- Contributed by听
- onestopshop
- People in story:听
- PETER PAGE
- Location of story:听
- EUROPE
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A3152701
- Contributed on:听
- 19 October 2004
THE STORY OF PILOT OFFICER PETER PAGE
Peter Page came from Gilmorton and was at Lutterworth Grammar School in the 1920s, where he was rugby captain, cricket captain and Head Boy, so he made an excellent contribution to school life. When war broke out in 1939 he was a clerk at the Admiralty in London. He was determined to serve his country and joined the RAF. Training took place near Nuneaton then in the USA and Canada. In December 1941 he got his wings and became a pilot.
At first he flew Blenheims and Wellingtons. He did so well that he was trained on Lancaster bombers at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire with Guy Gibson in 106 Squadron. Gibson became famous as a leader of the Dambusters raid on Germany. Page continued to fly night raids over Germany and Italy. Once he was reported missing but turned up in Tunis, North Africa. Soon afterwards he flew Field Marshal Wavell and the Chief of the Royal Air Force.
On June 27th 1942 Peter married Joan Heaton in Lutterworth Church and lived in Woodmarket, Lutterworth.
It was in June 1943 that the news came of his plane being shot down, one of 33 destroyed that night. He crashed in Holland in the Zuider Zee, a huge body of water. His body is buried at Harderwijk near Apfeldoorn. Two weeks after his death, which occurred on his first wedding anniversary, his wife gave birth to a daughter.
Peter Page's widow still lives in Lutterworth and Page Close is named after him.
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