The Three Muskateers - B flight 286 sq. - F/Ls "Bunny" Austin, Ron Lake & Deryk Upton
The Three Muskateers - B flight 286 sq. - F/Ls "Bunny" Austin, Ron Lake & Deryk Upton
|
_________________________________________________ UPTON, F/O Hamilton Charles (42544) - Distinguished
Flying Cross - No.43 Sqn. Pilot Officer Upton was shot down on 8th and 16th August 1940, but in spite of these two reverses still showed great keenness to engage the enemy. To the above, on 25 February 1941, Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory added: Over a long period including the intensive operations of the summer and autumn of 1940 this gallant young officer carried out his duties in the best traditions of the Service. In particular on 16th August he scored a magnificent success by destroying three enemy bombers. He has personally destroyed 9 7/12 enemy aircraft and probably destroyed a further one. I strongly recommend him for the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Draft as sent to Honours Committee read as follows: This officer has been actively engaged in operations against the enemy over a long period, including the intensive operations over this country in the summer and autumn of 1940. He has destroyed nine hostile aircraft, three of which he shot down in one day, and has shared in the destruction of others. He has shown the greatest keenness to engage the enemy. _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ S/L Hamilton Charles (Deryk) Upton, DFC , RAF & RCAFDeryk Upton was born in Manchester, England on 13 March 1912. He completed pilot training and was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force on 19 August 1939, just days before the beginning of the Second World War. Assigned to 43 Squadron, then posted to Caithness in Scotland, Upton was thrust immediately into operational flying. He later flew over Dunkirk, as his squadron and many others provided air cover for the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and elements of the French Army. Upton served throughout the Battle of Britain (10 July to 31 October 1940), flying with 43 Squadron from its base at Tangmere in the South of England. The Squadron was withdrawn on 8 September, after losing its third squadron commander and many of its pilots during several months of intensive fighting. Upton was then posted as a flight commander to 607 Squadron (it had replaced 43 Squadron at Tangmere), serving with it until March of 1941. During the Battle of Britain, Upton was credited with 11 German aircraft destroyed (two shared) and one probably destroyed. He was shot down twice, both times making forced landings. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI in 1941, Upton became an instructor at Montrose in Scotland, and later, at Swift Current in Saskatchewan. After a period in the hospital, he returned to operational duties as a Fighter Controller with 84 Group, Tactical Air Force, following the invasion of France.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ Victories Include :
9.58 / 1 / 0 * This plane was seen to crash but was not credited as destroyed. _________________________________________________ On the weekend of 8-9 September 2012 at Truro N.S.'s new Veteran's Park, _________________________________________________ --- Canadian Aces --- More on Upton and more even ! _______________________________________________ |
Thanks to Ron Lake for the 2 large pics & Bill Chrystal for the bio, small pic and additional info !
Speaking of Bill, he has just published a book on Deryk called -
"I Would Have Gone On and On: Hamilton Charles (Deryk) Upton, DFC in the Battle of Britain"
I have written a short review of the book which can be seen here
It is available at Amazon.com
On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research (which includes info from numerous sources), newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) as well as other sources both published and private |
