix motor racing driver competing on circuits all around the world. One of the great characters of RAF Fighter Command and the post war international racing circuits, Tony Gaze's life has been a true "boys own" adventure.

Squadron Leader John Gibson, DSO, DFC

John Gibson, a New Zealander, joined the RAF in 1938 and was posted to No 501 Squadron in France in May 1940. He quickly showed his mettle destroying a Heinkle He 111 before the month was out. Returning to England he continued to fly Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain, becoming a flight commander, but was wounded in September after shooting down an Me 109, badly damaging a second, and damaging a Do17. He had by this time 11 confirmed victories, several "probables", had baled out 3 times, and been awarded the DFC.

After recuperation Gibson flew with No. 457 Squadron before returning to New Zealand in 1943. He then served two tours with No.15 Squadron RNZAF flying P-40 Kittyhawks which had been taken over from the 68th Pursuit Squadron USAAF, then piloting Corsairs out of Guardalcanal during the fiercely fought Battle of the Solomans. He ultimately took command of the squadron. In 1944 Gibson returned to the European Theatre as commanding officer of No. 80 Squadron flying first Typhoons then Tempests, completing the war with 14 confirmed air victories and the DSO to add to his Battle of Britain DFC.

Colonel James Goodson, USAAF

An American living in Paris at the outbreak of WWII, Jim Goodson decided to return to his native America and sailed on the Athenia bound for New York. Infamously she was torpedoed by a German submarine, and having survived Goodson decided he should take up the fight and joined the RAF. Training in England he was posted to 43 Squadron where he flew Hurricanes before transferring to fly Spitfires with 416 Squadron at Kenley.

With America still at peace, more volunteers crossed the Atlantic to join the RAF and the American Eagle Squadrons were formed. When the entire No 133 Eagle Squadron was lost on a mission escorting B-17 Fortresses over Brest, being an American serving with the RAF, Goodson was asked to reform the squadron, which he ultimately commanded. In 1942, when the USAAF arrived in Europe Goodson together with 133 Squadron transferred to the 8th Air Force, ultimately becoming the 4th Fighter Group. Needing longer range fighters for bomber escort duties, Spitfires were exchanged for P-47 Thunderbolts, and Goodson remained with the Fighting Fourth till he was shot down a few months before the end of the war. He was credited with 32 enemy aircraft destroyed, 14 of which were air-to-air victories.

Goodson described one encounter, typical of the day-to-day air fighting of the period: On August 16th 1943 while escorting Fortresses at 23,000 feet on a mission to bomb Le Bourget, the main Paris airport, we were engaged by about 30 enemy Fw190s. I covered Group Commander Don Blakeslee as we dived into attack and we tangled with three or four enemy fighters, the dog-fight twisting and turning all the way down to 10,000 feet. I managed to shoot one down, but an Fw190 got right onto Blakeslees tail and somehow I managed to get that one too, but not before his P-47 was badly hit. Though out of ammunition, I managed to drive a third off Blakeslees tail but I could see Blakeslee and his aircraft were both covered in spewing oil, and he was virtually flying blind. I guided him back to Manston for an emergency landing where we found his Thunderbolt had been collected over 20 cannon holes, including one right through one of the cylinders in his engine.

Like all the pilots that flew with both the RAF and USAAF, Goodson proudly wore the wings of both air forces. He became one of the most highly decorated fighter pilots of WWII.

Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski

Following flight training, in July 1940 Alfred Grislawski was posted to III./JG 52, based at Zerbst, the unit having just been withdrawn from operations over the English Channel for rest and re-equipment. In October, III./JG 52 was ordered to Romania where it operated till moved to the Eastern Front in September 1941 where Grislawski quickly opened hi score by bringing down a Russian I-16 fighter.

In October, while III./JG 52 was relocating to Perekop in the Crimea, Grislawski's Bf 109 suffered engine failure forcing him to make a belly-landing from which he emerged unscathed. Back in the air Grislawski's successes began to climb and in the single month of May 1942 he accounted for 22 enemy aircraft shot down. In July he was awarded the Knights Cross.

In November that year, after destroying four Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft, he was himself shot down, again belly-landing his Bf 109, and again walking away unscathed.

On 18 January 1943, Grislawski led a Rotte providing escort to Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers in an attack against Russian tank forces. Intercepted by Russian I-16 fighters, Grislawski's Me109 was set on fire. He nursed his damaged aircraft back over German lines before baling out, sustaining burns to his face. Undeterred Grislawski pressed on recording his 92nd victory by the beginning of February 1943. On 11 February, Grislawski's Me109 suffered engine failure necessitating yet another forced landing.

In April 1943 Alfred Grislawski recorded his 100th victory, however he was wounded in an explosion of a German land mine while on a beach near Taman. On his recovery, Grislawski was transferred to JG 50 which was tasked to intercept high-flying British Mosquito photo-reconnaisance aircraft. Commanding 1./JG 50, he shot down his first two USAAF four-engine bombers on 17 August and in early October, newly promoted to Hauptmann, Grislawski took temporary command of JG 50 before being appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 1, on 6 November 1943, based in Holland.

Now operating Fw190 fighters, Grislawski was shot down during aerial combat with USAAF bombers over Baske on 24 January 1944. Wounded, he baled out of his mortally damaged Fw 190A. After recovering he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 1, this time flying the Me 109G high altitude fighter, his unit tasked with combating USAAF fighter escorts.

Grislawski's next appointment was to lead 8./JG 1 in northern France, to combat the Allied landings in Normandy but in less than a week the unit was relocated to Germany having suffered horrendous losses.

Back in action over France by mid-July, Grislawski was again shot down, this time by RAF Spitfires. He baled out over friendly territory, surviving with only a few bruises, and in September he led 11./JG 53 to Leeuwarden in Holland. Participating in an engagement USAAF fighters over M ünster, Grislawski brought down an American P-38 twin-engine fighter claiming his last air victory of the war. Moments later his Bf 109 was hit in the engine by a P-51 and caught fire. Baling out for the fourth time, he suffered a very hard landing cracking vertebrae in his back. He saw out the remainder of the war in a military hospital.

Alfred Grislawski was typical of the determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots of WWII who were expected to fly and fight to the bitter end, come what may. Credited with 133 victories in over 800 missions Grislawski recorded 24 victories over the Western front. He was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross.

Colonel Erich Hartmann

Erich Hartmann is the top-scoring fighter ace of all time.

With 352 air victories flying the renowned Messerschmitt Me109, this dynamic Luftwaffe ace was the consummate fighter pilot. Although most of his successes were against less versatile Soviet MiGs, Yaks, and tank-busting Sturmoviks on the Eastern Front, his score was unmatched by any other pilot in the history of air fighting.

Hartmann was a superb pilot, fearless, and determined, his advocated method of attack being to "Get in close till the enemy fills the windscreen before firing then you can't possibly miss." Modest about his accomplishments, his proudest claim was that he never lost a wingman.

Joining the Luftwaffe in 1941 at age 19, he was posted to the Russian Front in October 1942, scoring his first air victory within a month of the start of his combat career. His natural talents, excellent eyesight, lightning reflexes, an aggressive nature, and the ability to stay cool in combat - qualities held by all the great fighter aces - were quickly noticed by his fellow pilots and superiors.

By the summer of 1943, JG-52 was operating close to the front while all the time Hartmann's score was steadily mounting. As the great tank battles raged beneath at Kursk, JG-52 constantly engaged Soviet Il-2 Sturmoviks tank-busting aircraft, armed with twin 37mm cannon, in the Luftwaffe's effort to protect the Wehrmacht's panzers. On July 5th, when four of Staffel 7's pilots failed to return, Hartmann was promptly promoted to squadron commander.

On the morning of July 7, Hartmann and three other pilots were assigned to cover an FW189 on a dawn reconnaissance mission. Climbing to 4000 feet, they soon encountered a large formation of Sturmoviks and in the ensuing battle Hartmann accounted for two aircraft destroyed. In two further missions flown later that day Hartmann brought down five more Russian aircraft bringing his total to seven in the one day. While deadly against German tanks, the Sturmoviks were no match for Hartmann and other aces flying Bf 109s and Fw 190s.

By the summer of 1943 Erich Hartmann's score had reached 80 and he was promoted to lead 9./JG52 and late that year he was awarded the Knights Cross. By spring the following year his victories totaled over 200 earning him the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross. With his victories steadily mounting, he became the fourth Luftwaffe fighter pilot to reach 250, the first to reach 300, and ultimately the only fighter pilot in history to shoot down 352 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Third Reich's highest military decoration awarded in WWII: The Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.

As the war in Europe drew to it close, in May 1945 Eric Hartmann, now group commander of JG-52, defied orders to fly their aircraft to the British sector, preferring to destroy the unit's fighters and remain with their ground crews, and other civilians who had joined the squadron, and take their chances with the Americans. In the event the US Army delivered the surrendered German troops to the Red Army and, like all others, Hartmann was deported to Siberia and sentenced to 50 years hard labor.

After 10 years in Russian captivity, Erich Hartmann was returned to Germany in 1955 when the last German POWs were released at the time diplomatic relations between West Germany and the Soviet Union were established.

In 1956 Hartmann joined the new West German Luftwaffe putting his expertise and experience toward the re-establishment of new fighter units, and in 1959, he became the first commodore of JG-71 "Richthofen." Erich Hartmann, the highest-scoring fighter pilot in history, died in 1993.

Marshal of the RAF Sir Arthur (Bomber) Harris

At the outbreak of World War I, Arthur Harris was in Rhodesia prospecting for gold. He immediately joined the 1st Rhodesia Regiment and saw action against the German interests in South West Africa, but his wish was to fly. In 1915 he returned to England, enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps where he qualified as a fighter pilot, and joined No. 44 Squadron in France. Soon promoted to command No.45 Squadron, Harris flew Sopwith Strutters and Camels, claimed 5 enemy aircraft destroyed, and with the rank of Major was awarded the Air Force Cross.

