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The Airmen's Stories - F/O P G Crofts

 

Peter Guerin Crofts was born in St George's Square, London on 2nd January 1918, the son of Lt. Col. Leonard Markham Crofts DSO (1867-1942) and Margaret Spence of Farnham in Surrey.

Lt. Col. Crofts served in the Queens Royal Regiment in the South African War of 1899-1902 being present at the Relief of Ladysmith and the Battle of Colenso.

 

Above image courtesy of the IWM.

He went to France in 1914 with the 2nd Battalion, was wounded in the same year and returned to command the 1st Battalion as a Lieutenant-Colonel. In August 1916 he was wounded for the second time.

In late 1917, now a Brigadier, he was wounded again and returned to England to recover.

For his service in the Great War he received the Distinguished Service Order and was Mentioned in Despatches on two occasions.

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PG Crofts was educated in Sevenoaks and at Wellington College and entered the RAF College Cranwell in January 1937 as a Flight Cadet. He did not complete the course for some reason but was granted a short service commission in May 1938.

He completed his flying training and joined the SHQ Staff at Gosport in September 1938.

In 1940 Crofts was serving with 150 Squadron, flying Fairey Battles, and he may have served in France when the squadron was with the AASF.

Crofts volunteered for Fighter Command in August 1940. He was posted from 150 to 615 Squadron at Prestwick on 9th September. He moved to 605 Squadron at Croydon on the 13th.

 

 

 

He was shot down by Me109s over Ticehurst, Sussex on September. Crofts baled out but fell dead at Redpale Farm, a mile and a half from Dallington. He may have been machine-gunned as he floated down. His Hurricane, V6699, crashed in a paddock at Earls Down and exploded.

Crofts is buried in All Saints' churchyard, Tilford, Surrey. There is a memorial cross on the spot where he fell, a few yards from Red Pale.

 

 

 

 

Above: the original memorial cross, now in Robertsbridge Aviation Museum.

Below: the replacement cross.

 

 

 


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