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OBITUARY

Squadron Leader George Geoffrey Davies DSO

102 and 156 (Pathfinders) Squadron

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Page submitted by and Copyright Simon Muggleton for Aircrew Remembered May 2025

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The book British Gallantry Awards by Abbott and Tamplin shows that during WW2 some 4,880 awards of the Distinguished Service Order were made, with only 870 to the Royal Air Force, yet how many of these men are remembered today? Originally awarded for distinguished service during Queen Victoria’s reign to officers of field rank in the Army, by the end of WW1 the War Office had recommended that the award (along with the Military Cross and Distinguished Conduct Medal) should be regarded primarily as distinctions in service in action with the enemy. In 1931 an amending Warrant laid down that the DSO was to be given only for ‘distinguished services under fire or under conditions equivalent to service in actual combat with the enemy’ A revised Royal Warrant was approved on the 1st April 1918, extending the award to include officers of the newly formed Royal Air Force. This article records the hazards and heroism of just one of those 870 RAF officers, who merited this award, during WW2.

George Geoffrey Davies was born at Wavertree, Lancashire on March 5th 1920, and educated at the Liverpool Institute before travelling to Australia where he worked as a clerk with the meat company Borthwick and Son. During his spare time he took flying lessons in a Tiger Moth, subsequently gaining his flying licence in 1937. George later wrote to the RAF requesting a short service commission of seven years, and was accepted. Arriving in England in June 1939, George was soon made aware of the storm clouds of war forming over Europe. He was posted to Sywell in Northants, to begin his training in earnest on September 13th 1939, probably having listened to the broadcast of Neville Chamberlain declaring war with Germany only ten days previously.

George was posted to the Initial Training Wing at Cambridge taking his first solo on a Tiger Moth on June 27th 1940, and then on to the RAF College at Cranwell, being commissioned on the 19th October 1940 as a Pilot Officer. George was then sent onto No 27 War Course of 10 Operational Training Unit at RAF Abingdon, after which in January 1941, he was posted to No 102 (Ceylon) Squadron operating with Whitley bombers from RAF Topcliffe.

This officer was Captain of Whitley aircraft Z6572 detailed to carry out a bombing sortie against Bremen on the night of 14/15th July 1941. At about 0215hrs on 15th July 1941, when over the target area, the aircraft was held in a concentration of searchlights and was heavily fired on by flak. The flak ceased suddenly while the aircraft was making its run on to the target, and although this indicated the immediate presence of enemy fighters, the Captain continued on his bombing run and warned the Rear Gunner to keep a very sharp look-out for enemy aircraft. Very shortly afterwards the Captain saw tracer and cannon-shell passing very closely on both sides of the fuselage of his aircraft and felt considerable movement on the control column, indicating that the control surfaces had been hit.

At the same time his Rear Gunner called out to him that he had been hit by bullets from the enemy aircraft. The Gunner was in fact killed in this first attack, and the rear turret rendered useless. The aircraft then went out of control; the nose going up until it stalled and went into a left hand spin at a height of 10,500ft. The Captain wound the tail adjusting gear well forward to try to gain control by using the elevator trimming tabs, as the elevator control wires to the control column had been shot away. He found however, that the stop on the tail adjusting wheel prevented it from being moved forward for more than half a turn, and with great presence of mind the Captain instructed the Navigator to get the axe and hack away at the stop.

The Navigator did this and by winding the wheel fully forward and by the skilful use of rudder and engines, the Captain succeeded in righting the aircraft after having lost 7,000ft. However, it was only by the most skilful use of engines and elevator trimming tabs that the Captain was able to maintain the aircraft in level flight, and soon after coming out of the spin the aircraft was again attacked by enemy fighters and later by light flak. During the whole of this most hazardous experience the Captain showed the utmost determination and coolness and was alone responsible for extricating the aircraft and the remainder of his crew from almost certain destruction.

He continued to fly the badly damaged aircraft, still exercising exceptional control, until he reached Driffield, to which aerodrome he had been diverted owing to fog at Topcliffe. Knowing that his elevator controls were shot away and only a few weeks before having seen an aircraft stall and crash at Topcliffe while trying to land in the same condition, this officer still stuck to his post and gave no thought whatsoever to abandoning his aircraft. With great skill and care he succeeded in landing at Driffield with no further damage to aircraft and crew than that sustained over enemy territory. I cannot speak too highly of this most marvellous effort on the part of an officer who has already done exceptionally good work during a number of previous sorties. His coolness, courage and devotion to duty undoubtedly saved the lives of the remainder of the crew, and brought back to this country a valuable aircraft. I strongly recommend him for the immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order.

