Flatus Veteranus
7th Jan 2003, 13:48
In today's Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk) appears a half-page obituary for Henry Botterell, who was thought to be the last surviving fighter pilot from WW 1. Henry died on Friday aged 106.
The obituary is well worth a read. I cannot do "links", but if you go to the Telegraph's home page , above, and click on obituaries you will find it.
Henry was a Candian and joined the RNAS, receiving his wings at Cranwell (then HMS Daedalus) in 1917. He was sent to France with No 8 Sqn RNAS, which was reinforcing the RFC on the Western front. He had a bad prang in a Pup and spent six months in hospital, and was invalided out of the service. He was due to be repatriated to Canada when "he met some Naval 8 chums, who were on a run ashore in London" (I love it!). They arranged, instead, for him to to be sent to Manston to requalify as a pilot. After 10 hours refresher training he rejoined Naval 8 (by now No 208 Sqn, RAF) in France, flying 251 combat hours in his Camel.
The obituary records that Henry was visited by 208 Sqn in 2001 at a veteran's Hospital in Toronto. I am sure they carried something of his spirit with them back to Valley. The WW1 pilots were truly "iron men in wooden ships" RIP Henry!
The obituary is well worth a read. I cannot do "links", but if you go to the Telegraph's home page , above, and click on obituaries you will find it.
Henry was a Candian and joined the RNAS, receiving his wings at Cranwell (then HMS Daedalus) in 1917. He was sent to France with No 8 Sqn RNAS, which was reinforcing the RFC on the Western front. He had a bad prang in a Pup and spent six months in hospital, and was invalided out of the service. He was due to be repatriated to Canada when "he met some Naval 8 chums, who were on a run ashore in London" (I love it!). They arranged, instead, for him to to be sent to Manston to requalify as a pilot. After 10 hours refresher training he rejoined Naval 8 (by now No 208 Sqn, RAF) in France, flying 251 combat hours in his Camel.
The obituary records that Henry was visited by 208 Sqn in 2001 at a veteran's Hospital in Toronto. I am sure they carried something of his spirit with them back to Valley. The WW1 pilots were truly "iron men in wooden ships" RIP Henry!