The Airmen's Stories - S/Ldr. G D M Blackwood

George Douglas Morant Blackwood was born on 11th October 1909 in Kent and educated at Eton before going into the family publishing business. He joined the RAFO on 26th June 1930 and entered the RAF in April 1932 on a short service commission.

He did his flying training at 2 FTS Digby. On 26th August 1933 he was posted to 25 Squadron at Hawkinge and took part in the 1934 Hendon Air Display, flying one of the tied-together Furies.

In September 1934 Blackwood was seconded from the squadron to be Personal Assistant to the AOC Coastal Area, Lee-on-Solent.

He returned to Hawkinge on 1st July 1935.

He married in 1936 (below).

Six months later Blackwood was posted to 600 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force at Hendon as Assistant Adjutant and Flying Instructor. In April 1938 his term of service ended and he returned to Blackwoods Publishing.

Recalled at the end of August 1939, Blackwood was posted to 5 FTS Sealand as an instructor. He requested operational flying and arrived at 6 OTU from HQ 23 Group on 20th May 1940. After converting to Hurricanes he joined 213 Squadron as a supernumerary Squadron Leader in early June 1940.

At the end of the month Blackwood was posted to Duxford to form 310, the first Czech fighter squadron. It became operational on 17th August 1940 and on the 26th Blackwood destroyed a Do17.

He was himself shot down and baled out, unhurt. His Hurricane, P3887, crashed at Maldon, Essex.

He was awarded the Czech Military Cross (gazetted 24th December 1940) and posted to HQ 12 Group in January 1941. Blackwood went to Northern Ireland for a year, commanded a station in 10 Group and then formed 134 Wing in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.

He was released from the RAF early in 1945 as a Wing Commander.

He found that the firm's offices had been destroyed in the Blitz. He tried to rebuild it and was managing director of the firm and editor of Blackwoods Magazine from 1948 to 1976 when he retired, remaining Chairman until 1983.

Blackwood died on 2nd March 1997 in Edinburgh.