16 July 1940
The day is relatively calm due to the bad weather. However, No.615 Squadron underwent several changes: Herbert S. Giddings is promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant (retroactive to 6 June) and three new pilots joined the squadron.
Pilot Officer John Arthur Peter McClintock (91064) is born on 25 April 1920 in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent. His father, Ronald Sinclair McClintock joined the RFC on 4 April 1916 as an observer with No.2 (RFC) Squadron before undergoing pilot training. He married Mary Gordon Laird on 20 December 1916. He joined France in October 1917 with No.64 (RFC) Squadron. He claimed five victories between March and April 1918. Awarded the Military Cross on 21 June 1918, he obtained a permanent commission in the RAF on 1 August 1919 and joined the No.3 (RAF) School of Technical Training. Unfortunately, he is killed on 22 June 1922 aboard the Sopwith Snipe F2409. He leaves behind two children: the young Peter (2 years old) and his sister Pamela (4 months old).[1]
The young John A.P. McClintock is educated at Eaton House School and Wellington College (London) between 1933 and 1937. He join the Auxiliary Air Force and No.615 (County of Surrey) Squadron in the summer of 1939. He joined No.5 (RAF) Elementary Flying Training School on 21 October 1939 and No.3 (RAF) Flying Training School on 25 March 1940 (No.33 Course). He returned to No.615 Squadron on 16 July 1940, in A Flight.[2]
Pilot Officer John A.P. McClintock with one of his friends next to him: Diana Barnato (future member of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the first British woman to break the sound barrier on 26th August 1963). Collection : Battle of Britain London Monument.
Pilot Officer Anthony John Jamieson Truran (91019) is born on 28 April 1920 in Andover, Hampshire. He is educated at the Rugby School between 1933 and 1937. He subsequently worked for the prestigious Crawford advertising agency. He joined the Auxiliary Air Force on 7 May 1939 and No.615 Squadron in the summer of 1939. He joined No.5 (RAF) Elementary Flying Training School on October 21, 1939, and No.3 (RAF) Flying Training School on March 25, 1940 (No.33 Course). He returned to No.615 Squadron on 16 July 1940, to the B Flight.[3]
Collection : Battle of Britain London Monument
Sergeant Peter Kenneth Walley (819018) is born in Barnes on the outskirts of London on 29th November 1919. He is educated at Wandsworth School. He began his apprenticeship as a toolmaker in Croydon, which led him to join the Auxiliary Air Force as a mechanic/gunner in March 1938, then No.615 Squadron in August. At that time the squadron is still specialised in cooperation with ground troops on Hawker Hart and Hector. However, by mid-1939 he managed to join pilot training. Like the previous two, he joined the No.5 (RAF) Elementary Flying Training School on 21 October 1939, then the No.3 (RAF) Flying Training School on 25 March 1940 (No.33 Course). He returned to No.615 Squadron on 16 July 1940, to A Flight.[4]
Collection : Battle of Britain London Monument
However, the three pilots are immediately sent to No.5 (RAF) OTU for training on the Hawker Hurricane Mk I before returning permanently to No.615 Squadron at the end of July.
[1] GLEESON, Joe. Irish Aces of the RFC and the RAF. Fonthill, 2015. ; FRANKS, Norman. Fallen Eagles: Airmen Who Survived The Great War Only to Die in Peacetim. Pen and Sword, 2017 ; Ronald McClintock. Wikipedia : The Free Encyclopedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McClintock
[2] WYNN, Kenneth G. Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of The Few. Frontline Books, 2015 ; The Airmen’s Stories – P/O J A P McClintock. The Battle of Britain London Monument : http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/McClintock.htm ; The London Gazette, 8 September 1939 : https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34674/supplement/6136/data.pdf
[3] WYNN, Kenneth G. Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of The Few. Frontline Books, 2015 ; The Airmen’s Stories – P/O A J J Truran. The Battle of Britain London Monument : http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Truran.htm ; The London Gazette, 22 August 1939 : https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34657/page/5760/data.pdf
[4] WYNN, Kenneth G. Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of The Few. Frontline Books, 2015 ; The Airmen’s Stories – Sgt. P K Walley. The Battle of Britain London Monument : http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Walley.htm
