Maurice Mounsdon
Maurice Mounsdon | |
---|---|
Birth name | Maurice Hewlett Mounsdon |
Nickname(s) | Mark |
Born | Lichfield, Staffordshire, England | 11 February 1918
Died | 6 December 2019 Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain | (aged 101)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1939–1946 |
Rank | Flight lieutenant |
Unit | No. 56 Squadron RAF |
Battles/wars | Battle of Britain |
Service in the RAF
Maurice "Mark" Mounsdon started training on 24 August 1939 and joined 56 Squadron on 3 June 1940 during the Battle of Britain.[1] Flying a Hurricane, he participated in shooting down a Dornier Do 17 bomber on 3 July and was later credited with the probable destruction of a Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka".[2] In mid-August he destroyed two Messerschmitt fighters and a likely third. He shot down or damaged about seven German aircraft before being downed by German fighters over Colchester on 31 August 1940. He survived but was badly burned and spent nine months in hospitals including Black Notley and the Queen Victoria Hospital – famous for its specialist work on burns and the Guinea Pig Club.[3][4]
While recovering, he served at the HQ at
Life after the war
During his recuperation, Mounsdon married Mary, whom he had known since childhood, and in the 1970s they retired to Menorca. Mary died in 1993. In September 2018, for Mousdon's 100th birthday, the Red Arrows made a flypast over the island in his honour.[8][9][1] Mounsdon died on 6 December 2019 at the age of 101, at a nursing home on Menorca.[10] The head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Michael Wigston, said that "[Mounsdon's] bravery and sacrifice should never be forgotten."[8][11][12]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9781909166370
- ^ ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ Battle of Britain pilot Maurice Mounsdon dies aged 101, BBC, 9 December 2019
- ^ "P/O M H Mounsdon", Battle of Britain Monument, Battle of Britain Historical Society, 2007
- ISBN 978-1-4738-4770-5.
- ^ Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Patents. U.S. Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office. 1977. p. 662.
- ^ "Battle of Britain pilot Maurice Mounsdon". RAF Memorial Flight Club. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ www.bbc.co.uk. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Graham Keeley (20 September 2018), "War hero, 100, given a fitting birthday treat", The Times
- ^ "Battle of Britain hero Maurice Mounsden dies". Theleader.info. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "Battle of Britain hero Maurice Mounsdon dies, aged 101". ITV News. ITV plc. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Maurice Mounsdon: One of final living Battle Of Britain pilots dies aged 101". Sky News. Sky UK. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.