The Airmen's Stories - P/O J A J Davey

John Arthur Joseph Davey of Leamington, Warwickshire was born on 9th February 1920, the son of Arthur Hammond Davey and Elise Marie Davey.

He attended Mount St. Marys College in Sheffield from 1930-36.

Davey joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice in August 1936 and passed out in July 1939. During his training he was Captain of the First XV Rugby team at Halton and Cosford.

He was awarded a cadetship to the RAF College Cranwell and began the course there. The scheme was suspended at the outbreak of war and Davey remustered as an Airman u/t Pilot.

He began his elementary flying training at 9 EFTS Ansty in October 1939. Davey went on to RAF College FTS Cranwell on 10th April 1940. With the course completed on 14th July, he was granted a permanent commission and joined No. 1 Squadron at Tangmere on the 15th.

Davey was attached to the Northolt Sector Training Flight and made his first flight in a Hurricane on 19th July, flying his first operational sortie with No. 1 Squadron on the 26th.

On the 31st he shared a Do17. Shot down by Me110s on 11th August, Davey was killed when he crashed in Hurricane P3172 while attempting a forced-landing on Sandown golf course.

Davey was 20. He is buried in Sandown Cemetery, Isle of Wight.

Above image courtesy of London Remembered.