The Airmen's Stories - P/O P S Gunning

Peter Stackhouse Gunning was born on 28th June 1911 in Truro, Cornwall, the son of Canon Joseph Oldham Gunning and Sarah Louisa Gunning (nee Pinwill) of St. Mawgan Rectory.

His father spent many years as a Church of England clergyman in Cornwall; his grandfather had been a long serving Rector of Inwardleigh near Okehampton, Devon.

PS Gunning joined the RAF about January 1932 as an Aircrafthand. He later applied for pilot-training and was selected.

On 17th November 1937 he married Mary Elizabeth Chegwidden at St. Mawgan-in-Pydar, Cornwall.

Commissioned on 1st April 1940, he joined 266 Squadron from 19 on 22nd April, moved on to 10 MU Hullavington on the 26th and then joined 229 Squadron at Digby on 5th May.

Gunning had apparently left 229 by 1st June and joined 46 Squadron when it reassembled at Digby after the ill-fated operation in Norway. He flew his first operational sortie with 46 Squadron on 5th July. He probably destroyed a Me109 on 7th September and damaged a Do17 on the 15th.

He was shot down and killed in combat with Me109s over the Thames Estuary on 15th October 1940.

His Hurricane, N2480, crashed and burned out in a chalk pit at Little Thurrock.

He was 29 and is buried in St Andrew's churchyard, North Weald Bassett.