After a number of peacetime appointments at home and abroad, at the outbreak of World War II Harris commanded 5 Group. In 1941 he was promoted to Air Marshal, then to Commander-in Chief of Bomber Command in 1942. He immediately set about re-evaluating the Command's tactics and building the cohesive and efficient force that he led till the end of hostilities. Gradually replacing the dated Beaufort, Blenheim, and Wellington bomber squadrons with four engine Stirlings, Halifaxes, and Lancasters - the latter ultimately becoming the backbone of RAF Bomber Command - Harris implemented Winston Churchill's directive to introduce area bombing of Germany and its occupied industrial territories.

Not without its critics, the strategic bombing of Germany's industrial cities in the Rhur and elsewhere was none-the-less a major factor in the destruction of Germany's manufacturing capability, and Harris would not be shaken in his belief that his ever-increasing day and night bombing raids were a decisive part in the final collapse of Nazi Germany. The concluding act of Harris's Bomber Command was the destruction of the oil refinery in Tonsberg in Southern Norway by Lancasters of No. 107 Squadron on the night of 25/26 April 1945.

Though often a controversial and sometimes abrasive figure, Marshal of the RAF Sir Arthur Harris was unquestionably one of the most significant of all Allied commanders in World War II. Some 55,000 of his aircrews lost their lives during the long campaign, but Harris was revered by all those who flew under his command - a fact evidenced by the huge gathering of his "old lags" (as he fondly called those that served in his command) on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration at the Grosvenor Hotel in London in 1982.

Sergeant Norman Jackson, VC

The story of courage and self-sacrifice that led to Norman Jackson being awarded the Victoria Cross is one of the most stirring of all acts of bravery recorded since the medal was introduced in 1856.

The London Gazette, reported his award on 26 October 1945 as follows:

The Raid on Schweinfurt, Germany, 26 April 1944, Sergeant Norman Jackson, 106 Squadron, RAFVR, in recognition of most conspicuous bravery.

This airman was the flight engineer in a Lancaster bomber detailed to attack Schweinfurt on the night of 26th April 1944. Bombs were dropped successfully and the aircraft was climbing out of the target area. Suddenly it was attacked by a fighter at about 20,000 feet. The captain took evading action at once but the enemy secured many hits. A fire started near a petrol tank on the upper surface of the starboard wing, between the fuselage and the inner engine. Sergeant Jackson was thrown to the floor during the engagement. Wounds which he received from shell splinters in the right leg and shoulder were probably sustained at that time. Recovering himself, he remarked that he could deal with the fire on the wing and obtained his captain's permission to try to put out the flames.

Pushing a hand fire-extinguisher into the top of his life-saving jacket and slipping on his parachute pack, Sergeant Jackson jettisoned the escape hatch above the pilot's head. He then started to climb out of the cockpit and back along the top of the fuselage to the starboard wing. Before he could leave the fuselage his parachute pack opened and the whole canopy and rigging lines spilled into the cockpit. Undeterred, Sergeant Jackson continued. The pilot, bomb aimer and navigator gathered the parachute together and held on to the rigging lines, paying them out as the airman crawled aft. Eventually he slipped and, falling from the fuselage to the starboard wing, grasped an air intake on the leading edge of the wing. He succeeded in clinging on but lost the extinguisher, which was blown away.

By this time, the fire had spread rapidly and Sergeant Jackson was involved. His face, hands and clothing were severely burnt. Unable to retain his hold, he was swept through the flames and over the trailing edge of the wing, dragging his parachute behind. When last seen it was only partly deployed and was burning in a number of places.

Realising that the fire could not be controlled, the captain gave the order to abandon aircraft. Four of the remaining members of the crew landed safely. The captain and rear gunner have not been accounted for. Sergeant Jackson was unable to control his descent and landed heavily. He sustained a broken ankle, his right eye was closed through burns and his hands were useless. These injuries, together with the wounds received earlier, reduced him to a pitiable state. At daybreak he crawled to the nearest village, where he was taken prisoner. He bore the intense pain and discomfort of the journey to Dulag Luft with magnificent fortitude. After 10 months in hospital he made a good recovery, though his hands required further treatment and are only of limited use.

This airman's attempt to extinguish the fire and save the aircraft and crew from falling into enemy hands was an act of outstanding gallantry. To venture outside, when travelling at 200 miles an hour, at a great height and in intense cold, was an almost incredible feat. Had he succeeded in subduing the flames, there was little or no prospect of his regaining the cockpit. The spilling of his parachute and the risk of grave damage to its canopy reduced his chances of survival to a minimum. By his ready willingness to face these dangers he set an example of self-sacrifice which will ever be remembered.

Norman Jackson was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on the 13th November 1945.

Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson, DSO**, DFC*

Inspired by the great fighter aces of the First World War, Johnnie Johnson had always wanted to be an RAF fighter pilot, and joined the Volunteer Reserve. After initial training he was posted to 616 Squadron, but missed the Battle of Britain through a shoulder injury. Back on flying duties, the squadron was moved to join Douglas Bader's Wing flying Spitfires at RAF Tangmere on England's south coast. Here the young Pilot Officer Johnson was selected to fly in the leading section led by Douglas Bader himself, and cut his teeth in aerial combat dog-fighting with the cream of the Luftwaffe's Me109 pilots. He described the next few months as "the most exciting of my fighting career".

In 1942 Johnson was promoted to command 610 Squadron, then in 1943 to Wing Commander to lead the Canadians at Kenley. During spring and summer that year his wing shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft in 140 missions over north-west occupied Europe - Johnson's personal tally of 25 accounting for almost a quarter of the enemy aircraft brought down by his wing!

In March 1944 he took command of 144 Wing, another Canadian group, and on 8th June they made history being the first Spitfires to land in France after the Normandy invasion. In the next few months "we began the exhilarating trek across France" as Allied forces drove on towards Germany. Johnson scored his 38th and final air victory of the war, claiming yet another Me109 while patrolling with 443 Squadron over the Rhine. Promoted to Group Captain in early 1945 he was appointed to commanded 125 Wing flying the latest Spitfire XIVs which, after crossing the Rhine, were based at captured Luftwaffe airfields.

Group Captain Sir Hugh "Cocky" Dundas, who flew with Johnson in Bader's Tangmere Wing in 1941, described Johnnie Johnson as "a talented and determined pilot, gloriously brave, and an inspirational fighter leader". Johnnie Johnson finished the war as the Allied Air Force's top-scoring fighter pilot in WWII, and in so doing fulfilled his ambition to emulate the great fighter aces of the First World War. He became a legend in his lifetime.

General Leon Johnson, USAAF

General Leon Johnson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Americas highest award for bravery, for his part in leading the successful raid on the oil fields at Ploesti in 1943, and was one of America's most distinguished air combat leaders in World War II.

He joined the USAAF in 1929 and flew observation aircraft for 5 years before studying meteorology, then serving as weather officer at Barksdale Field until 1939 when he returned to fly bombers at Savannah, Georgia.

At the outbreak of war Johnson was one of four pilots who activated Eighth Air Force and, in June 1942, traveled with this newly formed unit to England. Six months later, Colonel Johnson assumed command of the 44th Bomb Group, then flying B-24D Liberators. In July 1943 he led his group, known as "The Flying Eightballs," to North Africa in preparation for Operation Tidal Wave, the 2,400-mile mission to attack the Ploesti oil installations in Romania.

During this dangerous but remarkably successful low-level attack the oil installations were demolished, eliminating this vital source of fuel for German mechanised forces. Following the raid, Johnson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Americas highest decoration for gallantry.

Command of the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing in England followed, a position he held until the end of the war. Immediately after the war, General Johnson organized and commanded the 3rd Air Division in England, which helped maintain the transport aircraft used in the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift. General Johnson held several senior posts in the years that followed, his last as a four star general with the National Security Council. This distinguished officer retired in 1965. General Leon Johnson was one of the greatest of all USAAF aviators and commanders in WWII.

Kapitanleutnant Karl Landfermann, Kriegsmarine

Kapitanleutnant Karl-August Landfermann was one of the leading engineer officers that served in German U-Boats during the War in the Atlantic. On one patrol he was at sea for 206 days while serving aboard U.181, the second longest U-boat patrol of the war. Landfermann was awarded the Knights Cross in October 1943.

Kapitanleutnant Siegfried Koitschka, Kriegsmarine

Kapitanleutnant Siegfried Koitschka was awarded the coveted Knights Cross in January 1944. As captain of U.616 he took part in some of the toughest sea actions of World War II. In May 1945 he and his 53-man crew survived when U.616 was sunk by Allied forces.

Wing Commander Don Kingaby, DSO, AFC, DFM**

Don Kingaby joined the RAF in 1939 and after a short spell with No. 266 Squadron, by the summer of 1940 was flying Spitfires with 92 Squadron in the thick of the Battle of Britain. A crack shot, Kingaby had accounted for eight enemy aircraft by November, including no fewer than four Me109 fighters in a single day on 15th of that month earning his the nick-name the Me109 Specialist in the popular press of the day.

As the RAF went on the offensive in 1941, he and his fellow 92 Squadron pilots flew sweeps over northern France, Kingaby adding to his victory tally. By 1943 he was leading the Hornchurch Fighter Wing while commanding 122 Squadron then, after a brief rest, took command of a Spitfire wing including No. 350 Belgian Squadron. Between 1942 and 1944 Kingaby led fighter escorts to cover over 100 daylight bombing raids by USAAF aircraft.

Don Kingaby flew most Marks of Spitfires during World War II completing over 450 combat missions a feat attained by few other Allied pilots. He was the first RAF pilot to be awarded three DFMs, and his final tally was 23 air-to-air victories, 8 further probables and 16 damaged, and he remembered today as one of the most successful Spitfire pilots of all time.

