Aircrew Remembered RAF Battle of Britain Database

RAF Battle of Britain Consolidated Database
3094+ Entries in Database

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Allied Losses Nordic RAAF Losses RNZAF Losses USAAF Battle of Britain Paradie RCAF Archiwum Polish War Graves Runnymede Kracker Luftwaffe
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THIS DATABASE IS CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT
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NOTE: KIA = Killed In Action. WIA = Wounded In Action. KIFA = Killed in Flying Accident.

= Jewish as per jewishvirtuallibrary.org
Fate In Battle is date of incident between July 10 1940 and October 31 1940. Fate After Battle is date of death after the Battle

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The Battle of Britain clasp (worn on the 1939-45 Star – or a silver gilt rosette if medal ribbons only are worn) is restricted to aircrew from 71 defined units
of RAF Fighter Command, Coastal Command or the Fleet Air Arm, who flew at least one operational sortie between 00:01 July 10 1940 and 23:59 October 31 1940.

To see a larger database covering the entirety of WWll, refer to our Allied Losses and Incidents database. This database is the result of research into all known sources of information on the crews which fought the Battle of Britain on the Allied side. It is surprising that for the most significant air battle of WW2, and even after 80+ years, there remains any uncertainty at all about who took part and in some cases, what they did. We have made it our objective to develop this database into a most comprehensive and accurate record which brings to life those heroic deeds. You can help: send corrections and additional information via our Helpdesk.
We believe this database to be among the most useful records extant in terms of its searchability: for example, it is easy to determine all Blenheim crews, or losses on a specific date or the members of a particular squadron.

Readers are referred to the following sites which we have used to cross-check information and we acknowledge and thank them as respected sources for some of the material in this database:
VintageWings.ca: comprehensive listing of artworks
bbm.org: Comprehensive listing of RAF personnel and service records
Wikipedia: Life stories of leading pilots and crew
AircrewRemembered Paradie Canadian Archive Database: 45,000 Service Records of RCAF personnel
AircrewRemembered Allied Losses and Incidents Database: Covering 120,000+ Allied aircrew 1939 - 1945
AircrewRemembered Archiwum: specialist database with details of Polish personnel (in Polish)
AircrewRemembered Kracker Luftwaffe Archive: 31,000 Luftwaffe pilot and crew details
AircrewRemembered LOST: Rob Philips Memorial Archive: Dutch losses in Europe
bel-memorial.org: Comprehensive site on Belgian aircrew

Our hosting service imposes a 4-character search minimum for database tables. We have modified our databases to support 3-character name searches.

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You searched for: “corbett”

