Date of birth:

1919 (Thame Park/Oxfordshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

1990

Nationality:

British

Service number 41563.

Alan Eckford was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Birmingham before winning an engineering scholarship to Loughborough College. Entering the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in November 1938, on completion of training he joined No. 32 Squadron, a Hurricane unit based at Biggin Hill, in September 1939.
Then in early June, Eckford was posted to No. 242 Squadron, arriving at Chateaudun, France on the 8th, before moving to a new airfield at Le Mans. The following day, after a hair-raising combat, he brought down an Me. 109 over the Seine-Rouen sector. No. 242 was withdrawn from France on the 18th. Two days later, the battle-fatigued pilots flew in to Coltishall to meet their new C.O., Acting Squadron Leader Douglas Bader who trained them merciless and prepared them for the coming Battle of Britain. But on the July 24th, Eckford was posted back to No. 32 Squadron, then at Biggin Hill, and now commanded by Michael Crossley. On August 18th Eckford claimed his first ‘double whammy’, a Ju. 88 and a Do. 17. Then in mid-September, he was posted to No. 253 (Hyderabad) Squadron at Kenley, taking part in two scrambles during his very first day. On the 27th, Eckford claimed his first victory with the Squadron, a Me109 over Kent. November proved to be Eckford’s most successful period, with one destroyed, one shared destroyed, two probables and a damaged. Posted to No. 55 O.T.U. at Usworth in November 1941, where his C.O. and Chief Instructor was Dennis "Hurricane" David, the famous ace, Eckford returned to the operational scene with No. 64 Squadron at Hornchurch in May 1942, having converted to Spitfires. He participated in a number of offensive Rodeos and Circuses in the following month and he transferred to No. 154 Squadron. Some time later, the Squadron was prepared for its onward journey to North Africa, via Gibraltar, that November 1942.
Arriving at Maison Blanche, Algiers on the 8th, No. 154 went quickly into action in support of the Allies’ North African landings, Eckford and fellow pilots busying themselves in the defence of the harbour of Algiers and covering the Army moving rapidly east. In March 1943 he was appointed to the command of his old Squadron, No. 242.
Returning to the U.K. in mid-June 1943, Eckford was employed at the Air Ministry, Whitehall for the rest of the War, gaining advancement to substantive Squadron Leader in July 1944. He did, however, notch up a final flight in a Spitfire from Hendon to Worthy Down and back in September 1943.
Eckford was finally demobilised in February 1946 and lived in retirement in Norfolk.
He died two months after attending the 50th anniversary celebrations in 1990.

Promotions:
September 3th, 1939: Pilot Officer (probation)
October 31st, 1939: Pilot Officer
September 3th, 1940: Flying Officer
October 31st, 1942: Flight Lieutenant
July 1st, 1944: Squadron Leader (temp)

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• Photo 1: Tom MacNeill
• - The London Gazette Issue 35022 published on the 24 December 1940
  - Dix Noonan Webb
  - Ciel de Gloire
  - The Free Library