There are twelve airmen on the cover of our Limited series scale

kit Spitfire Story: The Few. Who are they and what were their stories?

On the top of the cover you can see F/O Blair Dalzel Russel (1917 –

2007), born in Toronto, Canada. As a member of No. 1 (RCAF) Squadron

he was awarded in 1940 the DFC, one of the first two to be awarded to

the RCAF in the war.

After Battle of Britain he served with 14 (RCAF) Squadron, 411 (RCAF),

442 (RCAF) and twice led No. 126 (Canadian) Wing. In all he had flown

256 operational sorties. Russel was also awarded the Croix de Guerre

(French) with Silver Star, the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords and

in 1948 he got Czechoslovak War Cross. But why is a Hurricane pilot on

cover of our Spitfire Story? He was the first Spitfire pilot to land in France after D-Day! Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/as-russel.htm

On the group photo you can see Spitfire pilots of No. 610 Squadron relaxing between sorties at ‚A‘ Flight dispersal at Hawkinge, 29 July 1940.

Left to right: F/Lt. E. B. B. Smith (sitting), F/O S. C. Norris, commander

of the unit S/Ldr. J. Ellis (obscured), Sgt. H. H. Chandler, Sgt. N. H. D.

Ramsay, F/O W. H. C. Warner, Sgt. R. F. Hamlyn, F/O F. T. Gardiner.

Sitting Sgt. C. A. Parsons (rear), F/O C. O. J. Pegge (lying) and Sgt. D.

F. Corfe.

Formerly unit of Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 610 Squadron was

comprising very high quality pilots, often ex-RAF officers and occasionally locally based test pilots from companies such as de Havilland

and Airwork. Its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their

weekends and spare time flying and practicing combat maneuvers. The

squadron was named the „County of Chester“ and adopted the motto

„Alifero tollitur axe ceres“; which translates as „Ceres rising in a winged

chariot“. Ceres being the Roman Goddess of Wheat, a reference to

Chester‘s agricultural sector.

Edward Brian Bretherton Smith, DFC (1915 - 2013) from Formby,

Lancashire became ace in Battle of Britain, but got seriously wounded

in August battles. In 1944 as commander of parachute training school

in Italy he jumped regularly with his instructors and with his dog Sally,

who had her own parachute.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/SmithEBB.htm

Stanley Charles Norris, DFC + Bar (1919 - 1991) from Tooting, London

became „B“ Flight commander in August 1940. In 1941 he joined defenders of Malta. Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/NorrisSC.htm

John Ellis, DFC (1917 - 2001) from Deal became commander of

No. 610 Squadron on July 26. He later joined Malta defenders as well,

but on June 13, 1943 he was shot down in combat with Bf 109 piloted

by commander of II./JG 53 Major Gerhard Michalski and became POW.

In Stalag Luft III he became active in the Escape Committee as deputy

to Roger Bushell. His final score was 14 and 1/2 victories.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/EllisJ.htm

Horatio Herbert Chandler, DFM (1916 - 2000) from Bexhill on-Sea

joined squadron in October 1939. He became an ace in Battle of Britain,

but also downed in error a Blackburn Skua of Fleet Air Arm. Details:

http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Chandler.htm

Norman Hugh Donald Ramsay (1919 - ??) from Eastcote, Middlesex joined No. 610 Squadron in June 1940. After further service with

No. 222 Squadron he joined defense of Malta. After retirement from

RAF in 1962 he moved to New Zealand.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/RamsayNHD.htm

William Henry Cromwell Warner (1918) from New Brighton, Cheshire

was commissioned in No. 610 Squadron in May 1937 and was called up

on August 1939. In late July 1940 he became commander of „B“ Flight.

He was killed in combat on August 16, 1940 off Dungeness. His body was

not found. Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Warner.htm

Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn, DFM (1914 - 1991) from Harrogate joined

No. 610 Squadron in early June 1940. On August 24 he became „ace

in a day“. In 1944 he was acting as Tactics Liaison Officer with the

9th US Army Air Force in Normandy.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hamlyn.htm

Frederick Thomas Gardiner, DFC (1917 - 2003) from Belfast joined

the squadron in mid June 1940. During the Battle of Britain he was

wounded in combat three times. The third wound came on August 25

when he shot down by 109, possibly flown by Adolf Galland as first

victory of the German ace in role of JG 26 Kommodore. Later in the war

Gardiner commanded No. 254 Squadron equipped with Beaufighters.

After the war he moved to Canada.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GardinerFT.htm

Claude Arthur Parsons (1914) of Halterworth, Romsey, Hampshire

joined No. 610 Squadron in mid June 1940. In September 1940 he was

posted to No. 66 Squadron. On February 14, 1941 he has been wounded

in combat off Dover with 109s from JG 52 and I.(J)/LG 2. He was shot

down again on August 20, 1941 off Dutch coast and did not survive. His

opponent was Bf 109 of operational training unit 1. Erg/JG 3 piloted

by future ace anf Knight cross holder Hans-Joachim Kirschner or Bf 110

crew of 5./ZG 76.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ParsonsCA.htm

Constantine Oliver Joseph Pegge, DFC + Bar (1914) of Slough, Buckinghamshire joined No. 610 Squadron in mid June 1940. Later during

the war he commanded No. 126, 127 and 607 Squadrons including Western Desert and Burma. His ability to read books in low level flight in

Spitfire was well known. Pegge was killed on May 9, 1950 whilst flying in

Meteor F.4. Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Pegge.htm

Douglas Frederick Corfe (1918) from Hoylake, Cheshire joined No.

610 Squadron in 1936 as ground staff, later becoming an pilot of the unit

and being twice shot down during Battle of Britain. In 1942 he reached

Malta with No. 229 Squadron equipped with Hurricanes. On April 25,

during intercept of enemy formation, he was shot down and killed by

German fighter. His assailant was most likely commander of III./JG 53

Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke.

Details: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Corfe.htm