Major Edward Klein, USAAF

Edward Klein joined the USAAF in September 1941. Qualified as a bombardier he was posted to England, joining the 381st Bomb Group based at Ridgewell. Flying B-17 Fortresses with the 534th Bomb Squadron, Klein took part in his first combat raid in October 1943, quickly experiencing the fierce air attacks by Luftwaffe fighters on one occasion fighting a prolonged running battle that lasted four and a half hours. He took part in the infamous Schweinfurt raids and in March 1944 flew in the first daylight raid made by American bombers on Berlin. Klein completed his 25-mission tour later that month both as a squadron and group leader. He retired from the USAAF in 1963.

Wing Commander "Laddie" Lucas, CBE, DSO, DFC,

Laddie Lucas was a journalist when war broke out, and after joining the RAF and training in Canada he was posted to Fighter Commands No.66 Squadron with whom he flew combat missions till early 1942 when he was posted to Malta. Flying the Spitfire VB which Lucas said was ideal for the type of defensive air fighting over the island, he and his fellow pilots were in daily combat with Luftwaffe Me109s and Italian Macchi202s and 205s.

In the middle of the Malta crisis Lucas was given command of 249 Squadron, later commenting to be given command of a squadron in battle is the ultimate privilege the Service can bestow upon a fighter pilot. With a mix of British and Commonwealth pilots 249 Squadron became the RAFs top-scoring fighter squadron at the height of the Battle for Malta.

Back in England in 1943 Lucas took command of 616 Squadron then the fighter wing at Coltishall. Flying the clipped-wing Spitfire, the wing flew a mix of sorties over the North Sea and fighter escorts to USAAF medium bombers to targets in northern France.

After an imposed rest period on ground duties, keen to get back on operations, in December 1944 Lucas asked to be given charge of an operational squadron again and after re-training on the high speed, twin-engine two-crew Mosquito, he took command of 613 Squadron based at Cambrai-Epinoy in north-east France. He immediately resumed his practice of "leading from the front", which gained the respect of the highly experienced 613 Squadron air crews. Laddie Lucas was one of the RAF's most decorated and respected pilots. After the war he became a popular Member of Parliament, newspaper columnist and author, writing a number of books with his friend Johnnie Johnson, and authoring Flying Colours, the official biography of Sir Douglas Bader who Lucas was related to by marriage.

Major General Bob Landry, USAAF

Bob Landry received his pilots wings in February 1935. After two years in the Canal Zone, he was assigned to the 20th Pursuit Group and transferred to Hawaii as operations officer and flying aide to General Martin, commander of the Hawaiian Air Force. He was holding these two posts when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, after which he was promoted to executive officer of the Hawaiian Interceptor Command at Honolulu.

Landry transferred to England in early 1942 during the build-up of the Eighth Air Force, serving successively as chief of combat operations of the 8th Fighter Command, commanding officer of the 56th Fighter Group, director of fighters (Eighth Air Force), executive officer of the 93rd Combat Wing (Heavy), and commanding officer of the 493rd Heavy Bomb Group. Following the Normandy invasion, Landry became director of operations, Air Staff.

At the close of the war, General Landry was reassigned to the United States as executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, before becoming aide to the president of the United States, representing the Air Force in the White House. He then became assistant deputy chief of staff at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Rated a command pilot, General Landry acquired more than 6,000 flying hours in jet and conventional aircraft. During his World War II service in Europe he flew a total of 32 combat missions in P-47 fighters and B-17 bombers.

Lieutenant William Lawley, USAAF

Bill Lawley commanded a B-17 bomber in the 364th Squadron of the 305th Bomb Group. He was awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor, Americas highest award for gallantry, after a raid over Nazi occupied Europe on 20th February, 1944. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty, 20 February 1944, while serving as pilot of a B-17 aircraft on a heavy bombardment mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe. Coming off the target he was attacked by approximately 20 enemy fighters, shot out of formation, and his plane severely crippled. Eight crewmembers were wounded, the copilot was killed by a 20-mm. shell. One engine was on fire, the controls shot away, and 1st Lt. Lawley seriously and painfully wounded about the face. Forcing the copilot's body off the controls, he brought the plane out of a steep dive, flying with his left hand only. Blood covered the instruments and windshield and visibility was impossible. With a full bomb load the plane was difficult to maneuver and bombs could not be released because the racks were frozen. After the order to bail out had been given, 1 of the waist gunners informed the pilot that 2 crewmembers were so severely wounded that it would be impossible for them to bail out. With the fire in the engine spreading, the danger of an explosion was imminent. Because of the helpless condition of his wounded crewmembers 1st Lt. Lawley elected to remain with the ship and bring them to safety if it was humanly possible, giving the other crewmembers the option of bailing out. Enemy fighters again attacked but by using masterful evasive action he managed to lose them. One engine again caught on fire and was extinguished by skillful flying. 1st Lt. Lawley remained at his post, refusing first aid until he collapsed from sheer exhaustion caused by loss of blood, shock, and the energy he had expended in keeping control of his plane. He was revived by the bombardier and again took over the controls. Coming over the English coast 1 engine ran out of gasoline and had to be feathered. Another engine started to burn and continued to do so until a successful crash landing was made on a small fighter base. Through his heroism and exceptional flying skill, 1st Lt. Lawley rendered outstanding distinguished and valorous service to our Nation.

Roderick Learoyd VC

Extract from "The London Gazette" of 20th August, 1940.

This officer, as first pilot of a Hampden aircraft, has repeatedly shown the highest conception of his duty and complete indifference to personal danger in making attacks at the lowest altitudes regardless of opposition. On the night of 12th August, 1940, he was detailed to attack a special objective on the Dortmund Ems Canal. He had attacked this objective on a previous occasion and was well aware of the risks entailed. To achieve success it was necessary to approach from a direction well known to the enemy, through a lane of especially disposed anti-aircraft defences, and in the face of the most intense point-blank fire from guns of all calibres. The reception of the preceding aircraft might well have deterred the stoutest heart, all being hit and two lost. Flight Lieutenant Learoyd nevertheless made his attack at 150 feet, his aircraft being repeatedly hit and large pieces of the main plane torn away. He was almost blinded by the glare of many searchlights at close range, but pressed home this attack with the greatest resolution and skill.

He subsequently brought his wrecked aircraft home and, as the landing flaps were inoperative and the undercarriage indicators out of action, waited for dawn in the vicinity of his aerodrome before landing, which he accomplished without causing injury to his crew or further damage to the aircraft. The high courage, skill and determination, which this officer has invariably displayed on many occasions in the face of the enemy sets an example which is unsurpassed.

Squadron Leader Kenneth Lee, DFC

Kenneth "Hawkeye" Lee was posted to No.501 Squadron at the outbreak of war and went to France in May 1940 to do battle with the vast hordes of Lufttwaffe aircraft in the first serious air fighting of WWII. He claimed two early victories and two more over Dunkirk before the squadron returned to England in preparation for the forthcoming Battle of Britain.

At the height of the battle, on 10 June Lee's Hurricane was hit during a dog-fight and exploded. Miraculously Lee was able to bale out and return to base unscathed, but he was not so lucky when on 18 August he was shot down by Gerhard Schopfel flying an Me109 from Galland's JG-26 unit based at Abbeville. Again he managed to bale out, but this time suffered wounds that kept him in hospital till October. Awarded the DFC, and already an ace with 6 victories to his name, Lee was posted to special duties at Rolls Royce before joining No.79 Squadron as a flight commander.

In September 1942 Kenneth Lee joined 112 Squadron, then 260 Squadron in the middle East flying P-40 Kittyhawks. In 1943 Lee took command of 123 Squadron, equipped with Hurricanes, and in July led a formation of over 100 Hurricanes on a strafing attack on the island of Crete. Hit by ground fire his Hurricane came down, Kenneth Lee surviving to become a P.O.W. for the remainder of the war.

Air Commodore C D Kit North Lewis, DSO*, DFC

Kit North-Lewis, began operational flying in Blenheims with No.12 Squadron in late 1940 before evaluating the USAAF Tomahawk and Mustang fighters. In 1942 he joined 26 Squadron as a flight commander piloting the Mustang on low-level reconnaissance sorties photographing enemy coastal defences in preparation for D-Day. He also flew ground attack operations against trains and transport columns in northern France earning a DFC in March 1943.

In early 1944 he joined 182 Typhoon Squadron as a Flight Commander, later moving to 181 Squadron as commanding officer, leading the squadron into France where it became part of 124 Typhoon Wing. On August 15 North-Lewis was promoted to wing commander leading three Typhoon squadrons during the Battle of Falaise, and was again decorated winning a Bar to his DFC. His Typhoons wreaked havoc amongst the retreating German ground forces during the fierce fighting throughout the Normandy campaign and the long advance through Holland to Germany.

During the airborne landings in Holland in September North-Lewis and his pilots supported the Allied forces at Eindhoven, his Typhoons being the first to arrive after its capture. At the onset of the Germans push through the Ardennes in December 1944, North-Lewis led 124 Wings Typhoons against large concentrations of enemy armour halting the German thrust. Within a few days the Battle of the Bulge was over.

On the morning of March 23 1945, leading his squadrons against a strongpoint east of Wesel on the Rhine, North-Lewis Typhoon was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the engine stopped. He managed to crash-land on a small island but with Germans' situation deteriorating, he was able to paddle an abandoned canoe to the Allied lines. A few days later he was awarded an immediate DSO.

North-Lewis's AOC directed him not to fly again. In the previous 14 months he had flown 176 operational sorties during a time when the losses in his own Wing had been 116 pilots killed or taken prisoner.

In May 1945, the Dutch Government awarded Kit North-Lewis the Bronze Lion (Dutch DSO) and the Dutch Flying Cross for his contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands.

Oberfeldwebel Heinz Marquardt, Luftwaffe.

