To mark this year’s 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the Museum has published a booklet for children on Billy Drake, one of ‘Few’, who flew and fought from RAF Tangmere during the battle in October 1940. Billy became one of the most successful Second World War fighter pilots, claiming 24 enemy aircraft destroyed.
He joined the RAF on a short service commission before the war and served with No 1 Squadron at Tangmere flying the Hawker Fury bi-plane fighter, the fastest fighter of its day. He later served in the Battle of France, in Sierra Leone and in the North African western desert where he became the highest scoring Curtiss Kittyhawk fighter pilot. In 1944 he commanded a Typhoon Wing on the build up to D-Day before he was finally taken off operations.
The booklet, written and illustrated by the Museum’s David Coxon, has been designed by Pete Pitman and is available in the Museum’s shop, priced £2
