Fewest of the Few Supplement J36 Entry Graduated December 1937 SURNAME INITS DONALD IDG ELSDON TAF KINGCOME CBF O’BRIAN PGSStG Though a member of J36 intake, CBF Kingcome did not graduate till July 1938, not December 1937. J36 Page 1 of 7 Donald, Ian David Grahame (J36 Entry, A Squadron) Donald was born on 3rd September 1917; his father was Air Marshal Sir DG Donald. He was at Dulwich College from 1931 to 1935 and entered RAF College Cranwell in January 1936 as an Honorary King's Cadet. After graduation, Donald joined 64 Squadron at Church Fenton on 18th December 1937. During the 1938 Air Exercises, he was pilot of one of a formation of 64 Squadron Hawker Demons that were caught in a dense fog, which had descended suddenly over a wide area of England on 7th August. They were routed over Digby and then all pilots and air gunners were ordered to bale out. Donald joined 141 Squadron when it was reformed at Turnhouse, with Defiants, on 4 October 1939. On 29 November, he was promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant and appointed a Flight Commander. Not strictly part of 11 OnGp, 12 Julybut 1940, based the squadron at RAF moved Tangmere, south to West theMalling. Fighter Donald was Interception flying one of Unit was nine Defiants attacked by Me 109's of III/JG51 off Dover on the 19th. He was killed in the Not strictly part of 11 Gp, but based at RAFformed Tangmere, and commanded aircraftthe by while PeterFighter his gunner, Chamberlain, Pilot InterceptionOfficer AC followingHamilton, baled his out Unit butpioneering was drownedwas developmentin the sea. work formed and commanded by Peter Chamberlain,on air interception following radar.Their his aircraft,Henry pioneering L7009, Eeles crashed is at Elmsvalealso development unique Road, Dover. in that he workis one Cranwellian who declined the offer of theDonald Battle is buried of in AllBritain Saints' churchyard, Clasp, Tilford,despite Surrey. having earned it as OC 263 Sqn on air interception radar. Henry Eeles is operatingalso unique Whirlwind inand that Hurricane he aircraft. is one Charles __________Cranwellian Bacon, Ferdinand who Baraldi and David Fulford were three Cranwellian participants who received their flying training from the declined the offer of the Battle of Britain Clasp,SFTS at RAF despite Cranwell. having earned it as OC 263 Sqn operating Whirlwind and Hurricane aircraft. Charles Bacon, Ferdinand Baraldi and David On 12 Group operations, Tim Vigors (222 Sqn) appears to have been the outstanding Fulford were three Cranwellian participantsCranwellian who ‘ace’ received with five successes their flyingduring the training Battle of Britain. from the SFTS at RAF Cranwell. Arguably a better known Cranwellian in 12 Group was Sir Douglas Bader who, as OC 242 Not strictly part of 11 Gp, but based at RAF Tangmere, the Fighter Interception Unit was Sqn, famously advocated the ‘Big Wing’ Ops concept despite fierce opposition from 11 On 12 Group operations, Tim Vigors (222 Sqn) appearsformed and commandedto have bybeen Peter Chamberlain,the outstanding following his pioneering development work Gp who, beingon closer air interception to the enemy radar. lines, Henry could Eeles not assemble is also unique a comparable in that he‘Big is Wing’ one Cranwellianin who Cranwellian ‘ace’ with five successes duringtime the to repel Battle thedeclined oncoming of Britain. the Luftwaffeoffer of the forces; Battle they of Britainopted forClasp, finger despite four formations having earned attacking it as OC 263 Sqn the enemy aircraftoperating in pairs, Whirlwind a mode andd’emploi Hurricane which aircraft. was to becomeCharles SOPBacon, in ‘FerdinandRodeo’ fighter Baraldi and David sweeps over FranceFulford afterwere the three Battle Cranwellian of Britain hadparticipants been won. who Bader received was theirattributed flying four training from the Arguably a better known Cranwellian in 12successes Group (1was½SFTS x Do Sir at17, RAFDouglas 1 x Cranwell.Bf109, 1Bader x Bf110) in who, the Battle as ofOC Britain. 242 It is postulated that he was shot down - some believe blue-on-blue - in 1941, captured by the Germans and enjoyed the hospitality of Colditz Castle till the end of the war. Sqn, famously advocated the ‘Big Wing’ Ops conceptOn 12 Groupdespite operations, fierce Tim opposition Vigors (222 Sqn) from appears J3611 Page to 2 ofhave 7 been the outstanding Cranwellian ‘ace’ with five successes during the Battle of Britain. Gp who, being closer to the enemy lines, Havingcould been not posted assemble from 1 Sqn a to comparable 242 Sqn on 21 September, ‘Big Wing’ Michael in Homer was shot time to repel the oncoming Luftwaffe forces;down they and killed optedArguably on 27 for September a betterfinger known when four Cranwellian his formations Hurricane in 12aircraft Group attacking P2967 was Sir crashed Douglas into Bader a wood who, as OC 242 near Sittingbourne. Sqn, famously advocated the ‘Big Wing’ Ops concept despite fierce opposition from 11 the enemy