Personnel Index - Detail

Name
PATCHETT
First Names
Arthur Victor
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Service
RAF
Service Number
128674
Crew Position
Navigator
Posting In
Posted in 3/44 and out 11/44 (possibly to 617Sqn)

 

Awarded the DFC.

Flew 17 operations with 49Sqn.



Crew IDs are being worked upon......the red circles indicate groundcrew.......click the image or this link for a larger version (in a new window)

These photographs show a crew with four officers so, with the two styles of officer uniforms, the line-up could possibly be........

Lt J F Stevens (Pilot)
Sgt L Pysden (RG)
Sgt E Smith (FE)
F/O J T Smeaton (WOp)
F/L A V Patchett (Nav)
F/O K S Stokoe (BA)
F/Sgt W A Wankling (MuG)

The above images are courtesy of Martin Gledhill

The information and image below was gathered by Ashley Hales:

49Sqn Association

F/L Patchett was born in 1912 in Shipley, Yorkshire.
He was educated at Bellvue and Bradford Technical Colleges.

The London Gazette 15 September 1944,4271 records that F/Lt Patchett was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) Service Number 128674 on 15 July 42 (having previously been Temporary Flight Sergeant, service No. 105340).
He was promoted to F/O (on probation) war substantive on 15/1/44 and was awarded the DFC on 12/9/44.

He resigned his commission on 4/8/57. At the time he held the rank of Flight Lieutenant, but under the terms of the Army, Navy and Air Force Act 1954 was permitted to hold the retired rank of Squadron Leader.

According to the Air Ministry Bulletin (No. 15550) issued at the time of the award of his DFC, this was one of many awarded to a number of aircrew for completing "many successful operations during which he displayed high skill. fortitude and devotion to duty" - in other words for completing his tour of operations, rather than any specific action.