Surviving BoB Pilots-Do you personally know any?

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Kyt

Definately an anomoly/ommission. He's in the Men of the Battle of Britain:

Yes, seems so doesn't it?

I have asked 52nd if he would contact the BoB Society. If not I will once we have gone through this whole list.

Sadly though, a month could be a long time to some of these men.

[Nostalgair]

Hi All,

I have been fortunate enough to have contact with a few of "The Few". This mainly came through the research for my book which centred on one of these gallant men, SQNLDR Kenneth McGlashan AFC. Unfortunately, Kenneth passed away in 2005, but I was truly honoured to have known him.

Without reservation, Kenneth and the other chaps that I have dealt are gentlemen with an honest air of modesty and understatement. Sadly, it is a quality that is not so prevelant in current times where sometimes "heroes" are made in the last 5 minutes of a football match.

Regards,

Owen

[Kyt]

I would certainly recommend your book, Owen:

Amazon.co.uk: Down to Earth: A Fighter Pilot Recounts His Experiences of Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Dieppe, D-Day and Beyond: Books: Owen Zupp

However, would you care to provide a brief bio of McGlashan for this thread?

[Nostalgair]

Hi All,

What a great forum for only three months of age! I've only just started visiting forums and there is certainly a tremendous amount of interesting information to be had. I'm also very flattered by the response you have given my book.

In response to Kyt's request for a bio on Kenneth McGlashan, I'll list the synopsis for "Down to Earth" below as it is a fairly concise summary of a very broad and ranging career.

In "Down to Earth" Squadron Leader McGlashan reflects honestly on his enthralling and diverse RAF career, one that began with the rag and tube of Hawker biplanes in 1939 and closed in the jet era of the late 1950s. Shot down over the beaches of Dunkirk in heated aerial combat, we follow the footsteps of the nineteen year old along the debris-littered sands and beyond. From the protection of vulnerable convoys to the pioneering days of night-fighting and airborne radar, McGlashan is in the midst of the action. Flying in support of the ill-fated landing at Dieppe and on clandestine night operations before D-Day, he takes an active role in some of the RAF s most significant operations of World War Two. Interspersed throughout are tales of camaraderie and humour. Away from the front line, McGlashan was seconded to BOAC to fly airliners out of Cairo, tasked to ferry all manner of aircraft at the war's end and serve in Cyprus at the height of a very nasty campaign. It is a journey of tremendous diversity, punctuated by a series of close calls and inevitable losses. Half a century later, retired and living in Australia, Kenneth McGlashan is drawn back to 1940 with the discovery of his crashed Hurricane surfacing through the sands of Dunkirk. In an emotional pilgrimage, he is reunited with the steed of his youth and its bullet-ridden cockpit. In spite of the many dangers he faced and despite evidence to the contrary, McGlashan regarded himself as nothing more than just another pilot; an ordinary man in extraordinary times. Of the 3,000 allied airmen who flew in the Battle of Britain, only three percent could lay claim to the title of ace , Squadron Leader Kenneth McGlashan AFC always felt great honour in being counted amongst the 97 percent.

I might start a thread on Kenneth in the near future if you think there is enough interest. I could post an image or two and maybe some insights. Let me know if you think that would be appropriate.

Thanks once again.

Owen

[Kyt]

Cheers Owen

Originally Posted by Nostalgair

I might start a thread on Kenneth in the near future if you think there is enough interest. I could post an image or two and maybe some insights. Let me know if you think that would be appropriate.

That would be more than appropriate - it would be fantastic.

[Kyt]

I just noticed that the original 2001 list missed out:

Wing Commander 'Bunny' Currant - Telegraph

who died in 2006

[Antipodean Andy]

From Kyt's recent postings (Blair Dalzell Russel RIP), we can add this fine gentleman to the list of gone but never forgotten BoB pilots:

Wing Commander Blair Dalzell Russel, DFC and BAR, DSO, 1(RCAF) Squadron, Quebec, Canada, Hurricanes.

[Kyt]

W/C Eric Barwell, RIP. Defiant pilot

[Kyt]

And John Gard'ner is still with us, as far as I know, but this is a good summary of his service career:

Buckingham First Day Covers

[Kyt]

Flight Lieutenant Michael Shand obituary - Times Online