No. 263 Squadron, R.A.F. - Pilots
This page contains documents relating to the men who flew with the Squadron. More coming soon...
WO 208 Escape & Evasion Reports
Pilots who were shot down over enemy territory and successfully escaped back to friendly territory were interviewed in London by M.I.9 to gather intelligence and learn from their experiences. Methods, tips, and experiences were fed back to the Squadrons to help aircrew who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future. These reports are now held at The National Archives under the series WO 208.
F/Sgt G.A. Wood, shot down near Morlaix, 23 September 1943 - (Acrobat PDF, 36k)
F/Lt G.G. Racine, shot down near Plouezoch, 31 March 1944 - (Acrobat PDF, 38k)
P/O W.E. Watkins, shot down near Chatres, 13 February 1944 - (Acrobat PDF, 41k)
F/Lt L.W.F. Stark DFC, shot down near Bois de Mallouen, 03 July 1944 - (Acrobat PDF, 35k)
F/Lt J.B. Purkis DFC, shot down near Le Champeaux, 16 August 1944 - (Acrobat PDF, 38k)
WO 344 Prisoner of War Questionnaires
Pilots liberated from Prisoner of War camps completed a Questionnaire from M.I.9. regarding where they were held, the conditions of the camps, and so on. Most don't contain a lot of detail, however there is a certain amount of personal information. These reports are now held at The National Archives under the series WO 344.