Date of birth:

March 19th, 1921 (Mansfield/Nottinghamshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

November 22nd, 2011

Nationality:

British

Service number 127846.

Eric Atkins started working in 1935 with Unilever in London as a messenger boy. In August 1939 he traveled to Germany as representative of an English scout organisation and got acquiainted with the Hitler Youth which was a bitter experience for him. His father send him a telegram to return to England immediately as war was on the verge of breaking out.
Pending an RAF interview he joined the Air Raid Precaution section of the Civil Defence.
In August 1940 he was asked to report for RAF Aircrew Selection for which he passed and was admitted into the RAFVR as an aircrew cadet in September 1940 at the Blackpool Receiving Centre after which he went to the Initial Traing Wing at Torquay. Thereafter he went to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School in Newmarket, Cambridge and after that to No. 6 Service Flying Training School and the to No. 17 Operation Traing Unit at Upwood, Hands to start training on Bristol Blenheims.
Later, he converted to Mosquitos with which he was verey succesful. He flew two tours of operations with No. 464 (Australian) and 305 (Polish) Squadron.
In 1991 he founded and chaired the Mosquito Aircrew Association. He wrote a biography: "Flying High".

Promotions:
July 11th, 1942: Pilot Officer (probation)
January 11th, 1943: Flying Officer (war sub)
July 11th, 1944: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

• - Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36756 published on the 17 October 1944
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37012 published on the 30 March 1945
  - Make your own photo book with Blub - Flying High preview
  - Mosquito Aircraft Association of Australia