The Airmen's Stories - P/O C D Francis

Colin Dunstone Francis, of Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey was born on 24th May 1921, the son of Frank Warner Francis (1892-1967) and Emmie Francis (nee Dunstone 1892-1961).

Frank Francis was a member of the Territorial Force (Territorial Army in modern times), having enlisted on 17th February 1909.

He was sent to France on 4th October 1915, serving with 162 Battery, Royal Field Artillery. He was posted to 9 Battery as a Corporal before later being promoted to Sergeant.

Francis was wounded on 25th August 1917, marked by the award of a silver wound badge.

He was awarded the Military Medal (gazetted 24th January 1919) for an action in November/December 1918. He was then attached to C Battery, 280th (1st City of London) Brigade RFA (a howitzer unit). The circumstances are still being researched.

He was discharged on 14th July 1919.

Above research courtesy of Simon Muggleton.

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CD Francis joined the RAF on a short service commission in April 1939.

Francis arrived at 6 OTU, Sutton Bridge on June 2nd 1940 and, after converting to Hurricanes, he was posted to 253 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey on the 17th.

After a spell in Scotland, the squadron moved to Kenley on August 29th 1940. On the morning of the 30th Francis took off in a section of three aircraft to join the rest of the squadron in attacking a force of bombers, which was escorted by some thirty fighters.

It was his first encounter with the Luftwaffe and he was shot down and reported 'Missing'.

His name appears on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 8.

In August 1981 an aircraft was excavated at Coldharbour Farm, Stansted, Kent. It proved to be Hurricane L1965 and Francis' remains were still in the cockpit. They were buried with full military honours at Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Francis was 19 when he was killed.

The Stansted History Society documented the incident:

Colin Dunstone Francis, of Stoke d’Abernon, Surrey, was posted to 253 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey and after a spell in Scotland, the squadron moved to Kenley on August 29th 1940. This was the epicentre of the daily air combats between hundreds of aircraft that were taking place over the south-east of England. It should be noted that this was at the height of the Battle of Britain, which started in July 1940.

On the morning of the 30th August 1940, Francis took off in a section of three aircraft to join the rest of the squadron in an attacking a force of bombers, which was escorted by some thirty fighters. It was his first encounter with the Luftwaffe. The Squadron’s Operational Record Book times the crash at 11:15, so it seems likely that he was shot down whilst returning to Kenley. The leader of his group of three fighter aircraft was the co-commanding officer, Squadron Leader Tom Gleave.  Gleave recalls being detached from the rest of the Squadron and seeing a formation of Me109’s in the haze about 500 feet above them. Unhesitating, he led the group of three fighter aircraft right through the enemy planes, firing as he went. The third aircraft in Gleave’s group, flown by F/Lt Brown, received hits and disappeared.

Gleave and Francis then turned to engage the aircraft attempting to regain formation when another enemy aircraft came into Gleave’s sights. Gleave turned with him, firing bullets that brought black smoke from the wings before the Me109 dropped vertically, still smoking.  A fourth Messerschmitt passed slightly above Gleave, and he turned and climbed to fire into the underside of its fuselage. But after two or three seconds’ firing Gleave heard the ominous clicking that told him he had used up all his bullets. But already the fourth victim was mortally hit and rolled on its back before falling away. (‘Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain by Len Deighton 1979 ISBN-10: 1845951069)

Of Colin Francis, there was no sign. Gleave recalled “after Brown was shot down, Colin and I went in by ourselves. We went right into the middle of them and I never saw him again. He was a damned fine kid and full of guts.” (‘I had a row with a German’ by Tom Gleave. Macmillan & Co. Ltd; 1st edition 1 Jan. 1941)

Overall, that day, the RAF shot down forty enemy aircraft for the loss of twenty-four of their own, with nine pilots killed, three of whom were from 253 Squadron, one of whom was Colin Francis, who died in his aircraft in the field at Stansted. The very next day, Stansted was again in the thick of it when a Messerschmitt 110 belly-landed at Court Lodge with its gunner mortally wounded and two Messerschmitt 109’s crashed nearby, one in West Kingsdown and one in Knatts Valley.

Colin Francis was one of over 20,00 airmen posted as ‘missing believed killed’ with no known grave in WW2. The truth was that he lay buried with his aircraft within the parish boundary for over 40 years, out of sight, but doubtless never out of mind to those who remembered him. It was only when the burgeoning interest in aviation archaeology gained traction in the 1970’s/1980’s that his aircraft was excavated in 1981 with the body of PO Colin Francis still strapped into the cockpit.

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