Having joined the Luftwaffe in 1941 Heinz Marquardt found himself with a training squadron based south of Paris. In August 1943 he was posted to IV./JG-51 to fly fighters in Russia achieving his first victory two months later. He was shot down no fewer than eight times, yet recorded an impressive 121 victories in 320 missions on the Russian Front. On one mission he brought down a staggering 12 enemy aircraft, an astonishing record even in Russia. He was awarded the Knights Cross in November 1944.

Group Captain "Hamish" Mahaddie, DSO, DFC, AFC*

Hamish Mahaddie gained his wings in 1935 and was already a bomber pilot at the outbreak of war in 1939. He took part in many bombing operations between September 1939 and August 1942 by which time he was captaining a four-engine Stirling bomber. His skill at locating and accurately bombing targets at night was well known in Bomber Command and he was taken off operations in March 1943 to assist with the formation of the new force. With the rank of Group Captain he became one of the founding officers of the new Pathfinder Force and had the task of recruiting aircrews from the Command's operational squadrons - not always popular with operational squadron commanders who wanted to retain their best pilots and navigators! In July 1944 Mahaddie took command of RAF Warboys, the Pathfinder Force's training unit, training crews on the Lancaster and later the Mosquito.

An irrepressible character, after he retired in 1958 Mahaddie became an aviation consultant to the film industry, becoming involved in the making of the still popular film "633 Squadron" which features an RAF Mosquito squadron launching a suicidal raid on a Nazi installation in Norway. The film used some recently retired target-tug Mosquito's, one of which Mahaddie bought on completion of filming and used as his personal transport between film sets. He was involved with the 1965 Michael Anderson film "Operation Crossbow" and was aviation consultant to the James Bond series. In 1968 Mahaddie was recruited by Harry Saltzman to procure authentic airworthy second world war aircraft for the aviation epic "Battle Of Britain" and persuaded the RAF to lend many of its aircraft as static airfield dressing. He also found 9 airworthy Spitfires, 3 airworthy Hurricanes, and a number of ex-Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 bombers and Messerschmitt 109 fighters still in service with the Spanish air force, who Mahaddie managed to persuade to cooperate in the making of the film!

FL/Lt Ludwik Martel

Martel arrived in England from Poland in early 1940 and was commissioned in the RAF, transferring to the Polish Air Force in August. He joined No. 54 Squadron in September but almost immediately moved 603 Squadron, flying Spitfires. He claimed his first air victory when he brought down an Me 109 on 5th October. Later that month Martel was forced down in his Spitfire when wounded in his leg while dueling with an Me 109.

Having recovered by March 1941 Martel served with 317 Squadron till he was posted to the Middle East in March 1943. Here, with other Polish pilots, they formed the Polish Fighting Team, otherwise known as Skalski's Circus'. Attached to 145 Squadron they operated in the Western Desert destroying 30 enemy aircraft by mid-May that year, Martel claiming another Me109 and damaging an Italian Mc 200.

Returning to 317 Squadron in England in July he continued to serve with the squadron as a flight commander until posted to Polish Air Force headquarters Operations in September 1944, where he remained till the war end.

The Historic Aircraft Collection's Spitfire Mk Vb is painted in Ludwik Martel's markings (JH-C of 317 Sqn) in tribute to the Polish airmen who served during the war.

Major General Carroll "Red" W. McColpin, USAAF

A pilot since 1928, Carroll "Red" McColpin volunteered for the RAF in 1940. Whilst serving with the RAFs No. 607 Squadron RAF McColpin was one of two pilots who intercepted and attempted unsuccessfully to shoot down the German aircraft carrying Rudolph Hess on his abortive attempt to negotiate an Anglo-German peace agreement. During his time flying with the RAF he flew both Hurricanes and Spitfires.

Upon its formation he was one of the many American pilots who transferred to the American Eagle Squadrons - RAF squadrons equipped with Spitfires. McColpin first flew with 121 Squadron then transferred to 71 Eagle Squadron in September 1941, when shot down 5 German aircraft within five weeks to become the second Eagle "Ace". McColpin is the only pilot known to have fought an aerial combat "to a standstill!" with Werner Molders, the high-scoring German fighter Ace. In November 1941 Red McColpin was awarded the British DFC.

In January 1942 he was posted as a flight commander to the 3rd Eagle Squadron No 133 and, after a break back in the US, returned to command 133 Squadron. On America's entry into the war McColpin transferred to the USAAF, given the rank of Major and command of the 336th Squadron, 4th Fighter Group.

He later led the 40th Fighter Group in support of the D-Day invasion and the drive across Europe. In 400 missions, he recorded 11.5 victories and collected 29 awards for gallantry. Following the war, McColpin remained in the Air Force, retiring as a Major General in 1968.

Lieutenant Edward Michaels, USAAF

As a pilot of a B-17 Fortress, Ed Michaels was awarded Americas highest award The Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry following a raid over Germany on 11th April 1944. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as pilot of a B17 aircraft on a heavy-bombardment mission to Germany, 11 April 1944. The group in which 1st Lt. Michael was flying was attacked by a swarm of fighters. His plane was singled out and the fighters pressed their attacks home recklessly, completely disregarding the Allied fighter escort and their own intense flak. His plane was riddled from nose to tail with exploding cannon shells and knocked out of formation, with a large number of fighters following it down, blasting it with cannon fire as it descended. A cannon shell exploded in the cockpit, wounded the copilot, wrecked the instruments, and blew out the side window. 1st Lt. Michael was seriously and painfully wounded in the right thigh. Hydraulic fluid filmed over the windshield making visibility impossible, and smoke filled the cockpit. The controls failed to respond and 3,000 feet were lost before he succeeded in leveling off. The radio operator informed him that the whole bomb bay was in flames as a result of the explosion of 3 cannon shells, which had ignited the incendiaries. With a full load of incendiaries in the bomb bay and a considerable gas load in the tanks, the danger of fire enveloping the plane and the tanks exploding seemed imminent. When the emergency release lever failed to function, 1st Lt. Michael at once gave the order to bail out and 7 of the crew left the plane. Seeing the bombardier firing the navigator's gun at the enemy planes, 1st Lt. Michael ordered him to bail out as the plane was liable to explode any minute. When the bombardier looked for his parachute he found that it had been riddled with 20mm. fragments and was useless. 1st Lt. Michael, seeing the ruined parachute, realized that if the plane was abandoned the bombardier would perish and decided that the only chance would be a crash landing. Completely disregarding his own painful and profusely bleeding wounds, but thinking only of the safety of the remaining crewmembers, he gallantly evaded the enemy, using violent evasive action despite the battered condition of his plane. After the plane had been under sustained enemy attack for fully 45 minutes, 1st Lt. Michael finally lost the persistent fighters in a cloud bank. Upon emerging, an accurate barrage of flak caused him to come down to treetop level where flak towers poured a continuous rain of fire on the plane. He continued into France, realizing that at any moment a crash landing might have to be attempted, but trying to get as far as possible to increase the escape possibilities if a safe landing could be achieved. 1st Lt. Michael flew the plane until he became exhausted from the loss of blood, which had formed on the floor in pools, and he lost consciousness. The copilot succeeded in reaching England and sighted an RAF field near the coast. 1st Lt. Michael finally regained consciousness and insisted upon taking over the controls to land the plane. The undercarriage was useless; the bomb bay doors were jammed open; the hydraulic system and altimeter were shot out. In addition, there was no airspeed indicator, the ball turret was jammed with the guns pointing downward, and the flaps would not respond. Despite these apparently insurmountable obstacles, he landed the plane without mishap.

Colonel Bob Morgan, USAAF

Flown on every mission by Bob Morgan, the B-17 Memphis Belle was the first of the USAAF heavy bombers to complete a 25 mission tour in the European Theatre. Though flying on some of the most hazardous daylight bombing missions, Morgan was able to boast that he never lost a crew member. He put their success down to the tactic of high altitude flying in tight formations, which gave the formation immense concentrated fire power, but his crew claimed it was Morgans skill as a pilot that always brought them home.

After qualifying as a heavy bomber pilot in 1941, Bob Morgan flew his B-17 across the Atlantic to Bassingbourn, England, home of the 91st Bomb Group. He was one of the early B-17 pilots flying during the period before the USAAF had honed their air defensive tactics or had the relative comfort of fighter escort. Missions took them into France where the submarine pens at St Nazaire were a regular target, to attack installations in the Low Countries, and in early 1943 they began bombing missions over Germany. Losses were heavy, Bassingbourns 91st losing some 80% of their crews shot down by enemy fighters and flak.

After completing 25 operational missions, in June 1943 Bob Morgan and his crew were sent home to America to embark on a 30-city public relations and war bond promotional tour. Morgan, just 23, and having seen the still secret B-29 bomber, volunteered to command his own B-29 Squadron in the Pacific Theatre and in late 1944 he deployed to Saipan. Assigned to the 20th Air Force, on 24th November 1944, Morgan made history when he led the first B-29 bombing raid on Tokyo. After completing another 24 B-29 missions, Morgan returned home in April 1945, retiring a full colonel in 1965.

Morgan, his crew, and aircraft were immortalized in a 1943 documentary filmed during a combat mission by Hollywood producer William Wyler. Many years later in 1990 Warner Bros. made the Hollywood movie Memphis Belle which was produced by Wylers daughter, Cathy. Bob Morgan and a number of his crew travelled back to England to act as advisers on the film.

Oberbootsmannsmaat Rudolf Muhlbauer, Kriegsmarine

Oberbootsmannsmaat Rudolf Muhlbauer was regarded as perhaps the most outstanding bridge watch look-out of the Keirgsmarines U-Boat service during the Second World War. He saw continual action serving on both U.123 and U.170 submarines, and was awarded the Knight Cross in December 1944.

