91 Year Old Spitfire Pilot Needs Your Help
I have just finished filming a 91 year old Spitfire photo reconnaissance pilot talking about his wartime experiences. Alec would have to fly over to Brest in France, which was the heaviest defended of the occupied ports on the French coast. A total of five Spitfires were shot down over Brest trying to look out for the Battleship "Scharnhorst" & submarines. Alec would then have to fly on to St-Nazaire, La Rochelle, Bairritz & St Jean-de-Luz on the Spanish Border photographing all the harbours & airfields. They weren't armed & had extra fuel tanks fitted where the machine guns, cannons & ammunition used to be. He would have to fly nearly 1,000nm.
On one sortie over Brest, he was hit by flak & soon, engine oil covered his windscreen & side canopy, so had to fly back to St Eval in Cornwall on instruments. When he thought that he was about there, he opened the canopy slightly so he could see out of the side, to land. He carried out a perfect landing but unfortunately, his brakes were damaged so went off the end of the runway & the Spitfire flipped up on it's nose. He was uninjured so was flying the very next day.
In 2002, Alec attended the 60th anniversary reunion of the PRU at RAF Benson & was asked if he would bring photographs of his Spitfires & his aerial reconnaissance pictures as well as press cuttings that he had saved, to be displayed at the event. After the reunion, when his items were not returned, he wrote to the Flt Sgt that was organising the event. He didn't get a response, so wrote to Benson's C.O. & again amazingly didn't receive a response. He even tried to get his local Member of Parliament involved, but without success. Alec is nearly blind now & this has had a bad effect on him. He gave his all for the Airforce & feels badly let down by the modern Airforce, which is a shame as he is a smashing gentleman.
I know that this is a long shot because the many years that have past, but if there is anyone out there that might have any information on Alec's property, you would make a very brave aviator very happy.