The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. D H Forrest

Dudley Henry Forrest was born in 1918 in Williton, Somerset and joined the RAFVR about October 1937 as an Airman u/t Pilot.

He was almost certainly attached to the regular RAF for training and was fully trained when called up on 1st September 1939. The next day he went to 11 Group Pool, St. Athan., where he converted to Blenheims. He joined 604 Squadron at North Weald on 15th September. Forrest was detached to the Blenheim Conversion Flight at Hendon on 21st November 1939 for night training, after which he rejoined 604. On 25th March 1940 Forrest was posted to 145 Squadron at Croydon.

He moved on to 263 Squadron at Filton on 14th April. The squadron embarked on to the carrier HMS Glorious on the 21st for Norway. Operating from a frozen lake at Lesjaskog, 263 had all its Gladiators rendered unserviceable within three days and returned in the Glorious, reaching Turnhouse on 3rd May to reform.

Forrest was posted to 66 Squadron at Duxford on 11th May 1940.

On 27th September he shared in destroying a Ju88.

Above (L to R) : Forrest, F/Sgt. J Gillies DFM, Sgt. FS Perkin and P/O AG Donahue at Hawkinge with 91 Squadron.

He was posted to 421 Flight at Hawkinge on 7th October and damaged a Do17 over the Channel on 29th November, postwar this was found to be from 6/KG1 and had crashed on return to Merville.

He damaged another inconclusively off Folkestone the next day. On 12th December he damaged a Ju88, later identified as being from 4(F)/121 and having crash-landed at Caen. On 18th December he damaged a Me110 of 3(F)11, this got away to force-land at Calais.

Forrest remained in 421 Flight when it reformed into 91 Squadron until July 1941 when he was posted to 53 OTU as an instructor.

Forrest was commissioned in December 1941 and awarded the Air Efficiency Award in July 1944.

He survived the war, being released from the RAF in July 1947 as a Flight Lieutenant.