The Airmen's Stories - P/O D S Kinder

Douglas Steele Kinder was born on 22nd December 1918 and educated at Stoke Park Preparatory School and Ardingly College.

He joined the RAF on a short service commission in July 1939. Kinder completed his training and is recorded as then being posted to 103 Squadron, operating the Fairey Battle in France.

However if he flew operationally this was not recorded and he was in a party that made their way overland to Brest for evacuation.

Kinder volunteered to transfer to Fighter Command in August 1940 and he was posted to 615 Squadron at Prestwick on 9th September, moving to 73 Squadron at Castle Camps on the 15th.

He crashed near Lightship 93 after an attack by Me109s on 23rd September in Hurricane P3226. He was rescued from the Thames Estuary and admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham, with severe burns. He was under treatment for thirteen months.

He was posted to 166 Squadron Bomber Command at RAF Kirmington from 30 OTU on the 18th February 1943 soon after 166 Squadron was reformed. He flew a number of operations with 166 Squadron whilst they were operating Wellingtons.

The first of these was on the 27th February 1943 which was a minelaying sortie off the Dutch coast in Wellington X3965. He seemed to specialize in minelaying and flew several more of these sorties before leaving the Squadron on the 23rd September 1943 for 18 OTU when the Squadron had converted to Lancasters.

He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 7th December 1943).

Kinder was released from the RAF in 1947 as a Flight Lieutenant.

He died on 30th September 1993 in Minehead.

Additional research courtesy of David Fell.