Wings Over the Waves: Fleet Air Arm Strike Leader against Tirpitz, The Biography of Lt Cdr Roy Baker-Falkner DSO DSC RN

568 Pages·2010·4.24 MB·English

by  Baker-Falkner

Dedication
‘To the world you were but a part
To me you are all the world’
‘Naomi Baker-Falkner, 1945’

Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Captain Eric Melrose ‘Winkle’ Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, RN –
Former Chief Naval Test Pilot
Prologue
1. Early Days in Canada
2. Dartmouth Cadet
3. Midshipman’s Days in Hong Kong
4. First Flight and Back to Devon
5. Love and RAF Ab Initio Flight
6. From Hart to Swordfish
7. Squadron Life in Malta
8. War Clouds in Gibraltar and Alexandria
9. At War in the Hunt for Graf Spee
10. Back to Wartime Sussex and Hampshire
11. Into Battle from Lincolnshire to Dunkirk
12. Gardening in the Low Countries
13. Battle of Britain
14. Attacking U-boat Lairs
15. Scotland and Malta Convoy Duties
16. Orkney and Twatt
17. Attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo
18. Arbroath Film Star and Instructional Pilot
19. Boscombe Test Pilot
20. In Command of 827 Barracuda Squadron
21. Clyde’s Own Naval Wing Leader
22. Preparing for Secret Missions in Norway
23. Attack the Tirpitz
24. Hero’s Return from Orkney
25. Ultra Secret Operations – Prelude to D-Day
26. Back to the Tirpitz Again – Operation Mascot
27. Lost Patrol, 18 July 1944
28. Missing in Action and the Aftermath
Epilogue
Glossary
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all those people over the past
thirty years who have inspired or helped me to write this book, with especial
thanks to my dear cousin Sandra ‘Bunny’ Coventry who gave up so much time
and effort to ensure that the heroic endeavours of the father she never knew
would never be forgotten. To those closest to me with especial thanks to my
family and children, not least to my dear wife Ellemiek, my children Roy and
Christopher, and to my father Gerald, and in particular to Roy’s wife Naomi, his
younger sister and my mother Leslie ‘Babs’ Baker-Falkner Drucker, and
younger brother Capt H. de Lande ‘Harry’ Baker-Falkner.
A great many people have contributed their memories, letters, journals, flying
log books and photographs over the years. Amongst those I would like to pay
tribute are Roy’s best friends and their families: Lt Cdr A.J.D. ‘Titch’ Harding
DSC RN, Capt Edmund Squarey ‘Splash’ Carver DSC RN, Cdr John W.
‘Ginger’ Hale DSO RN, Capt Donald McEwen DSC RN, Lt Cdr Peter Pagett
RN, Capt L.E.D. ‘Edward’ Walthall CBE DSC RN, Capt David K. Buchanan-
Dunlop DSC RN, Capt F.M.A. ‘Tiffy’ Torrens-Spence DSO DSC AFC RN, Lt
Cdr Kevin Gibney, DSC* RN, and Lt Harold Emerson Mid RNZVNR.
It is not possible to list by name all those who have assisted in some way
during my many years of research. The following are amongst those who I
particularly wish to thank: Lt Cdr J.W. ‘Willie’ Armstrong DSM; A.N.E.
‘Norman’ Austin; Dorothy Baden-Powell; Wing Cdr Sir D.R.S. ‘Douglas’ Bader
CBE DSO*, DFC* MID** RAF; John ‘Johnnie’ Baggs; Lt Cdr John I. Baker;
Capt G.C. Baldwin CBE DSC; Ray Barker; Mrs Mita Barnes; George Barnwell;
Wing Cdr Roland P. ‘Bee’ Beamont CBE DSO* DFC* RAF; Viv Bellamy; Roy
Benson; Capt W.W.R. Bentinck OBE; Lt Cdr Richard L. ‘Biggy’ Bigg-Wither
DSC*; F. and S.G. Bingham; Lt Cdr George F. Birch; Alastair Black, Mrs
Elizabeth ‘Mac’ S. (MacIver) Black WRNS; Air Vice Marshal D. Nigel Blair
Oliphant CB OBE RAF; Mrs June ‘Panda’ Blakey WRNS; Phil W. Blakey; Tom
Blurton; L. Boddington; Rear Admiral Alistair S. ‘Beau’ Bolt CB DSO DSC;
Eric Bond, LS GCM*; Lt Cdr B.E. Boulding DSC; Mrs E. Boulding; Cdr N.H.
Norman ‘Crash’ Bovey OBE DSC RNR; Lt Cdr William G. Briggs; Lt J.D.
‘Jim’ Britton DSC; P.J. Britton; Prof David A. Brown RNZNVR; Capt Eric M.
