Brothers who were military pilots?

On a related note (kinda) 4 of my grandfathers brothers served together on HMS Queen Elizabeth during WWII.

Looking through the RAFVR section of unithistories – some very sad family tragedies 🙁

F/O ? Eric Dane (Nav 103 sqn) KIA 4/5/44 – which was almost exactly a year after his brother P/O Gerald Dane (pilot 78 sqn) was KIA 13/5/43.

And also

From Buenos Aires

P/O JF Deck KIA 1/11/41 (Typhoon)
P/O HF Deck KIA 26/7/42 (Boston obs)
F/Lt CG Deck KIA 19/4/45 (Tempest)

A number of Polish Air Force brother pilots in WWII

Jan Zenon Bienkowski (KIA in a Mosquito of 307 Sqn 2/8/43) and Zygmunt Witymir Bienkowski (OC 303 and then 302 Sqn, survived the war)

Ludomir Feliks Ciastula (fighter pilot with a number of Spitfire squadrons) and Tadeusz Ciastula (initially a Spitfire pilot, then test pilot at Farnborough, after WWII designed many well known helicopters in Britain)

Michal Cwynar (fighter pilot, OC 316 Sqn) and Stanislaw Cwynar (bomber pilot, OC 300 Sqn, OC RAF Newton, OC RAF Faldingwoth)

Eugeniusz Kazimierz Guziak (Spitfire pilot, 318 Sqn) and Tadeusz Jan Guziak (Spitfire pilot, 317 Sqn)

Rajmund Kalpas (KIA 1/6/40 in the Battle of France), Roland Kalpas (test pilot at Farnborough)

Erwin Kawnik (Spitfire pilot with 308 Sqn, KIA 2/7/41) and Zygmunt Kawnik (Spitfire and Mustang pilot with 306 and 309 Sqns, survived the war)

Jan Pentz (B Flight commander 317 Sqn) and Roman Pentz (Spitfire pilot, 306 Sqn)

Jerzy Slonski-Ostoja (OC 306 Sqn, KIA 29/8/41), Marek Slonski-Ostoja (Spitfire pilot with a number of units, then PR Mosquito pilot, KIA 9/2/44 in 540 Sqn) and Marek Slonski-Ostoja (KIAcc in 58 OTU 30/10/41)

Notably, there were also brother-sister pilot couples!

Kazimierz Leski (a recce-bomber pilot in the Polish campaign of 1939) and Anna Leska (an operational recce-liaison pilot in the Polish campaign, later a ferry pilot in Britain, one of the ‘Spitfire girls’).
Kazimierz Leski was seriously wounded in 1939 which made him unfit for flying. He then worked for Polish intelligence in Europe. Due to his spinal injuries he could not make long trips in spartan wartime conditions normally endured by intelligence couriers. He therefore took on the role of a German general for his trips from occupied Poland to occupied France, to be able to travel in 1st class railway cars without arousing suspicion!

Zdzislaw Henneberg (OC 303 Sqn, KIA 12/4/41) also had a sister, Hanna Henneberg, who was a pilot (not military, though). She had died 28/9/1934 from medical complications after suffering serious injuries in a flying accident.

Paul and Adolf Galland

Ian

No … there were FOUR brothers Galland

From this Wikipedia entry on “Wutz” Galland …

Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland was one of four Galland brothers to serve in the Luftwaffe. The oldest brother Fritz Galland served in a fighter and reconnaissance unit and survived the war. His older brother, Lt. Gen. Adolf Galland was one the most renowned German fighter pilots and leader of German fighter operations and also survived the war. His youngest brother Paul Galland, a flying ace with 17 victories, served with JG 26 and was killed in action on 31 October 1942.

Wutz Galland was killed in action on 17 August 1943 during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission.

Don

From here at Cambridge, New Zealand we had in WWII:

Trevor Morris (Air Gunner in Defiants, 1940, then retrained as a pilot)
Jack Morris (Lancaster pilot, shot down twice)
Also their sister Margaret Morris was a WAAF. Jack is off to the unveiling of the London Bomber Command Memorial in a few days time.

Roy Calvert DFC** (famous bomber pilot, flew Manchesters and Lancasters)
Doug Calvert (trainee pilot when the war ended)

Grant Cox (Lancaster pilot, killed over Germany 24 March 1944)
Bryan Cox (Corsair pilot, wrote the best seller ‘Too Young To Die’ and other books)

Roderick Gray (Stirling pilot, killed 31st of August 1943 over Germany)
Edward Gray DFC (was originally a pilot trainee, remustered to Navigator, killed 4th/5th of May 1943 in a Lancaster)

Arthur ‘Monty’ Harvie AFC (pilot instructor)
Ted Harvie AFC (pilot instructor)
Guy Harvie (Wellington pilot, 57 Squadron, killed 2nd of April 1942)

Donald Law (Spitfire pilot, killed in air accident)
Ken Law DFM (Wellington pilot)
Eric Law (trainee pilot, possibly Fleet Air Arm?)

Martin Lord (killed 27th March 1943 piloting a Stirling over Germany)
Norman Lord (pilot attached to RAF, details unknown)

Ted Richardson
John Richardson

John RAW 245 Squadron Killed in night flying exercise accident at CFS Upavon 30.4.41, (awaiting overses posting )

Peter RAW DFC 183 Squadron KIA over Holland 21.3.44

Anthony RAW DFC AFC 156 Squadron KIA over Germany 11.9.44

Michael RAW AFC 19 Squadron then BBMF died 16.8.86

Their whole story is told in RAW COURAGE by Norman Franks

Don’t be shy, Simon!

