Adrian Warburton

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Adrian

Adrian "Warby" Warburton, (10 March 1918 – 12 April 1944) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. He became legendary in the RAF for his role in the defence of Malta and was described by the then Air Officer Commanding in Chief Middle East, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, as "the most important pilot in the RAF". Warburton was also awarded a United States DFC. Described as 'Six-medal Warburton', all of Warby's gallantry awards were earned while operating from Malta. He remains the most highly decorated RAF photo-reconnaissance pilot of all time. His life and work has been depicted in the books Warburton's War by Tony Spooner, and Malta's Greater Siege & Adrian Warburton DSO* DFC** DFC (USA) by Paul McDonald. Warburton was also the subject of the BBC Timewatch documentary The Mystery of the Missing Ace. The 1953 film Malta Story features a photo-reconnaissance pilot who may be based on Warburton.

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Adrian

Early life Adrian Warburton was born in Middlesbrough on 10 March 1918, the only son of Commander Geoffrey Warburton DSO, a highly respected RN submariner, and Muriel Warburton, née Davidson. Adrian was christened on board a submarine in Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta. Warburton attended St Edward's School in Oxford, where two other famous airmen, Guy Gibson and Douglas Bader, were also educated. On leaving school, he became an articled clerk with a firm of accountants in Cheapside, London. He joined a local Territorial Army unit on 1 November 1937, joining the RAF a year later on 31 October 1938.

Adrian Warburton a adăugat o fotografie

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Adrian

To Malta 1940 Warburton was commissioned in the Royal Air Force (RAF) an acting pilot officer (on probation) on 3 September 1939 and confirmed as a pilot officer on 31 October. During pilot training, Warburton struggled to achieve the minimum standard. Nevertheless, he was awarded his pilot's flying badge in May 1939. Despite writing off his aircraft's undercarriage in a botched landing, he successfully completed advanced flying training and was posted to a torpedo training course at Gosport in Hampshire at the end of August 1939. He was then posted to No 22 Squadron, RAF Thorney Island, on 12 October 1939, which was operating ancient, single-engine Vickers Vildebeest biplanes. The squadron was in the process of being equipped with the advanced Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber. Warburton's weaknesses on twin-engine aircraft were all too apparent and no attempt was made to convert him onto the Beaufort. In April 1940, 22 Squadron moved to RAF North Coates in Lincolnshire and was involved in mine-laying operations, night bombing of enemy ports and, in May, daylight raids to try and stem the tide of the German Blitzkrieg. The squadron commander failed to return from a mission. Warburton did not fly operationally, and his few…Citește mai mult

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I hasten to write you a line to thank you for the most valuable reconnaissance work carried out by your squadrons, without which the successful attack on Taranto would have been impossible. I well know what long monotonous flying time they have to put in and I am very grateful to them. The work over Taranto has been particularly valuable and gave us all we wanted to know. Good luck and my grateful thanks again for your cooperation

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Most reconnaissance aircraft, built for speed and a high ceiling, were unarmed to reduce weight. But the American Maryland, built primarily as a light bomber, had forward- and rear-facing guns, enabling Warburton and his crew's success in air combat. He achieved his 50th operational mission in February. His reputation of always returning with the goods was now well-established, and he was often selected for special tasks, constantly varying his tactics to achieve the best results. Sometimes he flew at height, and on others extremely low. He took photographs of the Tragino viaduct near Calitri in southern Italy, the target for an experimental raid by paratroopers. Some of his photographs before and after the raid were taken from the near-suicidal height of 25 feet (7.6 m). He located numerous enemy convoys supplying Axis forces in North Africa. Much was made of "Warby’s luck", but it was also used to protect the existence of another intelligence source: Ultra. Warburton was not always taken at his word, so heavy was the layer of secrecy, as illustrated when he reported an Italian ship by name and the harbour in which it was berthed. The RN did not accept the report. A few days later,…Citește mai mult

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1942 On his "rest tour", Warby promptly had his posting changed from No. 233 Squadron, a training unit, to No. 2 Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU). When 2 PRU acquired two Beaufighters, its commander, Squadron Leader Hugh McPhail, had them stripped of guns, cannon, and other equipment, to increase their speed and ceiling. By mid-November, Warburton was on operations over Crete. Both aircraft were then detached to Malta. Within 24 hours, he was revisiting his old haunts including Tripoli, all of Sicily, and southern Italy, once again under the direct control of Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd. Lloyd later described Warburton as "the absolute king of photographic reconnaissance, the pearl of the Mediterranean." "Warby’s luck" continued when he was attacked by a Hurricane. He said it was rather a poor show, as he only found one bullet hole, in his aircraft's left aileron. To the photographers who flew with him, Warburton showed no outward sign of fear. On 13 February 1942, he conducted a reconnaissance of Taranto accompanied by Corporal Ron Hadden, who said it took them two attempts to penetrate the harbour because of low cloud. Once inside, he flew three runs at 50 feet (15 m), despite intense flak. The…Citește mai mult

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In a single stroke, the balance of power in the Mediterranean had been altered. Announcing news to the House of Commons, Churchill spoke of "this glorious episode". Cunningham's despatch on the operation, published in 1947, said the success of the Fleet Air Arm attack was due in no small part to the excellent reconnaissance provided by 431 Flight under very difficult conditions and often in the face of fighter opposition. Warburton played an important part over Taranto, but some accounts unnecessarily embellish his involvement at the expense of the other crews. The success was that of 431 Flight, led by Tich Whiteley. Nevertheless, his performance formed the basis of a growing reputation. This gave his confidence an enormous boost. A legend began to develop and, from then on, it appeared as though Warburton could do no wrong. In mid-December he attacked a surfaced U-boat, and on Christmas Eve he shot down an Italian SM.75. On 27 December, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and his two sergeants, Frank Bastard and Paddy Moren, were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).