Air-Vice Marshal Coningham approved the award of the ‘immediate’ DSO and commented by saying:- ‘It was one of the best shows of the War, by a Captain in his Group. In the word of his Group Captain, Davies ‘displayed almost miraculous airmanship in bringing his aircraft and crew safely back to this country’.

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Above left:Pilots Perspex canopy damaged. Right: Pilots Perspex canopy damaged

Probably no understatement when one considers the damage to the Whitley aircraft: elevators shot clean away, with over 40 holes in the fuselage (including puncturing the petrol and oil tanks), along with two tyres shot away by cannon fire. The rear gunner’s turret, occupied by Sergeant Neil Stockdale during the attack, suffered intense damage resulting in his death. George later recounted that he knew that fighters were about as the flak ceased to explode around them, but hardly giving him time to warn the rear gunner. Suddenly tracer bullets were whizzing past the aircraft, with cannon fire coming from below and the rear. George heard Sergeant Stockdale on the intercom cry out,“ I’m hit, they’ve got me”, the last words he uttered.

Neil Stockdale aged 26 years and from Huddersfield, was later buried with full military honours at Driffield town cemetery. These events must have really impacted on George Davies as he made a detailed account in his flying logbook:- Ops Bremen, camera used, hell of a time over target. Clamped in searchlights, fighters attacked and killed air gunner, Sgt Neil Stockdale R.I.P. Elevators shot away, A.S.I. useless, BXF Driffield, port and rear wheels punctured. Good write up. Awarded DSO. Just five days later George was on his way to bomb Cologne, now a Temporary Flight Lieutenant, he and his crew were in the thick of it, being coned once again by enemy searchlights. This time he managed to get his Whitley and crew safely back home without any damage.

His next mission was on August 5th, an attack on Frankfurt, where once more on his return the aircraft was shot up, having strayed over Aachen and Antwerp due to winds, and were guided home over the channel by RAF fighters. August 17th saw George flying with ‘C’ Flight on ops to Bremen where the target was obscured due to cloud cover. It was at this time 102 Squadron was officially known as ‘Ceylon Squadron’. George stuck a photo of the crest from

The Collage of Arms into his logbook, which was signed by all the officers. September 6th would be his next operation, this time bombing a German chemical factory at Huls along with 85 other aircraft. Two day later found the crew bombing Kassel, although George was not happy with the Navigators work, making an entry in his own logbook, ‘Duff Nav again, long stooge, not satisfactory’. The following ops to Berlin on the 20th, and Mannheim on the 26th suffered from bad weather and all aircraft were re-called. On the next op to Stettin on the 29th September George records in his log, ’Ran out of petrol, landed at Pocklington’

November 1st 1941, was a mission to bomb Kiel, with134 aircraft taking part, this was Georges 28th mission (a ‘tour’ ), and not very successful due to 10/10 cloud cover. On his return George was informed that he had been posted to No 7 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at the Central Flying School at Upavon, prior to which his flying had been assessed again ‘As Above the Average’, but only ‘Average’ as a flying instructor

AboveP F/O. Davies whilst with 19 O.T.U at Kinloss

He was then posted to No 22 OTU at Wellesbourne in December, but then corrected to No 19 OTU at Kinloss, Scotland. George soon settled into the role of Instructor, the others taking note of his DSO ribbon on his uniform! The Mk IV and V Whitleys were used during the training exercises, both day and night, usually with three or four pupils aboard. He received a Mention in Despatches on January 1st 1942.

On March 23rd 1942, George was piloting and instructing at night, with Pilot Officer Munro, Sergeant Colin Scott and Sergeant Harris aboard Whitley N1437 from Kinloss. On one of the take-off exercises, the aircraft suffered engine failure, and despite the emergency procedure being undertaken by George, the aircraft crashed into a clump of trees, resulting in the aircraft catching fire. The pupil in the other seat, Sergeant Scott RAAF, was killed instantly by one of the aircrafts spars piercing his chest, P/O Munro was thrown clear, whilst George along with Sergeant Harris, were trapped. Both of them suffering from extensive burns when finally extradited, with Georges chances of survival rated as slim. Both were rushed to Aberdeen Infirmary, where Georges burns were assessed as needing the speciality of the burns unit situated at East Grinstead, Sussex, but was deemed too fragile for the journey. He was taken instead to the new unit at Stracathro, near Berechin in Scotland.

