George Unwin
Encyclopedia
Wing Commander
George Cecil Unwin DSO
, DFM
& Bar (18 January 1913–28 June 2006), born in the town of Bolton upon Dearne, near Barnsley
, Yorkshire
, England
. He enlisted in the RAF in 1929 as an Administrative apprentice, and in 1935, was selected for pilot training. Upon completion of training, he was posted to No. 19 Squadron RAF as a Sergeant Pilot.
in 1938, and Unwin was one of the first to fly the machine (K9792) on 16 August (Pakistan Zindabad).
Unwin carried out intensive trials in the type, flying 15 different Spitfires. During these trials, on 3 March 1939, Unwin deliberately crashed a Spitfire following an engine failure, to avoid a children's playground.
. During a nine day period of patrols between 26 May and 4 June Unwin claimed three kills and a probable during Operation Dynamo
.
Unwin described his first combat as stage fright:
The next day Unwin claimed his first kill, a Henschel Hs 126
. The German pilot had used his slow speed and high manoeuvrability to evade the attacks of two fellow pilots, while retreating into Belgian airspace. The order was given to give up and the squadron turned away. As they did so Unwin saw the German straighten out. Feigning radio failure, Unwin dived on the Hs 126 and "pumped 240 rounds" into it before it burst into flames and crashed. On 1 June Unwin claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110
and a second as a probable. Unwin then claimed a Heinkel He 111
as a probable.
stationed in 12 Group, he was credited with 14 enemy aircraft shot down by the end of 1940 and was awarded the DFM in October 1940 with a bar award in December. Two days earlier Unwin had claimed three Bf 109s destroyed (Luftwaffe records indicate they were Bf 109s from JG 77) during the famous 15 September raid. On 18 September Unwin added another Bf 110 to his score as his 11th victory.
On 27 September Unwin destroyed a Bf 109 21 Wrk Nr 6162 of JG 52, and on 5 November scored a kill against a JG 51 Bf 109, Wrk Nr 4846. Unwin had now destroyed eight 109s. On 5 November Unwin shot down his final personal victory, a Bf 110 over the English Channel
. Unwin was in turn attacked by Bf 109s and Hauptmann
Gerhard Schöpfel
claimed Unwin as one of two kills he claimed in that engagement, although Unwin was not shot down.
At the end of 1940 he was rested and sent as an instructor to 2 CFS, Cranwell
.
In July 1941 Unwin was commissioned and then served with 16 EFTS and 2 CIS until October 1943. In April 1944 he began flying DeHavilland Mosquito fighter-bombers with No 613 Squadron, RAF Second Tactical Air Force
until October 1944. He then served at the Central Gunnery School at Catfoss
, until January 1946, when he became Chief Instructor at No 608 Squadron RAuxAF.
in 1952 and was awarded the DSO for his efforts. He retired from the RAF in 1961 as Wing Commander
.
made repairing one of his leg prostheses late at night in late 1939. It kept Unwin awake and he let everyone know about it. Another story says that it was due to his reaction at being left out of the squadron's operations during the Battle of Dunkirk
on 26 May 1940, due to a shortage of aircraft.
Unwin kept himself occupied until the end. In late May 2006 he was presented with a scale model of his Spitfire by Corgi Toys
. George Unwin died of natural causes 28 June 2006 at the age of 93.
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
George Cecil Unwin DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFM
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
& Bar (18 January 1913–28 June 2006), born in the town of Bolton upon Dearne, near Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He enlisted in the RAF in 1929 as an Administrative apprentice, and in 1935, was selected for pilot training. Upon completion of training, he was posted to No. 19 Squadron RAF as a Sergeant Pilot.
Spitfire trials
No. 19 Squadron was the first unit to receive the Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
in 1938, and Unwin was one of the first to fly the machine (K9792) on 16 August (Pakistan Zindabad).
Unwin carried out intensive trials in the type, flying 15 different Spitfires. During these trials, on 3 March 1939, Unwin deliberately crashed a Spitfire following an engine failure, to avoid a children's playground.
