Terry Spencer (pilot)
Encyclopedia
Squadron Leader
Terence "Terry" Spencer DFC
(18 March 1918 – 8 February 2009) was a World War II
Royal Air Force
fighter pilot
, and later a war photographer
for Life
magazine.
raid in Bedford
, England
, the son of an engineering company owner. Educated at Cheltenham College
, Spencer took an engineering degree at the University of Birmingham
.
, commissioned from Acting Lance Corporal to Second Lieutenant on 20 December 1939.
In February 1941, due to the losses of pilots during the Battle of Britain
, an Army Council Instruction (ACI) was issued which stated that British Army
personnel could apply to transfer to the RAF, which 18,000 officers took up.
In June 1943, Spencer was promoted to Flight Commander of the unit, and four months later to Flight Lieutenant (WS). Having spent 15 months with 26 Squadron, he was posted to 165 (Ceylon) Squadron
at Culmhead as a Flight Commander at the beginning of February 1944, flying Spitfire IXs.
Spencer was posted to No. 41 Squadron RAF
as OC, A Flight, on 28 May 1944, where he flew Supermarine Spitfire
Mk. XII's. Between 23 June and 28 August 1945, he claimed no less than seven V-1 flying bomb
s destroyed, but an eighth is also recorded in his logbook that did not make it to the official records. One of these he succeeded in destroying by tipping it up with the wing of his aircraft, an event sketched into his logbook by fellow pilot and amateur artist, Flt. Lt. Tom Slack, who titled the drawing “Tip ‘em Up Terry”.
In early September 1944, Spencer led a section of four pilots on an armed reconnaissance over Belgium where they encountered two of the Luftwaffe’s highest-scoring Aces, Hpt. Emil ‘Bully’ Lang, the Commanding Officer of II/JG26 (173 victories) and Lt. Alfred Gross (52 victories), in FW190s over Tirlemont. Although one of his section was killed, the two Aces were shot down, Lang killed and Gross so seriously wounded that he did not return to service before the end of the War.
In November, Spencer led 41 Squadron’s advance party to Diest
, arriving in Belgium almost a month ahead of the rest of the unit. He then returned to RAF Lympne to brief the Squadron on conditions at their first Continental base of the War.
Promoted to Squadron Leader, Spencer was posted to No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron on 4 January 1945. On 26 February 1945, he was hit by flak in the Rheine-Lingen area of Germany and captured. Just over a month later, when the camp's main gate was left open, he escaped by bicycle, and subsequently motorcycle, with another ex-41 Squadron pilot, Sqn. Ldr. K. F. ‘Jimmy’ Thiele, in a Steve-McQueen-style getaway, in which the pair made it back to Allied lines.
Rejoining No. 350, he once again took over command between 2 and 19 April 1945. On this latter date, he was shot down once again, this time by rocket fire while strafing a trawler
in Wismar Bay. He succeeded in baling out and deploying his parachute at a height of just 30 feet (9.1 m), which he miraculously survived, only to be captured again. The successful jump has since been credited by the Guinness Book of Records as having been the lowest authenticated survived bale-out on record.
Spencer was injured and hospitalised, but liberated by advancing Allied armies approximately two weeks later. Spencer was awarded an immediate DFC for his exploits and, in 1947, was also awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal and the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm.
The citation for his DFC on 22 June 1945 read,
, a small single-engine plane, without radio, dinghy or emergency supplies, on an 8000 miles (12,874.7 km) flight to South Africa
.
Having married, based outside Johannesburg
Spencer and his wife started a successful aerial photography
business based around a Piper Cub. In 1952, he started shooting for LIFE magazine, covering war stories in African continent, including Sharpville and the Congo Crisis
. Commissioned by LIFE to shot in other war torn locations, he covered the Vietnam war
, crises in the Middle East
, Indonesia
, and Cuba
after the Bay of Pigs Invasion
.
In 1963 he returned to England to photograph "Swinging London". While there, at the request of his daughter Cara, Spencer followed the (at the time largely unknown) band The Beatles
, and documented them for several months and shooting more than 5,000 pictures. It resulted in a definitive pictorial book on the band It Was 30 Years Ago Today. This resulted in him shooting celebrity stories for People
magazine, the originals and classification of which are now stored in the libraries of Rockarchive.
. The couple had two daughters, while their only son died in infancy. The couple wrote a book about their lives, called Living Dangerously.
Spencer died in hospital in Odiham
, Hampshire
of cancer
, aged 90, less than 24 hours after the death of his wife.
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Terence "Terry" Spencer 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...
(18 March 1918 – 8 February 2009) was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
, and later a war photographer
War Photographer
War Photographer is a documentary by Christian Frei about the photographer James Nachtwey. As well as telling the story of an iconic man in the field of war photography, the film addresses the broader scope of ideas common to all those involved in war journalism, as well as the issues that they...
for Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine.
Biography
Terence Spencer was born in 1918 during a ZeppelinZeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
raid in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of an engineering company owner. Educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
, Spencer took an engineering degree at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
.
Military career
On graduation, he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and then transferred to the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, commissioned from Acting Lance Corporal to Second Lieutenant on 20 December 1939.
In February 1941, due to the losses of pilots 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...
, an Army Council Instruction (ACI) was issued which stated that British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
personnel could apply to transfer to the RAF, which 18,000 officers took up.
