background


Atkinson Harold Derrick  (9-37)  

Atkinson was born at Wintringham,Yorkshire on 19th August 1918 and educated at Shrewsbury School from 1932 to 1937, where he was a member of the First XI. He entered RAF College Cranwell as a Flight Cadet in September 1937 and graduated in July 1939.Atkinson joined 213 Squadron at Wittering. He went with the squadron to Merville in France on 17th May 1940. On the 18th Atkinson destroyed a Me110 north-west of Douai. He shared in the destruction of a Hs126 on the 19th and also shared a Do215 the next day. The stay in France was a short one, with 213 returning to England on the 21st, 'A' Flight going to Manston and 'B' Flight to Wittering. The squadron took part in the operations covering the evacuation of Dunkirk. On 27th and 28th May Atkinson shot down Me109's and on the 29th he claimed a He 111 destroyed and shared in damaging a Ju88. For his successes during May, Atkinson was awarded the DFC (gazetted 25th June 1940). 213 Squadron was based at Exeter in August 1940 and over a period of seven days Atkinson claimed the destruction of six enemy aircraft, on the 12th two Me110's, on the 13th a Me110 and on the 14th a He111. In this last action he returned to Exeter in Hurricane R4099 damaged by return fire from a He111 engaged over Lyme Bay. He was slightly wounded by shell splinters in the arm. On the 16th Atkinson claimed a Me109 and another two days later. He failed to return from a combat over Warmwell on 25th August. His aircraft, Hurricane P3200, is believed to have crashed into the sea but Atkinson's body was recovered and he is buried in Market Weighton Cemetery, Yorkshire. © BBMT


Bader Douglas Robert (9-28)  

Bader joined the RAF in 1928, and was commissioned in 1930. In December 1931, while attempting some aerobatics, he crashed and lost both his legs. Having been on the brink of death, he recovered, retook flight training, passed his check flights and then requested reactivation as a pilot. Although there were no regulations applicable to his situation, he was retired against his will on medical grounds. After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, however, Bader returned to the RAF and was accepted as a pilot. He scored his first victories over Dunkirk during the Battle of France in 1940. He then took part in the Battle of Britain and became a friend and supporter of Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory and his "Big Wing" experiments. In August 1941, Bader bailed out over German-occupied France and was captured. Soon afterward, he met and befriended Adolf Galland, a prominent German fighter ace. The circumstances surrounding how Bader was shot down in 1941 are controversial. Recent research strongly suggests he was a victim of friendly fire. Despite his disability, Bader made a number of escape attempts and was eventually sent to the prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle. He remained there until April 1945 when the camp was liberated by the First United States Army. Bader left the RAF permanently in February 1946 and resumed his career in the oil industry. During the 1950s, a book and a film, Reach for the Sky, chronicled his life and RAF career to the end of the Second World War. Bader campaigned for the disabled and in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1976 was appointed a Knight Bachelor "for services to disabled people" and continued to fly until ill health forced him to stop in 1979. Three years later, at the age of 72, Bader died on 5 September 1982, after a heart attack.  He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.




Badger John Vincent Clarence (9-31)

43 Sqn Badger was born in Lambeth, London in 1912. He joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice in September 1928. He passed out in August 1931 and was awarded a flight cadetship. He entered RAF College, Cranwell in September 1931 as a Flight Cadet. He graduated in July 1933, winning the Sword of Honour, and was posted to 43 Squadron on the 15th. At this time the RAF was supplying pilots for the Fleet Air Arm and on 3rd October 1934 Badger went to the School of Naval Co-operation, Lee-on-Solent. He joined 821 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Squadron on 4th May 1935, shore-based at Eastleigh and at sea on the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous. Badger was posted to the Marine Aircraft Establishment at Felixstowe on 25th October 1937. In June 1940 he went to 43 Squadron at Tangmere as supernumerary Squadron Leader to gain operational and administrative experience. On 9th July the CO, S/Ldr. CG Lott, was shot down and badly wounded and Badger assumed command of the squadron. On the 12th he shared a He111 and on the 21st destroyed two Do17's. On 8th August Badger got a probable Me109, on the 13th he damaged two Ju88's, on the 14th and 15th destroyed two others, on the 16th shot down three Ju87's and on the 26th destroyed a He111 and shared a second. Badger was shot down by Me109's on 30th August. He baled out but was badly injured when he landed in trees. His Hurricane, V6458, crashed south of Woodchurch. He was taken to Ashford Hospital. Badger was later moved to the RAF Hospital at Halton but he died there as a result of his injuries on 30th June 1941. He is buried in the churchyard of St. Michael and All Angels, Halton, Buckinghamshire. Badger was 28. He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 6th September 1940) and also received a Mention in Dispatches.


