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Forde, Derek Nigel

Date of birth:
October 17th, 1917
Date of death:
January 16th, 1979
Service number:
41526
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Promotions:
December 14th, 1938: Acting Pilot Officer on probation;
September 3rd, 1939: Pilot Officer on probation;
October 6th, 1939: Pilot Officer;
September 3rd, 1940: Flying Officer;
September 3rd, 1941: Flight Lieutenant (war subs.);
July 1st, 1946: Flight Lieutenant (seniority December 1st, 1942);
?: Squadron Leader.

Career:
October 1939 - September 1940: Pilot No. 145 Squadron;
September 1940 - May 1941: Pilot No. 605 Squadron;
May 1941: Pilot No. 1 PRU;
May 1941 - 1942: Pilot No. 145 Squadron;
1942 - 1943: Flight Commander No. 72 Squadron;
1943 - 1945: Squadorn Leader.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Flight Lieutenant
Unit:
No. 145 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
January 1st, 1943
Citation:
"This officer, flying a Spitfire, was compelled to bale out in Northern France on 23rd July 1941. He hid in a field all next day to avoid enemy soldiers who were searching for him and next day made his way south, eventually crossing the Line of Demarcation on 9th August. Shortly afterwards his companion was arrested but he went on and eventually crossed the Pyrenees on 23rd September. Here he was arrested and after a short period of internment was released and repatriated from Gibraltar on 12th October."

Published in the London Gazette dd. 1st January 1943.
Recommendation in Public Record Office Air 2/5684.
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Flight Lieutenant
Unit:
No. 72 (Basutoland) Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
February 26th, 1943
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Citation:
"Fit. Lt, Forde has a long record of operational flying. At the commencement of the war he served in France and later fought in the Battle of Britain. Since October, 1942, in North Africa, Fit. Lt. Forde has successfully led formations on many sorties and machine gun attacks, in which enemv transport has been damaged. He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft."

Sources

  • - The London Gazette of 27th December 1938, Issue 34583
    - The London Gazette of 10th October 1939, Issue 34705
    - The London Gazette of 22nd October 1940, Issue 34976
    - The London Gazette of 25th November 1941, Issue 35358
    - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 29th December 1942, Issue 35841, dated 1st January 1943
    - Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 23rd February 1943, Issue 35919, dated 26th February 1943
    - Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 4th July 1947, Issue 38009, dated 8th July 1947
    - Air Force list (1931), Great Britain. Ministry of Defence, Volume: Aug 1939
    - Air Force list (1931), Great Britain. Ministry of Defence, Volume: Sept 1939
    - Air Force list (1931), Great Britain. Ministry of Defence, Volume: Dec 1939
    - Air Force list (1931), Great Britain. Ministry of Defence, Volume: May 1941
    - RAF Commands
    - Ciel de Gloire
    - Flight Global - Archive

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