The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. R F Hamlyn

Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn was born in Harrogate on 26th February 1914. He was educated at Pocklington Grammar School and after leaving employed as a clerk in an insurance office.

He joined the RAF as a direct-entry pilot in 1936 and carried out his flying training at 11 E&RFTS Perth and 8 FTS Montrose.

He married Jeanne Sanderson in October 1938 at Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

At the outbreak of war Hamlyn joined 72 Squadron at Church Fenton. After Dunkirk he was attached to 610 Squadron at Gravesend on 6th June 1940 and this attachment became a posting.

On 3rd July Hamlyn shared a Do17, on 14th August he damaged a Me109, on the 24th shot down a Ju88 and four Me109s, on the 26th a Me109 and probably another and on the 28th and 30th he destroyed Me109s.

He was awarded the DFM (gazetted 13th September 1940).

Commissioned in January 1941, Hamlyn was posted to 242 Squadron at North Weald on 13th June. On a Blenheim escort to Bethune on 4th July he destroyed a Me109 and on the 27th he shot another down into the sea.

He was made a Flight Commander in late July and remained with the squadron until 15th October 1941, when his tour was completed. He was posted to form and command 275 (ASR) Squadron at Valley, with Lysanders and Walruses.

Hamlyn was later given command of 276 (ASR) Squadron at Harrowbeer. He was awarded the AFC (gazetted 1st January 1943) for his work on air-sea rescue and then went to the staff of Bomber Command as ASR Officer.

In 1944 he was Tactics Liaison Officer with the 9th Air Force USAF in Normandy and later in the year he was posted to Air Ministry on Air Staff Policy.

In February 1945 Hamlyn was appointed CGI at 41 and later 58 OTUs and in September became Station Commander RAF Maidugari, West Africa. He retired from the RAF on 19th October 1957 as a Squadron Leader.

Hamlyn died in 1991.