“Alan”, born 24 May 1915

This is a portrait of my Father, Alan, drawn by Cuthbert Orde who is famous for his portraits of pilots in Fighter Command during WWII.  Today is the 100th anniversary of my Father’s birth.
 
After school he joined Liverpool Gasworks as a management trainee and learned to fly through the Civil Air Guard, a 1938 scheme in which the UK government subsidized training fees for member of flying clubs, in return for future military call-up commitments.  At the outbreak of war he was sent to Southern Rhodesia for his advanced flying training, with the intention he would then go out to the Far East, but plans were changed and he found himself back in the UK flying Spitfires.

In 1943, when this portrait was made, he was a flight commander in 610 Squadron which was led by "Johnnie" Johnson, a fighter ace and an earlier sitter for Orde.  Later that year Johnson was promoted and my Father became the 610 squadron commander.  His other debt to Johnson was more personal.  Invited to his wedding, Johnson asked my Father to escort a WAAF corporal to the event.  They were married later in 1943 and my Mother often talked about those times.

He ended the war in Italy and remained in the RAF until 1961, so my early years were surrounded by things RAF and I still recognise the sound of a merlin engine!

He died in 1995.