Squadron Leader Kenneth Lee, DFC

Oberbootsmannsmaat Rudolf Muhlbauer was regarded as perhaps the most outstanding bridge watch look-out of the Keirgsmarines U-Boat service during the Second World War. He saw continual action serving on both U.123 and U.170 submarines, and was awarded the Knight Cross in December 1944.

Oberst Johannas Naumann, Luftwaffe

Flying fighters with III./JG-26 at the outbreak of war, Naumann flew in all the air campaigns during 1939-40 including the Battle of Britain. One of Adolf Galland pilots, he led VI./JG-26 on the Channel Front and later VII./JG-26 and in March was appointed Kommandeur of II./JG- 26. In a total of 450 missions Naumann scored 45 victories, all in the West, and was awarded the Knights Cross in 1944.

Oberleutnant Erhard Nippa, Luftwaffe

Erhard Nippa first served with 10./JG-2 Richthofen, one of the Luftwaffes most successful fighter-bomber units, tasked with attacking British shipping on the Channel Front. In 1942 the unit amalgamated with 15./SK210 when Nippa fought in the Mediterranean theatre for a period before being posted to II./SG10 in Russia. He recorded over 300 combat missions and was awarded the Knights Cross in 1944.

Squadron Leader Peter Olver, DFC*

Shortly after joining No. 603 Squadron at Hornchurch in 1940, Peter Olver's Spitfire was shot down by Me109's. Wounded, he was forced to bale out over Hastings, his aircraft crashing into a farm nearby. Back in the air soon after he scored his first air victories when he destroyed a Ju88 and shared an Me110 and a Dornier Do17 with other squadron pilots.

December that year saw Olver join 66 Squadron at Biggin Hill, again flying Spitfires, where he shared the credit for damaging and bringing down four further Luftwaffe aircraft. In June 1942 he was posted to the Middle East to join 238 Squadron in the Western Desert. In the summer months he again shared in the destruction of a Ju88, a Ju87, and another Me109. In October he was posted to command 213 Squadron leading the unit from a secret airstrip deep in the desert behind enemy lines during the retreat of the Afrika Korps from Alamein. While leading the squadron Olver destroyed three enemy aircraft in a low level attack at the enemy airstrip at Agedabia, and followed this in November when he brought down an Me109. Having been awarded the DFC, Olver was given command of No.1 SAAF Squadron with which he added to his score bringing down a further Ju87, probably another, damaging a third, then destroying an Italian Mc202. He then moved to 244 Wing as Squadron leader, soon promoted to take command when the Wing Leader was killed.

As the war progressed to Italy, Olver added to his tally destroying a Mc205 but, on 11 July 1943 after shooting down two German Me109s, he was himself brought down to spend the remainder of the war in captivity. He was awarded a Bar to his DFC.

Shortly after joining No. 603 Squadron at Hornchurch in 1940, Peter Olver's Spitfire was shot down by Me109's. Wounded, he was forced to bale out over Hastings, his aircraft crashing into a farm nearby. Back in the air soon after he scored his first air victories when he destroyed a Ju88 and shared an Me110 and a Dornier Do17 with other squadron pilots.

December that year saw Olver join 66 Squadron at Biggin Hill, again flying Spitfires, where he shared the credit for damaging and bringing down four further Luftwaffe aircraft. In June 1942 he was posted to the Middle East to join 238 Squadron in the Western Desert. In the summer months he again shared in the destruction of a Ju88, a Ju87, and another Me109. In October he was posted to command 213 Squadron leading the unit from a secret airstrip deep in the desert behind enemy lines during the retreat of the Afrika Korps from Alamein. While leading the squadron Olver destroyed three enemy aircraft in a low level attack at the enemy airstrip at Agedabia, and followed this in November when he brought down an Me109. Having been awarded the DFC, Olver was given command of No.1 SAAF Squadron with which he added to his score bringing down a further Ju87, probably another, damaging a third, then destroying an Italian Mc202. He then moved to 244 Wing as Squadron leader, soon promoted to take command when the Wing Leader was killed.

As the war progressed to Italy, Olver added to his tally destroying a Mc205 but, on 11 July 1943 after shooting down two German Me109s, he was himself brought down to spend the remainder of the war in captivity. He was awarded a Bar to his DFC.

Cliff Peterson, USAAF

We are currently researching details about Cliff Peterson, however we know he served as a gunner on B17 bombers during World War II. We also know he was the sole survivor of a B-17 crew flying missions over France and Germany which was shot down during one of their many missions. We believe he was captured and made a P.O.W.

Lieutenant Vincent Peters, USAAF

Vincent Peters flew his first combat mission out of Ridgewell in October 1944. Skippering a B-17 of the 535th Squadron, the 381st Bomb Group, Peters was involved in many of the big daylight raids during that period to Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, and other heavily defended targets in the Rhur Valley. During this time the Luftwaffe fighters were aggressively flying in defence of the Reich and USAAF losses were high. On 1st January 1945 during a mission supporting the Battle of the Bulge his aircraft was severely damaged by gunfire and he and his crew forced to take to their parachutes. They all survived.

Wing Commander Geoffrey Page, DSO, DFC*, OBE

Barely out of his teens in July 1940, flying a Hurricane in the height of the Battle of Britain, Geoffrey Page claimed three German bombers in 10 days in the middle of the month serving with No 56 Squadron. As the air battle wore on over south-east England, fatigue began to take its toll. Pilots' reactions slowed; the stress of incessant sorties, shooting and being shot at, and little sleep gradually frayed the nerves. On August 17, Page was scrambled to intercept a gaggle of Dornier bombers off the Kent coast but, as he modestly recalled, "drowning in fear, fatigue and nervous exhaustion", he was shot down over Epple Bay and had to bale out of a cockpit ablaze with burning fuel.

Severely burned, he underwent a succession of painful surgery to repair his face and rebuild his crippled hands under the auspices of Sir Archibald McIndoe, the renowned plastic surgeon. Each taxed Page's mental and physical fortitude to the limit, and he was told hed never fly again. McIndoe made no bones about the fact that his patients were "guinea pigs" and in 1941, after a hard night's drinking, the Guinea Pig Club was born. Page was elected to the inaugural committee.

Despite endless surgery, Page was determined to return to the fray, and using all his considerable charm, eventually persuaded the authorities to let him do so.

Early in 1943 he flew Spitfires briefly with No 132 Squadron based at Hornchurch, then in North Africa, but the hot sun proved incompatible with his grafted skin, and he was posted the Air Fighting Development Unit at Wittering. Here he was teamed with Squadron Leader James MacLachlan, a one-armed New Zealand fighter ace with a DSO, DFC and two Bars, and together they put a wide variety of Allied aircraft through their paces. Page's courage and flying skills quickly earned him the respect of all at the base.

On June 29 1943, he and MacLachlan decided to undertake some practical evaluation of the American P-51 Mustang, a long-range fighter ideally suited to daytime strafing of enemy airfields. With MacLachlan's artificial arm clamped to the throttle lever of his aeroplane, the pair raced over to France, where between them they accounted for six enemy aircraft in 10 minutes.

Early in 1944, Page assumed command of No 132 Squadron, which he led during the run-up to the invasion of Normandy. Now promoted Wing Commander, he took charge of No 125 Fighter Wing comprising four Spitfire squadrons operating from seized airfields in France. He was still only 24. In September, Page was attacking ground targets near the Arnhem bridgehead when he was wounded by anti-aircraft fire and forced to crash-land. He fractured his back and was returned to hospital. It was the end of his war.

An immensely talented and courageous fighter pilot, Geoffrey Page ended the war with 17 enemy aircraft destroyed, and a clutch of highly deserved medals for gallantry which included a DFC in 1943, another DFC in 1944, and a DSO awarded later that year. He was appointed OBE in 1995.

Oberleutnant Viktor Petermann

Viktor Petermann completed his flying training in October 1941 and joined JG-52 based on the Eastern Front in June of that year. He flew 22 combat missions before claiming his first victory on 1 July, when he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter near Wolokonovka. Petermann then spent a period flying as wingman to squadron commander, Major Herbert Ihlefeld (132 victories) before being picked to fly wingman to Major Gorgon Gollob (150 victories). On 15 August, Petermann rammed a Russian I-153 biplane fighter in aerial combat but managed to bring his damaged aircraft back 100 kilometers before belly-landing at his base at Mineralyje Wody. By March 1943 he was back with 5./JG 52 when, released from the restrictions of flying wingman, he recorded 18 victories in short time to bring his total to 40 air victories.

In combat with Russian aircraft on 6 June his Bf 109 G-4 was hit in the oil cooler and he was forced to belly-land behind Russian lines. He successfully evaded capture, returned to his unit three days later, but was admitted to hospital with exposure, dehydration and exhaustion. His efforts were recognised when he was promoted to the rank of Leutnant and on 16 July awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. Petermann claimed his 50th victory on 26 July then, transferring to 6./JG 52, enjoyed his most successful day on 25 September, when he shot down a Russian Yak-1 fighter and three Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft in a 23 minute engagement bringing his total to 59 victories.

On 1 October, Petermann was severely wounded when his Bf 109 G-6 received a direct hit from German flak. With his engine on fire and about to bale out he found his parachute badly damaged, so was forced to crash-land in no-mans land between the front lines. Rescued by German troops he was hospitalized, and his left arm amputated. With his victories at 60 he was awarded the Knights Cross while still in hospital.

From 15 May 1944, Petermann served in a staff role however he pestered the authorities to allow him to return to combat duties, finally succeeding in being posted to III./JG 52 again flying the Bf 109. As the war drew towards its close he again moved to JG-7 where he trained on the Me262 jet fighter, however was transferred back to 10./JG 52, based at Schweidnitz in April to contest the final defence of Germany.

With the rank of Oberleutnant, and flying with an artificial arm, Victor Petermann flew his last operation of the war on 5 May. He completed a total of 550 combat missions and was credited with 64 air victories. On 8 May 1945 this brave and determined Luftwaffe ace was captured by American troops.