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1941 Warburton was promoted to flying officer on 3 January 1941. On 10 January 1941, 431 Flight was designated 69 Squadron, with Tich Whiteley in command. On paper, the squadron had twelve Marylands, but was short of spares and on some days only one aircraft was ready to fly. Later the same month, the citation for Warburton's Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was published in The London Gazette:

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This officer has carried out numerous long distance reconnaissance flights and has taken part in eight air combats. In October, 1940, he destroyed an aircraft, and again, early in December, he shot down an enemy bomber in flames. Flying Officer Warburton has at all times displayed a fine sense of devotion to duty.

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1943 By 1943, a new Warburton had emerged. His longer than regulation hair was gone and his flamboyant dress, at the least on the ground, was a thing of the past. By February, 69 Squadron was enormous, and was split into three squadrons. The PR flight became 683 Squadron, with him in command. Soon afterwards, he met Elliott Roosevelt, son of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Elliot commanded all US photo-reconnaissance units in North Africa, and he and Warby developed a close friendship. It was to have fateful consequences.

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One of the newcomers to Warburton's squadron was 20-year-old Canadian William Keir Carr, known as Bill. When he reported to Warburton, he found him in a revetment shack, stretched out on a table drinking tea surrounded by airmen. Carr soon recognised Warburton's leadership as inspirational. He was no longer the loner of his early days in Malta. He personally flew all the missions targeting the heavily defended island of Pantelleria. Keith Durbridge, one of 683 Squadron's pilots, later remarked that Warburton was the only pilot he ever heard of who was fired at by anti-aircraft batteries from above. His photographs allowed Allied planners to pinpoint every defensive location, which were then subjected to a merciless bombardment. As soon as the invading force (Operation Corkscrew) was sighted, Pantelleria's garrison surrendered. Warby also undertook the photography of the landing beaches for the Allied invasion of Sicily. He covered all four missions from a height of 200 feet (61 m). Hugh O'Neil flew the fighter escort and commented that Warburton was undeterred by the flak, simply smoking a large cigar as he went about his task. "The vertical and low oblique photographs of the coastline, which General Patton considered 'essential to the success…Citește mai mult

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1944 Warby was a consummate planner. He told his father Elliot Roosevelt was moving on and he hoped to accompany him. Roosevelt commanded the 90th Reconnaissance Wing (the size of an RAF group), which included 336 Wing. The group was in the process of moving to San Severo, on the Foggia Plain in southern Italy. Canadian Bill Carr from 683 Squadron described what Warburton then did:

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Growing tired of being bed-ridden, he climbed out of the window, "borrowed" a vehicle, and made his way to the airport. There, he located some old friends who helped him cut off his cast. He borrowed shorts and a shirt, and a Mark IX Spit from a friendly squadron commander, and flew to see use of his old squadron, now located in Italy.

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Warburton had no parachute and no maps. The aircraft had no oxygen, yet he coped with clouds which topped out at 25,000 feet (7,600 m). The following day, he visited old friends on 683 Squadron at San Severo. Not long afterwards, General Eisenhower requested Elliot Roosevelt's transfer to England, along with key personnel from 90th Wing, to set up a new reconnaissance wing. Warburton was one of those chosen, although officially he was still listed as "sick". The new wing was the 325th Reconnaissance Wing based at the 8th Army Air Force HQ at High Wycombe. One of the subordinate units was the American 7th Photo-Recce Group (PRG) at RAF Mount Farm near Oxford. On 1 April 1944, Warby was posted as the RAF Liaison Officer to the 7th PRG. It is unclear how much the American authorities had known of his medical category, as he had been at Mount Farm since late January or early February. He was the pilot of one of two Lockheed F-5B photo-reconnaissance aircraft (a version of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter) that took off together from Mount Farm on the morning of 12 April 1944 to photograph targets in Germany. Although, as a liaison…Citește mai mult

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Private life Warburton married Eileen Adelaide Mitchell, known as Betty, on 28 October 1939. He was 21 and had known her for only a few weeks. She was 27, a divorcee with a nine-year-old daughter in her parents' care. Warburton did not tell his parents of the marriage, then or later, and in a clear breach of regulations, did not inform the RAF. He never altered his RAF next-of-kin forms, which named his father. Although he rented a bungalow near Thorney Island where he was based, he virtually ignored his new wife, visited rarely, and lived in the officers' mess, as required by RAF regulations. In later years, Mrs Warburton said they never lived together. In July 1940, on hearing he was in Blackpool, she travelled there to agree to a divorce. They met, but divorce papers were never served. She never saw Warburton again. By the time Warburton returned to North Coates, his complicated personal life was unravelling. He was in serious debt and his future as an officer looked bleak. He was then sent to Malta. However, the RAF was not ignoring his situation. His commanding officer in Malta, Tich Whiteley, arranged to have part of his pay…Citește mai mult