ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

RONALD ERIC POPE 25/02/1917 — 2005

28/9/1937
At the age of 20 Ron started his pilot training with a Mr French at the RAF Civil Training College in Desford, Leicester.
Before this he was a draughtsman working in Hatfield.Living with his mother and auntie Silvia who used to rent rooms to airmen and staff of De Havilands.At one time the now legendary pilot Johnny Johnson was staying and Ron caught site of his uniform hanging in the wardrobe he always said it was this that inspired him to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves and learn to fly.

11/10/1937
Ron was ready for a ‘test for solo’ with FLT/LT Carruthers and his profiency, as a pilot was considered average.

12/12/1937-23/8/1939
Based at The De Havilland School of Flying, Hatfield. with unit No1 Royal Airforce and RAF Reserve flying Harts, Audaxs and DH 82’s aircraft.

9/10/1939 — 4/11/1939
Ron married Dorie Hollingsworth "doll" the day after war was declared at Hatfield registary office.
At this time Ron took a special instructors course at No13 Elementary and Reserve Flight Training School White Waltham. The course was taken in a Tiger Moth and his training officer was F/O Fulford. The course involved numbered manoeuvres from 1-22 eg: No10 spinning, No21 restarting the engine in flight etc.

10/3/1940
Flying a Fairey battle at No12 S.F.T.S Grantham he completed No8 course trained by F/LT P Smith the course involved many skills including navigation, instrument and formation flying.

9/5/1940
Awarded the flying Badge (His wings) Still piloting a Fairey Battle, and on occasion an Avril Anson, on low level bombing, CG air to ground firing and camera observations. By this time Ron had flown for a total of 101 hrs duel and 128 hrs as pilot.

1/7/1940 — 27/7/1940
No10 A.C war course flying Lysanders and Hectors with No1 S of A.C Old Sarum. Conducting mainly photograph and reconnaissance missions some times up to six flights a day. He was now promoted to Pilot Officer. On the 24th of July Rons first daughter Valerie was born.

5/8/1940 — 27/8/1940
Now flying daily missions with no4 sqd Linton On Ouse ,photography including dawn patrols from Linton to Flamborough Head then Seham harbour and York to Berwick on Tweed to name a few. Regular names mentioned at this time include Sgt’s Hanson and Whitley.

27/8/1940-24/9/1940
No4 sqd AC York Regular names include Sgts’Massey, Moffat, Willis and Allen whom all shared many dawn patrols and army co’ops with Ron. Other flights included drogue towing, air firing, formation and local flying with regular trips to York, Abbotsinch and Dyce.

23/9/1940
Crash landed at Inverurie nr Aberdeen using landing lights from 8000 ft.

24/9/1940 — 20/11/1940
Now with 241 sqd Inverness flying Tiger Moths, Lysanders and Magisters on mainly dawn patrols as well as formation flying and bombing.
.
23/11/1940 — 22/12/1940
Posted to CFS Upavon nr Andover for no16 War Course training. This course was taken under the training of F/Sgt Steere, Sgt Wallace and P/O Wells in Tutors and Miles Masters aircraft. Ron was now certified as a flying instructor .

3/1/1941- 28/4/1941
This year began with posting to NO8 Flight Training School Montrose in Aberdeenshire where he spent time training pilots in numbered air force manoeuvres. The planes used for training were Miles Master’s mk1 with Kestral engine and mk2 Mercury engined.

3/5/1941-31/12/1941
Whilst still at FTS Montrose Ron was in charge of training polish pilots in a polish army co'op. It was at this time that he first flew in a Hurricane Mark 1, a D.H Rapide and a Wellington. The Hurricane and Master being the training aircraft. On the 4th of July he was on an escort flight with Commander Probyn "Daddy Probyn". Two days later on the 6th of July he was on a fighter escort around Cherbourg with Admiral Sir B Ramsay C.N.C second in command of the Royal Navy. By December he was considered ‘above average’ as an instructor and by the end of this year Ron would have flown 15 different types of aircraft a total of 924 hrs 35 mins and visited over 45 airfields most of which no longer exist. His second daughter Susan, my mother was born on the 22nd of November of this year.

3/1/1942- 30/7/1942
Posted again to Montrose No2 Flying Instructors School training new pilots such as Seabrooke, Fitzharris, Wise, Pearson, Haw and Chinery to name a few.

