Allegiance United Kingdom Service/branch Royal Air Force Name Paul Farnes | Years of service 1938 — 1958 Rank Wing commander | |
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Birth name Paul Casewell Powe Farnes Born 16 July 1918
Boscombe, Hampshire ( 1918-07-16 ) Battles/wars World War II
Battle of France
Battle of Britain Awards Distinguished Flying Medal Battles and wars Battle of France, Battle of Britain, World War II Unit No. 501 Squadron RAF, No. 229 Squadron RAF, No. 124 Squadron RAF, No. 611 Squadron RAF | ||
Commands held No. 124 Squadron RAF | ||
Battle of britain pilot paul farnes story
Paul Caswell Powe Farnes, (born 16 July 1918) is a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot who flew during the Battle of Britain as one of "The Few" in the Second World War, during which he scored 8 kills (comprising 7 and 2 shared destroyed, 2 'probables' and 11 damaged).
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Early life
Born in Boscombe, Hampshire on 16 July 1918, Farnes joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in April 1938.
Second World War
Farnes was mobilised in July 1939. He joined No. 501 Squadron RAF in September 1939 and remained with the squadron when it went to France in May 1940. He claimed his first victories during the Battle of France, with 'shares' in two bombers downed and a He 111 shot down solo. During August 1940 he claimed 5 more and in October 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) and commissioned as an officer.
In February 1941 Farnes was posted to No. 57 Operational Training Unit as an instructor. In November 1941 he transferred to No. 73 Operational Training Unit in Aden. Farnes was posted to No. 229 Squadron RAF in North Africa as a flight commander in February 1942. He flew with the squadron on 27 March 1942 to Malta where he later took command of the squadron. He returned to North Africa in late May 1942. He was then posted to Iraq, where he joined the RAF headquarters staff and remained there until March 1945. On return to the United Kingdom he took command of No. 124 Squadron RAF, a command he retained until the end of the Second World War.
Later life
After the war Farnes became a liaison officer for training centres with the Air Ministry. In 1948 he became a flying instructor. Farnes remained in the RAF until 1958, attaining the rank of wing commander.
In 2010, Farnes said
I'm very proud of having fought in the Battle of Britain, it is thought of as being a considerable achievement. Whether we like it or not, and the Navy do not, but if you talk sensibly about it people accept it as an iconic occurrence.