Baines,  Cyril  Edgar Joseph (9-28B)

Baines was born on 24th November 1909 and attended Haileybury College. He entered the College in September 1928. He represented the College at Rugby Union and graduated in July 1930. He joined 32 Squadron at Kenley on the 26th. Baines was sent to RAF Calshot on 2nd October 1932 for a Flying Boat course, after which he joined 209 (Flying Boat) Squadron at Plymouth. Posted to 24 (Communications) Squadron at Hendon on 13th November 1934, Baines stay was short and he  went back to RAF College Cranwell on 11th March 1935 as a flying instructor. He joined the Administrative Staff at HQ Fighter Command on 7th March 1938 and remained there until 18th May 1940 when he was given command of 238 Squadron, then reforming at Tangmere. He was posted away on 15th July 1940 and is believed to have sailed in the aircraft carrier HMS Argus which left Greenock on 23rd July for Malta. She docked at Gibraltar on the 30th and on 2nd August two Sunderlands of 10 (RAAF) Squadron flew to Malta, carrying the ground crews who were to service the Hurricanes that Argus would shortly deliver there. Baines is believed to have been on one of the Sunderlands and possibly joined the Air Staff at RAF Mediterranean at Malta. Baines retired from the RAF on 1st March 1958 as a Group Captain. He was made CBE (gazetted 1st June 1953), was a graduate of the Joint Services Staff College, the Army Staff College and was a Qualified AI Instructor, Central Flying School. He died on 20th April 1992.

213

242

43

Cranwellians who served



Bayne,  David  Walter (9-26A)  

David Bayne was born on 17th April 1908 and attended Haileybury ( East India College ) at Hartford Heath. He entered the College  in 1926 and trained there until December 1928. He then went on to fly pretty much every type of classic fighter and many other aircraft types which the service operated during the 1920's to the 1950's. Interestingly, Douglas Bader arrived at RAF Cranwell for his Cadetship in September 1928, so it's odds on that David Bayne knew Bader as a 'new boy'! His four log books record in unusually exacting detail his years of service ( including all combat sorties ) in India on the North West Frontier & Waziristan. He has also recorded in equally precisely dated detail his entire service career, stations, squadrons, promotions and a complete list of aircraft types flown. These coupled with a complete list of all airfields and landing grounds visited throughout his 29 year RAF career make this log book set an aviation researchers dream. Contained within the covers of these four wonderful volumes is a record of some of the most important post WW1 colonial combat & other flying in British Imperial history. David Bayne will (should) surely go down in history as one of 'the' classic aviators of post-WW1, interwar period, WW2 and post WW2 RAF aviation. Few pilots served with such wide distinction on so many aircraft types, in so many important positions and places, or over such a prolonged period. It is therefore unusual in the extreme that he wasn't decorated at any time. Station and Squadron Commanders of the calibre of David Bayne are almost invariably the recipients of the Air Force Cross or CBE. His flying assessments throughout his service were recorded as being generally 'above average' and he was quite clearly one of the most capable & experienced RAF pilots of his time. David had a serious flying accident while landing a Bristol Bulldog Mk IIa, K2870 at RAF Duxford at night in thick fog. Understandably, he totally misjudged the landing, and probably 'flared out' far too late on the approach, if not at all, with the aircraft clearly hitting the runway extremely heavily and still with some flying speed. The Bulldog had serious low speed directional stability problems, so there would probably have been a 'hard bounce' or ground loop with a subsequent total loss of control and an immediate low level stall followed by a final wing tip contact 'flip', impact and slide...possibly inverted .....definitely not recommended !!! The machine was thus written off as a total loss. David was badly injured and lost a leg in the accident. He was then taken off flying duties for just over two years (on half pay) while he attended various RAF hospitals and rehabilitation units. Full of guts and determination, and with the will to fly again he had a wooden leg fitted and returned to flying in August 1937. For obvious reasons during this period he became a great friend of the then Squadron Leader Douglas Bader who of course famously also 'eventually' continued to fly with two false legs. Bader's accident while doing an impromptu and totally unauthorised (nay forbidden) low level aerobatic display was also in a Bristol Bulldog Mk IIa some years earlier in 1931 at Woodley near Reading. By September 1939 at the outbreak of war David Bayne had been flying again for just over two years and was now a seriously experienced pilot and although wearing a prosthetic leg his performance was unaffected. He was then charged with the re-formation of No. 257 Squadron, initially with Spitfires at RAF HENDON. He was given an adjutant, 20 pilots that consisted of 10 officers and 10 airmen, an engineer and 141 airmen. Later the unit re-converted to Hurricanes, so training had to start all over again, and it was with this squadron between 1st & 22nd July 1940 that he flew about 20 sorties of which six were pre-emptive combat patrol sorties and shipping protection patrols in Hurricanes over the Dover area during the early days of the Battle of Britain.