1/8/1942 — 9/4/1943
Posted to No3 Flying Instructor’s School Hullavington nr Chippenham and Bath flying Oxfords.

13/4/1943-6/6/1943
Posted to No41 O.T.U Hawarden nr Liverpool for army cooperation flying Harvards and Mustangs on various tactical manoeuvres, air to air firing and aerial photography.

20/6/1943-21/6/1943
Two day training at Larkhill school of artillerary.

1/7/1943-28/5/1944
Now posted to No26 sqd Detling nr Maidstone Kent. Flying mainly solo operations predominately in a Mustang but occasionally in Proctor’s, Domine’s and Oxford’s. At this time he saw a fair bit of combat with air to air. Still taking aerial photography, including vertical photos of shipping in Relle, Tessell and Imjmuiden around the coast of Holland. His flight logs show this was a busy time with 26sqd listing many opps and increased surveillance photography of German ocupied areas and shipping.

26/3/1944
Flew a spitfire for the first time he went on to fly this predominately.
Regularly flying two missions a day .

20/4/1944
Two flights to HMS Belfast and a third flight from Peterhead to HMS Dundonald his duty was that of clocking shoot, and air control shoot which involved directing sea to land firing.

6/6/1944-13/12/1944
Exercise Neptune Invasion of France
F/LT Ronald Pope flew 3 spitfires with 26sqd on D Day there numbers were: BL 997/ W 3638/ and EE 6444 .
His first duty ‘Port.En.Bessin Enemy Batteries’ followed by duties in the Quettehou and Carentan areas of France flying a total of 4 hours and 50 minutes. His third daughter Jaqueline was also born on the 6th of June.
The following days were just as intense with flights over the English channel to Valognes, Bois Du Rabey, Trevieres town, Bayeux and Cherbourg to C De La Hague to mention but a few. Later missions included squad formations and flight escorts as as well as practice rendezvous and sub patrols.

10/10/1944
Bombardment of Le Harve. Spitfire BL997

13/10/1944
Squadron high renedevous followed by R/T test with HMS Warspite Spitfire BL997

1/11/1944
Bombardment of the heavily fortified Dutch island of Walcheron garrisoned by the Fifteenth German army. This was of vital importance as it blocked access to the captured port of Antwerp a few killometers in land which was a vital stategic position to secure supply lines to the advancing allied armies. 26 squadron were heavily involved in this Army Co-operation and the word "Walcheron" is emblazoned on the squadron standard. The mission involved spotting the fall of shot from the various battleships and directing fire the pilots had to fly at very low level for sustained periods which of course was extremely dangerous. Ron had a forced landing at Ursel with engine trouble Spitfire BL997 previously flown on "D Day" this plane was flown again up to the 18th of December recording around 92 flights.

2/11/1944-19/10/1945
Continued opps involving Spitfire VB, Spitfire X1V, Mustang mk1 and mk2, Oxfords and a Tiger Moth around the south coast.

15/4/1945
Bombardment Point DE Graves. Mustang AM122.

30/4/1945
Bombardment Ille D’Oleron. Mustang AM122.

14/6/1945
Mentioned in a despatch for distinguished service signed by Harold Macmillen MP.

19/7/1945
Flight demonstration at West Malling. Spitfire SM.876.

5/11/1945
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Eric Pope was De-Mobbed at Uxbridge. Having clocked a total of 1907hrs 25mins flying in a total of 30 different types of aeroplane and having visited over 100 air fields. In January 1946 he was mentioned for a second time in "despatches" for distinguished service in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves. His medals included the BATTLE OF BRITAIN STAR /AIR CREW EUROPE STAR /FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR and the WAR MEDAL 39-45. His treasured flight logs are real history and a testament to his bravery, determination and passion for flying, listing countless names of pilots many of whom no doubt sadly would not have been so fortunate as Ron.

After the war Ron declined an offer to return to flying chosing instead to move with his family back to Brighton where he worked until retirement at C.V.A engineering in the drawing office becoming head draughtsman. He led a very active life and was a keen golfer and swimmer.
Dori and himself lived out their days with their daughters in Hangleton. Valerie, Susan and Jaqueline still live in the Brighton area now with their own families.

Sadly Ron died in 2005 at the age of 88 he will always be remembered fondly by family
and friends. In my thoughts he will always be the big man with the wavy red hair my Grandad.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.