Battle of France
Unwin's first combat experience came during the final phase of the French Campaign during the Battle of DunkirkBattle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. During a nine day period of patrols between 26 May and 4 June Unwin claimed three kills and a probable during Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
.
Unwin described his first combat as stage fright:
I could see this aircraft diving down in an arc towards me, with what looked sparks lighting up his wings - I then realised he was shooting at me, all I could was sit there in the cockpit and watch him. I was so fascinated! I was shaken from this stupor when two shells hit my aircraft behind the cockpit and I took evasive action. I survived this moment of stage fright and never hesitated again.
The next day Unwin claimed his first kill, a Henschel Hs 126
Henschel Hs 126
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
. The German pilot had used his slow speed and high manoeuvrability to evade the attacks of two fellow pilots, while retreating into Belgian airspace. The order was given to give up and the squadron turned away. As they did so Unwin saw the German straighten out. Feigning radio failure, Unwin dived on the Hs 126 and "pumped 240 rounds" into it before it burst into flames and crashed. On 1 June Unwin claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
and a second as a probable. Unwin then claimed a Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
as a probable.
Battle of Britain
During the Battle of BritainBattle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
stationed in 12 Group, he was credited with 14 enemy aircraft shot down by the end of 1940 and was awarded the DFM in October 1940 with a bar award in December. Two days earlier Unwin had claimed three Bf 109s destroyed (Luftwaffe records indicate they were Bf 109s from JG 77) during the famous 15 September raid. On 18 September Unwin added another Bf 110 to his score as his 11th victory.
On 27 September Unwin destroyed a Bf 109 21 Wrk Nr 6162 of JG 52, and on 5 November scored a kill against a JG 51 Bf 109, Wrk Nr 4846. Unwin had now destroyed eight 109s. On 5 November Unwin shot down his final personal victory, a Bf 110 over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Unwin was in turn attacked by Bf 109s and Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Gerhard Schöpfel
Gerhard Schöpfel
Gerhard Schöpfel was a German World War II Luftwaffe 45-victory flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He held the position of Geschwaderkommodore of fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 26....
claimed Unwin as one of two kills he claimed in that engagement, although Unwin was not shot down.
At the end of 1940 he was rested and sent as an instructor to 2 CFS, Cranwell
Cranwell
Cranwell is a village situated in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. It is part of the Civil Parish of Cranwell and Byard's Leap and is located 3.95 miles north-north-west of Sleaford and 16.3 miles south-east of the county town of Lincoln...
.
In July 1941 Unwin was commissioned and then served with 16 EFTS and 2 CIS until October 1943. In April 1944 he began flying DeHavilland Mosquito fighter-bombers with No 613 Squadron, RAF Second Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
until October 1944. He then served at the Central Gunnery School at Catfoss
Catfoss
Catfoss is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness. It is situated approximately west of the town of Hornsea. Catfoss Lane, between Catfoss and Brandesburton, is the location of the former RAF Catfoss, an airfield which is now home to a variety of...
, until January 1946, when he became Chief Instructor at No 608 Squadron RAuxAF.
Service after the war
He remained in the RAF after the war and transitioned to Bristol Brigand aircraft in 1948. He flew this type during the Malaya conflictMalayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
in 1952 and was awarded the DSO for his efforts. He retired from the RAF in 1961 as Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
.
Later life
His service-wide nickname was "Grumpy"; received, as the story goes, after he complained about the noise squadron mate Douglas BaderDouglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
made repairing one of his leg prostheses late at night in late 1939. It kept Unwin awake and he let everyone know about it. Another story says that it was due to his reaction at being left out of the squadron's operations during the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
on 26 May 1940, due to a shortage of aircraft.
Unwin kept himself occupied until the end. In late May 2006 he was presented with a scale model of his Spitfire by Corgi Toys
Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited is a die-cast model manufacturer which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956.-The Corgi Toys era: 1956 to 1995:...
. George Unwin died of natural causes 28 June 2006 at the age of 93.
External links
- Wing Commander George Unwin, Obituary, The Times, June 29, 2006.