The Airmen's Stories - P/O T R Kitson

Thomas Roy Kitson, of Chorley, Lancashire was born in mid-1916, the son of Thomas Knowles Kitson and Mary Kitson (nee Walmsley).

He was the eldest of three brothers who all served in the RAF in WW2.

TR Kitson attended Chorley Grammar School where he was an outstanding athlete. On leaving he was employed as the Newcastle representative for the Leyland Paint and Varnish Company.

Kitson joined the RAF on a short service commission in February 1939.

After completing his training he joined 245 Squadron on 6th November 1939, which had been recently reformed at Leconfield.

'A' Flight of 245 Squadron was in France from 16th to 20th May 1940 and Kitson must have had some sort of mishap whilst there because the squadron ORB for 21st May states that he had returned to England and that he was non-effective sick. He rejoined from sick leave on 18th July.

He served with 245 Squadron throughout the Battle.

The squadron was posted to Aldergrove in Northern Ireland in July 1940 to reform, with a new CO, S/Ldr. JWC Simpson. He recorded that the difficult task of integrating new pilots, including newly arrived Czechs and Poles, was immeasurably helped by Kitson, one of his Flight Commanders.

Above: Kitson (centre), others unknown

On 10th March 1941 Kitson flew a Blenheim to Blackpool for weekend leave. Flying back to Aldergrove on the 13th he was killed when the Blenheim, L6780, crashed whilst taking off from Squires Gate.

Two passengers, WO RW Johnson and S/Ldr. KAK MacEwen, were also killed.

Kitson was cremated at Carleton Crematorium in Blackpool.

A notice of his death in the Lancashire Daily Post on 15th April 1941 stated that he had been shot down in May 1940 and admitted to hospital in Boulogne. He was evacuated from there by ship, which was machine-gunned as it left.

Above image courtesy of Bob Greenacre.

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His next youngest brother, Edward Knowles Kitson (1920-1997), served as a Pilot Officer navigator with 83 Squadron, flying in Hampdens.

On a sortie on the night of 17/18th June 1940 to lay mines off Heligoland his Hampden P1354 was struck by fire from a flak ship. A shell burst inside the aircraft, seriously injuring Kitson in the head and arms. Sgt. OS Gander, the air gunner, was also injured though the pilot, Sgt. W Barber, was unhurt.

The aircraft returned safely and Kitson was taken to the RAF Hospital at Halton where he was found to have lost his sight.

He then became a resident at St. Dunstans, the centre for blind ex-servicemen in Brighton, Sussex.

Here he was taught Braille and resolved to embark on a Law degree. He was admitted as a student to Corpus Christi College at Cambridge in mid-1942.

His preparation had been assisted by a nurse at St. Dunstans, Doris Watkins, they were married and settled in Cambridge around this time.

Kitson was awarded a Law degree in June 1944.

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The youngest brother, Geoffrey, survived the war.