George Palliser
Encyclopedia
Flight Lieutenant
George Charles Calder "Tich" Palliser, DFC
, AE
was a famed World War II Royal Air Force
fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain
, and was one of the remaining members known as "The Few
".
, Palliser was educated at Brougham School and later attended a Technical School.
in April 1940. Pallister converted to Hurricanes
at No. 6 OTU at RAF Sutton Bridge
in July 1940 and joined No. 17 Squadron RAF at RAF Debden
on 3 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain
. He moved to No. 43 Squadron RAF
at RAF Tangmere
on 18 August 1940 and then No. 249 Squadron RAF
at RAF North Weald on 14 September 1940. During the Battle of Britain, Palliser claimed eight victories.
Pallister was commissioned in April 1941 and embarked with 249 Sqn on HMS Furious
on 10 May and sailed for Gibraltar
, and on arrival the squadron transferred to HMS Ark Royal
. The squadron flew to Ta' Qali on 21 May 1941 to take part in the Battle of Malta
. During that battle he claimed a further five victories.
In January 1942 he was posted to No. 605 Squadron RAF
as flight commander. Palliser was awarded the Distinguised Flying Cross
, which was gazetted on 30 Jan 1942. He left Malta on 26 February 1942 as one of the island's longest serving pilots.
He was quoted as saying:
He arrived at No. 25 Air School at Standerton
, South Africa on 28 March 1942 to be an instructor at the school. Palliser was posted to No. 62 CFS, Bloemfontein
on 17 July, to 2 EFTS Randfontein on 19 October and then to 4 EFTS Benoni
on 2 September 1943. He was admitted to Baragwanath
Military Hospital in Johannesburg
on 21 January 1944 and remained there until leaving for Great Britain on 24 May 1944.
Palliser instructed at No. 15 EFTS at RAF Kingstown
from September 1944. He moved to No. 10 FTS at RAF Woodley on 19 September 1945 where he instructed until 16 March 1946. Palliser was at instructor at the CFS at RAF South Cerney
until October 1946 when he was posted as an instructor to No. 23 flying school at Heany, Southern Rhodesia.
In October 1947 Palliser retired from the RAF, at the rank of Flight Lieutenant
.
Palliser lived with his daughter in Victoria, Australia. He used his profile as a Battle of Britain veteran to raise funds for the new education centre at the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
. He was a keen follower of modern technology - even having his own facebook
account.
He passed away on 24th September 2011 in Black Rock, Victoria
, Australia..
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"...
George Charles Calder "Tich" Palliser, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, AE
Air Efficiency Award
The Air Efficiency award, abbreviated to AE when placed after a holder's name, was a United Kingdom honour given for ten years' efficient service in the Reserve Air Forces of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Empire. Unlike other long service and meritorious conduct awards, both officers and...
was a famed World War II 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...
fighter pilot 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...
, and was one of the remaining members known as "The Few
The Few
The Few is a term used to describe the Allied airmen of the Royal Air Force who fought the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. It comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few"....
".
Early life
Born in West HartlepoolWest Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, Palliser was educated at Brougham School and later attended a Technical School.
Military career
Palliser joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1939 as an airman under training as a pilot. He was called up to full-time service, at the rank of Sergeant Pilot, at the outbreak of war and was posted to No. 3 ITW Hasting, moved to No. 11 EFTS Perth on 5 Dec 1939 and went to No. 6 FTS at RAF Little RissingtonRAF Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington is an RAF aerodrome and former RAF station in Gloucestershire, England. It was once home to the Central Flying School, the Vintage Pair and the Red Arrows.Built during the 1930s, the station was opened in 1938 and closed in 1994...
in April 1940. Pallister converted to Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
at No. 6 OTU at RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Sutton Bridge is a former RAF airfield found next to the village of Sutton Bridge in the south-east of Lincolnshire. The airfield was to the south of the current A17, and east of the River Nene, next to Walpole in Norfolk.-History:...
in July 1940 and joined No. 17 Squadron RAF at RAF Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
on 3 August 1940 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...
. He moved to No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
at RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere
RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, located at Tangmere village about 3 miles east of Chichester in West Sussex, England. American RAF pilot Billy Fiske died at Tangmere and was the first American aviator to die during World War II...
on 18 August 1940 and then No. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence.-First formation:...
at RAF North Weald on 14 September 1940. During the Battle of Britain, Palliser claimed eight victories.
Pallister was commissioned in April 1941 and embarked with 249 Sqn on HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
on 10 May and sailed for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and on arrival the squadron transferred to HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design...
