Anyone recognise this pilot?

More on Tim Morice

‘Tim’ Morice was the commanding officer of 121 Airfield (later 121 Wing) from its formation in spring 1943 to December 1944. 121 Wing comprised 174, 175, 245 sqns and was joined by 184 sqn in Normandy. Morice was promoted to Group Captain when the 2nd TAF Wings were reorganised in July 1944. He was awarded a DSO for his work with the Wing. The story goes (from a first-hand source) that when the Wing advanced through northern France, he arrived at the same airfield that Richthofen had taken off from – to shoot him down – in the First world war. He enquired where the Red Baron had parked his aircraft – and then marked the spot in a personal (wet!) way.

I do not know where he was posted after 121 Wing – but a ‘TM’ coded Tempest was seen at Northolt (12 August 45). (Said to be SN212 but this is doubtful as that aircraft was known to be ‘T’ of 3 sqn either side of the date.)
Cranswick

Hi Steve,
Glad to be od (minor) help.

Here’s a completely trivia question. If a pilot in the RFC served in the RAF in W.W.II, was he entitled to wear RFC wings or was he supposed to wear RAF ones? And whatever the rule what happened? Given your wings are a qualification badge, I’d presume you’d hang on to what you’d ‘won’.

If a pilot qualified in a Dominion air force, but joined the RAF, would he keep his Dominion wings, on his RAF uniform, or be expected to wear the RAF’s wings? I’m thinking of Pat Hughes, who qualiied as a pilot with the RAAF at Point Cook in the thirties, but joined the RAF on a Short Service Commission in 1939.

I wonder…

Thanks very much. A great result.

Hmm. I found a few refs in W.W.I period at the Gazette website to his surname – guess that could be him too then!

A small snippet.

When with 57 Squadron, on the 30 Apr 1917, flying F.E.2d (A1966) he shot down an Albatros D.III near Buissy

His gunner at the time was Lt Forde Leathley.

Moggy

Right,I’ve got hold of my copy of ‘Day of the Typhoon’,and yes it is Tim Morice. My info above was slightly erroneous as he wasn’t the commander of a wing,but the Airfield Commander at Le Fresne Camilly,where the Typhoons were based during the summer of ’44. Your picture of him above is reproduced in the book,which is why it rang bells. The caption in the book dates the photo to August 1943.
His full name was C.S. “Tim” Morice MC,at the time a Wing Commander but he appears to have retired as a Group Captain.
I can’t find any exact quotes about him at the moment,but I read Day of the Typhoon just a few weeks ago and the general gist is that Morice was extremely well liked and respected,and was considered to be one of the boys despite his not flying on operations. He had been a scout pilot in the RFC in WW1,hence the MC.

Thanks again chaps. I have searched the London Gazette website and there are lots of references to a Wing Commander Charles Stewart Morice who fits the right time frame. Could this be him? No sign of any other RAF officer with that surname.

He’ll have some (in theory all) of his promotions and awards presented in the London Gazette.

A good unusual sirname like that, not too hard.

www.gazettes-online.co.uk

The Golley book is probably a good place to start.

Seems he survived the war, no record of him on CWGC.

Moggy

Ant, Moggy,

Fantastic, many thanks indeed. Do you know any more about him?

Regards

Steve

W/C Tim Morice

Moggy

Hi Steve,
I know the face,but I can’t think of the name at the moment. I think he was the CO of 146 Wing (Typhoons) in Normandy,and there are a few pics of him in ‘Day of the Typhoon’ by John Golley. I’m away from home tonight,but I can look him up for you when I get home tomorrow,if someone hasn’t already beaten me to it by then.