"The Saint" - a famous bomber?
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Archimedes,
BINGO!! You are correct. I've just returned from a visit to my brother and returned armed with a fistful of info copied from Stanley's journals, which I will summarise as follows:
He flew 25 missions on the Wellington with 70 Sqn (?) based at Kabrit in Egypt, and won the DFM in 1941. The Saint motif was painted on his aircraft at that time. The tour on Mosquitos with 139 Sqn spanned 75 pathfinder missions and he was awarded the DFC and DSO in 1944.
He served a further pathfinder tour on Lancasters with 35 Sqn before joining Handley Page after the war's end. He was a test pilot on the Victor in 1953.
He never really talked about his early life or war service, preferring to say he "did his bit in the RAF." My sister-in-law said she thought he had been a mechanic! He did, however, remain enthusiastically involved in his local RAF Assn branch.
The toolbox story from my earlier post came from his old gunner Sgt Bob Hughes, who started the war as a rookie air gunner on Blenheims in 1939. He became a veteran of the entire air war with Bomber Command, clocking up an unbelievable number of missions. One of Stanley's test pilot colleagues (Sqn Ldr Rupert Oakley) apparently managed to clock up over 1,000 operational missions. I just can't believe that - 200 per year of the war? If anyone can enlighten me I would be grateful! (Makes the hype over "Memphis Belle" sound a bit trite at just 25 missions!)
Stanley was obviously a brave aviator like many thousands of others who served during the Second World War, and remained sufficiently humble to not even tell his family about his exploits after hanging up his flying boots.
He seems a remarkable man from a remarkable generation, and I'm sure he will rest in peace.
BINGO!! You are correct. I've just returned from a visit to my brother and returned armed with a fistful of info copied from Stanley's journals, which I will summarise as follows:
He flew 25 missions on the Wellington with 70 Sqn (?) based at Kabrit in Egypt, and won the DFM in 1941. The Saint motif was painted on his aircraft at that time. The tour on Mosquitos with 139 Sqn spanned 75 pathfinder missions and he was awarded the DFC and DSO in 1944.
He served a further pathfinder tour on Lancasters with 35 Sqn before joining Handley Page after the war's end. He was a test pilot on the Victor in 1953.
He never really talked about his early life or war service, preferring to say he "did his bit in the RAF." My sister-in-law said she thought he had been a mechanic! He did, however, remain enthusiastically involved in his local RAF Assn branch.
The toolbox story from my earlier post came from his old gunner Sgt Bob Hughes, who started the war as a rookie air gunner on Blenheims in 1939. He became a veteran of the entire air war with Bomber Command, clocking up an unbelievable number of missions. One of Stanley's test pilot colleagues (Sqn Ldr Rupert Oakley) apparently managed to clock up over 1,000 operational missions. I just can't believe that - 200 per year of the war? If anyone can enlighten me I would be grateful! (Makes the hype over "Memphis Belle" sound a bit trite at just 25 missions!)
Stanley was obviously a brave aviator like many thousands of others who served during the Second World War, and remained sufficiently humble to not even tell his family about his exploits after hanging up his flying boots.
He seems a remarkable man from a remarkable generation, and I'm sure he will rest in peace.
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Thanks to Archimedes over on the Spotters forum who correctly identified the real Eric "Stanley" Baldwin DSO DFC! This is copied from my post on that thread:
He flew 25 missions on the Wellington with 70 Sqn (?) based at Kabrit in Egypt, and won the DFM in 1941. The Saint motif was painted on his aircraft at that time. The tour on Mosquitos with 139 Sqn spanned 75 pathfinder missions and he was awarded the DFC and DSO in 1944.
He served a further pathfinder tour on Lancasters with 35 Sqn before joining Handley Page after the war's end. He was a test pilot on the Victor in 1953.
He never really talked about his early life or war service, preferring to say he "did his bit in the RAF." My sister-in-law said she thought he had been a mechanic! He did, however, remain enthusiastically involved in his local RAF Assn branch.
The toolbox story from my earlier post came from his old gunner Sgt Bob Hughes, who started the war as a rookie air gunner on Blenheims in 1939. He became a veteran of the entire air war with Bomber Command, clocking up an unbelievable number of missions. One of Stanley's test pilot colleagues (Sqn Ldr Rupert Oakley) apparently managed to clock up over 1,000 operational missions. I just can't believe that - 200 per year of the war? If anyone can enlighten me I would be grateful! (Makes the hype over "Memphis Belle" sound a bit trite at just 25 missions!)
Stanley was obviously a brave aviator like many thousands of others who served during the Second World War, and remained sufficiently humble to not even tell his family about his exploits after hanging up his flying boots.
He seems a remarkable man from a remarkable generation, and I'm sure he will rest in peace.
He flew 25 missions on the Wellington with 70 Sqn (?) based at Kabrit in Egypt, and won the DFM in 1941. The Saint motif was painted on his aircraft at that time. The tour on Mosquitos with 139 Sqn spanned 75 pathfinder missions and he was awarded the DFC and DSO in 1944.
He served a further pathfinder tour on Lancasters with 35 Sqn before joining Handley Page after the war's end. He was a test pilot on the Victor in 1953.
He never really talked about his early life or war service, preferring to say he "did his bit in the RAF." My sister-in-law said she thought he had been a mechanic! He did, however, remain enthusiastically involved in his local RAF Assn branch.
The toolbox story from my earlier post came from his old gunner Sgt Bob Hughes, who started the war as a rookie air gunner on Blenheims in 1939. He became a veteran of the entire air war with Bomber Command, clocking up an unbelievable number of missions. One of Stanley's test pilot colleagues (Sqn Ldr Rupert Oakley) apparently managed to clock up over 1,000 operational missions. I just can't believe that - 200 per year of the war? If anyone can enlighten me I would be grateful! (Makes the hype over "Memphis Belle" sound a bit trite at just 25 missions!)
Stanley was obviously a brave aviator like many thousands of others who served during the Second World War, and remained sufficiently humble to not even tell his family about his exploits after hanging up his flying boots.
He seems a remarkable man from a remarkable generation, and I'm sure he will rest in peace.
YG,
Have you the citation for his DFM in the mass of documentation? I have access to it through the 'Big Book of the DFM' (not, obviously, its real name) and can send it to you if you don't. The 'Big book of the DFC' doesn't have a citation, though. The DFM citation confirms that it was 70 Sqn for the Wellington.
Have you the citation for his DFM in the mass of documentation? I have access to it through the 'Big Book of the DFM' (not, obviously, its real name) and can send it to you if you don't. The 'Big book of the DFC' doesn't have a citation, though. The DFM citation confirms that it was 70 Sqn for the Wellington.
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If you have that would be great! I haven't seen it previously as most of the info is coming from my brother via his mother-in-law! You can PM it to me or send me your email and I will contact you directly.
Many Thanks,
YG
Many Thanks,
YG