The hospital had thirty two main wards each with forty beds. Harold Gillies (cousin to Archie McIndoe) attended to George Davies burns whilst tutoring Jack Tough, who performed the skin grafts. He went on to be surgeon-in-charge of the plastic surgery unit at Stracathro. George was nursed back to health by a nurse, Jo Lowis who he later married in 1943. As none of the operations on George were undertaken personally by McIndoe, this excluded him from being a member of the Guinea Pig Club. After recovery George was posted back to RAF Kinloss, but it would take until January 1943 before George had attained the standard required for flying again (mainly due to a severed tendon behind one of his knees suffered in the crash). George made a late entry in his flying logbook:- 24th March 1942, crashed e/failure on take off, Scott killed, self and Harris burned, Stracathro hospital. From May until September 1943 George acted as staff officer to AVM Sir Hugh Walmsley KCB,KCIE,CBE,MC,DFC, AOC 91 Group, after which he was promoted to Squadron Leader, and then appointed deputy chief flying instructor at 23 OTU RAF Pershore

By this time George was itching to get back into operational flying and decided ‘to pull a few strings’ by contacting a fellow instructor at RAF Kinloss, Hamish Mahaddie, now a Group Captain and a ‘talent scout’ for the newly formed Pathfinder Squadrons.

George was initially sent to 44 Conversion Unit at Waddington, flying a Lancaster for the first time, and then onto RAF Warboys, after which he joined 156 Squadron at RAF Upwood on March 2nd 1944. His first operational flight (31 ‘ops) with this new squadron was on the 9th April 1944 to bomb the marshalling yards at Lille flying Lancaster GT-H JB307, dropping 2x 500lb bombs, along with 12 x1000lb bombs.

His crew consisted of six commissioned (experienced) officers, who would stay with him throughout his time with 156. They were:- Flt/Lt Kenneth Stevens RAFVR, 22 years - Flt/Engineer
P/O Frederick Holbrook DFC, RAFVR, 24 years - Air Bomber
P/O Fernand De Brock DFC (Belgium), 36 years - Navigator
F/O Hugh Coker RAFVR, 23 years - 2nd Navigator
Flt Lt Harry Robinson DFC RAAF. W/Op/ Air Gunner
P/O Daniel Platana DFC RCAF, 21 years - Air Gunner
F/O Frederick Lockwood DFC RAFVR, 22 years - Air Gunner

Just as George had ordered the release of his bombs over the target, another Lancaster came weaving in from starboard and hit them with its port wing. This damaged both the inner and outer engines, resulting in another feat of airmanship by Squadron Leader Davies in getting his own Lancaster back home safely, on just two engines. Two days later the crew were back in GT-H on their way to bomb Aachen with the same bomb-load. This time they were attacked by an enemy fighter but no combat took place, George records, ‘Good Prang’. May 3rd would see a trip to the Luftwaffe airfield at Montdidier dropping a ‘Cookie’ (4000lb) along with 16x500lb bombs, from Lancaster GT-M, recorded as ‘A Wizard Prang’. On May 11th the bombing of Hasselt was cancelled halfway through by the Master Bomber due to haze over the target. Georges aircraft GT-Q suffered with a burst tyre on landing.

On May 19th 8 Group dispatched 39 Lancaster’s and 5 Mosquitoes on a special mission to bomb the radar installations at Mont Couple (near Cap Gris Nez) H2S sets were used resulting in poor results, George flying GT-E. May 29th was an attack by 181 Lancasters on the coastal batteries at Mardick, the crew now in GT-T, after which they were sent on leave, these ‘ops’ were involved in softening up the German defences prior to D-Day. Returning on June 14th the crew undertook a daylight raid to bomb the marshalling yards at St Pol, in Lancaster GT-P. George again recording in his logbook, ‘Very Good Prang, intercepted, no combat, near collision’ On June 23rd the operation was to bomb several V1 sites along the coast, Coubronn being the one detailed to George and his crew. He records in his logbook:- ‘Heavy Flak over the coast 10/10 over target, bombed blind, bags of fighter activity’. The next day saw another site bombed at Middel Straete, George records,’Buzz bombs site,Oboe lousy, bombed on H2S

