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The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. C J Mount

 

Christopher John Mount was the son of an Army officer who was killed at the Battle of Loos. He was born on 14th December 1913 and educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, where he read Law. Whilst there Mount was in the University Air Squadron.

He was known as Micky, perhaps an allusion to Mickey Mouse.

He joined 600 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force in 1935 and entered the RAF in June 1938 with a direct-entry permanent commission. A special seniority was awarded, based on the entrant’s university degree, in Mount’s case this was eighteen months.

 

 

 

His first RAF posting was to 23 Squadron at Hawkinge. On 24th July 1939 Mount was appointed Personal Assistant to Air Vice-Marshal RE Saul, AOC HQ 13 Group, Newcastle.

Mount arrived at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 21st July 1940 for a refresher course. He joined 602 Squadron at Drem on 8th August.

He damaged a Do17 on 12th September, shared in the destruction of a Ju88 on the 21st, damaged a Ju88 on 5th October and destroyed a Me109 on the 29th.

Mount was awarded the DFC (gazetted 26th November 1940).

In January 1941 Mount was posted to Acklington, to form and command 317 Squadron. He took command of 260 Squadron at Drem in April 1941.

In May the squadron embarked on HMS Victorious at Scapa Flow, which carried Hurricanes with their wings detached. At Gibraltar the aircraft were transferred to the Ark Royal and the aircraft were put on the flight deck and their wings re-attached. They flew off to Malta on 14th June 1941, refuelled there and then flew on to Egypt two days later.

Shortly afterwards, 260 was ordered to Haifa in Palestine, to confront the Vichy French in Lebanon and Syria.

Mount suffered a burst appendix, which was initially misdiagnosed by a vet, the only practitioner on hand, who prescribed castor oil. He was in hospital for several months.

He took command of 238 Squadron in the Western Desert on 1st March 1942 and led it until 1st July. Later in the year Mount went on a Wellington conversion course and then joined 70 Squadron, as a supernumerary Flight Commander. He was posted to 104 Squadron in Egypt in early 1943. When the CO fell ill, Mount took command of the squadron.

After completing his tour he was awarded the DSO (gazetted 1st October 1943) and became Operations Officer for a Liberator/Halifax Wing, later serving as a staff officer at HQ Middle East.

Mount went to RAF Staff College Haifa in 1945.

He was made a CBE (gazetted 2nd January 1956) and retired from the RAF on 26th December 1966 as an Air Commodore.

After a six month refresher course on law, he joined a law firm in Berkshire and became a partner in 1970.

 

 

His portrait was made by Cuthbert Orde (above) and Eric Kennington (below).

 

 

Mount died on 23rd July 2003.


 

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