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AB216 was withdrawn from the operational flying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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