Their next ‘op’ was on the 7th July, with 123 Lancaster’s bombing the railway yards at Vaires (Paris). George records, ‘Backer Up - full moon, bang on time, good prang, bags of combats observed’. Two days later would see a daylight raid to another V1 site at Chateau Benapre, this time George was Deputy Master Bomber and received congratulations from 4 Group that his Target Indicators were spot on! On the 12th July night ‘ops’ were back on, this time the marshalling yards at Tours,and George was the backer-up to the Master Bomber. He noted in his logbook:- 8TI’s yellow, Master Bomber nattered too much, good prang, near collision on bombing run’

The operation on July 14th (his 43rd) would prove to be disastrous for George and his crew, take-off time was 21.55 hrs from RAF Upwood for another attack on the railway yards at Revigny-sur-Mer. Once again, George was the Deputy Master Bomber, flying Lancaster PA 984 GT- Q, a duty involving a long time over the target area, instructing the bomber force. Having reached the target area it was found that a ground haze covered the target. At 1.53 George was in communication with the Master Bomber who called off the attack, as the yards could not be positively identified. This was the last that was heard from GT-Q, which had been hit by cannon fire and set ablaze by the ‘Ace’ night-fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel (Master Sgt). Reinhard Kollack, (Knights Cross/ German Cross), of 8/NJG4. This would be his 45th ‘kill’ and he would survive the war, eventually dying on 6th February 1980. The aircraft in fact broke in two, finally crashing near Ancerville (Meuse) 20 km SW of Bar-le-Duc.

George Davies gave some further detailed information on this attack to the author Oliver Clutton- Brock in 1994, for his book Massacre Over the Marne:-Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kolik - Knights Cross

Left: Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kolik - Knights Cross

George Davies gave some further detailed information on this attack to the author Oliver Clutton- Brock in 1994, for his book Massacre Over the Marne:-Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kolik - Knights Cross“ I was on my way home when I was attacked at approximately 02.30 hrs, by a night fighter from below and port quarter astern (Wild Boar tactic). No warning was received from the gunners, so I immediately corkscrewed to port. I had been hit myself by cannon fire or bullets in my left thigh and wrist. I heard the rear gunner cry out, 'We’re on fire skip’ I suspected that one of the target indicators had been hit, as the fire had a red glare to it. I opened the bomb doors and instructed the Bomb Aimer to jettison the remaining TI’s and bombs.The smoke by this time was absolute solid and suffocating. I couldn’t see or breathe so I turned the oxygen up and clamped the mask to my face. I opened the side window and stuck my head out, on hearing the Engineer gasping also I told him to do the same.

I continued corkscrewing by touch as I was still unable to see the instruments, and the smoke was filling the cockpit. The controls then went completely useless, with flames coming through the floor, which then caught onto my helmet, hair, face, silk gloves and scarf. I ordered the crew -“Jump! Jump!” a few seconds later I repeated, “ Bail out blokes, and let me know as you go” I heard the rear gunner say, “I’m going skip” and I then felt a draught from the front escape hatch, and looking out the side window I thought I saw two parachutes. My intercom was still working, but I heard no more from any crew member. By now the ground was getting pretty close and I decided it was time to get out as the aircraft was in a shallow dive. I unplugged and taking a couple of deep breaths out of the window made for the forward escape hatch, feeling for the Engineer on the way, I could not find him and presumed he had got out.

By this time the flames were roaring in the cockpit between me and the hatch, the next thing I knew I found myself out of the aircraft, presumably blown through the window. Rather dazed by the heat and smoke and burns to my eyes, hands, arms and hair, I felt a blow to my left side and leg. Then I remembered I had to pull the ripcord, and my parachute opened immediately. Sixty seconds later I hit the ground crashing through 50-60 feet of trees on the way, I then heard my aircraft explode. I was unconscious for a period, and coming to I found myself in a wood with thick undergrowth. My face was burned, along with my left eye, I thought I was blind. My right eye was half closed with burned eye lids, and I suspected I had a broken shin bone on my left leg, with a flesh wound in my left thigh, and a small flesh wound in my left wrist, and I had lost a tooth.