General Günther Rall

Günther Rall was one of the few outstanding German fighter leaders to survive WWII and by the end of the conflict, with 275 aerial victories, was the third-highest-scoring fighter ace of all time.

Rall trained as a fighter pilot in 1939 and was posted to fly the Messerschmitt Bf 109 with JG-52. He quickly claimed his first victory in May 1940 during the Battle of France. With the fall of France, JG-52 moved to Calais and Rall flew throughout the Battle of Britain, his unit assigned to escorting Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers. Ordered to stick with these slow aircraft, JG-52's Me109's gave up all their advantage of speed and the unit suffered heavy losses against RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes. When the group commander, adjutant, and all three squadron commanders were lost in a few weeks, Rall was promoted to squadron commander, but JG-52 was forced to withdraw in September to rebuild and train new pilots.

Once back to strength, in early 1941 the unit moved their Bf 109's to Romania to defend the oil refineries and bridges over the Danube, and support the German airborne assault on Crete. Now at war with the Soviet Union, in five days Rall and his pilots destroyed over 50 Soviet bombers before being deployed to the southern sector of the Eastern Front.

Here Rall's victories continued to mount, however after claiming his 36th victim, he was himself shot down, crash-landing his badly damaged aircraft behind German lines. Severely wounded he was moved to hospital in Vienna, his back broken and partially paralysed. It was here he was treated by Hertha, a woman doctor who later became his wife.

Recovered, Rall returned to JG-52 in August 1942 and on September 3rd, with 65 victories, he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Incredibly, during the following month his score rose above 100 and in November the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross were presented to him personally by Hitler. Afterwards, as they sat together chatting, Rall asked Hitler: "Führer, how long will this war take?" Hitler replied: "My dear Rall, I don't know." That surprised the young Rall. "I thought our leaders knew everything," Rall recalled, "and suddenly I realised they didn't know anything."

The following April Rall took command of III/JG-52 and on August 29 he recorded his 200th victory. He had flown 555 operational missions and on September 12 he was again summoned to Berlin when Hitler presented him with Swords to his Knight's Cross. Back in action in October Rall shot down another 40 aircraft - more than most of the Luftwaffe's best pilots achieved throughout the war.

Returning to the West to take charge of II/JG-11, Rall next flew 109's in defence of Germany. On May 12, 1944, after shooting down two USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts, he was himself shot down. Severely wounded in the hand, he managed to bail out over Frankfurt. His wound became badly infected and he remained in hospital for six months.

Returning to active duty in November, Rall's final command was to lead JG-300 and he flew his 621st and final mission at the end of April. A few days later he was captured by the Americans.

Gunther Rall flew against all the major Allied fighters, the great majority of his successes being against other fighters. He was himself shot down seven times. By any standards, Rall's achievements during the Second World War were phenominal and attracted great admiration from his former adversaries. Yet Rall never considered himself a hero. "We fought for our country and to stay alive," he reflected.

In postwar years he was one of the founding fathers of the modern German Air Force. Joining in 1955, he became the project officer for the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the new German air force's main operational fighter until 1980. Promoted to Chief of Staff of Nato's 4th Allied Tactical Air Force, he rose to become Chief of Air Staff, then the German military representative at Nato. He retired in 1975.

After retiring in 1975 Gunther Rall established firm friendships with his former British and American adversaries and made many visits to each country. A greatly respected, charming and modest man, he was in regular demand as a lecturer fulfilling engagements until shortly before his death on October 4, 2009.

Bill Reid VC

Extract from the London Gazette, 14 December 1943. Raid on Düsseldorf, Germany, 3 November 1943, A / Flight Lieutenant William Reid, 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

On the night of 3rd November 1943, Flight Lieutenant Reid was pilot and captain of a Lancaster aircraft detailed to attack Düsseldorf. Shortly after crossing the Dutch coast, the pilot's windscreen was shattered by fire from a Messerschmitt 110. Owing to a failure in the heating circuit, the rear gunner's hands were too cold for him to open fire immediately or to operate his microphone and so give warning of danger: but after a brief delay he managed to return the Messerschmitt's fire and it was driven off.

During the fight with the Messerschmitt, Flight Lieutenant Reid was wounded in the head, shoulders and hands. The elevator trimming tabs of the aircraft were damaged and it became difficult to control. The rear turret, too, was badly damaged and the communications system and compasses were put out of action. Flight Lieutenant Reid ascertained that his crew were unscathed and, saying nothing about his own injuries, he continued his mission.

Soon afterwards, the Lancaster was attacked by a Focke Wulf 190. This time, the enemy's fire raked the bomber from stem to stern. The rear gunner replied with his only serviceable gun but the state of his turret made accurate aiming impossible. The navigator was killed and the wireless operator fatally injured. The mid-upper turret was hit and the oxygen system put out of action. Flight Lieutenant Reid was again wounded and the flight engineer, though hit in the forearm, supplied him with oxygen from a portable supply.

Flight Lieutenant Reid refused to be turned from his objective and Düsseldorf was reached some 50 minutes later. He had memorised his course to the target and had continued in such a normal manner that the bomb-aimer, who was cut off by the failure of the communications system, knew nothing of his captain's injuries or of the casualties to his comrades. Photographs show that, when the bombs were released, the aircraft was right over the centre of the target.

Steering by the pole star and the moon, Flight Lieutenant Reid then set course for home. He was growing weak from loss of blood. The emergency oxygen supply had given out. With the windscreen shattered, the cold was intense. He lapsed into semi-consciousness. The flight engineer, with some help from the bomb-aimer, kept the Lancaster in the air despite heavy anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast.

The North Sea crossing was accomplished. An airfield was sighted. The captain revived, resumed control and made ready to land. Ground mist partially obscured the runway lights. The captain was also much bothered by blood from his head wound getting into his eyes. But he made a safe landing although one leg of the damaged undercarriage collapsed when the load came on.

Wounded in two attacks, without oxygen, suffering severely from cold, his navigator dead, his wireless operator fatally wounded, his aircraft crippled and defenceless, Flight Lieutenant Reid showed superb courage and leadership in penetrating a further 200 miles into enemy territory to attack one of the most strongly-defended targets in Germany, every additional mile increasing the hazards of the long and perilous journey home. His tenacity and devotion to duty were beyond praise.

William Reid was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on the 11th June 1944.

Oberstleutnant Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, Luftwaffe

Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and flew combat throughout WWII. He took part in the Western air battles flying the Me109 with JG77 before transferring to the Eastern Front in 1941. In January 1943 he was posted to Tunisia where he became the top-scoring Luftwaffe Ace in North Africa during the period he flew combat in the Theatre. Later, in January 1945 he was given command of IV./JG27 and in March transferred to III./JG7 flying the new Me262 jet fighter. In all Reinert flew a remarkable 715 combat missions surviving the war with 174 aerial victories. One of Germanys most highly decorated fighter pilots, he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Major Werner Roell, Luftwaffe

At the outbreak of the war, Werner Roell flew with St.G 77 during the Norwegian Campaign and was one of the first pilots to land in Norway. He later flew operations in Yugoslavia and Crete as Staffelkapitan of 4./St77, where he led the ME-110 "Destroyer" Gerschwader Stabstaffel, which became one of the most effective fighter cover and ground attack units on the front, later deploying to Russia.

Roell then transferred to the Ju87, flying over 400 combat missions in the Stuka dive-bomber, destroying a Soviet light cruiser near the Crimea. Much admired in the Luftwaffe for his tenacity, in early 1945 he was summoned by General Adolf Galland to join his famous JV44 Me262 'Squadron of Experts' unit, where Roell served until the end of the war. Werner Roell flew a total of 477 combat missions, and was awarded the Knight's Cross.

Major Erich Rudorffer, Luftwaffe

Erich Rudorffer is one of a handful of Luftwaffe pilots who flew combat throughout World War II. He became the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history of air warfare claiming a total of 222 air victories. He took part in every major German theatre of war, including Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Eastern Front.

Flying the Me109 with I./JG2 'Richthofen' in November 1939 he took part in the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain, becoming Adjutant of II./JG2 in June 1941. In December 1942 he was transferred to North Africa, then in the summer of 1943 took command of II./JG54 on the Russian Front. Back in Germany in February 1945 he took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262.

During the war Rudorffer flew more than 1000 combat missions, was engaged in aerial combat no less than 300 times achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot including on one occasion in December 1943 shooting down 8 RAF aircraft in 32 minutes. He was shot down by flak and enemy fighters 16 times and had to take to his parachute 9 times. A phenomenal fighter pilot, Erich Rudorffer was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Schroeteler, Kriegsmarine

Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Schroeteler served in U-Boats and was continually at sea from 1942, when he took command of U.667, till the end of the war. Highly successful, he was awarded the Knights Cross in early 1945, by which time he was skipper of U.1023. He was at sea when WWII came to an end and was ordered to surrender to the Allied navies.

Oberleutnant Walter Schuck, Luftwaffe

Walter Schuck served as a Luftwaffe fighter pilot 1937 until the end of World War II. Initially flying with JG3, after the great air battles on the Western front, Schuck was posted to 7./JG5 in April 1942. In June 1944 he achieved his 100th victory during a day in which he brought down 6 enemy aircraft. Two days later he had his most successful day, achieving no fewer than 12 victories in a twenty-four hour period, a feat that was achieved bo no other pilot in JG5 and in August that year he was given command of 10./JG5.

Returning to take part in the defence of Germany Schuck converted on to the Me262 jet fighter and was appointed Staffelkapitan of 3./JG7, and achieved 8 further victories flying the new jet. Walter Schuck flew over 500 combat missions and was credited with a total of 206 air victories plus a further 30 unconfirmed successes and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Major Gerhard Schopfel, Luftwaffe

Gerhard Schopfel was Staffelkapitan of 9./JG-26 at the outbreak of war and was appointed Kommandeur of III./JG-26 in August 1940, flying throughout the Battle of Britain. In December 1941 he succeeded Adolf Galland as Kommodore of the famous JG- 26 wing until January 1943, later commanding JG-4 and JG-6. Schopfel flew a remarkable 700 combat missions achieving 40 air victories, all in the West. He was awarded the Knights Cross in 1940.

