Billy Drake | |
|---|---|
 Wing Commander Billy Drake in 1943. | |
| Born | 20 December 1917 London, England |
| Died | 28 August 2011 (aged 93) Teignmouth, Devon, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1963 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Commands | RAF Chivenor (1962–63) No. 20 Wing RAF (1943–44) Krendi Wing (1943) No. 112 Squadron RAF (1942–43) No. 128 Squadron RAF (1941–42) No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight RAF (1940–41) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) |
Group Captain Billy Drake, DSO, DFC & Bar (20 December 1917 – 28 August 2011) was a British fighter pilot and air ace. He was credited officially with 18 enemy aircraft destroyed, two shared, two unconfirmed, four probables, two shared probables and five damaged and one shared damaged with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.[1] Further revisions to these statistics increased this total to 20 destroyed and seven damaged with a further 13 destroyed and four damaged on the ground.[2]
Drake flew Hawker Hurricanes, Supermarine Spitfires and Curtiss P-40s (Tomahawks/Kittyhawks), with squadrons based in France, England, West Africa, North Africa and Malta. He was the top-scoring RAF P-40 pilot and the second-highest-scoring British Commonwealth P-40 pilot, behind Clive Caldwell.[3]
- ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 231.
- ^ Shores 2008, p. 12.
- ^ Thomas 2005, p. 102.