BoB Pilot Charles Widdows

Charles Widdows the man believed to be the oldest surviving Battle of Britain pilot has died in Guernsey on the 8th Jan 2010. Air Commodore Stanley Charles Widdows CB DFC had recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

I heard this on the local news today. He commanded 29 Squadron and was the first to fly a production Hurricane L1547.

” Before the Second World War Air Commodore Widdows was one of the very few exceptional apprentices at RAF Halton who were awarded cadetship to RAF Cranwell to become a permanent commissioned officer. He served in No 29 Squadron and did a tour of duty in the Middle East, including Egypt, the Sudan and Palestine.

Charles was then at RAF Martlesham Heath as an RAF test pilot and carried out extensive tests of the first production Spitfire in 1938 and the early Hurricanes. In 1939 at RAF Digby he was given command of No 29 Night Fighter Squadron and flew Beaufighters during the Battle of Britain. Taking part in the night defence of London, No 29 Squadron became one of the leading night fighter squadrons in Fighter Command. After Charles retired from the RAF, he and his family moved to Guernsey, where he was elected by the community of Guernsey to become the People’s Deputy for 8 years.

He was recognised as a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, (Military Division) (CB), was mentioned twice in Despatches (the oldest form of recognition of gallantry within the UK Armed Forces) and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).”

” THE ABOVE TEXT IS TAKEN FROM http://www.raf.mod.uk “

A sad loss of a great man and one of the few!
Ollie