#	Name	First Names	Rank	Service No.	Air Force	Country of Origin*	Squadrons	Awards	Aircraft	Victories	Fate in Battle	Fate After Battle	DateOfDeath	************Notes************
1	Corbett	George Henry	Plt Off	81366	RAFVR	Canadian	66Sqn		Spitfire		KIA		1940-10-08 Age 21	Wounded 1940-09-09 at 18:00hrs. Baled out of Spitfire I (N3049) over East Grinstead after being shot down by a Bf 109. Killed 1940-10-08 at 09:30hrs. Spitfire I (R6779) was shot down by a Bf 109 near Chatham, crashed at Bayfors Marshes. Upchurch St Mary Churchyard England Born November 4, 1919 Saskatchewan Canada. On a family holiday to England he applied to the de Havilland Aircraft Company’s Aeronautical Technical School at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Joined RAFVR in November 1937. Training at No. 9 Advanced Flying Training School, posted to No. 7 OTU at Hawarden, Cheshire, on July 7, 1940 on Spitfires. July 26 reported to 66 Sqd at Coltishall, Norfolk. First true combat experience on September 9, 1940, and it was not a pleasant experience. Dodging often heavy rain showers, Pilot Officer Corbett was part of a group attacking German bombers, escorted by enemy fighters, intent on attacking London. After already damaging a Messerschmitt 109, he was positioning his aircraft for a rear attack on a bomber when he was bounced by three German fighters. With the cockpit filling with smoke and the controls jammed, he found himself in a severely damaged, uncontrolled aircraft plummeting toward the ground in a tight spiral dive. At 12,000 feet (3,658 metres), he bailed out, suffering a slight injury in the process. September 27 intercepted German bombers attacking London. In the midst of heavy British defensive fire from anti-aircraft guns below, he got a quick burst into one bomber before breaking off the attack and leaving the damaged enemy aircraft to other RAF fighters. He then selected a lone Junkers 88 as his next target, closed to within yards of the German aircraft, and opened fired. The enemy aircraft fell away, its port engine burning fiercely, but the smoke was so thick that Corbett had to break off the attack. His Spitfire was damaged by friendly fire when an artillery shell burst nearby, destroying one elevator and riddling the fuselage and starboard wing with shrapnel. He skillfully executed a forced landing in the London district of Orpington, emerging from his damaged but repairable Spitfire with a new-found respect for anti-aircraft gunners and a Junkers 88 claimed as destroyed. On October 8, 1940, Pilot Officer Corbett, wearing a new watch sent by his parents as a 21st birthday gift, was climbing with his squadron to intercept yet another formation of German raiders when they were surprised by a large number of Messerschmitt 109s. In a slashing attack, Corbett and one other 66 Squadron pilot were shot down near Bayford Marches, Upchurch; neither pilot survived. The Reverend William Joseph Wright was at his church, St. Margaret of Antioch, and witnessed the dogfight. When Corbett’s aircraft crashed, the clergyman ran to the site, hoping to provide assistance. But “…it was clear, due to the bullet damage around the cockpit, that the pilot had been killed instantly before the crash. I offered prayers and a blessing, and stayed until the body was recovered. The pilot’s own parachute was used as a shroud.” Back in Canada, in a cruel twist of fate, his mother, Mabel, received a letter from her son days after being officially informed that he had been killed. Corbett wrote, “Having got out OK, my confidence has tremendously increased and I want you to be confident also. We’re seeing plenty of action here every day and I’ll be back in the fight tomorrow. The Jerries are a long way from getting supremacy in the air, and until they get it, there’ll be no invasion.” Our heroes of the Battle of Britain clearly understood what they were fighting and sacrificing for. Paradie Canadian Archive Database
2	Corbett	Vaughan Bowerman	Flt Lt (later Grp Cpt)	C/299	RCAF	Canadian	401Sqn RCAF	DFC	Hurricane			KIA	1945-02-13	Damaged Hurricane I (L1851) at Hornchurch during a scramble 1940-08-18 when he ran into a fuel bowser at 14:40hrs. Shot down by Bf 109s at 09:20hrs 1940-08-31, baled out of Hurricane I (P3869) over Gravesend but suffered burns. Later commanded 402 Sqd (the second RCAF Squadron). DFC 1942-02-13. KIFA killed in 1945-02-20, aged 33. Toronto St James Cemetery Canada. Age 33
3	Goodwin	Henry Macdonald	F/O	90269	RAF AAF	British	609Sqn		Spitfire		KIA		1940-08-14 Age 25	Shot down and killed in Spitfire I (N3024) 14 August 1940 over Bournemouth at 17:30hrs. Chaddesley Corbett St Cassian Churchyard England
4	McGregor	Gordon Roy 'Gordie'	Flt Lt	C/936		Canadian	1Sqn (RCAF)	OBE DFC Croix de Guerre Czechoslovakia War Cross Order of Orange-Nassau (Holland)	Hurricane	5				Possibly the oldest RCAF pilot to see service. With 1 Sqd (RCAF) during the Battle. 38 years old. Shot down 4 during the Battle. DFC 25 October 1940. Commanded the Squadron from November before going to 2 Sqd (RCAF) /402 Sqd as the CO in January 1941. F/L V.B.Corbett took over when he became the commander of the Canadian Wing in April. Flew last operational sortie as a Group Captain on 28 March 1945, destroying a locomotive. Croix de Guerre in 1947 and the Czechoslovakia Military Cross. After the war became President of Air Canada.