KITS 09/2023

AB216, S/Ldr Robert W. Oxpring, No. 91 “Nigeria“ Squadron, RAF Hawkinge, Great Britain, April–June 1942

Spitfire serial number AB216 was one of the

first Mk.Vc Spitfires manufactured. From the

mid-March 1942 it flew with the No. 91 “Nigeria“

Squadron where it was a personal mount of

S/Ldr Rober Oxpring who saddled it until June

1942. After its service with No. 91 Squadron, Spitfire

AB216 was withdrawn from the operational flying

and a towing device was installed on the tail

wheel. Then it was tested for towing the Hotspur

and Horsa gliders. Bobby Oxpring was born on

May 22, 1919 in Sheffield, Yorkshire and during

the Great War, his father had flown with an air

reconnaissance unit. In March 1938, Oxpring joined

RAF and as early as in December was transferred

to the No. 66 Squadron, the same unit his father

had flown with. He flew with this unit during the

Battle of Britain where he scored eight confirmed

victories a was decorated with DFC. In April 1941

he finished his tour of duty and was transferred

to the No. 59 OTU where he flew as an instructor.

In September 1941 he started his second tour of

duty with the No. 616 Squadron but a week later

he was ordered to the No. 41 Squadron where he

led a flight. In January 1942 he assumed command

of the No. 91 “Nigeria“ Squadron and in June the

command of the No. 72 Squadron where he was

awarded a bar to his DFC. In November 1942 the

unit was relocated to the North Africa where it

was, as one of the first units, equipped with the

new Spitfires Mk.IX. During the first months of

1943, Oxpring scored further five victories and one

of his victims was the famous German ace Anton

Hafner from JG 51. Having received the second

bar to his DFC in the end of April, he finished

his second tour of duty and was transferred to

the No. 242 Group Headquarters. In the end of

the year he returned to Great Britain and was

assigned to the Fighter Command Headquarters.

In March 1944 he commenced his third tour of

duty as a Wing Commander with the No. 24 Wing

flying Spitfires Mk.XIV and during June and July

he shot down five V-1 flying bombs. In September

he was ordered to the No. 141 Wing and then to

the Detling Wing. He finished his wartime service

with 14 confirmed kills, two probable, 13 aircraft

damaged and five V-1 flying bombs destroyed.

EE613, S/Ldr Michel G. B. Donnet, No. 350 Squadron, RAF Friston, Great Britain, June 1944

Mike Donnet was born in 1917 in Richmond,

Great Britain. On March 1, 1938, he joined the

Aviation Militaire Belge. He flew a Renard R.31

reconnaissance airplane with 9/V/1Ae based at

Bierset. After the German invasion of Belgium on

May 10, 1940, he flew several combat missions.

After his country was occupied, he decided to flee

and during the night of July 4–5 he managed to

reach the Great Britain on a stolen Stampe SV-4b.

On July 24, 1941, Michel Gabriel Libert Donnet was

admitted to the ranks of the RAF and assigned to

the No. 61 OTU to train on Spitfires. In September

1941, he was transferred to the No. 64 Squadron.

Flying with this unit he took part in the missions

against the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau battle

cruisers and in the operation Jubilee at Dieppe. In

September 2023

1943 he assumed command of the No. 64 Squadron.

On March 23, 1944, he assumed command of

the No. 340 Squadron and participated in the

Normandy landing flying Spitfires Mk.Vc and

IX. After the No. 350 Squadron converted to

Spitfires Mk.XIV he flew missions against V-1

flying bombs, retreating German ground forces

and providing the air cover at Arnhem. He led

the unit until October 23, 1944, when he was

decorated with DFC and promoted to the Wing

Commander. In the beginning of 1945, he assumed

command of the Hawkinge and Bentwater Wings

flying Mustangs Mk.III. Leading the unit, he

provided escort for the Mosquitos attacking the

Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen. During

his wartime career, Donnet flew 375 missions

achieving the score of three confirmed kills,

one probable and four damaged, all while flying

with the No. 64 Squadron. After the war he

served at the Belgium Department of Defense

and reorganized the Belgium Air Force for the

new jet equipment. Then he was given the job as

a Chief of Staff of the 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force

responsible for the Western Europe AA defense.

In 1972 General Lieutenant Donnet was appointed

the Belgium Military Attache at NATO. On June

1, 1975, he retired from the Belgium AF with the

rank of General Lieutenant having logged 5000

flight hours. In 1968 he published a book about

his many famous adventures titled “J’ai volé la

liberté” (a Flight to Freedom).

INFO Eduard

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