The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. C P Green

Charles Patrick Green, always known as 'Paddy', was born in South Africa on 30th March 1914, the son of Major Charles Green, who was killed in action in East Africa in 1917.

Green was at Harrow School from 1927 to 1932 and then at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became an FRGS in 1935 and was a member of the British bobsleigh team in the 1936 Winter Olympics.

He was in the British ski team at St. Moritz in 1937 and broke a leg when skiing in the Persidents Cup.
Green learned to fly in California and joined 601 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force in March 1937.

Called to full-time service on 24th August 1939, Green was posted away from 601 on 20th October to 92 Squadron at Tangmere.

Over Dunkirk on 23rd May 1940 he destroyed a Me109 but was then himself shot down in Spitfire N3167, receiving a leg wound which kept him off operations until 1st October 1940, when he rejoined 92, then at Biggin Hill.

He was posted away on 7th October to form and command 421 Flight at Hawkinge. During a spotting flight on the 12th Green was jumped by Me109's. He baled out, wounded in the neck and arm. He landed amid a number of aggressive young bulls but was rescued by men of a New Zealand artillery battery whose medical officer treated his shrapnel wounds, he was then admitted to hospital. His Spitfire, P7441, crashed at Coldbridge Boughton, Malherbe.

Green resumed flying on 1st November 1940 and he destroyed a Do17 on 25th November, got a probable Me109 on 5th December and shared in the probable destruction of a Do17 on the 27th. 421 Flight was re-numbered 91 Squadron on 11th January 1941.

It was briefly commanded by S/Ldr. Hopcroft before Green took over on 18th January 1941.
Awarded the DFC (gazetted 18th April 1941) Green was posted away in June. He returned to operations in November 1941, joining 600 Squadron at Colerne as 'A' Flight Commander. In June 1942 Green was given command of 125 Squadron.

On 26th December 1942 he was posted to Maison Blanche to take command of 600 Squadron, on night-fighting operations.

On 5th May 1943 he probably destroyed a Ju88. On 25th June 1943 Green took 600 Squadron to Luqa in Malta, for the invasion of Sicily. On 12th/13th July he destroyed a Ju88 and a He111, on the 13th/14th another He111 and on the 14th/15th he destroyed four Ju88's and damaged another.
The squadron moved to Italy on 25th July and on 11th/12th August Green destroyed a Ju88.

He was awarded the DSO (gazetted 20th August 1943).

He got a probable He111 on 9th/10th September and destroyed a Ju88 on 25th January 1944.
In February 1944 Green was promoted to Acting Group Captain and posted to command No. 1 Mobile Operations Unit of the Desert Air Force. Green was awarded the Order of Patriotic War 1st Class (USSR) (gazetted 11th April 1944) and the DFC (US) (gazetted 28th July 1944).

At the end of the war Green returned home to help with the development of jet fighter tactics at the Central Fighter Establishment. Altogether, he had been credited with 11 confirmed kills though his final score may have been as high as 15.

He was released in 1947 as a Group Captain.

He was appointed a director of a subsidiary of the Anglo-American Mining and Trading Corporation, for which he worked until 1977 when he retired to his wife's family farm south-west of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada.

He died there in May 1999.