Francis Dawson-Paul
Encyclopedia
Francis Dawson-Paul was a fighter ace
in the Fleet Air Arm
of the Royal Navy
during the Second World War. He was seconded to the Royal Air Force
during the Battle of Britain
serving with No. 64 Squadron RAF
. Between the 1 and 25 July he shot down seven and a half German aircraft and was then shot down himself over the English Channel
. Taken prisoner by the crew of a German E-boat
he died of his wounds five days later. In those 24 days of combat he became the first naval air ace of the battle and the highest scoring naval ace on the Supermarine Spitfire
, a record which still stood by the end of the war.
London, the son of Joseph Dawson Paul and Flavie Leonie Paul. In 1934 he gained a commission in the Reserve of Air Force Officers and reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant
before having to resign due to ill health on the 5 May 1937.
of the Royal Navy
when war was declared and commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
on 26 September 1939. He then commenced training with 758 Naval Air Squadron at HMS Raven
at Eastleigh
. A shortage of fighter pilots just prior to the Battle of Britain
led to the Fleet Air Arm asking for volunteers to serve with the Royal Air Force
(RAF) Fighter Command. Dawson-Paul was one of 23 naval aviators who volunteered to be seconded to the Royal Air Force.
Sub-Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul was posted to the 7 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Hawarden
, North Wales, for a conversion course to the Supermarine Spitfire
on 23 June. After the course he was posted to No. 64 Squadron RAF
which at the time was based at RAF Kenley
located to the south of London. The squadron had been issued with the Supermarine Spitfire in April 1940, a type of plane not yet in use with the Fleet Air Arm. Before Dawson-Paul joined them they had been working over the beaches of Dunkirk providing air cover for Operation Dynamo the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Dawson-Paul arrived at RAF Kenley on 1 July, he was involved in operations from the first day assisting in the destruction of a Dornier Do 17
, the first of the naval pilots seconded to the RAF to put in a claim. He later described the action in detail:
Dawson-Paul's first outright victory was four days later on 5 July when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109
over Rouen
; on his way home he made a forced landing at RAF Hawkinge
. His next victim was a Messerschmitt Bf 110
on 7 July, followed by two more Messerschmitt Bf 110s shot down on 13 July and a third claimed as probably shot down. He shot down his second Dornier Do 17 on 24 July. His final victory was a Messerschmitt Bf 109 of JG 26 on 25 July, unfortunately he was also shot down himself later the same day. Severely wounded, he was picked up from the English Channel by a German E-boat
, becoming a prisoner of war
. He died of his wounds five days later on 30 July 1940 and was buried in the Hardinghen
churchyard in France.
included him on a postage stamp
issued to commemorate the seventieth Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Second World War. He was seconded to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during the Battle of Britain
Battle 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...
serving with No. 64 Squadron RAF
No. 64 Squadron RAF
No. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was last disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars.- 1916 to 1919 :...
. Between the 1 and 25 July he shot down seven and a half German aircraft and was then shot down himself 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...
. Taken prisoner by the crew of a German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
he died of his wounds five days later. In those 24 days of combat he became the first naval air ace of the battle and the highest scoring naval ace on the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine 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...
, a record which still stood by the end of the war.
History
Francis Dawson-Paul was born on 18 February 1916 in ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
London, the son of Joseph Dawson Paul and Flavie Leonie Paul. In 1934 he gained a commission in the Reserve of Air Force Officers and reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
before having to resign due to ill health on the 5 May 1937.
Second World War
Dawson-Paul enlisted in the Fleet Air ArmFleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
when war was declared and commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
on 26 September 1939. He then commenced training with 758 Naval Air Squadron at HMS Raven
HMS Raven
Fourteen ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Raven, after birds of the genus Corvus, particularly the Common Raven:...
at Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
. A shortage of fighter pilots just prior to the Battle of Britain
Battle 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...
led to the Fleet Air Arm asking for volunteers to serve with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Fighter Command. Dawson-Paul was one of 23 naval aviators who volunteered to be seconded to the Royal Air Force.
Sub-Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul was posted to the 7 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, North Wales, for a conversion course to the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine 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...
on 23 June. After the course he was posted to No. 64 Squadron RAF
No. 64 Squadron RAF
No. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was last disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars.- 1916 to 1919 :...
which at the time was based at RAF Kenley
RAF Kenley
The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was a station of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and the RAF in World War II. It is located near Kenley, London, England.-History:...
located to the south of London. The squadron had been issued with the Supermarine Spitfire in April 1940, a type of plane not yet in use with the Fleet Air Arm. Before Dawson-Paul joined them they had been working over the beaches of Dunkirk providing air cover for Operation Dynamo the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Dawson-Paul arrived at RAF Kenley on 1 July, he was involved in operations from the first day assisting in the destruction of a Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
, the first of the naval pilots seconded to the RAF to put in a claim. He later described the action in detail:
As Blue 2 I was ordered to scramble with Blue section at 1830 hours to patrol base at 20000 feet (6,096 m). I first reported a streak of white smoke, which I identified was condensing exhaust gases coming from what I thought was the enemy aircraft. This streak was about 14 miles (22.5 km) ahead and to the starboard of me-I was about 2 miles (3.2 km) behind Blue 1, as my engine was not giving full power.
Crossing the coast I passed a section of HurricanesHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and as I drew nearer I saw another section in line astern preparing to attack. I concluded that the enemy aircraft must have sighted the Hurricanes and Blue 1, as it started to take evasive action and lost height in a steep spiral. I followed down drawing towards it and after the Hurricanes and Blue 1 had delivered their attacks, I overhauled it and opened fire at approximately 150 yards (137.2 m)s, closing up to about 50 yards (45.7 m) as I gave it three bursts.I saw my bullets enter the rear portion of the enemy aircraft. I broke away to port, gained height and delivered another attack from the rear.
This time the enemy aircraft turned to port and I broke to starboard and I was just positioning myself for another attack when I saw the enemy aircraft strike the water and sink almost at once. My aircraft was hit four times,twice in the starboard main plane and twice underneath the rudder.I returned to Kenly at approximately 1955 hours.
Dawson-Paul's first outright victory was four days later on 5 July when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
over Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
; on his way home he made a forced landing at RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
. His next victim was 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...
on 7 July, followed by two more Messerschmitt Bf 110s shot down on 13 July and a third claimed as probably shot down. He shot down his second Dornier Do 17 on 24 July. His final victory was a Messerschmitt Bf 109 of JG 26 on 25 July, unfortunately he was also shot down himself later the same day. Severely wounded, he was picked up from the English Channel by a German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
, becoming a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. He died of his wounds five days later on 30 July 1940 and was buried in the Hardinghen
Hardinghen
Hardinghen is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Calais, at the junction of the D127 and D191 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
churchyard in France.
Legacy
Sub-Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul was the first naval ace of the Second World War. His seven and a half confirmed victories and one probable places him eighth on the list of Royal Navy aces during the conflict. If the list did not include shared victories he would be second. All his victories were achieved during 25 days in July 1940, but by the end of the war he was still the leading naval ace on the Supermarine Spitfire. To recognise his achievements in May 2010, the Falkland IslandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
included him on a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
issued to commemorate the seventieth Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.