No.1 SQUADRON RAF (PART ONE) - FIGHTER PILOTS AND PLANE COLOURS

Following this lovely colourised photograph of a Polikarpov I-16 Rata, another example of the computer colourisation process - the officers of No.1 Squadron, RAF outside their HQ, the Mairie at Neuville-sur-Omain, in April 1940:

The original press photo, 1940

The colourised version. From L to R:
F/O Billy Drake, F/O Leslie R. Clisby (RAAF), P/O Robert "Lorry" Lorimer,
Flt. Lt. Peter "Prosser" Hanks, F/O Peter "Boy" Mould, Sqdn Ldr. Patrick J.H. "Bull" Halahan (o/c)
Lt. Jean "Moses" Demozay (French Air Force Liaison), Flt. Lt Peter "Johnny" Walker (2 i/c)
Flt. Lt. D.M. "Doc" Brown (Medical Officer), F/O Paul H.M. Richey, F/O John I. "Killy" Kilmartin,
P/O William H. "Stratters" Stratton (RNZAF), F/O C.D. "Pussy" Palmer.

Within a few weeks of this photograph, No.1 Squadron RAF, together with No.73 Squadron RAF, (both then flying Hurricanes as "67 Wing, Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF)" took on the full might of the Luftwaffe, supporting the German armoured attack through the Ardennes from 10th May 1940 onward. After the end of the French campaign, F/O Paul Richey wrote of his experiences in a famous book, "Fighter Pilot" (originally published anonymously, in 1941):

"Fighter Pilot" was supplemented by a second book, "Fighter Pilot's Summer", detailing Paul Richey's subsequent WW2 experiences with 609 Squadron and in the Far East. It was published after Richey's death in 1989, being completed by Norman Franks on the basis of Richey's draft notes and documents:

A few notes on the "colourised" squadron photograph and gleanings from a number of books on the subject of No.1 Squadron:

(a). while the photograph shows all the officers (then present) of No.1, it does not show all the pilots. The Squadron had four Sergeant Pilots - Flt. Sgts. R.A. Albonico, F.G. Berry, A.V. "Darkie" Clowes and F.J. Soper.

(b). at least six officers of No.1 are not shown in the photograph. Flt/Lt J.C. Roberts was the (apparently non flying) Adjutant of the Squadron. F/O M.H. "Hilly" Brown was on leave when the photograph was taken. F/O GCH "Pete" Matthews and P/O Peter V. Boot were relatively recent additions to the Officer's Mess (August 1939 and March 1940 respectively) and must have been absent on other duties. F/O "Leak" Crusoe had been a long term member of No.1 (see pre war photo below) and, like Hilly, may well have been on leave. F/O HNE Salmon, like Matthews and Boot, had only recently joined No.1 (in March 1940). 

(c). the photograph evidences the varied background of RAF Squadron officers at the time. Squadron Leader "Bull" Halahan and F/O "Killy" Kilmartin were both Southern Irish (Dublin and Dundalk, respectively - although "Killy" had also spent a lot of time in Australia and Shanghai before entering the RAF). F/O Leslie Clisby was seconded from the Royal Australian Air Force. His great friend, P/O Lorimer, was of South African stock but had been brought up in Belfast. P/O Stratton was a New Zealander, "Hilly" Brown a Canadian, and "Pussy" Palmer brought up in the USA. Of those who were native British, Peter "Johnny" Walker was from Suffolk, "Prosser" Hanks from York, Paul Richey from Chelsea, "Boy" Mould from Rutland and "Pete" Matthews from Cheshire.

(d). note the varied dress code. Halahan and Richey are in flying jackets, the rest in RAF uniform light blue (Clisby's uniform should be "colourised" a slightly darker blue, as he flew in his RAAF uniform throughout). A relaxed attitude seems to have been taken to collars and tie (Drake, Clisby and Kilmartin in civilian scarves, "Pussy" Palmer in a non-regulation open collared shirt, "Prosser" Hanks in a non-regulation roll top sweater) and even to footwear - while the majority wear flying boots, "Doc" Brown is in shoes and "Killy" Kilmartin and "Pussy" Palmer in carpet slippers!

Some of the "missing officers" of No.1 in a different photograph, visiting the nurses of 
a Field Hospital somewhere in France, 1940. From LtoR F/O CGH "Leak" Crusoe,
F/O HNE Salmon, P/O PV Boot.

A cold dispersal hut at Vassincourt during the Phoney War, 1940.
 From LtoR, F/O Peter Mould, PO PV Boot, FO LR Clisby, F/Lt. PP Hanks
 (studying 'Paris' magazine somewhat intently) F/O RL Lorimer, F/O HNE Salmon

(e). there was also some "turnover" of officers and NCOs before and during the French campaign. The Squadron records (reconstituted after the campaign, and therefore not contemporaneous) mention a Flt Lt. GHF Plinston, F/O SW Baldie and a "Sgt. New" departing with the Squadron for France on 8th September 1939. Plinston moved to No.1 from No.56 Squadron in July 1939. On 15th December 1939 he was transferred to 607 Squadron, but on 10th May 1939 he was then re-assigned to 85 Squadron, and took part in the Battle of France with them. It is not clear how Stanley Baldie left No.1, but he finished up in India as a Squadron Leader later in the war - which he did not survive. Nothing can be discovered as to "Sgt. New", which in any event, given the Squadron records, may simply mean "a new sergeant" used as a ferry pilot.

(f). by way of additions, on 26 November 1939, Pilot Officers J.S. Mitchell (a New Zealander), Shepherd and R.G.Lewis (a Canadian) joined the Squadron. Mitchell died on 2nd March 1940 in a crash landing in a field after an action with a Dornier intruder - Paul Richey ["Fighter Pilot" (p.54)] described Michell as a 'big cheerful boy". On 14th March 1940, P/O R.H. Shaw RAFVR and F/O HNE Salmon RAFO (see above) joined. P/O Shaw served with No.1 until his loss during the Battle of Britain ('failed to return' 3rd September 1940). "Doc" Brown, another reservist, replaced the previous M.O, F/Lt EHE Cross. Shortly before the end of the Phoney War on 10th May 1940, four further Pilot Officers arrived - Roland Dibnah, Don Thom, C.M. "Red" Stavert and G.E. "Randy" Goodman, all of whom (Franks' book states) were "...kept on the sidelines as it seemed certain that the real war was going to start any day now...". Certainly, none of them are mentioned in Richey's "Fighter Pilot".

Anyway, as this is a blog dedicated to the Very British Civil War, let's head back to late 1938, when No.1 Squadron RAF were flying Hawker Furies rather than Hawker Hurricanes:

The working Squadron in late 1938, camouflaged Furies posed "tail to tail". Identifiable from L to R:
Brown, Soper, Drake, Sanders, Clowes (with inevitable dog), Squadron Leader Bertram,
"Pussy" Palmer, "Prosser" Hanks, Douglas, Hancock, [unreadable], "Johnny" Walker, "Leaky" Crusoe.
Note the rather smarter uniform details, including white pre war flying suits.

A "colourised" photograph of RAF Furies in "Munich Colours", late 1938.
Although the "Munich Crisis" did not occur in the VBCW timeline, as Britain
had by then dissolved into Civil War and consequently had no interest in
Central Europe, some Furies could have been similarly camouflaged.

A pre-Munich 1938 photograph of No.1 Squadron's Furies flying in echelon "somewhere
over England". The last gasp of the elegant interwar "Silver Wings", and much the more
probable colour scheme for VBCW aircraft.

Now that's more VBCW....

Add edit : G.E. "Randy" Goodman's WIKI bio is HERE