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MICHAEL CROSSLEY

Michael Nicholson Crossley
Michael Nicholson Crossley
(1912 - 1987)


Date of Birth: 29/05/1912
Nationality: English
Nickname: 'Red Knight'
Career Rank: Wing Commander
BoB Kills: 13
Total Kills: 20


Michael Nicholson Crossley was born in Halford, Warwickshire on the 29th May 1912. In joined the Royal Air Force in 1936 and after training he was posted to 32 Squadron. He was made Flight Commander of "Red Section" in 1939, just prior to the outbreak of war, earning the nickname "Red Knight".

Crossley was involved in the Battle of France first seeing combat attacking Troop Transport in Holland. Michael shot down 6 enemy aircraft by June 1940, officially making him an Ace, and he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on the 21st June 1940.

Crossley was promoted to Squadron Leader during the Battle of Britain on the 16th August 1940 and from the 12th to the 18th August he achieved a further 10 kills and survived being shot down on the 18th and 25th of August 1940.

On the 20th August 1940, Crossley was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and later that month 32 Squadron was moved rearward to recuperate. Crossley was transferred to the British Air Commission in the United States as a Test Pilot in April 1941.

During September 1942, Crossley was promoted to Wing Commander and he was made Wing Leader, RAF Detling in 1943 on his return to England. Unfortunately Crossley contracted Tuberculosis in 1943 which ended his operational flying status.

In 1946 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and later that year he was discharged from the Royal Air Force.

Michael emigrated to South Africa where he died in 1987 aged 75.

"Lest we forget"


SIR DOUGLAS BADER

Sir Douglas Steuart Bader
Sir Douglas Steuart Bader
(1910 - 1982)


Date of Birth: 21/02/1910
Nationality: English
Nickname: 'Dogsbody'
Career Rank: Group Captain
BoB Kills: 11
Total Kills: 20


Sir Douglas Steuart Bader was born in St John's Wood, London on the 21st February 1910. In 1928, Bader joined the Royal Air Force as an officer cadet at Cranwell. Bader excelled in sports but also took part in banned activities such as speeding, motorcycle pillion racing and racing motorcars which led to a private warning from his C.O., with the threat of expulsion if his conduct didn't improve.

On the 13th September 1928, Bader flew for the first time with Flying Officer W.J. "Pissy" Pearson in an Avro 504 and after only 11 hours and fifteen minutes he took his first solo flight on the 19th of February 1929.

On the 26th July 1930, Bader was commissioned as a Pilot Officer and posted to 23 Squadron based at Kenley, Surrey, equipped with Gloster Gamecocks and shortly after Bristol Bulldogs. Bader was very headstrong and became known as a daredevil whilst training there and would often fly dangerous and 'illegal' stunts. The Bulldog was fast for its time but it had directional stability problems at low speeds making low level stunts exceptionally dangerous resulting in strict orders forbidding unauthorised low level aerobatics.

23 Squadron won the Hendon Air Show 'pairs' event in 1929 and 1930. In 1931 Bader, teamed with a pilot named Harry Day, successfully defended the Squadron's title in the spring of that year. In late 1931 Bader started training for the 1932 Hendon Air Show in an attempt to win a second consecutive title. The pilots were warned not to practice the acrobatics below 2,000 feet and to keep above 500 feet at all times.

On the 14th December 1931 at Reading Aero Club, Bader was flying low level aerobatics, apparently as a dare, when his Bulldog Mk. IIA's left wing tip touched the ground and he crashed. Bader was rushed to Royal Berkshire Hospital with severely crushed legs which had to be amputated, the right leg above the knee and the left leg below the knee.

After a long convalescence Bader was transferred to the hospital at RAF Uxbridge in 1932 and worked hard to walk again with his artificial legs. In June 1932, Air Under-Secretary Phillip Sassoon gave Bader the chance to prove he could still fly by arranging a test flight in an Avro 504. Douglas piloted the aircraft competently and a subsequent medical found him fit for service, however, in April 1933 he received notification that the RAF had reversed this medical decision based upon his handicap and that he was to be invalided out of the RAF.

