My name is Mike Widdowson, and I've just become a member of the WW2 People's War site.
I intend soon to write a couple of articles concerning my Dad (W/O Widdowson - known as Stanley 'Mike' Widdowson) who was a Spit-bomber pilot with 92 Squadron, DAF in Italy. Sadly, he's no longer with us, so using his flying logs and personal diary I'll try and do him justice, and put down part of his experience 'just for the record'.
Dad flew with 244 Wing and was based around Rimini(?), and some of the actions he was involved with are mentioned in Hugh Dundas' book 'Flying Start'. Dad clearly loved the flying, and always said the MK VIII Spitfire was simply the 'best'. He was a member of the Caterpillar and Goldfish club - having baled out, and then been rescued under fire by a brave Walrus crew off the Adriatic coast - 1st April 1945. He crash-landed on another occassion, following being hit by AA-fire - I have photos of the remains of the aircraft.
I also have an archive of black and white photos, but in most cases I haven't the faintest idea who the pictured pilots are. It would be great to find out, and perhaps put names to the places depicted.
Mike Widdowson (October 2005)
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