Defection from 609 Sqdn immediately pre-war
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Defection from 609 Sqdn immediately pre-war
I'm just re-reading Patrick Bishop's excellent 'Fighter Boys', and it tells that a member of 609 Squadron 'defected' in the build up to World War Two. Is there any more information regarding this, or perhaps it was some sort of typo/proof read error and there was a desertion rather than a defection?
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Think there might have been an article about something relating to this in 'Aeroplane' mag a while ago. I recall that it related to a Hurricane, but I think it might have been a Belgian pilot in the early years of the War?
609 never flew Hurricanes - it was Hinds to 1938, Spitfires early in the war, followed by Typhoons.
The Squadron is active today (in a ground role) and there is also an association - see www.609wrsquadron.co.uk.
I've never heard of an airborne defection/desertion from the UK though!!
The Squadron is active today (in a ground role) and there is also an association - see www.609wrsquadron.co.uk.
I've never heard of an airborne defection/desertion from the UK though!!
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Found it, thanks.
Its written rather vaguely but I think he uses the word "defect" in the sense that when 609Sqn were called to active duty, one of the pilots declined to go, rather than in the now accepted sense of the word.
Its written rather vaguely but I think he uses the word "defect" in the sense that when 609Sqn were called to active duty, one of the pilots declined to go, rather than in the now accepted sense of the word.
