On April 16, 1940 while 801 and 803 squadrons were providing escort cover for HMS Suffolk, Bill (serving on 801 Squadron) scored his first kill when he helped down a Do 18 flown by Ltn zur See Keil. Two days earlier 801 Skuas from Hatston had carried out raids in the Bergen area and sank transport Brenfels. In preparation for …
Make it Six Campaign Medals:
The Arctic Star
Bill served around the world during the Second World War and received five campaign medals, the 1939-1945 Star with Battle of Britain clasp, Aircrew Europe Star with Atlantic clasp, Africa Star with North Africa 1942-43 clasp, Burma Star with Pacific clasp and the Italy Star. The maximum number of Campaign Stars any one person can receive is six. It should …
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To be, or not to be: Bill’s Battle of Britain clasp
In 2013 I visited the Battle of Britain memorial on the Thames in London. Excitedly I looked for my grandfathers name, but never found it. I wondered if they had mixed up his four names and looked for him under different surnames. But no. I looked online, everywhere that has lists of names of those that are among ‘the few’, …