William George Scrimgeour - Course 30

(AUS.414694) Flight Sergeant Donald Bernham Kairton - Course 62

Soon after his November 8, 1941 enlistment in the Royal Australian Air Force, Donald Bernham Kairton was presented with a wrist watch by management and staff of The Cairns Post. Kairton worked as a reporter with the newspaper. In his spare time, he was a drummer with his brother’s orchestra, known as Kairton’s Dance Band. Upon completion of elementary flying training in Australia, Kairton and his fellow airmen embarked at Brisbane June 23, 1942, arriving in Canada August 9. Seven days later some of the Australian pilot trainees arrived at No. 6 SFTS, Dunnville. On September 10, 1942, Squadron Leader John Sorsoleil, Chief Ground Instructor at No. 6 SFTS Dunnville, 'awarded' Kairton 7 days confined to barracks for the following charge: “ … did appear on the 0745 Working Parade improperly shaven.” Donald Kairton was awarded his pilot’s flying badge December 4, 1942 during a wings parade held at the station. He sailed from Halifax for England twelve days later. Upon completion of advanced flying and operational training, Flight Sergeant Kairton was posted to No. 19 Squadron, February 5, 1944. The Squadron was flying the North American Aviation Mustang Mk. III. On June 14, 1944, the No. 122 wing commander wrote to Kairton’s father. “By the time you receive this letter a telegram will have arrived informing you that your son, F/Sgt. Donald Kairton, is today missing from Air Operations over enemy territory. The Squadron was flying on offensive operations when a column of enemy transport was sighted. The Squadron went in to attack. The last that was seen of your son was when his aircraft was seen straffing a lorry. It is then presumed the aircraft was struck by enemy flak and crashed into the ground. Although a good search was instigated no parachute was seen. Donald was one of the Squadron's most popular members. He was always happy and cheerful and his merry sense of humour kept the Squadron laughing under many difficult circumstances. He was a very good pilot and his deeds of bravery and determination to face and destroy the enemy were a byword in the Squadron. The Squadron has lost a true friend and a man that can never be replaced.” On August 30, 1944, M. Bade, Mayor of Le Gue de la Chaine wrote a letter to the Office of Civil Affairs. “At 0630 hours (C.E.T.) on 14.6.44 a British fighter, hit by German flak, crashed in flames in a small wood in the territory of the commune of Le Gue da la Chaine. The pilot was killed instantaneously and we were able to remove his body from the aircraft before it was completely burnt out. From a few personal effects found on the body or near the aircraft(including a wrist watch with the name D.B. Kairton engraved on the back), it was possible to identify the pilot. The day after the accident the body was taken to the town hall, which was converted into a chapelle ardente and a guard of honor was formed by the town councilors ex serviceman and repatriated prisoners. A funeral service was held on Friday 16th June. The whole population of the commune paid homage to this courageous airman. The burial took place in the cemetery of our village.”

Photo: June 11, 1944 Flight Sergeant D.B. Kairton ready to leave with another load of bombs for a target in the invasion area. Three days later he was killed in action. (AWM)

(Aus.409776) Trevor Lambert Trevorrow - Course 62

October 23, 1944 Flying Officer T.L. Trevorrow, Murrumbeena, Victoria, Australia, RAAF, of No. 130 Squadron RAF, in the cockpit of his Spitfire on an airfield in Holland. (AWM)

Norman Floyd Houghton - Course 42

Norman Houghton, Toronto, Ontario climbing into his No. 417 Squadron Spitfire (Photo credit: RCAF via J. Spring)

(RAF 1323734 - 187868) Patrick David Reyre - Course 70

2007 - A former Second World War bomber pilot who is losing his sight has been denied a new drug on the NHS that could save his vision. Patrick Reyre, 85, of Taunton, who is registered disabled because of his failing sight and has to live on GBP155 a week pension and benefits, has now decided to fund the treatment, costing up to GBP4,000, himself. "I feel very disillusioned. You are hailed as a hero one day and then you have to endure the misery of losing your sight. It is a bitter pill," said Mr Reyre, who was also an RAF test pilot. (Update - By Alex Cameron - Somerset County Gazette October 1, 2008) A decision to make a sight-saving drug routinely available on the NHS has been welcomed as a partial victory by a Taunton campaigner. Mark Formosa, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Taunton Deane, has been pressing for more than 18 months for all elderly people to be allowed the drugs Lucentis and Macugen on the NHS. The drugs help save the sight of people suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). He took up the issue after being contacted by Taunton pensioner Patrick Reyre, a World War Two bomber pilot, who was going blind because of AMD. Mr Reyre, now aged 86, was refused treatment by the NHS trust which runs Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, despite being just weeks away from losing the sight in his one good eye. The publicity generated from Mr Formosa's intervention resulted in the owner of the Daily Express newspaper meeting the £4,000 cost of Mr Reyre's treatment privately. Mr Formosa said: "It is a disgrace that until now, drugs which can save the eyesight of people such as Mr Reyre were available on the NHS only in some part of the country but not others because it was left to the discretion of individual health trusts. “I am delighted that Lucentis is now being made available everywhere, but at the same time I am disappointed with the refusal of NICE to approve the routine use of Macugen. "Every day that NICE delays allowing Macugen to be prescribed is a day when another 100 people across the country start to lose their sight.”