‘Winkle’ Brown CBE DSC AFC; John Brown; Jack Bryant; J.D. ‘Buck’
Buchanan; T.M. Bulloch; Don A. Bunce CGM; Mrs Rae (Kimberley) Burge;
Richard Burge; Rear Admiral D.R.F. ‘Dennis’ Cambell CB DSC; Lt Cdr M.J. de
C. Carey; Stanley G. Carr; Lt J.A.L. ‘John’ Carter; Mrs Anne Carver; Capt
R.H.P. Carver CBE DSC; Mark Causon, John A. Chambers; Ron Chapman; Mrs
Elizabeth Cheesman; Major V.B.G. ‘Cheese’ Cheesman DSO MBE DSC; Grant
Christie, Winston S. Churchill MP; David S. Clarabut DSC; Lt Cdr Philip N.
Clark VRD RNR; E.W. ‘Bill’ Clayton; Lt Cdr J. Anthony Clayton; Dr Gilbert
W. Clark; P. College; Stan S. Collier; Lt Cdr C.A. Conn; Eric A. Cooper; Anne
(Vincent-Jones) Copeman; Cdr A. David Corkhill DSC; Cdr N. Roger Corbet-
Milward; John Cortes and family; Mrs Leida Costigan; Mrs V. Crimp; B.J.
‘Bing’ Crosby; Peter ‘Charles’ Cross; Cdr R.M. ‘Mike’ Crosley DSC*; Air Vice
Marshal Kenneth ‘Bing’ Cross KCB CBE, DSO, DFC RAF; Mrs Peggy Crowe;
Flt Lt John A. Cruikshank VC RAF; Hugh Cundall; Lt Cdr W. ‘Bill’ Curtis; Lt
Cdr Tom Graham Darling RCN; C.A. David; Rear Admiral Anthony Davies CB
CVO; Vice Admiral Sir Peter Dawney KCVO CB DSC DL; Reginald A.
DeLorey; John Dickson; Lt Cdr Harry Dixon; Air Vice Marshal Frank Dodd
CBE DSO DFC DFM AFC*** RAF; Richard ‘Dickie’ Douglas-Boyd; Les
Driver; Maurice Driver; Cdr J.A.L. ‘James’ Drummond; D.E. Doveston; Sir
A.E. Patrick Duffy PhD MP; Cdr J.H. ‘Jimmie’ Dundas OBE DSC JP; Mrs GM
Dunn WRNS; Admiral Sir Laurence G. ‘Laurie’ Durlacher KCB CB OBE DSC;
2nd Officer Catherine ‘Puck’ Finch-Noyes Duvall; Jack Dyson; Stuart Eadon; Lt
Cdr Alastair T. Easton; Admiral Sir Ian Easton KCB DSC; Dennis W. Edwards;
Lt Cdr Leslie A. ‘Snowy’ Edwards; D.E.F. ‘Donald’ Eldridge; Mr Don and Mrs
Mary Ellis ATA; Larry K. Elton; R.A. Elliott; Mrs Connie Emerson WAAF,
Roy Emerson; Edward C Evans-Lombe QC; Capt Roy L. Eveleigh DSC FBIM
MID; Cdr Robert N. Everett OBE; B Mansell Evans; Mrs Leysa Falk; Mrs
Dorothy M. Fancourt; Lt Vernon A. Fancourt; Gerald Faville; John Fay;
Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse GCB GBE ADC; Sqdn Ldr Ernest E. Fitchew DFC
RAF; R. ‘Dick’ Fitzsimmons; Tony Ford; Lt Cdr Philip S. Foulds DSC RCNVR;
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris GCB DSO OBE RAF; Lt
Charles Friend; F.W.A.G. Orkney; H.E.K. ‘Windie’ Gale; Peter Gaillard; Hugh
Garlick; Sir William F.C. Garthwaite 2nd Bt, DSC*; Lt Bill ‘Gerry’ Germon;
Kevin Gibney, DSC*; Mrs Winnie Gibney; Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gibson
KCB DSC JP; Rear Admiral Philip ‘Percy’ Gick CB OBE DSC; L. Gifford;
Denis Gill; Capt Jeff A. Gledhill DSC RAN; Mrs Coral Goddard; Claire
Godfrey-Faussett; Cdr GRM ‘Bobby’ or ‘Grubby’ Going DSO OBE; Capt David
G. Goodwin CBE DSC; Sir Charles Gordon KCB; Steve Gorrie; Capt Geoffrey
Gowlland; Sir William Gladstone KG JP DL; John Grace; Mrs P.R. Leslie
(Kingdon) Grace; Frank Grainger DSM; Norman B. Gray; Rear Admiral T.S.