aircraft in pairs, a mode d’emploi which was to become SOP in ‘Rodeo’ fighter Page 14 of 32 Gp who, being closer to the enemy lines, could not assemble a comparable ‘Big Wing’ in sweeps over France after the Battle of Britain hadtime been to repel won. the oncoming Bader Luftwaffe was attributedforces; they opted four for finger four formations attacking successes (1½ x Do 17, 1 x Bf109, 1 x Bf110) in thethe Battleenemy aircraft of Britain. in pairs, a Itmode is postulatedd’emploi which wasthat to become SOP in ‘Rodeo’ fighter sweeps over France after the Battle of Britain had been won. Bader was attributed four he was shot down - some believe blue-on-blue - insuccesses 1941, (1captured½ x Do 17, 1 byx Bf109, the 1Germans x Bf110) in the and Battle of Britain. It is postulated that enjoyed the hospitality of Colditz Castle till the end ofhe thewas war.shot down - some believe blue-on-blue - in 1941, captured by the Germans and enjoyed the hospitality of Colditz Castle till the end of the war. Having been posted from 1 Sqn to 242 Sqn on 21Having September, been posted Michael from 1 Sqn Homerto 242 Sqn was on 21 shotSeptember, Michael Homer was shot down and killed on 27 September when his Hurricane aircraft P2967 crashed into a wood down and killed on 27 September when his Hurricanenear aircraftSittingbourne. P2967 crashed into a wood near Sittingbourne. Page 14 of 32 Page 14 of 32 Elsdon, Thomas Arthur Francis (J36) Elsdon was born at Broughty Ferry, Dundee on 22 January 1917. He attended Linthank College, Norwich and entered RAF College Cranwell in January 1936 as a Flight Cadet. After graduating he joined 72 Squadron at Church Fenton on 8th December 1937. Elsdon destroyed an He 115 on 21 October 1939, shared two He 111's on 7 December and, over Dunkirk, probably destroyed a Ju 87 on 2 June 1940. He claimed an Me 110 on 15 August, two Me 110's on 1 September and another two Me 110's on the 4th. On the 4th, Elsdon baled out when his Spitfire, X4262, was attacked and set on fire on the way back to Croydon, possibly by a lone Me 109. On 7 September Elsdon was back leading the squadron. They intercepted a formation of Do 17's, escorted by Me 109's. With not enough height to engage the enemy fighters, 72 Squadron went for the bombers, contrary to the usual practice for Spitfires. Leading the attack, Elsdon's aircraft was hit and he was severely wounded in the left knee and right shoulder. He decided not to bale out and headed for Biggin Hill. His undercarriage would not lower and he made a crash-landing. He possibly shot down an Me 109 in this action. Awarded the DFC (gazetted 8 October 1940), Elsdon was out of action until 15 July 1941. Our research has been unable to verifyOur Heresearchsome joined 257 Squadronhasof thebeen at Coltishall squadronunable and claimed to verify anmovements Me 109some destroyed of ontheand 24 July; squadron he was movements and (re)deployments, but we have established(re)deployments, theagain contributionwounded, but but not seriously.we madehave established by Cranwellians the contribution in 11 made by Cranwellians in 11 squadrons (56, 151, 249, 253, 264, 312, 601, 603 605, 615 and 616 Sqns) which were squadrons (56, 151, 249, 253, 264, 312, 601,On 25603 August 605, 1941, Elsdon615 was and posted 616 to Kirton-in-Lindsey Sqns) which to form andwere command 136 deployedSquadron. across It became Fighter operational Command in September during and thein November Battle leftof theBritain. UK for India. 'A' deployed across Fighter Command during theFlight Battle was detachedof Britain. to Singapore and Elsdon and a dozen or so pilots picked up Hurricanes in Cairo and flew them out to Rangoon to fight the Japanese on the retreat Of thethrough ‘Pan-Group’ Burma. The restairmen of the squadronshown wentbelow, to Colombo. all were The flightsquadron cadets came together except for Percival Ross- Framesagain Burton in Calcutta and in April Geoffrey 1942. It laterPage, saw actionboth inof Akyab, whom Calcutta, underwent Chittagong, flying Imphal training at the SFTS Of the ‘Pan-Group’ airmen shown below, all andwere Arakan flight before disbanding cadets in the except Cocos Islands. for Percival Ross- Frames Burton and Geoffrey Page, bothCranwell. of whom underwent flying training at the SFTS On 21 August, he damaged a Japanese aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. Cranwell. Not strictly part of 11 Gp,Richard but Barclay based (249at RAF Sqn) Tangmere,was an ‘ace’, the destroying Fighter five Interception Luftwaffe aircraft. Unit was Elsdon was made Wing Leader of 165 Wing, Dum Dum on 8th September 1942. He formed and commanded bymoved Peter to Alipore Chamberlain, on 10 October tofollowing lead 293 Wing, his took pioneering command of 169 development Wing, Agartala work FV Beamishon 10 February is one1943, ofwas the posted famous to 185 Wing,Beamish Feni onbrothers 8 October andand returnedentered to the College with a Richard Barclay (249 Sqn)on air wasinterception an ‘ace’, radar.