RAF Hero of WWII Passes On

Here is an interesting article and another indication that the survivors of WWII are slowing going off to their reward.  The source is The Washington Post.

Per the story, Fighter Pilot John C Freeborn, flew more combat hours during the Battle of Britain than any other RAF pilot.  That battle, a campaign really, was ongoing 70 years ago and reaching its climactic point at the end of October.♠  And, when WWII was all over he doffed his uniform and went into the soda pop business.

Most of the article is spent talking about the fact that his first kill was an RAF Hurricane.

Note the comment about shooting "pheasant in his spare time".  Doing that he was developing his sense of relative motion and learning how to get a kill.  The gyro stabilized gunsight did not become available until after the Battle of Britain.  Until then the pilot was the computer that considered target motion and bullet drop and the other variables.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  The British view is the Battle of Britain lasted from 10 July to 31 October 1940.  The German view is that it started later and lasted longer.