Squadron Leader Norman Scrivener, DSO, DFC

Norman Scrivener joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 24 at the outbreak of war in 1939. He had a huge aptitude for maths and geometry and with those abilities was destined from the start to become a navigator - badly needed by the RAF when hostilities began.

He excelled during his training in navigation, was always near the top of his class, but suffered dreadfully from air sickness. But Scrivener was so determined to fly he simply put up with it, and gradually overcame the problem. This was just as well for he was to become one of the Pathfinder's finest and most decorated navigators of the war.

Joining No. 97 Squadron, as a pilot officer he soon became one of the first navigators to use the developing radar systems. He later joined 106 Squadron and flew with Wing Commander Guy Gibson before he became commander of the famous Dambusters squadron.

Scriverer's navigational skills were now well known in Bomber Command and he was quickly snapped up by 83 Squadron Pathfinders when it was formed. During his time with PFF he took part in many of the war's most notable raids including the spectacular attacks on the German rocket establishment at Peenemunde in 1943 - where the V1 and V2 missiles were developed and built. Norman Scrivener was one of WWII's most respected navigators, completed over 100 operational missions, and his devotion to duty earned him both the Distinguished Service Order, and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Oberleutnant Gunter Seeger, Luftwaffe

In February 1940 Seeger was an Unteroffiezer with 3./JG-2 scoring his first victory early in the Battle of Britain. He then transferred to the Mediterranean theatre to join II./7JG-53. In February 1943 he moved to 7./JG-53 being appointed the units Staffelkapitan in September 1944. He was awarded the Knights Cross and completed the war with 56 air victories.

Colonel Albert Shower, USAAF

Group Commander Colonel Albert J. Shower had the distinction of being the only American CO to continuously command a single 8th Air Force unit from the time it left the USA to its return over two years later in 1945. Arriving in England with their B-24 Liberators in March 1944, the 467th Bomb Group with its component 788th, 789th, 790th and 791st Bombardment Squadrons, known as 'The Rackheath Aggies', were tasked with the strategic bombing of Nazi Germanys industries and communications together with other targets that directly supported the enemy's war effort. After two years of continual combat operations the 467th was to complete WWII with the best bombing accuracy record of the 8th USAAF. Much of the credit was given to the mercurial leadership of their commanding officer.

Led throughout its operation tours by the charismatic Colonel Shower, the 467th completed 212 operational missions, losing 46 of their B-24 Liberators to enemy fighters and ground fire. Al Shower was rightly considered to be one of the great bomb group commanders of the US 8th Air force in WWI.

Sir Tommy Sopwith

Born in 1888, Thomas Sopwith taught himself to fly in 1910 when he bought a 40hp aircraft from the Wright Brothers. It was the beginning of one of the most remarkable careers in the history of aviation.

During the First World War he produced the Sopwith Pup, the Triplane, the Snipe, Dolphin, Salamander, and what was ultimately classed the best fighter of the war, the Sopwith Camel. Sopwith Camel's pilots shot down 1294 enemy aircraft - mostly German - more than any other in the Great War. Between the wars, after joining forces with Harry Hawker, they developed the Fury, the Hart, Nimrod and Audex, and in 1936 the Hurricane, a new monoplane which was to become the fighter that won the Battle of Britain. During WWII the group produced no fewer than 40,000 aircraft, including the Typhoon, Tempest, Sea Fury, and Meteor - the first British jet used operationally during the war.

After the war Spowith's company brought into service many more legendary aircraft including the Hunter - still thought by many to be the most beautiful jet fighter ever built - the Sea Hawk, the Javelin, and the massive Vulcan bomber.

Just a few weeks after his 101st birthday, Sir Tommy Sopwith, the last of the world's great pioneers of powered flight, passed away, bequeathing an aviation legacy of such magnitude it is unlikely to ever be surpassed.

Wing Commander Bob Stanford-Tuck, DSO, DFC**

Bob Stanford-Tuck joined the RAF in 1935, and was posted to his first fighter squadron, No.56, at Hornchurch in 1936, Here he flew Hawker Demons, Gloster Gladiators, then finally Spitfires - the first arriving on the front line in 1938. His first aerial combat was over Dunkirk in May 1940 as a flight commander in 92 Squadron. He couldn't have got off to a better start when he destroyed an Me109 in the morning, and two Me 110's in the afternoon. It was the start of a combat career that put the dashing, handsome Bob Tuck on the front pages of all the newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic. Stanford-Tuck took part in all the air fighting over Dunkirk, the large air battles that followed over the Channel in the build-up to the Battle of Britain, and through the first weeks of the Battle itself. He was an exceptional pilot, aggressive, and whether leading a flight, squadron, or wing, did so with great courage and panache. Bob Stanfor-Tuck was promoted to take over No. 257 Hurricane Squadron half way through the Battle, which he led with further success and distinction till the middle of 1941 when he was appointed Wing Commander to take over the fighter wing at Duxford.

After a tour in the USA lecturing on air combat and flying most of the American fighters of the day to asses their capabilities for the Air Ministry, he returned to take command of Biggin Hill's four Spitfire squadrons. His air combat career came to an abrupt halt in January 1942 when he was shot down by ground fire during a low-level attack over northern France. He was lucky to survive, was taken prisoner by the Germans, and spent three years as a P.O.W. Incredibly, in his relatively short combat career, the highly decorated Bob Stanford-Tuck was credited with 29 air victories.

Squadron Leader Hugh Stapme Stapleton, DFC

South African Stapme Stapleton joined the RAF in 1939 and was posted to No.603 Squadron with whom he flew Spitfires throughout the Battle of Britain. Like many RAF pilots, he shared victories with others, never being quite sure which pilot one had fired the fatal shots. We werent too bothered about our personal scores so long as we shot the enemy out of the sky Stapleton later commented.

Gun cameras were not always installed and on occasions produced inconclusive evidence. None-the-less Stapleton was credited with sharing the destruction of a JU88 in July 1940, a Dornier Do17 and three Me109s in August, and credited with confirmed victories over a second Dornier Do17 and an Me109 in September before being forced down himself during fierce fighting over south London on September 3rd.

Uninjured, he was immediately back in his Spitfire and claimed further victories completing the Battle of Britain as an Ace with at least 6 confirmed victories and was awarded the DFC. After a period in Fighter Command Headquarters, in April 1942 he joined 257 Squadron as a flight commander flying first Hurricanes then the new Hawker Typhoon. By August 1944 Stapleton was commanding 247 Squadrons Typhoons operating on the Continent, flying these effective ground attack aircraft until the end of the war. This was dangerous work and we lost quite a few pilots to flak, but the Typhoon was a potent air attack weapon. I lost count of the tanks, trains, and other ground targets we destroyed he said recently. Typical of the dashing fighter pilots of the era, Stapleton sported a splendid handle-bar moustache which he proudly wore for the rest of his days.

General Johannes (Macky) Steinhoff

Macky Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots flew operationally throughout the entire period of WWII, becoming one of the highest-scoring pilots with 176 victories. He was also one of the first to fly the Me 262 jet fighter in combat, being a member of the famous aces squadron JV 44 led by Adolf Galland.

After a year in the Kriegsmarine as a naval flying cadet, Steinhoff transferred to the Luftwaffe after Hermann Göring became its commander-in-chief in 1935. After gaining his wings he joined JG-26 fighter wing, scoring his first air victory in 1939 when he brought down an RAF Wellington bomber over Wilhelmshaven.

After leading 10./JG 26, in February 1940, he was transferred to 4./JG 52 with which he flew throughout the French campaign and the Battle of Britain. By the end of the Battle, although having been shot down once, Steinhoff's score had advanced to six kills. A natural leader and by now an experienced fighter pilot, Steinhoff was a constant source of inspiration to young pilots joining the wing.

In June 1941, JG 52 was despatched to the Eastern Front to commence offensive operations against the Soviet Union, ultimately becoming one of the highest scoring units in the Luftwaffe. Steinhoff himself claimed 28 Soviet aircraft shot down in the first month. He remained with JG 52 until March 1943, when he took command of JG-77 operating over the Mediterranean. A short time after his arrival Steinhoff was shot down for a second time by Spitfires, crash-landing his damaged aircraft without injury.

After the heavy losses suffered during Operation Bodenplatte, Steinhoff, Galland, and other fighter leaders led the so-called 'Fighter Pilots Revolt' against what they believed to be the incompetence of the Luftwaffe's supremo, Hermann Göring. Along with Galland and others, Steinhoff was relieved of his command, and threatened by Goring and his henchmen with death. Reprieved by Hitler, Steinhoff became one of the earliest Me262 jet pilots, flying first with Nowotny in October 1944, and then as commander of JG-7 in December. He handpicked several leading Luftwaffe pilots to join him including Heinz B är and Gerhard Barkhorn.

In early 1945 Steinhoff transferred to JV-44, another Me262 wing being put together by Adolf Galland. Steinhoff persuaded several of the best Luftwaffe pilots still around to join the unit however, on 18 April 1945, having achieved six victories with the unit, Steinhoff's Me-262 suffered a tire blow-out after hitting a shell hole and he crashed on take-off. The jet exploded in flames and Steinhoff was badly burned, leaving him visibly scarred despite years of reconstructive surgery. After the war his eyelids were rebuilt by the same British surgeon who tended Wing Commander Geoffrey Page's burns, and at one time they were in adjoining beds in the same hospital! They became life-long friends.

