Richard Trousdale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Macklow Trousdale
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 23 January 1921 Waimate North, New Zealand |
| Died | 16 June 1947 (aged 26) Near Pershore, England |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/ |
Royal Air Force (1939–1945) Royal New Zealand Air Force (1945–1947) |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Commands held | No. 488 (NZ) Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War
|
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Richard Macklow Trousdale was a brave New Zealand pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. He was known as a "flying ace" because he shot down at least six enemy planes.
Born in Waimate North, New Zealand, Richard grew up in Auckland. He joined the RAF in 1939. After finishing his flight training, he flew Supermarine Spitfire planes during the Battle of Britain. This was a huge air battle over England. He later became a night fighter pilot, flying planes like the Boulton Paul Defiant and Bristol Beaufighter to stop enemy bombers at night.
In 1942, he took command of No. 488 (NZ) Squadron. For the rest of the war, he worked in training roles. In 1945, he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Sadly, he died in a flying accident in England in 1947.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Richard Macklow Trousdale was born on January 23, 1921, in Waimate North, New Zealand. His family later moved to Auckland. He went to Howick District High School.
In 1938, Richard decided he wanted to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was accepted and left for the United Kingdom in February 1939. He started his flight training in Scotland on March 16, flying small planes called de Havilland Tiger Moths.
Richard was a very talented student. He quickly earned his pilot wings. He wanted to be a bomber pilot and trained for this role. In November 1939, he joined No. 266 Squadron. This squadron had just been restarted because World War II had begun.
Fighting in World War II
When Richard joined No. 266 Squadron, they were getting new Fairey Battle planes. But soon, they switched to Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes. Richard flew a Spitfire for the first time in February 1940. By April, his squadron was ready for action. They flew patrols along the coast of England.
In May, the squadron moved to Wittering. They helped protect the soldiers being evacuated from Dunkirk in France. On June 2, Richard and his team fought seven German Messerschmitt Bf 110 planes. He thought he had destroyed one of them. He also claimed to have shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109, but this wasn't officially confirmed. After the evacuation, the squadron went back to training.
Battle of Britain
On August 11, No. 266 Squadron moved to Tangmere. The next day, they joined the Battle of Britain. This was a huge air battle over the Isle of Wight. Richard fought many German planes but didn't shoot any down that day.
The squadron moved to Eastchurch, but their airfield was bombed. They then moved to Hornchurch and were immediately in heavy fighting. On August 16, Richard shot down a Bf 109 over Deal. Two days later, he was thought to have destroyed another Bf 109 near Calais.
On August 21, after losing many planes and pilots, the squadron moved back to Wittering to rebuild. Once they had enough planes and pilots, they started patrolling airfields. On September 7, Richard and two other pilots stopped a German Dornier Do 217 bomber. They chased it to the Dutch coast and shot it down. Richard damaged one of its engines and shot off its tail. At the end of October, he destroyed another Bf 109. He was promoted to flying officer in November.
Night Fighting Missions
In mid-November, Richard was transferred to No. 255 Squadron. This squadron was being reformed to defend the Midlands region of England. They flew Boulton Paul Defiant night fighter planes. Richard became one of the unit's leaders.
By January 1941, the squadron was ready for missions. In February, Richard and his gunner, Sergeant Chunn, probably shot down a German Heinkel He 111 bomber. Richard was given the Distinguished Flying Cross in early March. The award recognized his bravery and skill.
The squadron flew more missions in the following weeks. On the night of May 9, Richard and Chunn shot down two more He 111s that were attacking Hull.
In July, Richard took a break from flying missions to work at the headquarters of No. 12 Group. He worked on night fighting plans and was promoted to squadron leader. On October 1, he joined No. 409 Squadron. This was a Canadian unit that flew Bristol Beaufighters for night fighting. Later that month, he damaged a Dornier Do 17 bomber.
On March 8, 1942, Richard and his radar operator, Sergeant Affleck, destroyed a He 111 over Hull. On April 7, he shot down a Do 217, which crashed into the sea. In May, he received a bar to his DFC. This meant he had earned the award a second time. The award said he had destroyed eight enemy aircraft, with five of them shot down at night.
Leading No. 488 Squadron
In July, Richard was promoted to wing commander. He was sent to Church Fenton to take command of No. 488 Squadron. This squadron was being reformed as a night fighter squadron, flying Beaufighters. Richard worked hard to get the squadron ready for missions, even though they didn't have enough people or equipment.
In September, the squadron moved to Ayr in Scotland. They continued their training, learning to work with ground-based radar operators. In October, they started flying missions to stop enemy bombers found by radar.
In February 1943, they began "ranger" missions. These were nighttime flights into occupied Europe to attack German transportation. On February 15, Richard damaged a train and two barges. Later that month, he worked in a training role at No. 13 Group. In March 1944, he worked at a special testing center. Here, he flew many different types of planes, including the Avro Lancaster bomber. He also took a course to become a test pilot.
After the War
In 1945, Richard's five-year service with the RAF ended. He then joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). He stayed in the United Kingdom, flying many different types of planes. By the end of the war, he was credited with destroying six or possibly seven enemy aircraft. He also shared in destroying another plane and probably destroyed two or three more.
Richard returned to New Zealand in January 1946 with his wife, whom he married in 1941, and their two children. He had a long break before officially starting his service with the RNZAF in April 1947.
In May 1947, Richard went back to the United Kingdom. His job was to pick up a de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber and fly it back to New Zealand. On June 16, while testing a Mosquito, the plane crashed, and he was killed. He is buried in Haycombe Cemetery in Bath. His wife later returned to New Zealand with their children.
