History in the making?

Pass!

= Tim

Dave

Can’t help you as yet as I’m only up to mid-1942 at the moment but I might have info on him soon.

In a new book I have coming out on the Biggin Hill Wing I included the story of a couple of evaders as an appendix and was hoping to do the same thing with 1 Squadron (I think there were two altogether). This would involve finding McKenzie’s de-brief papers at the National Archive which is by no means a certainty.

If I do I will let you know

Peter

I never realised we had a genuine Battle of Britain pilot on the forum, how exciting.

I wonder if either of you might have more information on a pilot who was apparently on No. 1 Squadron RAF later in the war, one John Walter McKenzie?

He was born here in my home town, according to the book By Such Deeds by Group Captain Colin Hanson, but I can find nothing on him locally and I contacted the No. 1 Squadron Association some time back and they couldn’t find anything either. All I have so far is on my website here:
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/John%20McKenzie.htm

Any further info would be much appreciated. I know it’s a longshot. Thanks.

Thanks Tim

Will get something off to you in the next hour or so

Peter

Try [email]tim@elkington.net[/email]? Nothing is ‘private’ these days!

= Tim

Tim

Thanks very much for the views of your log book, it looks incredibly detailed (unlike some!)

I hope we can have a chat at some point on my new project. I still have a lot of research to do but I did see your name again in the 1 Sqn ORB around August/September 1942 at Acklington, including a scramble on 29/8/42 in Hurricane BN205 with Sgt G.C. Whitmore in BD983.

If I may, I will send you a PM (or at least I will attempt to, having never sent one before) with more details.

Peter

No – I had not latched onto that. How exciting!!

Through the good offices of a friend, Andrew, & his great patience & deep pocket, I have now been able to put right my flight times from 1940. It has always bugged me to believe that they were incomplete or ‘falsified’.

Have a look at the difference. Well worth researching?

The ‘whiteouts ‘ in the original are to avoid confusion.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/times1855x642.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/times2855x642.jpg

= Tim

Tim, thanks once again for that.

As you might already have realised I have a research project under way concerning your former squadron. This should result in a book (it has been agreed verbally) which would be my 14th. All being well the last one I did should be coming out next month (The Biggin Hill Wing 1941).

I can’t really say too much on here at the moment but I could PM you if you would be interested to hear a bit more. Suffice to say that I have mentioned you a number of times already!

Peter

Thanks – I’ll change the entry in my book!!

Motto? There is this other version!!

Berry? Strangely, I can’t recall either, despite his efforts on my behalf shown in my profile, for which I was unable to thank him – he was killed before I left Hospital. I probably called him Sir!! Nice that we were recently able to contact his Daugher & Granddaughter after all these years.

= Tim

Thanks Tim.

It was definitely RamsEy as I went to school with his son and I’m still in touch with the family. After he left 1 Squadron he went onto a BAT Flight before returning to Typhoons at the end of 1944. Not sure of the squadron but it might have been 198.

I wonder if you could help with another query on 1 Squadron. Was F/Sgt F.G. Berry generally known by his first name Frederick or his second name George? I’ve seen both over the years.

Peter

RamsAy?? Shame – I don’t have a photo of him.

Motto? Can’t think when it was first perpetrated, but it’s one that I have always used!

= Tim

Oh dear…but very easily done I can assure you. The older I get the more careful I have to be!

Tim, I wonder if you could answer a query I have regarding No.1 Squadron.

Many years ago I knew a pilot who flew with the squadron. His name was F/Sgt Walter Ramsey (later P/O) and he flew Hurricane IIs and Typhoons from April 1942 to January 1944.

He assured me that the slang term for the motto In Omnibus Princeps was ‘It’s Quicker By Bus’. I wonder if you can recall this term ever being used during the Battle of Britain period?

Peter

Over Chatteris… Explains a lot if you ask me! :diablo:

Adrian