(BENTLEY PRIORY, H.Q. FIGHTER COMMAND) At the end of July 1940, and now being aged 32 (13 years older than the average Battle of Britain fighter pilot) and having successfully (twice) re-formed 257 Squadron he was suddenly & much to his displeasure, ignominiously moved to HQ FIGHTER COMMAND. Squadron Leader Bayne had built a superb squadron that had the dedication and respect of their commanding officer. But it was to be short lived. On 21st July 1940, Bayne informed his officers and men that he had been promoted to Wing Commander and was being transferred off operational duties because it was felt by the Air Ministry that, "it was impractical to have an operational commander with a wooden leg". Clearly, in Bayne's case, there were other factors at play as the Air Ministry had already given a full squadron command to Douglas Bader, who although two years younger, did of course have two prosthetic legs. Pilot Officer Geoff Myers the intelligence officer of 257 squadron said of Bayne, "that apart from using a walking stick he was otherwise absolutely normal. You just could not wish for a better leader, he was just the man that we needed. it was disastrous for the squadron, David had built up a strong relationship with the men". Taking all factors into account It was also felt by the RAF that his great experience and organisational abilities would be better employed in the higher levels of the Fighter Command structure. He was thus posted to HQ FIGHTER COMMAND at RAF BENTLEY PRIORY where he served with great distinction and in a close & senior capacity alongside Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander in Chief RAF Fighter Command during the remaining duration of The Battle of Britain. One can only imagine the heights of combat excellence which David Bayne would have achieved had he been allowed to continue as C.O. of 257 Squadron during the full duration of The Battle of Britain ! Bayne's subsequent service is currently undocumented until 1948 when he was Military and Air Attache in Rio de Janeiro. He retired from the RAF on 29th August 1955 as a Group Captain. He died in Dorset on 11th June 1986.





Barnett Richard Edgar (1-30B)

Barnett attended Cheltenham College and then went to RAF College Cranwell as a Flight Cadet in January 1930. He graduated in December 1931 and then joined 54 Squadron at Hornchurch on the 19th. Posted overseas in September 1932, Barnett joined 6 Squadron at Ismailia on 1st November. He went to the RAF Depot at Aboukir in July 1935. In the Coronation Honours List Barnett was made an MBE (gazetted 11th May 1937) for operations in Palestine from April to October 1936. After returning to the UK he went to the A&AEE at Martlesham Heath on 16th August 1938. When the CO of the newly-formed 234 Squadron was badly injured in a car accident on 2nd November 1939, Barnett took command at short notice. He did not fly very often and relinquished his command on 13th August 1940. He resigned his commission on 11th August 1941. After the war Barnett worked in Kenya and died on 2nd January 1970. © Battle of Britain London Monument Archive