RAF095
King & Country
Not yet released - expected in mid-March.
As Britain’s fate in the summer of 1940 lay in the hands and skills of fewer than 3,000 pilots mostly Royal Air Force but also foreign volunteers such as Czechs, Poles, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and some Americans together with another small group of British aviators also took part.
These particular pilots came from the Royal Navy’s own Fleet Air Arm. In all 57 naval pilots (The Few of The Few) would fly with the RAF during the Battle of Britain with four of them becoming ‘aces’.
London-born Sub Lieutenant Francis Dawson -Paul led the way with seven and a half ‘kills’ in just 25 days – fighters, twin -engined fighter / bombers and medium bombers all fell victim to his Spitfire. Alas he did not survive the battle and was shot down over the English Channel just six weeks after becoming a fighter pilot!
This is a small tribute to all Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilots who fought in that summer of 1940.