The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. F F Vinyard

Frederick Fenton Vinyard from Erdington, Birmingham was born on 14th July 1916, the son of Frederick Henry and Annie Lavinia Vinyard.

He joined the RAFVR about May 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed his training and joined 64 Squadron at Leconfield in mid-September 1940.

On 30th September 1940 the squadron was aloft with one flight forming a formation and the other practising attacks on it. Vinyard was one of the formation in Spitfire K9805. For reasons never discovered, Vinyard’s starboard wing struck the rear fuselage of P9564, flown by P/O AF Laws. The tail broke off completely and the aircraft somersaulted down and exploded, Laws being killed. Vinyard regained control of his aircraft and landed safely.

On 6th October 1940 Vinyard was on an operational patrol in Spitfire I R6683 with two other Spitfires in the vicinity of Flamborough Head. The aircraft entered cloud in poor visibility and then became separated. This was the last time that Vinyard was seen by the other two pilots who both returned safely to base.

However, at 15.10 hours a report was received from the Observer Corps that a Spitfire was seen to crash into the sea off Flamborough Head at 14.30 hours.

Vinyard was not found and is commemorated on the Runnymede memorial, panel 20.

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.