Page 15 - issue22.03.2019
P. 15
Royal Air Force News Friday,March 22, 2019 P15
News
Battle of Britain
hero Archie’s
xxxx
a Typhoon
Top Gun
WWII Hurricane vet downs enemy
jets in RAF simulator shoot out
Tracey Allen with 238 Sqn, heading for Egypt via
ONE OF the last six surviving Battle Malta and flew various top cover and
of Britain pilots was back in the bomb escort sorties in North Africa
cockpit – shooting down enemy before being shot down in a dog fight
fighters for the RAF at the age of 99. over Libya.
Archie McInnes, who celebrates his He crashed landed into a minefield
100th birthday in July, took the helm breaking his neck and severing his arm
of the high-tech Typhoon simulator at which was amputated after developing
Coningsby. gangrene.
Pal Jonny Cracknell who escorted Despite his horrific injuries Archie
the veteran airman to the station said: later he made his way home via South
“I’m not quite sure he was Africa.
used to all that technology but After recouperating he spent
he had a really good go and nine months at the Air Ministry
got up into the air and even in London but wanted to get
managed to shoot down a few back to flying.
aircraft. Frustrated by his disability
“I think he’d still like to be he helped to develop his own
up there for real. He definitely prosthetic arm to help him
prefers the old way of doing manage the controls and
things, though.” instruments. and returned to
During the VIP tour of the station – flying Hurricanes in 1944.
home to the UK’s Typhoon Force – he Stationed with 691 Sqn at Roborough INSPIRATIONAL: Archie McInnes, with
also climbed into the Battle of Britain he worked with the Navy, flying dummy BBMF crew, in the Hurricane cockpit,
Memorial Flight’s vintage WWII fighter and torpedo run attacks. PHOTO: SAC Emma Wade. Top, Archie
Hurricane. He left the RAF in 1946 and flew a Spitfire last autumn, PHOTO: Jonny
Cracknell, and recently tried out a Typhoon
Archie joined the RAF Volunteer returned to working for his father’s simulator. Inset, as a young airman
Reserve in 1938, flew with 601 and laundry supply business in London.
238 Sqn and was one of ‘The Few’ who Widowed 12 years ago, Archie lives
repelled Hitler’s Luftwaffe during the with his daughter near Cambridge. and has never sought attention or “He’s been very much under the together about his wartime service
Battle of Britain in 1940. Jonny said: “He is incredible, an accolades for what he did. Even today radar and I felt his story needed to be which should be published later this
He later flew off HMS Victorious inspiration. He is incredibly modest he has that passion for flying. told. We’ve been working on a book year.”
Robo-kit set for frontline Space ace stars at Fairford
BRITISH ASTRONAUT Major Apollo 11. Maj Peake made British
Staff Reporter Tim Peake be one of the star history by spending six months
attractions at this year’s Royal on the International Space Station
THE MOD has pledged an extra International Air Tattoo. and is now head of astronaut
£66 million to speed up delivery The former Forces airman operations at the European Space
of robotic military kit to frontline will be launching the science Agency Germany.
Forces. and technology zone at RAF Fairford was NASA’s
New surveillance mini-drones the three-day event emergency landing site for
and remotely controlled fighting at RAF Fairford, in the space shuttle and in
and supply vehicles could be Gloucestershire. 1983 hosted a visit by the
deployed to Estonia where a This year’s spacecraft, secured on the
UK-led battlegroup is guarding REVOLUTIONARY: A Skeeter - a tiny Air Tattoo is back of a jumbo jet.
Nato’s border with Russia, UAV inspired by a dragonfly, designed for celebrating air and l The event takes place
and Afghanistan and Iraq this intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance space operations between July 19-21. Go
year, Defence Secretary Gavin Army’s capabilities whilst reducing to mark the 50th to www.airtattoo.com for
Williamson said. the risk to our personnel. We anniversary of ticket details and
He added: “Each of these new will be revolutionising frontline the first moon bookings.
technologies will enhance our technology by the end of the year.” landing by