Bio / Text:
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This pilot flew fighter aircraft for the RAF in WWII, this record has come from the RAF Archives with a log book reference. The log book is available for viewing in the RAF London archives. The data we parsed includes pilot name, rank, awards, and log book dates - but little else, i.e. country of birth or aircraft flown. We have made country of birth the UK until users edit the pilot listing to make a correction, figuring a majority will be UK pilots. We do have a reference number for the operational log book(s) available in the RAF archives, in London, and the reference numbers include: Log Book accession no. MF10047/13, Log Book Accession No. MF10047/14, Log Book Accession No. MF10047/15. If a user conducts research on this pilot and can fill in this pilot's biography further by clicking edit, or, can visit the RAF archives to inspect the log book(s) and add any aircraft serials or sortie details, this change will be reflected in your profile as recognition. Let us know if you visit the archives.
UPDATE
There is not much to add to the biography that is in the link provided by the tartanterror blogspot. George was born in Oldham, Lancashire but was living in Doncaster in 1939 when he enlisted.
After a successful spell as a Sergeant pilot flying Hurricanes in Greece, in April 1942 he was commissioned and awarded a DFM. The following month he joined 103 Maintenance Unit based at Aboukir in Egypt as a test pilot.
While with 103 MU he shared, with Arthur Gold, the destruction of a Ju 86. This was one of only two successes confirmed against these high-flyers. The Operation Record Book for the MU is very short on details of the aircraft flown but for his success we do know as the aircraft was lost after the combat. Running out of fuel George was forced to bale out over the Mediterranean. His version is that he swam to shore over a 21 hour period. Other versions have him using a dinghy or being picked up by a fishing boat. In any event he returned to the MU safely.
On 29 August he intercepted a Ju 86 that had engine trouble. Although he claims to have fired at it this is disputed by the Luftwaffe crew. The aircraft was ditched and is recorded as loss not due to enemy action in the Luftwaffe records.
After the war he continued his test flying, being awarded an AFC in 1949. In 1950 he became the third test pilot to be killed testing the DH108 Swallow.
