The Airmen's Stories - F/O H H Percy

Hugh Harold Percy of Chwilog, Gwynedd was born on 15th January 1920 in Haslemere and educated at Bradfield College and St. John's College, Cambridge where he read Classics.

He learned to fly with the University Air Squadron in 1939 and was called to full-time service soon after the outbreak of war.

Percy was commissioned in early November 1939, went to No. 1 ITW Cambridge and was afterwards posted to FTS Cranwell on No. 2 War Course. With the course completed at 5 FTS Sealand, he was sent to No. 1 School of Army Co-operation at Old Sarum.

On 10th June 1940 Percy arrived at 5 OTU Aston Down and after converting to Defiants he was posted to 264 Squadron at Duxford on 19th June.

His subsequent service is currently undocumented until 22nd May 1944. On this day he was killed in action as a Flight Lieutenant with 610 Squadron. On a morning shipping recce to Guernsey his Spitfire XIV RB162 was struck by flak batteries positioned at Pleinmont Point.

Percy managed to bail out but his parachute malfunctioned.

Percy was 24 years old and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 203.

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner