The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. D H Ayers

David Hart Ayers was born on 25th February 1914 in Wroxall, Isle of Wight to Frank Kidall Ayers and Edith Margaret Hart Ayers.

His father is shown in the census returns of 1901 and 1911 working as a bank clerk. He had entered the Army on 21st October 1917, reached the rank of Captain and served with the Devonshire Regiment and the Labour Corps.

The family later moved to Herne Bay in Kent. DH Ayers was educated at Kent College, Canterbury from 1926 to 1931. Employed in the National Provincial Bank in Berkhamsted, he joined the RAFVR in July 1937 as an Airman u/t Pilot and was called up on 1st September 1939.

Unknown location 1939.

Rear row: Sgt. OR Bowerman, Sgt. EN Kelsey, Sgt. DK Ashton, Sgt. DA Hunt, Sgt. KJ Linton.

Front row: Sgt. DH Ayers, Sgt. SF Cooper, Sgt. FN Robertson, Sgt. RJ Hyde (NZ).

Above image courtesy of the Chris Goss collection.

Ayers joined 600 Squadron from 11 Group Pool, St. Athan on 16th September. He was still serving with the squadron in July 1940 and made his last flight with it on the 29th of the month.

On 3rd August Ayers was posted to 5 OTU and, after converting to Spitfires, he joined 74 Squadron at Wittering on 17th August 1940. He made his first flight with the squadron on the 22nd.

On 23rd September, whilst engaging a Do17 in Spitfire P7362, Ayers baled out into the sea south-east of Southwold, possibly hit by return fire (report below).

His body was recovered on 4th October and he was buried in Ipswich Cemetery, Suffolk. He was 26 years old.

November 2020 - his grave has been restored.