My hair had been burned off to within an inch of my scalp, and both my mouth and nose were burned, along with bad bruising to my back. by now it was half light and I calculated it was around 3-4 am (My watch having stopped). I transferred my socks and stocking to my left leg, cutting up my chute for bandages, whilst using the kapok from my Mae West to act as stuffing. I hid the rest of the chute and Mae West and opened up my emergency rations, having a swig of brandy. I lopped off a stout branch to act as a crutch, had another swig of brandy and started off to find a way out of the wood. After retracing my route two or three times I headed south (using my escape compass), and after about two and a half hours found myself at the edge of the wood. I could hardly see, and had to hold the compass about two inches from my eyes, blinking rapidly to see at all. By now it was around 6am and could see a road running NE to SW , so I headed southwards in the direction of St Dizier. I imagined that locals would walk on the left side to face oncoming traffic and headed towards some civilisation. I stopped at the bottom of a hill for a rest and didn’t hear the German Army lorry coasting down the hill. It contained one officer and five men who invited me to join them by pointing pistols at me, relieving me of my knife and stick. It was a guard ration lorry which they turned around and headed back to St Dizier. I sat for four hours in an office and was then taken to the Town Hall, where I was questioned, giving the regulation answers.”

** Only George, and his Flight Engineer Ken Stevens, would survive the attack, taking to their parachutes, with Ken evading capture until August 4th. The remaining crews were found and later buried at Ancerville. Very sadly the body of the Navigator F/O DeBrock was not found until March 1945, his remains returned to Belgium for burial there

Above: Final Final Resting Place in Ancerville of those aircrew KIA of Lancaster PA984 GT-Q

George’s adventures were not yet over, whilst recuperating from his injuries, the local Marquis were made aware of his capture, and in an audacious escape plan, he was taken away during an American bombing raid, and housed in a safe house just on the border with Belgium. Unfortunately, whilst waiting with five or six other aircrew to be taken down the line, the organisation were betrayed, with the house raided by the Gestapo, and the flyers captured.

On the 24th July, George was transferred to Dulag Luft near Frankfurt for further interrogation and given a POW number of 4900, after which he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth, Western Pomerania, a camp holding around 9000 officers and men flyers.

Above: Stalag Luft 1 Barth GermanyStalag Luft 1 Barth Germany

It was here that his wounds were tended to further, (his ID card noting distinctive burn scars to right hand and forehead), and was surprised to discover that he also had a broken jaw (gained whilst being thrown clear of the burning Lancaster).

The previous day the Air Ministry had written to Mrs Davies advising her that George was ‘missing in action’, but she had already been contacted by Wing Commander Bingham-Hall, the OIC of 156 Squadron, informing her he had received reports that a Lancaster had been seen to explode in the air over the target, dashing her hopes. Then, on the 23rd August the Air Ministry made contact once more with her, confirming George was alive and well, (probably having received the information via the Maquis). On On the 12th September a further letter was received by Mrs Davis informing her that the Red Cross had received information he was now a prisoner of war. On the 15th October a letter written by George to his wife was read out over the German radio, a very unusual occurrence.

Apart from requesting food parcels and letters, George requested that the Squadron Adjutant apply on his behalf for membership of the Caterpillar Club, having used his Irvin parachute to escape from the burning aircraft. George settled down to life as a POW, and still recuperating from his injuries, any thoughts on escaping would be put to one side, he had experienced enough adventures already. No doubt there was an escape committee, as 200 POW’s from Stalag Luft 3 (scene of The Great Escape ) had already been transferred there. (interestedly, one of prisoners at Stalag Luft 1 was Donald Pleasence, who would become an actor, and star in the film The Great Escape)

By April 1945, the Russian Army were charging through the German countryside, and on the 1st May they had reached the area of Stalag Luft1. By now the guards had fled for their lives, leaving the POW’s to their own devices, and thinking they were free. This gave the POW’s a chance to rifle through the offices and documents held by the German guards. George managed to liberate his personal record card with photo and fingerprints.

After the Russians arrived they kept the prisoners behind the wire fence for another two weeks, until the American Army finally turned up, threatening to shoot their officer in charge unless all the POW’s were immediately freed. Between the 13 and 15th May the camp was evacuated using American B-17 bombers, (with all their armaments stripped out) in Operation Revival, the British contingent returning directly to the UK, whilst the American and Canadian prisoners taken to France for onward transport home.

