Image: Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. CH14694

Description: Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. Wing Commander H A C Bird-Wilson, when leader of the Bentwaters Wing, standing by the tail of his North American Mustang Mark III, KH500 'HB-W', at Bentwaters, Suffolk. The rudder bears the mailed gauntlet badge of No. 17 Squadron RAF, with whom Bird-Wilson commenced his operational service, fighting with them in France and during the Battle of Britain until he was shot down and seriously wounded on 24 September 1940. In April 1941 he joined No. 234 Squadron as a flight commander, and after a period as an instructor, was posted to command No. 152 Squadron RAF in March 1942. He took over No. 66 Squadron RAF in November 1942, and became Wing Leader of Nos. 121 and 122 Airfields in succession in 1943. In January 1944 he attended a course at the Command and General Staff School, Leavenworth, USA. On returning to the United Kingdom in July 1944, he led the Perranporth Wing, and became Wing Leader at Bentwaters in December 1944. He was appointed to the Air Staff of No. 11 Group the month after this photograph was taken, having shot down 11 enemy aircraft..
Title: Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. CH14694
Credit: http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//53/media-53845/large.jpg This photograph CH 14694 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.
Author: Royal Air Force official photographer
Permission: This image was created and released by the Imperial War Museum on the IWM Non Commercial Licence. Photographs taken, or artworks created, by a member of the forces during their active service duties are covered by Crown Copyright provisions. Faithful reproductions may be reused under that licence, which is considered expired 50 years after their creation.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No