Athol Forbes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athol Forbes
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Portrait of Athol Forbes, made by the official war artist Eric Kennington in 1940
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| Born | 4 April 1912 London, England |
| Died | 18 August 1981 (aged 69) Stratford-upon-Avon, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1935–1948 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Commands held | No. 165 Wing No. 66 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari (Poland) |
Athol Forbes (born April 4, 1912 – died August 18, 1981) was a brave British flying ace. He served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. A flying ace is a pilot who has shot down many enemy aircraft. Athol Forbes was credited with shooting down at least nine enemy planes.
He was born in London and joined the RAF in 1935. After his training, he became an instructor. In 1940, he joined No. 303 Squadron. This squadron was mostly made up of Polish pilots. Forbes played a big part in helping them get ready for battle.
He flew many missions during the Battle of Britain. This is where he achieved most of his victories. He was also wounded twice during this time. For his bravery, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also got the Polish Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. After this, he led No. 66 Squadron for a year. Later in the war, he served in India. He left the RAF in 1948 as a group captain. He then worked in civil aviation. Athol Forbes passed away in Stratford-upon-Avon when he was 69 years old.
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Early Life and Joining the RAF
Athol Stanhope Forbes was born on April 4, 1912, in London, England. His parents were William and Isabella Forbes. He went to school at Dover College. One of his school friends, John Hamar Hill, also became a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force.
Forbes joined the RAF in 1935. He started his training in November of that year. By January 1936, he was an acting pilot officer. He began flight training at No. 10 Flying Training School. He then went for more advanced training. This was at the School of Army Co-operation. In November, he officially became a pilot officer. After finishing his course in August 1937, he stayed on as an instructor. He was promoted to flying officer in May 1938.
Fighting in World War II
When the Second World War started, Forbes was still teaching. In July 1940, he went for a special course. This course helped him get ready to fly fighters again. By this time, he was a flight lieutenant.
The Battle of Britain
In August 1940, Forbes joined No. 303 Squadron. This squadron was based at Northolt. He was one of its flight commanders. Most of the other pilots were Polish. Many of them spoke little English. However, Forbes could speak French, which helped a lot. He helped the Polish pilots learn RAF procedures. The squadron flew Hawker Hurricane fighters. They became ready for battle in late August. Soon, they were fighting in the skies over southeast England.
Forbes got his first victory on September 4. He shot down a Junkers Ju 88 bomber. The next day, he destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. He also likely destroyed another. But his own Hurricane plane was damaged. He had to crash-land and got minor injuries.
Even so, he was back flying on September 7. He shot down a Dornier Do 17 bomber. He was slightly wounded again and had to land his plane quickly. Because of these injuries, it was decided that only one British officer from the squadron would fly at a time. This meant Forbes sometimes led the squadron.
Forbes returned to duty quickly. On September 11, he destroyed two more Do 17s. But he was wounded again. His plane was so damaged he had to land at Heston Aerodrome. On September 26, he shot down a Heinkel He 111 bomber. The next day, he destroyed another He 111.
No. 303 Squadron was very successful in September. They were sent to Leconfield for a rest. Soon after, Forbes was promoted. On October 17, he took command of No. 66 Squadron. A few days later, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). This award was for his success in the Battle of Britain. The award notice said:
This officer is a splendid leader and has contributed materially to the many successes obtained by his squadron. He has displayed great keenness in pressing home his attacks against the enemy and has destroyed seven of their aircraft.
The Polish government also honored Forbes. They gave him the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari. This was for his leadership with No. 303 Squadron. His new squadron, No. 66 Squadron, flew Supermarine Spitfire fighters. They continued to fight in England.
Later War Missions
During the winter, No. 66 Squadron flew fewer missions due to bad weather. In February 1941, they got new Spitfires. They were sent to Exeter for patrol duties. On June 25, Forbes helped destroy a He 111.
From August, the squadron flew missions over German-occupied Europe. They escorted bombers. On August 20, Forbes helped shoot down a Bf 109. In early November, he received a Bar to his DFC. This meant he got the DFC a second time. The award notice said:
This officer has participated in numerous operational sorties during the last five months. In addition to many arduous convoy patrols he has led wing formations as escort to bombers on missions over France; he has also carried out many attacks on enemy ground targets with a large measure of success. Squadron Leader Forbes has always shown the greatest keenness to engage the enemy and has undoubtedly contributed materially to the high standard of operational efficiency of the squadron. At his own request he has been permitted to make long flights out over the sea, alone in an endeavour to engage enemy aircraft.
Serving in India
When Forbes received the Bar to his DFC, he was working at the headquarters of No. 10 Group. He had left command of No. 66 Squadron in October. He was promoted again in December 1941. In April 1942, he went to the Far East. He served with No. 224 Group in Calcutta.
From October, he led No. 165 Wing. He led them during the Arakan campaign. He was promoted to wing commander in July 1943. By then, he was working at the headquarters of No. 222 Group. In 1944, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This was for his service during the Arakan campaign. From August, Forbes was a senior officer at the headquarters of No. 221 Group in Imphal.
By the end of the war, Forbes was credited with destroying nine German aircraft. Two of these were shared victories with other pilots. He was also credited with one aircraft that was probably destroyed.
After the War
Forbes stayed in the RAF until 1948. By then, he had reached the rank of group captain. After leaving the military, he worked in civilian aviation. He was the operations manager for Cameroons Air Transport.
When he retired, he and his wife, Ernestine, moved to Alcester. They had married in April 1939. Athol Forbes passed away in a hospital in Stratford-upon-Avon on August 18, 1981.
Images for kids
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Portrait of Athol Forbes, made by the official war artist Eric Kennington in 1940
