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P. B. Pitcher |
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Name : P. B. Pitcher Service Number : C615 |
Flight Officer Paul B.Pitcher a Canadian flew with No 1 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron during the Battle of Britain. He took commanded the Squadron from December until March. Unusually, Pitcher was discharged during the war, on November 28th 1944, as a Wing Commander. |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Squadron | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
Squadron Leader | unknown | unknown | |||||
| Squadrons for : P. B. Pitcher | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by P. B. Pitcher. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.1 Sqn RCAF Country : Canada Fate : renumbered No 401 Squadron. Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.1 Sqn RCAF | No.1 Sqn RCAF At the outbreak of war, 115 Squadron of the R.C.A.F. Auxiliary was reinforced by some regulars of No 1 Squadron of the R.C.A.F. to form the new No 1 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron. These men arrived in England on 20 June and underwent six weeks training at Middle Wallop, during which time its Hurricanes were modified to U.K. standards. They then moved to Croydon and flew each day to Northolt for instruction by No 111 Squadron, who had been the first R.A.F. Squadron to receive Hurricanes, before becoming operational on the 17 August 1940. The squadron's début was inauspicious, when two Bristol Blenheims of RAF Coastal Command were accidentally shot down on 24 August, and three crewmen killed. On its second patrol on 26 August 1940 it met with 25–30 Dorniers and was credited with three destroyed and three damaged in the fight. However, three of the squadron's aircraft were shot down and one pilot (F/O R. L. Edwards[6]) was killed. The squadron experienced a fairly high aircraft loss rate during the end of August and into September as the squadron battled against the German formations over south London. On 21 September the squadron participated in the first attempt at a wing formation operation by the Northholt-based squadrons, with No. 229 Squadron RAF and No. 303 (Polish), although no enemy aircraft were encountered. By 27 September, although downing seven bombers, only six aircraft were operational by the end of the day. On 11 October the depleted squadron was moved to RAF Prestwick in Scotland and its operational activity was coastal patrol work over the Clyde approaches. During the 53 days it participated in the battle the squadron shot down 29 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed eight, and damaged 35. It flew 1,694 sorties (1,569 operational hours and 1,201 non-operational), lost three pilots killed, ten wounded and 16 aircraft, with two pilots killed in accidents Uniquely, initially the squadron pilots were all officers. On 1 March 1941 all non-RAF squadrons were renumbered to eliminate duplication, and No 1 (R.C.A.F.) was renumbered No 401 Squadron. The squadron had replaced its Hurricanes with Spitfires Mk IIs in September 1941, Mk Vs in late 1941 and in July 1942 some of the first examples of the new Mk IX. Operating from Digby with No 12 Group Fighter Command until October 1941, it saw little action, but it then moved south to RAF Biggin Hill and remained in 11 Group carrying out offensive operations over Occupied Europe until January 1943. On 21 October 401's first loss of this phase of operations was F/S B.F. Whitson, taken prisoner after being shot down over Saint-Omer. On 27 October the squadron was operating as high cover to the Biggin Hill Wing, and were 'bounced' by I and III Gruppe, JG 26, led by Oberst Adolf Galland. Five Spitfires were lost, with F/O C. A. B. Wallace, P/O J.A. Small and Sgt. S. L. Thompson killed, and P/O C. W. Floody and Sgt. B. G. Hodgkinson both prisoner.[8] On 8 November 1941 on the last mass fighter sweep of the year the squadron was attacked by I. and III./JG 26, and F/O J. C. Weir (prisoner of war) and Sgt. R. W. Gardner (killed) were lost over Le Touquet shot down by Fw. Babenz and Leut. Uibacker of JG 26. A two-squadron sweep with No. 72 Squadron over France on 22 November saw claims for two Bf 109s and three Fw 190s destroyed (I./JG 26 lost one Bf 109 and a Fw 190 crash-landed) for F/O H.A. Sprague (POW). | |
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