. The squadron flew to Ta' Qali on 21 May 1941 to take part in the Battle of Malta
Battle of Malta
The Battle of Malta took place on 8 July 1283 in the entrance to the Grand Harbour, the principal harbor of Malta, when a galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria defeated a fleet of Angevin galleys commanded by William Cornut and Bartholomew Bonvin...
. During that battle he claimed a further five victories.
In January 1942 he was posted to No. 605 Squadron RAF
No. 605 Squadron RAF
No 605 Squadron was formed as an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Initially formed as a bomber unit, it was one of the most successful participants of the Battle of Britain. It also had the distinction of being active during World War II at two fronts at a time, when the squadron was split up between...
as flight commander. Palliser was awarded the Distinguised Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, which was gazetted on 30 Jan 1942. He left Malta on 26 February 1942 as one of the island's longest serving pilots.
He was quoted as saying:
He arrived at No. 25 Air School at Standerton
Standerton
Standerton is a large commercial and agricultural town lying on the banks of the Vaal River in Mpumalanga, South Africa which specialises in cattle, dairy, maize and poultry farming. The town was established in 1876 and named after Boer leader Commadant AH Stander. During the Second Boer War a...
, South Africa on 28 March 1942 to be an instructor at the school. Palliser was posted to No. 62 CFS, Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
on 17 July, to 2 EFTS Randfontein on 19 October and then to 4 EFTS Benoni
Benoni, Gauteng
Benoni is a city with 654,509 inhabitants on the East Rand in the South African province of Gauteng. Since 2000, it has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.- History :...
on 2 September 1943. He was admitted to Baragwanath
Baragwanath
Baragwanath is a Cornish language surname originating in west Cornwall in the UK. As a result of emigration members of the Baragwanath family can now be found in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand...
Military Hospital in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on 21 January 1944 and remained there until leaving for Great Britain on 24 May 1944.
Palliser instructed at No. 15 EFTS at RAF Kingstown
RAF Carlisle
RAF Carlisle was a Royal Air Force establishment, now closed after being used for a variety of roles over a period of fifty eight years and formerly located north of Carlisle city centre in Cumbria, England....
from September 1944. He moved to No. 10 FTS at RAF Woodley on 19 September 1945 where he instructed until 16 March 1946. Palliser was at instructor at the CFS at RAF South Cerney
RAF South Cerney
RAF South Cerney is an airfield which is now the home of the Joint Air Mounting Centre. It is located in the village of South Cerney near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England....
until October 1946 when he was posted as an instructor to No. 23 flying school at Heany, Southern Rhodesia.
In October 1947 Palliser retired from the RAF, at 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"...
.
Victories
| Date | Aircraft Type | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1940 | Do 17 | Destroyed (Shared) | |
| 21 Sep 1940 | Do 17 | Damaged | |
| 27 Sep 1940 | Me 110 | Destroyed | |
| 27 Sep 1940 | Me 110 | Destroyed | |
| 21 Oct 1940 | Do 17 | Damaged | |
| 7 Nov 1940 | Me 109 | Destroyed | |
| 4 Feb 1941 | Me 110 | Destroyed | |
| 10 Feb 1941 | Me 109 | Probable Destruction | |
| 7/8 Jun 1941 | SM 79 | Probable Destruction | |
| 12 Jun 1941 | Z506B | Destroyed (Shared) | |
| 18 Jun 1941 | Mc200 | Destroyed (Shared) | |
| 19 Jun 1941 | SM81 | Destroyed (Shared) | |
| 20 Dec 1941 | Ju88 | Destroyed | |
| 20 Dec 1941 | Me 109 | Destroyed | |
| 24 Dec 1941 | Ju88 | Destroyed (Shared) | |
| 24 Dec 1941 | Ju88 | Destroyed (Shared) |
Post-war
Following his career in the RAF, Palliser moved to South Africa with his family. He settled and recommenced his career as an engineer, including ship and plane building. An illustrious career, incluing senior positions in the mining industry later took him and his family to the United States, Asia, and finally Australia.Palliser lived with his daughter in Victoria, Australia. He used his profile as a Battle of Britain veteran to raise funds for the new education centre at the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
The Battle of Britain Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. It is sited on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent. It was initiated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, and opened by the Queen Mother on July 9 1993...
. He was a keen follower of modern technology - even having his own facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
account.
He passed away on 24th September 2011 in Black Rock, Victoria
Black Rock, Victoria
Black Rock is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Black Rock had a population of 5796.-History:...
, Australia..