😉

This may not be historic …. yet …. but it contains a story of two brothers in uniform both no longer with us …. a small thread I helped with on another forum !

http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7575

Keith 🙂

During WWII, mothers with sons or daughters in the service were allowed to display small flags in their front windows with, a I remember–I indeed did grow up during the War–red stars on them, and I think you hung one per child. If one was killed, the star was changed to gold, and you were known as a “gold-star mother.” Pretty Awful.

Thanks for that.
Also I’ll add Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond and Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond.
Both ended up as chiefs of the air staff.

A.

Gp Capt….. Francis Victor Beamish DSO**DFC,AFC

Air Marshal..George Robert Beamish

Sqn Ldr Jack Brandt DFC
Flt Lt Sidney Brandt

There are obviously quite a few – best place I know to work up a definitive commissioned list is on unithistories…they have (separate) lists of RAF and RAFVR officers

link…

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=unithistories%20raf%20a&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CHEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unithistories.com%2Fofficers%2FRAF_officers_M01.html&ei=iOPgT6SAJcWY1AW255zbDA&usg=AFQjCNEBfFctw-SAF_OlXUnoWzKQFXHHIQ

rgds baz

Patrick Hamilton Alington DFC
William Marmaduke Alington DFC**,AFC

John RAW 245 Squadron Killed in night flying exercise accident at CFS Upavon 30.4.41, (awaiting overses posting )

Peter RAW DFC 183 Squadron KIA over Holland 21.3.44

Anthony RAW DFC AFC 156 Squadron KIA over Germany 11.9.44

Michael RAW AFC 19 Squadron then BBMF died 16.8.86

Their whole story is told in RAW COURAGE by Norman Franks

Prince William and Prince Harry 🙂

Not forgetting dad Chuck & his brother Andy….

Did Princess Edward learn to fly? (outside of being a panto fairy of course)

Air Cmdre Teddy and Grp Capt Arthur Donaldson RAF of course are quite well known but they also had another brother…

Sqn Ldr John Donaldson DSO,AFC, OC 263 sqn – missing from HMS Glorious during the aftermath of the Norway campaign 1940.

The Irish connection, does this count?
Sqn.Ldr. WPF Treacy RAF. killed 20 April 1941.
Capt. (later Lt Col.) Louis Treacy, Irish Air Corps.

Tony K

The RAAF had three Newman brothers. Barney flew Spit XII with 41 Squadron. He was killed in August 45 with 79 Squadron in a Spit VIII. His older brother John flew Beaufighters with 30 squadron and was lost to flak in late 43. A younger brother was a Boston gunner and the only one to survive the war.

mother may have toured the United States post war as a ‘Gold Mother’–although I’m not certain as to what that quite was–You as an American might be able to enlighten us further there.

During WWII, mothers with sons or daughters in the service were allowed to display small flags in their front windows with, a I remember–I indeed did grow up during the War–red stars on them, and I think you hung one per child. If one was killed, the star was changed to gold, and you were known as a “gold-star mother.” Pretty Awful.

The Barnwell Brothers

John Sanders Barnwell Killed 19/06/1940 flying with 29 squadron

Richard Anthony Barnwell – Killed 29/10/1942 flying with 102 squadron

David Usher Barnwell – Killed 14/10/1941 flying with the Malta Night Fighter Unit

Their father, Captain Frank Barnwell was also a military pilot and Chief Engineer at the Bristol Aircraft Company who lost his life in a flying accident on 02/08/1938

There are 19 pairs of brothers, at least, remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. All Air Services but not necessarily pilots…

😮 Blimey the loss rate is huge.

The four Garland brothers, RAF, WW2

Name: GARLAND, DONALD EDWARD
Initials: D E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 12 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 12/05/1940
Service No: 40105
Awards: VC
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and of Winifred Irene Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland, Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 6. F. 14-16.
Cemetery: HEVERLEE WAR CEMETERY
Citation: The citation in “The London Gazette,” for 11th June, 1940, gives the following details : Flying Officer Garland was the pilot and Sergeant Gray the observer of the leading machine of a formation of five aircraft that were ordered to destroy at all costs a bridge over the Albert Canal which had not been demolished by the land forces and was allowing the Germans to advance into Belgium. In spite of very heavy defence of the area surrounding the bridge, the formation made a successful dive-bombing attack from the lowest practicable altitude, after releasing their bombs they were attacked by a large number of enemy fighters. Only one aircraft of the five returned to its base. Much of the success of the operation must be attributed to the formation leader, Flying Officer Garland, and to the coolness and resource of Sergeant Gray, who navigated the leading aircraft under most difficult conditions in such a manner that the whole formation, although it subsequently suffered heavy losses, was able successfully to attack the target.

Name: GARLAND, JOHN CUTHBERT
Initials: J C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 32
Date of Death: 28/02/1943
Service No: 101796
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland and of Irene Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Cons. Sec. Grave 1274.
Cemetery: MIDHURST CEMETERY, Sussex

Name: GARLAND, DESMOND WILLIAM
Initials: D W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pilot Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 50 Sqdn.
Age: 27
Date of Death: 05/06/1942
Service No: 115223
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and of Winifred Irene Garland, of Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland, and Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 69.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Name: GARLAND, PATRICK JAMES
Initials: P J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 2nd Sqdn.
Age: 36
Date of Death: 01/01/1945
Service No: 49602
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and Winifred Irene Garland; husband of Mary Elizabeth Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 4. A. 11.
Cemetery: BERGEN-OP-ZOOM WAR CEMETERY

One can but only feel for their parents.