As war was becoming increasingly likely, Bader persisted in requesting a posting from the Air Ministry and eventually he was asked to attend Adasral House for a selection board meeting. Bader was disappointed to discover that the only 'jobs' on offer were ground positions; however, he was personally endorsed by Air Vice-Marshall Halahan to attend Central Flying School to assess his flying capabilities.

On 14th October 1939, Bader was requested to attend the Central Flying School for flight tests on the 18th October. Bader drove down the next day and took refresher courses and his persistence finally paid off when in November 1939 he regained a medical certificate for operational flying.

Bader was posted to 19 Squadron, based at RAF Duxford in January 1940 and at the age of 29 he was considerably older than his fellow pilots. The Commanding Officer was Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson, a close friend from his Cranwell days.

Between February and May 1940 Bader practised formation flying, air tactics, and undertook flights over sea convoys. Bader found opposition to his ideas about aerial combat, he favoured using the sun and altitude to ambush the enemy but the RAF did not share his opinions.

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"Lest we forget"


ROBERT TUCK

Roland Robert Stanford Tuck
Roland Robert Stanford Tuck
(1916 - 1987)


Date of Birth: 01/07/1916
Nationality: English
Nickname: 'Bob'
Career Rank: Wing Commander
BoB Kills: 9
Total Kills: 27


Roland Robert Stanford Tuck was born in Canterbury, Kent on the 1st July 1916. In 1932 he joined the Merchant Navy as a Sea Cadet before going on to join the Royal Air Force in 1935. After completing his training, he joined 65 Squadron in September 1935 and stayed with them until he was posted to 92 Squadron , based at Croydon, in May 1940 as a Flight Commander.

Leading his first combat patrol on the 23rd of May 1940 over France, Tuck claimed three Messerschmitt Bf 109's shot down and on the 24th of May he shot down two German Bombers. With his kill rate increasing over the next two weeks, Tuck was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on the 11th of June 1940 which he received from King George VI at RAF Hornchurch on the 28th June 1940.

After the Battle of France his combat success continued in July and August during the Battle of Britain. On the 18th August 1940, whilst attacking a formation of Junkers Ju 88's shooting down one and damaging another, his Spitfire was damaged during the combat and he had to bail out near Tunbridge Wells.

On the 25th of August, Tuck shot down a Dornier Do 17 15 miles off the coast and during the combat his Spitfire was damaged causing the engine to stop. Tuck managed to glide his aircraft back to dry land to make a forced landing.

Tuck was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 11th of September 1940 and posted to 257 Squadron, based at RAF Coltishall. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, he Led the Squadron claiming further victories through September and October with his last kills of the Battle of Britain being two probable Messerschmitt Bf 109's on the 28th October.

On the 25th of October 1940, Tuck was awarded a Bar to his DFC, in January 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and in March of 1941 he was awarded a second Bar to his DFC.

Intercepting a German Bomber which was heading for Cardiff, Tuck had some terrible bad luck. He fired at the bomber at extreme range in poor light causing the bomber to jettison its bombs to gain speed. The bombs landed in open country side, all but the last stick, which caught a corner of an army training camp killing one soldier ..... his sister’s husband!

Tuck was promoted to Wing Commander in July 1941 and appointed Wing Leader at RAF Duxford. He took a brief trip to America with several other RAF Fighter Command pilots to raise awareness of Britain's war effort and then returned to a posting at RAF Biggin Hill again as Wing Leader. On the 28th January 1942, while on a low-level fighter sweep over Northern France, his Spitfire was hit by enemy ground-based flak near Boulogne forcing him to crash land.

Tuck was captured by the Germans and sent to Stalag Luft III at Zagari where he stayed for two years. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Tuck finally managed to escape on the 1st of February 1945 as his camp was being evacuated from advancing Russian forces. Tuck joined the Russian troops until he made his way to the British Embassy in Moscow and then boarded a Russian ship making for Southampton, England.

The War now over, on June the 14th 1946 Tuck was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross from the USAF and he retired from the RAF on the 13th of May 1949 with the rank of Wing Commander.

Following retirement from the RAF, Tuck continued flying as a Test Pilot until eventually settling for a quiet life on his mushroom farm. Tuck also helped as Technical Adviser on the film 'Battle of Britain which was made in 1969.

On the 5th of May 1987, Robert Stanford Tuck died aged 70 years.




"Lest we forget"

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