RAF service
Spencer transferred to the RAFVR and was commissioned on 10 October 1941 (RAF No. 47269). He completed his entire flying training in the United Kingdom, and was already a Flying Officer by the time of his posting to his first operational unit, 26 Squadron at Gatwick, in November 1942.In June 1943, Spencer was promoted to Flight Commander of the unit, and four months later to Flight Lieutenant (WS). Having spent 15 months with 26 Squadron, he was posted to 165 (Ceylon) Squadron
No. 165 Squadron RAF
No. 165 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force that was formed during World War I & served during World War II. The squadron has been formed twice....
at Culmhead as a Flight Commander at the beginning of February 1944, flying Spitfire IXs.
Spencer was posted to No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
as OC, A Flight, on 28 May 1944, where he flew 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...
Mk. XII's. Between 23 June and 28 August 1945, he claimed no less than seven V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
s destroyed, but an eighth is also recorded in his logbook that did not make it to the official records. One of these he succeeded in destroying by tipping it up with the wing of his aircraft, an event sketched into his logbook by fellow pilot and amateur artist, Flt. Lt. Tom Slack, who titled the drawing “Tip ‘em Up Terry”.
In early September 1944, Spencer led a section of four pilots on an armed reconnaissance over Belgium where they encountered two of the Luftwaffe’s highest-scoring Aces, Hpt. Emil ‘Bully’ Lang, the Commanding Officer of II/JG26 (173 victories) and Lt. Alfred Gross (52 victories), in FW190s over Tirlemont. Although one of his section was killed, the two Aces were shot down, Lang killed and Gross so seriously wounded that he did not return to service before the end of the War.
In November, Spencer led 41 Squadron’s advance party to Diest
Diest
Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of...
, arriving in Belgium almost a month ahead of the rest of the unit. He then returned to RAF Lympne to brief the Squadron on conditions at their first Continental base of the War.
Promoted to Squadron Leader, Spencer was posted to No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron on 4 January 1945. On 26 February 1945, he was hit by flak in the Rheine-Lingen area of Germany and captured. Just over a month later, when the camp's main gate was left open, he escaped by bicycle, and subsequently motorcycle, with another ex-41 Squadron pilot, Sqn. Ldr. K. F. ‘Jimmy’ Thiele, in a Steve-McQueen-style getaway, in which the pair made it back to Allied lines.
Rejoining No. 350, he once again took over command between 2 and 19 April 1945. On this latter date, he was shot down once again, this time by rocket fire while strafing a trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
in Wismar Bay. He succeeded in baling out and deploying his parachute at a height of just 30 feet (9.1 m), which he miraculously survived, only to be captured again. The successful jump has since been credited by the Guinness Book of Records as having been the lowest authenticated survived bale-out on record.
Spencer was injured and hospitalised, but liberated by advancing Allied armies approximately two weeks later. Spencer was awarded an immediate DFC for his exploits and, in 1947, was also awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal and the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm.
The citation for his DFC on 22 June 1945 read,
Photographic career
In February 1946 after being demobilised, Spencer was asked by the Percival Aircraft Company to ferry solo a Percival ProctorPercival Proctor
The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model.-Design and development:...
, a small single-engine plane, without radio, dinghy or emergency supplies, on an 8000 miles (12,874.7 km) flight to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Having married, based outside 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...
Spencer and his wife started a successful aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
business based around a Piper Cub. In 1952, he started shooting for LIFE magazine, covering war stories in African continent, including Sharpville and the Congo Crisis
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
. Commissioned by LIFE to shot in other war torn locations, he covered the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, crises in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
after the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
.
In 1963 he returned to England to photograph "Swinging London". While there, at the request of his daughter Cara, Spencer followed the (at the time largely unknown) band The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and documented them for several months and shooting more than 5,000 pictures. It resulted in a definitive pictorial book on the band It Was 30 Years Ago Today. This resulted in him shooting celebrity stories for People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine, the originals and classification of which are now stored in the libraries of Rockarchive.
Personal life
Spencer married the actress Lesley BrookLesley Brook
-Selected filmography:* The Vulture * The Man Who Made Diamonds * The Viper * The Dark Stairway * The Nursemaid Who Disappeared * The Bells Go Down * When We Are Married...
. The couple had two daughters, while their only son died in infancy. The couple wrote a book about their lives, called Living Dangerously.
Spencer died in hospital in Odiham
Odiham
Odiham is a historic village and large civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It is twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. The current population is 4,406. The parish contains an acreage of 7,354 acres with 50 acres of land covered with water. The nearest...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, aged 90, less than 24 hours after the death of his wife.
Combat Record
| Date | Service | Flying | Kills | Probables | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 June 1944 | 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... |
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... |
1 * V-1 | No.41 Sqdrn, Over Hastings Hastings Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900.... |
|
| 25 June 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Hastings | |
| 9 August 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Hastings | |
| 19 August 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Appledore Appledore -Places in England:* Appledore, Mid Devon, near Tiverton* Appledore, Kent* Appledore railway station* Appledore, Torridge, Devon, near Bideford-Ships and shipbuilding:* Appledore II , schooner based in Camden, Maine... |
|
| 23 August 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Folkestone Folkestone Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its... |
|
| 23 August 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Harrietsham Harrietsham Harrietsham is a rural village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, it has a population of around 1,504. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs, east of Maidstone... |
|
| 27 August 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * V-1 | Over Rye Rye Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder... |
|
| 3 September 1944 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * FW-190 | No.41 Sqdrn from Tienen | |
| 19 April 1945 | Royal Air Force | Spitfire | 1 * Ju88 | Destroyed on the ground at Lauenburg | |
| TOTALS | 2 kill, 8 V-1's | 0 probable | |||