‘Gordon’ Gray CB DSC; Mrs A. Green; George E. Green; Mrs Toni (Dundas)
Green; Lt Cdr J.A. ‘Jimpy’ Greenfield DSM; Bill Grice; J. ‘Honest John’
Grieveson; Annelise E. Grimsey, Sussi Grimsey (nee Albeck), Tim Groome; Cdr
Paul R. Grotrian; Dunstan Hadley; Robert Halhead; Alan W. Hall; Capt Nigel G.
‘Buster’ Hallett DSC; Lt Cdr K.I. Hamilton DSC; John F. Hamlin; Frank W.
Hammett; Mrs Annette Harding; T.W.G. ‘Tom’ Harding; Lt Cdr Norman
Harrison; W.A. ‘Bill’ Harrison; Tony Hart; Cdr R.C. ‘Ronnie’ Hay DSO DSC*
RM; Sqdn Ldr Norman Hearn-Phillips AFC DFM RAF; H.J. ‘Terry’ Heffernan;
A.P.J. Hemsley; Mrs Daphne Hemsley; Lt Cdr G.R. ‘Dick’ Henderson DSC;
Tony Herrold; Jon Hibberd; Ron G. Hibbs; Denis Higton, Eric Hill DFC DFM
RAF; Dr George S. Hislop CBE; Rear Admiral Frank D. Holford CB DSC;
Norman ‘Blondie’ Hollis; C.J. ‘Charlie’ Homer DSM BEM; Joan M. Hopking;
Admiral Sir Frank H.E. Hopkins KCB DSO DSC; Dr Nigel Hopkins; Lt Cdr
Paul Housden RNR; David J. Howarth; H.E. Hoyte; Vice Admiral Sir Charles
Hughes-Hallett KCB CBE; Michael J. Hugill; Leading Artificer Ronald F.
Humphreys; O.G.W. ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson; Sir H.R.B. ‘Dick’ Janvrin KCB CB
DSC; Air Vice Marshal JE ‘Johnnie’ Johnson CB, CBE, DSO RAF; Peter G.
Jupe; Lt Richard H. ‘Dick’ Kendall, DSO RNVR; Lt Cdr Anthony S. ‘Puppy’
Kennard DSC; Mrs Laura B. Kennard; W.W. ‘Bill’ Kenny; Harry Kenworthy;
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Kerridge; Lord J. Kilbracken (John R. Godley) DSC; Lt Cdr
C.J.W. ‘Cliff’ Kindell MBE; Mrs Joy Kindell; K.R. ‘Ken’ King; Nigel Kinnings,
Gordon Kinsey; P.L. Kirk; Lt Cdr J.H. Kneale; E.D. ‘Digby’ Knight; Lionel
Lacey-Johnson; Lt Cdr J.B. Lamb DSC; Thelma W. Lancaster WRNS, Cdr John
R. Lang; Dennis I. Leach; Admiral Sir Henry Leach GCB DL; Lt Cdr WG Leek;
R. Lee-Smith, Henry Leeson; Mrs Leslie M. Leeson; Frank H. Leigh-Spencer;
Mrs Betty Lethaby; George Lewis; Capt R.G. Lewis-Jones CBE; E.S. Linstead;
C.A.M. Lister; Cdr J.D.C. Little; C.M. ‘Clifford’ Lock RNVR; Mrs Mary Lock;
S.W. ‘Jan’ Lock DSM BEM LS GCM; Lt Cdr E.W. Lockwood; Peter
Lockwood; Lt Cdr Frank K.A. Low; Mrs Eira Lord; Victoria Lord; Dr Ken R.
Lown; Sue (Carver) Lyon; R.A. Lyons; Landon McAllister; Wing Cdr Prof
Charles G.B. McClure, RAF; Mrs Heather McEwen; Lt Cdr Lachlan Mackintosh
of Mackintosh OBE RN; J. Mahony; H. Mainwaring; Liz Mardel-Ferreira;
Anthony Tony Freire Marreco; Major Alan E. Marsh RM; Mike Martyn and
family of ‘Moose’ Martyn; Hugh Mason; Violet Matthews; Roy T. ‘Nicko’
Matthias; Lt Cdr Harold S. ‘Matt’ Mattholie, Kevin Mattholie and family; Lt Cdr
J.H.D. Humphrey Maughan; Hugh R. Micklem; W. Midgley; Cdr A.D.H.
‘David’ Milne Home DSC; H.A.M. Mitchell; Ken J. Mitchell; Allan Monaghan;
Lt Cdr Eric Monk DSM*, Derek P.R. Moore RNZNVR; Rear Admiral M.G.
