If you walk out along the east side of "the pit" past the sailing club dinghy park at Blakeney, in Norfolk, there is a white concrete post, a marker of some sort, which has a brass commemorative plaque attached to it. It is a tribute to F/L Nicholas Cooke (the pilot mentioned in the article) who prior to the war was a champion sailor in the international 14 class sailing dinghy. I think he was F/L Nicholas Cooke DFC. I've always wanted to know more of his story. I assume he either was a Norfolk chap, or had some association with that part of the country, maybe the Blakeney sailing club. It would have needed considerable courage to fly a Defiant in the Battle of Britain and considerable skill to sail an International 14 well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Gresham_Cooke
Extract from 'Aces High' Shores and Williams.
http://memorials.rmg.co.uk/m6458/
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 26th May 2020 at 15:42.