Originally Posted by
Jackonicko
Ward claims that “all air to air kills by British forces since 1948 have been achieved by naval aircraft – not one by RAF aircraft.” That ignores the kills scored by RAF pilots in RN and USAF aircraft, not least one Flt Lt Dave Morgan – the leading scorer in the Falklands War.
Moreover he picks the 1948 date very carefully, as, on 22 May 1947, the RAF did shoot down four Egyptian fighters (Fg Off Cooper and Fg Off Bowie both shot down one REAF Spitfire each and Fg Off McElhaw got the other two), all while flying Spitfire XVIIIs with 208 Squadron).
Some reports suggest that the Tempests of No.6 Squadron downed an Israeli Spitfire. There are also persistent rumours that certain 208 Sqn pilots later extracted their revenge on the IAF by shooting down any IAF aircraft they later encountered, including a number of transport aircraft, and that this was subsequently hushed-up to avoid escalating the situation.
In Korea, a Flight of RN Sea Furies did down a MiG-15, while RAF pilots, including Sqn Ldr John Merrifield, Flt Lts John Nicholls, John Granville-White, RTF Dickinson, John Lovell got MiG kills while flying Sabres in Korea, with Nichols claiming a Mig on his 99th mission. Squadron Leader Graham Hulse got three kills in Korea. A further 4 kills were made by Canadian nationals who were still in the RAF and flying USAF Sabres in Korea.
Some sources also list Alan Jenkins, and Dennis Dunlop.
To be pedantically correct, the last RAF air to air kill was 25th May 1982 in RAFG.