Morgan-Giles DSO OBE GM MP; Derek Morten DSC MID RNZNVR; Murdo
Murchison, Sqdn Leader Alan D. ‘Ginger’ Murray DFC RAF; Mrs Edna
Murray; Cdr J.B. Murray; Lt Cdr H.G.L. ‘Biff’ Nash; Cdr B.H.C. ‘Barry’
Nation; James Naylor; Mrs J. Naylor; Lt Cdr John W. ‘Tweeny’ Neale DSC
DFC; Norman Nevard; W. and J. North; Lt Cdr Geoffrey D. Nutt DSC; Anthony
M. Oakeshott; Admiral Sir William O’Brien KCB CB DSC; Cdr Stan G. Orr
DSC** AFC MID; Lt Cdr C.H.C. O’Rorke; Capt Philip W.A. ‘Pip’ O’Rorke
DSC; Mrs Joan Pankhurst; Admiral Sir Frederick R. Parham GBE KCB DSO;
Mrs Joan Parham; Major R.T. ‘Dick’ Partridge DSO MID RM; P. Major Oliver
Patch DSO DSC MID RM; Mrs June (Ruck-Keene) Payne; Nigel Perry; H.W.
‘Bill’ Pethick; Lt Cdr D.F.W. ‘Dennis’ Phillips DSC; Lt Cdr Harry Phillips; J.J.
‘John’ Pinkerton; Admiral Sir C.T. ‘Mark’ Pize GBE KBE CB DSO; Mrs Althea
Place; Rear Admiral B.C. Godfrey Place VC CB CBO DSC; Harry Plaice; Cdr
J.W. ‘Jeff’ Powell DSC; Cdr E.O.F. Price; G.F. ‘Geoff’ Priestley; Cdr E. ‘Ted’
Pritchard; G.E. Purnell; Mrs E.V. ‘Nancy’ (Bartlet) Quartly; H.K. Quilter; Peter
Rance; W. ‘Bill’ Rawstron; Rear Admiral Cedric K. Roberts CB DSO; Mrs A.
(Cartmell) Robinson; Cdr Don R. Robertson AFC; Rear Admiral I.G.W. ‘Ian’
Robertson CB DSO DSC*; Lt Cdr W. ‘Alastair’ Robertson DSC*; Alfred W.
Rogan; Alf ‘Buck’ Rogers; Charles V. Rolfe RCN; R.S. Rolph BEM; Des E.
Rowe MID RNZNVR; R. Rowe; Mrs Margherita Ruck Keene; Lt Thomas Ruck
Keene; Lt Cdr G. Russell-Jones DSC VRD RNR; Alan Ryman; Mrs Shirley
(Hook) Salmon; Mrs Penelope (née Haworth) Salter; Peter G. Sara; R.S. ‘Sandy’
Saunders DSM; John S. Sawyer; Cdr J.D. Sayer OBE; L.D. Les ‘Ginger’ Sayer
MBE DSM; Vice Admiral J.P. ‘John’ Scatchard CB DSC; Peter Scott; Mrs
Sarah (Philip) Shaw; Cdr Donald J. Sheppard DSC RCN; E.J.W. ‘Ted’ Sherlock
DSM MID; Mrs Marion Sherlock; Professor Graham Shipley; Derrick O.
‘Shorty’ Short; K.L.J. ‘Ken’ Sims DSM; Mrs Barbara (Walls) Sinclair WRNS;
Dane ‘Sinkers’ Sinclair; Sam Sissman; Roger Sleigh; Mrs Hope Slessor; Ernest
H. ‘Prof’ Sloman; Mrs Betty Smith; Wing Cdr Dick Smith OBE RAF; Sir John
Smith CBE; Victor ‘Vic’ Smyth MID; Lt Cdr Stuart E. Soward RCN; Jan Stark;
Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir Derek D. Steele-Perkins KCB KCVO; Tony Steele-
Perkins; Mrs Jane (Carver) Stephens; Mrs Angela Stewart-Moore; Cdr James A.
Stewart-Moore; Lt Cdr J.A. ‘Jack’ Stoles RCN; Capt A.W.F. ‘Alfie’ Sutton CBE
DSC*; Fred Swain; Cdr F. Alan Swanton DSO DSC; A.E.R. ‘Dickie’ Sweet;
P.E. Swonnell; Cdr E.W. ‘Bill’ Sykes DSC; Grp Capt J.B. Willie Tait DSO***
DFC; Francis Taylor; Allan H. ‘Thomo’ Thomson; Mrs C.F. Cathie Thomson
WRNS; Lt Cdr C. ‘Ginger’ Topliss DSM; Mrs Anne Topliss WRNS; Rear
Admiral Arthur D. Torlesse CB DSO*; L.T. Toswell RNZVR; Ron R. Tovey, Lt