Macky Steinhoff flew no fewer than 993 operational missions, was shot down 12 times, baling out once, and was credited with 176 victories. He was awarded Iron Cross in 1939, and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

With the formation of the New German Air Force, Steinhoff rose to the rank of general, served as Chief of Staff and acting Commander Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe, and later as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, retiring in 1974. Macky Steinhoff died aged 80 in 1994. In September 1997, JG- 73 fighter wing of the new Luftwaffe was named "Steinhoff" in his honor. Along with Manfred von Richthofen and Max Immelmann, only a handful of pilots were honored in this way.

Flight Lieutenant Basil Tatters Tatham, RAF

One of the RAFs great colourful characters, after gaining his RAF wings 'Tatters' Tatham qualified on Hurricanes before joining the dangerous Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (MSFU) in 1941, a specialised outfit based at RAF Speke operating the Hawker Sea Hurricane. There to provide Allied shipping with some form of defence, these aircraft, mounted on a trolley, were catapulted along an eight-foot runway off the bow of a lumbering merchant vessel. With the aid of 3 inch rockets, the pilot gained just enough speed to get airborne. Each vessel was equipped with one Sea Hurricane, one RAF pilot and a small support crew.

It took a certain type of pilot to undertake these sorties as Tatters Tatham soon experienced: The merchant ships had no means of recovering the aircraft and with most launches at sea well beyond the Sea Hurricanes range, for the pilot it was a one-way ride: each sortie required him to bale out and use an inflatable dingy until a passing ship picked him up.

Tathams experiences with the MSFU on Atlantic convoys came to an abrupt end when his merchant ship was torpedoed. Surviving the ordeal, in May 1942 he was posted to 257 Squadron this time to fly Hurricane night fighter patrols, however in July the squadron converted to Typhoons. Tatham began the serious business of low-level patrols intercepting enemy fighter-bomber raids, flying escort missions and offensive operations. He then was posted to 247 Squadron, again flying Typhoons, first in the night defence role then making early attacks on enemy airfields in northern France, 247 Squadron becoming heavily involved in these treacherous missions prior to and during the D-Day operation.

After a brief rest period instructing on Typhoons, Tatham rejoined 247 Squadron the day before D-day and on 27 June 1944 the Squadron moved across the Channel to Coulombs in Normandy. This began the drive through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and into Germany, Tatters Tatham and his fellow pilots spending the months destroying German tanks and other ground targets including transport systems, weapon emplacements, and other battlefield targets. Tatters Tatham was typical of the courageous pilots that flew the perilous ground attack missions day in and day out, continuing till 3 March 1945, when 257 Squadron flew its last mission in anger.

Colonel Reade Tilley, USAAF

After Reade Tilley graduated from University in Texas he had to decide whether to continue a career as a race car driver or become a fighter pilot. With WWII raging he Europe he chose the latter, joined the RCAF in June 1940 and joined the American Eagle Squadrons in Britain in 1940. A flamboyant and colourful character, flying Spitfires with No.121 Squadron Tilley saw action over northern France and the English Channel till 1942 when he was posted to Malta.

Taking their Spitfires off from the deck of the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp, Reade and his 126 Squadron Spitfires crossed the remainder of the Mediterranean to join in the defence of the besieged island fortress. Under attack from enemy aircraft en route, the much needed Spitfires support group arrived to the relief of both the pilots and the resilient islanders. Vital to the Allies in the theatre, the tiny island of Malta had become the most bombed target on earth. Right into the action, Reade Tilley became the first American in Malta to to be awarded the British DFC.

Returning to the European theatre Tilley flew fighter missions with the 8th USAAF as a little friends escort to the B-24 and B-17 units flying over Europe during the latter part of World War II. In all Tilley flew over 150 combat missions, and claimed 11 confirmed air-to-air victories. He retired from the US Air Force as a full Colonel.

Group Captain Hugh Verity, DSO, DFC

Hugh Verity joined the RAF in 1940, posted first to No 608 Squadron to fly Ansons on reconnaissance duties, then to 252, a squadron equipped with Blenheims and Beaufighters. After a brief detachment to Malta, he then joined 29 night fighter Squadron flying Beaufighters.

From night-fighting it was a natural progression to the next role in which Verity was to become one of the leading exponents of the war. In the winter of 1942 Verity met Wing Commander P C Pickard, who commanded No 161 Squadron, secretly designated to the Special Operations Executive, and comprising Lysanders, Halifaxes, Wellingtons and a lone Hudson. Verity quickly took to this small, closely-knit team of RAF pilots, all flying the lonely, dangerous clandestine missions in support of SOE agents in occupied territory. Collaborating with the French Resistance, they often flew agents in and picked up downed aircrew who had evaded capture for the return flight home.

Mostly piloting the short-field take-off and landing single engine Lysander, Verity flew over 30 solitary and demanding missions deep into enemy territory at the dead of night. Without the benefit of sophisticated navigation aids, he had to find a small field hundreds of miles from home where a reception party would be waiting for him, a few hand-held torches being his only landing guide. As if this were not frightening enough, the danger was compounded by the fact that Verity never new if the Resistance cell he was to meet had been compromised, and the Gestapo laying in wait.

Flights were often hampered by fog, cloud obscuring moonlight from his landing field usually rough at best and there was the ever-present danger of German fighter interception.

Verity soon became well known and much admired by his French passengers and reception parties, occasionally flying the twin-engine Hudson a brute to land in a farm field in order to bring up to eight people back to England.

With France now in Allied hands Verity took his clandestine air operational skills to South East Asia in the autumn of 1944, where he flew till the end of the war. A courageous pilot, few in World War II achieved Hugh Veritys night-flying skills. He was awarded the DFC and DSO in 1943 and when his secret activities could be made known to the French when the war was over, they awarded him the Legion d'Honneur.

Hauptmann Hans Weik, Luftwaffe

Hans Weik joined the Luftwaffe in October 1941 and following completion of flying training, was posted to I./JG 3 based on the Eastern front where he achieved his first victory on 9 March 1943 when he shot down a Russian Yak-1 fighter. After a tour on the Russian Front, and promotion to the rank of Leutnant, he returned to Germany and became an instructor on fighters.

Eager to return to combat flying in July 1944 Weik was flying Fw-190As with Sturmgruppe IV./JG3, one of the nineteen Luftwaffe groups rushed to France, assigned to carry out hazardous fighter-bomber missions against the Allied invasion at Normandy. After one weeks mauling they were withdrawn to home defence duties, directed against the USAAF attacks on oil industry targets.

In September 1943 Weik downed his first four-engine bomber a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress. Between February and July 1944, he claimed 23 victories, 20 of which were four-engine bombers. Weik was credited with 36 victories in only 85 missions but was shot down and injured in combat against US B-17s at Lechfeld later that year. He was awarded the Knights Cross. Recovering from his wounds, he converted to the Me262 jet fighter in April 1945.

Archie Winskill qualified on Spitfires in 1940 flying first with No.72 Squadron, then 603 Squadron during the Battle of Britain during which he claimed an Me109, an He111, and two CR42's destroyed. After the Battle, in 1941 he moved to 41 Squadron - again flying Spitfires - becoming a flight commander. He claimed a further Me109 in August, but later than month was shot down during a dog-fight over Calaise, in occupied France. Winskill evaded capture and with the help of the French Resistance managed to get back to Britain via Spain and Gibraltar to find he had been awarded the DFC.

After forming 165 Squadron Winkskill was posted briefly to command 222 Squadron before taking over 232, redeploying the squadron to North Africa. Here they contested an aggressive Luftwaffe and Winskill soon added to his victories by bringing down a Fw190. But during a sweep over Mateur he was shot down by enemy flak, ditching in the sea close to the beach, clambered out and swam ashore. He immediately returned to his squadron to continue the fight. By the end of his tour he had 9 confirme air-to-air victories and was awarded a Bar to his DFC.

After the war, Archie Winskill became captain of the Queen's Flight and was knighted in 1980.

Korveitenkapitan Helmut Witte, Kriegsmarine

Korveitenkapitan Helmut Witte served on destroyers till he joined the U-Boat force aboard U.107, taking part in the most successful patrol ever mounted by the German U-Boat fleets. He was given command of U.159 as early as 1941 and continued to serve till the end of the war. He was awarded the Knights Cross while captain of U.159 in October 1942.

Colonel Hubert "Hub" Zemke, USAAF

Hub Zemke led one of the most famous and successful USAAF fighter groups in Europe during World War II. Universally known as Zemkes Wolfpack, his 56th Fighter Group became the most successful of all American fighter units in Europe, chalking up no fewer than 665 air-to-air victories.

After commanding the 56ths P-47 Thunderbolt fighters two years, in August 1944 Zemke took over the 479th Fighter Group, at the time equipped with P-38 Lightnings but about to convert to Merlin-powered P-51 Mustangs. Somewhat low on moral, he immediately brought tough leadership and rigid discipline to the 479th, and by passing on his knowledge and combat experience, quickly earned the respect of its pilots and ground crews alike, restoring the group to a tight, efficient fighting unit. The 479Th was the first to shoot down one of the Luftwaffes new fighter jets, the Me-262 jet.

In October 1944, with over 450 combat hours, Zemke received orders to join 65th Fighter Wing headquarters as chief of staff. Knowing this signaled the end of his air combat career, he could not resist flying one more mission, but his luck ran out. Encountering severe turbulence, Zemkes P-47 lost a wing and he was forced to bale out over enemy territory and was taken prisoner. He ended his war as the senior officer at Stalag Luft I in Germany, so ending one of the most illustrious fighter pilot combat careers in World War II.

Hub Zemke was credited with 18 confirmed victories in over 150 combat missions. More important than his status as a leading ace, Zemke was rated the most outstanding USAAF fighter group leader of the war: tough, uncompromising, courageous, inspirational, a superb tactician, Colonel Hub Zemke will long be remembered for his remarkable leadership and the unflinching example he gave to all those who served with him in Europe during World War II.