After repatriation George requested to be demobilised, which was granted, but this led to him being unemployed for some time.

In April 1949 George applied to rejoin the RAF and was re-enlisted as a Flight Lieutenant, and posted to section P(8)b Directorate of Personnel at the Air Ministry. In October he was posted to RAF Digby as a flight instructor at No1 Initial Training School (ITS), until April 1950, then serving as a Flight Commander at RAF Jurby until October when posted to No2 ITS at Kirton -in -Lindsay, also becoming proficient as a glider instructor and winch operator.

From September until November 1952 George served as an instructor at No 201 Advanced Flying School RAF Swinderby, and then onto the School of Maritime Reconnaissance at St Mawgan. In March 1953 George was attached to No 236 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF Kinloss until June 1953. In July 1953 George was posted to No 38 Squadron RAF Luqa, Malta, which at that time were flying Lancaster’s and Shackleton Mk II aircraft, in a reconnaissance and air sea rescue roles.

On April 8th 1954, a British Overseas Airways Corporation Comet 1 aircraft G-ALYY (chartered by South Africa Airways - Flight SA201) took off at 1832 from Rome en route to Johannesburg via Cairo. Approximately 35 minutes later the aircraft disintegrated in the night sky at around 35,000 feet due to metal fatigue, killing all 21 people aboard.The next day, George Davis and his crew of five aboard his Shackleton WL787 S-Sugar were diverted from their original flight to Nicosia to take part in a search and rescue mission for this Comet and any survivors. For their part in the operation the Air Officer Commanding Malta, Air Marshal BV Reynolds wrote a letter on the 10th April to Squadron Leader EDT Norman OIC No 38 Squadron, approving the part played by Flight Lieutenant GG Davies and his crew, and congratulating them:- ‘for carrying out the difficult and hazardous mission in a manner keeping with the best traditions of the Royal Air Force’.

In August of that year George and his crew took part in exercises around Malta and Cyprus shadowing the US 6th Fleet, and by December, George had obviously made an impression with his flying (now rated Above Average) along with his varied duties as he was promoted to Squadron Leader. On February 14th 1956 George was flying Dragonfly WG 971 with Lieutenant Hardie RN acting as a ‘plane guard’ for one of the first launches of aircraft from the newly commissioned Ark Royal aircraft carrier. On April 25th 1956 George was posted to the Joint Anti-Submarine School (JASS) at Londonderry, Northern Island, as their Chief Instructor, still flying the Shackleton MkII aircraft. Various exercises were carried out by the school between Ballykelly and Gibralter over the next year.

On April 25th 1957, George attended Course No 82 at RAF Worksop, training to fly the Vampire II fast jet, flying solo in a Mk V Vampire on the 7th May, and taking part in aerobatics three days later. George returned to the JASS at the end of May 1957, where he stayed until July 21st 1958, and then posted to HQ Coastal Command at RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall. By now the aircraft under this command had shrunk to just 67, the core of which were the Shackletons, their job to seek out any Russian submarines straying into the coastal waters of the UK and beyond. In October 1960 Maritime Air Operations were carried out along the Channel and Atlantic, George was the liaison officer stationed at Brest at the time.

Air Marshal Sir Edward Chilton sent him congratulations at the conclusion:- ‘It was for a great part through Squadron Leader Davies, your liaison officer at Brest, that efficient co-operation between our HQ could be maintained. He rendered invaluable help in the smooth running of air operations’. On May 3rd 1960 George has an entry in his flying logbook showing he took part in the competition for the Aird Whyte Trophy, flying with Flight Lieutenant Ostridge and nine other crew members in Shackleton WL 790. Mr and Mrs Aird-Whyte originated this competition in 1960 as a contest of skills between the air forces of the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The crews would compete in anti- submarine warfare, combined with intelligence and surveillance gathering. The winning team were presented with an engraved silver tray. George would go on to compete in the competition during 1961 and 1962. George Davies retired from the RAF as a Squadron Leader in 1963, which by this time he had amassed a grand total of flying hours of 1,907 hours, flying eighteen different types of aircraft including jets. He continued working as a systems manager with special responsibilities for Nimrod and Tornado equipment. He died in September 1991 aged 7 years old.

© Simon Muggleton June 2021 Acknowledgements:- Colin Pateman - RAF Historian RAF Museum - Gordon Leith National Archives - Kew and MoD Aircrew Remembered Website.

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