The Airmen's Stories - F/O D H Blomeley

David Henry Blomeley was born on 12th May 1916, the son of a headmaster. He attended King Edwards School, Stafford in 1933/34. He applied for a short service commission in the RAF in December 1937 and was provisionally accepted.

He began his initial flying training at 7 E&RFTS Desford on 7th March 1938 and was posted to 11 FTS Shawbury on 7th May 1938. With his training completed he joined No. 1 Squadron at Tangmere on 17th December 1938 and was still serving with it when the squadron was sent to France in September 1939.

While on leave he married Josephine Irene Braham on 18th December 1939 at Tavistock, Devon.

On 29th January 1940 the engine of his Hurricane L1686 failed and he force-landed at Senoncourt-les-Maujouy, south of Verdun, he was unhurt.

Blomeley moved to 92 Squadron at Croydon on 8th March 1940, then to 25 Squadron on the 21st and finally to 151 Squadron at North Weald on 13th April 1940. He was attached to 607 Squadron in France from 13th to 26th May during which time he claimed to have destroyed five enemy aircraft.

After rejoining 151 on 27th May, Blomeley claimed a Me110 destroyed over Dunkirk on 29th May. On 8th June 1940 he was shot down by flak over Amiens in Hurricane P3315 and baled out. Evading capture, he escaped from Cherbourg in late June among survivors from the 51st Highland Division.

Back with 151, he damaged a Me110 on 29th July. Blomeley made his last flight with the squadron on 16th August and was posted away to 9 FTS Hullavington as an instructor.

Blomeley later took an instructors course at CFS Upavon and instructed at No. 1 FTS Netheravon from November 1941 to late January 1942. He was at 17 AFU Watton until mid-March 1942, when he moved to 60 OTU East Fortune. In July 1942 he joined 287 Squadron at Croydon, an AACU equipped with Defiants.

In January 1943 Blomeley went to 51 OTU Cranfield to convert to Mosquitos and in early April he joined 605 Squadron at Castle Camps, flying Mosquitos on night-intruder operations.

During the night of 17th/18th August 1943 he destroyed a Me109 East of Schleswig. On 21st September Blomeley shot down two Ju88s near the entrance of the Skagerrak and on 9th November he shot down a Me110 West of Aalborg.

He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 26th October 1943).

At this time Blomeley's Mosquito had 14 swastikas painted on the nose, 9 of which he claimed as 'confirmed'.

Posted away in February 1944, he went to 60 OTU High Ercall as CFI. In mid-April he moved to 13 OTU as Gunnery Leader and instructor. In July 1945 he carried out trials of the Tempest II at Middleton St George.

Blomeley was released from the RAF in March 1946 and began training as a forester at the Forest of Dean Foresters School. He rejoined the RAF in early 1950, held several instructing posts and took part in the Coronation Review Flypast in 1953.

Blomeley received the Queens Commendation in 1953 and was awarded the AFC (gazetted 10th June 1954). He was serving in 40 Squadron, flying Canberras at Wittering in 1954 and then joined 138 Squadron at Gaydon in February 1955.

The squadron's Valiants took part in the Suez operations in October 1956, carrying out bombing raids on airfields at Fayid and Almanza, flying from a base in Malta. The squadron returned to Marham in December.

Blomeley retired on 20th February 1958 as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader.

He lived in New Zealand for many years and was at some time working in the Forest Service.

He retired to England in 1985 and died there on 17th June 1991.