I won’t go again into how I started writing about WW II in August 2009. Just let’s say for the record that I am just a tad curious.
Gil Gillis in the circle
More later…
The original post was published in 2015 after I found a clue to who were these pilots.
Finding Gil Gillis in September 2011 became like an obsessive search for a Spitfire pilot whose picture was in a photo album of another Spitfire pilot.
Both flew with RCAF 403 Squadron late in the war.
I am trying very hard to control my compulsive obsession about finding the “Few” since 2011. Finding the “Few” like Tommy Todd and many more. Tommy Todd’s grandson shared all he knew about his grandfather who also flew with RCAF 403 Squadron.
Cathy Swanson shared all about her father which resulted in the creation of this blog to pay homage to Gil Gillis.
Everything is posted here with the kind permission of Cathy.
This however is not.
It was shared on a forum with a message.
Hi Tom
I have a photo album and log book of Sgt. Later Flight Lt. Clement St John Nichols. He flew with 238 from November 1940 until his death in July 1943, there are many small photos.
It was a great shame that he survived as a Fighter pilot for nearly 3 years operationally, to be killed whilst being transported with other squadron pilots in a transport aircraft.
I’m happy to send you a photocopy of his log book and scan the photos if you PM me.
Here are a few photos for the forum.
This is a kind of Rosetta Stone to feed my compulsive obsession with finding the “Few” on this 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
This is the Belle of Berlin from the photo album of the Estate of Hugh Furse.
This is a page of the album.
On the left corner we see a Hawker Hurricane IIC with an unknown person. In the middle there is an unknown kid. He was nineteen and killed soon after joining the squadron. This caption was written by R. Emrys Jones who gave his album to Hugh Furse. The album is part of the Estate of Hugh Furse and his children don’t know why R. Emrys Jones gave it to their father.
This blog started also with some photos, and the duty to remember…
Remembering Gil Gillis who was a pilot on a motorcycle.
Gil Gillis was just a caption…
A reader shared this excerpt from a rare book about 238 Squadron.
Gil put on a spectacular prang in his aircraft. It was a pity really. He had been having trouble with his carburettor and had taken the aircraft up for a test the previous day. The engine cut out and he glided in for a perfect forced landing. The C.O. congratulated him on his skill and said that he would be given a “green ink” endorsement in his log-book to the effect that he had saved an aircraft by skilful flying. Further adjustments were made to the aircraft’s carburettor and Gil again took off for a test. Again the engine cut. This time, however, Gil was not so lucky and piled it up in a corner of the drome. He never did get the “green ink” endorsement.
Source eBay
Finding Gil Gillis in September 2011 became like an obsessive search for a Spitfire pilot whose picture was in a photo album of another Spitfire pilot.
Both flew with RCAF 403 Squadron late in the war.
I am trying very hard to control my compulsive obsession about finding the “Few” since 2011. Finding the “Few” like Tommy Todd and many more. Tommy Todd’s grandson shared all he knew about his grandfather who also flew with RCAF 403 Squadron.
Cathy Swanson shared all about her father which resulted in the creation of this blog to pay homage to Gil Gillis.
Everything is posted here with the kind permission of Cathy.
This however is not.
It was shared on a forum with a message.
Hi Tom
I have a photo album and log book of Sgt. Later Flight Lt. Clement St John Nichols. He flew with 238 from November 1940 until his death in July 1943, there are many small photos.
It was a great shame that he survived as a Fighter pilot for nearly 3 years operationally, to be killed whilst being transported with other squadron pilots in a transport aircraft.
I’m happy to send you a photocopy of his log book and scan the photos if you PM me.
Here are a few photos for the forum.
This is a kind of Rosetta Stone to feed my compulsive obsession with finding the “Few” on this 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
The sequel
Flight Lieutenant Frank de Beauchamp Collenette died on June 28, 1942.
A reader had commented on this picture…
Is Frank de Beauchamp Collenette on that shot?
He commented some more on the blog.
I think Frank may be sat at the front, first from the left. I will check my copy of the 238 Squadron ORB for June 1942.
I hope more readers will join us and help us in finding who’s who on this picture.