´óÏó´«Ã½

I was a Boy Scout in Kenley during the War, and my father Edgar Delia was Scoutmaster, with my mother running the Brownies. Father’s hobby was making 6 inch models of which I have many still.

As a fundraising initiative in support of the Spitfire Fund and the Malta Relief Fund, the Scouts at Kenley including myself produced and sold cards with drawings and watercolours of aircraft. One of these was autographed by the Irish air ace, Flt Lt. Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane and offered in a raffle in July 1941. Tickets were sold widely, and to airmen based at Kenley.

Around this time, I saw from the peri track at Hayes Lane a squadron of fighters return to Kenley following an engagement with the enemy. Suddenly, an aircraft approaching the runway suddenly developed a fault and shot vertically up into the air, lost control and crashed down to the ground with ammo going off everywhere. I was asked by men on a fire tender rushed to the scene if I had seen the identification letters of the aircraft, but it all had happened so quickly. The pilot did not survive.

The draw was held for the autographed picture not long after, and it was won by a Sgt Hill. Unfortunately, he was the airman killed in that accident. The sad tale was reported in the Caterham Times. It was not long before the ace Paddy Finucane, too, died when his aircraft was downed in the Channel by anti aircraft fire.

By John Delia

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.