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Since the commencement of hostilities, Squadron Leader
Denholm has led his squadron, flight or section in innumerable operational patrols against the enemy. His magnificent leadership has contributed largely to the success of the squadron, which has destroyed fifty-four enemy aircraft in about six
372:
Two days later (1 September 1940), Denholm was back in action, and claimed a Bf 109 damaged. On 15 September claimed two Do 17's and a single Bf 109 damaged. However, it was during this sortie that he himself was shot down. His
Spitfire crashed at Warren Farm,
1082:
384:
Another damaged Bf 109 was claimed by
Denholm on 18 September and on 27 September. He shared a Bf 109 destroyed (plus a probable Bf 109 and a shared probable Bf 109). On 20 October 1940 he damaged another Bf 109.
506:. Hillary had been severely burnt after bailing out of a plane but managed to get back into active service. However, on 18 January 1943 he was killed along with his navigator when their
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837:, and in the 1950s was briefly a member of Bo’ness Municipal Council. He married Betty Tooms in 1939. They had two sons and two daughters.
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500:'s senior commander at No. 603 Squadron, and Hillary had written about how highly regarded "Uncle George" was in his 1943 memoir
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330:. It was the first German bomber to be shot down over Great Britain in the Second World War. On 12 March 1940 he damaged a
1102:
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In April 1941, he relinquished command of No. 603 Squadron and was posted as
Fighter Controller to the Operations Room at
197:
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in southern
England. Flying regular bomber interception sorties, Denholm claimed a probable He 111 on 26 June and shared
465:, where Norwegian and Danish squadrons operated. He developed a close friendship with the Norwegian Commanding Officer,
337:
Due to
Denholm being 32 at the time, and much older than other pilots in the squadron he was nicknamed "Uncle George".
1107:
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On 22 October 1940 acting
Squadron Leader Denholm was awarded the DFC. His citation in the London Gazette read:
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area and throughout northern France. Low flying was a perilous activity and the squadron suffered many losses.
314:. It was whilst on combat patrol in his Spitfire on 16 October 1939 that he shared in the shooting down of a
193:
38:
530:, claiming 6 confirmed destroyed (4 destroyed and 4 shared), 3 probables, 1 shared probable and 5 damaged.
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At
Cambridge, he joined the University Cadet Corps. In 1933, Denholm took an interest in planes and joined
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fighter-bombers and were tasked in the run up to D-Day in June 1944 with strafing enemy positions in the
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On 11 November he shot down and destroyed a Bf 109, and on 29 November he shot down another Bf 110.
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Denholm's last 'kill' came on 11 March 1943 when he shot down an unidentified enemy aircraft over
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469:, and Denholm accompanied him at the end of the war to receive the German surrender in Norway at
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in East
Lothian. In August 1939, Denholm was drafted as a flight commander to 603 Squadron at
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crashed during a night training exercise. Following the cremation of
Hillary's body at
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destroyed and another probable on 28 August. On 30 August, whilst in combat with
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weeks; four of these aircraft were destroyed by Squadron Leader Denholm himself.
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By the start of the Second World War, Denholm had converted to fly the new Mk.I
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in full swing in the summer of 1940, Denholm's squadron was transferred to
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and stayed with the RAF until discharged in 1947 as a group captain.
1008:
922:
218:(20 December 1908 – 15 June 1997) was a Scottish fighter pilot and
1038:
Saluting the few: the remarkable story of Edinburgh's 603 squadron
474:
439:. He latter remarked that the experiment was a great success.
1083:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
420:
In mid-December 1941 Denhom was posted as commander of
404:
in Edinburgh. On 10 May 1941, Denholm was on duty when
408:'s Bf 110 was intercepted over Scotland and the Reich
484:
in the Netherlands. In January 1945 he was awarded a
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Denholm subsequently became the Station Commander at
921:. Battle of Britain London Monument. Archived from
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514:, it was Denholm who scattered his ashes over the
369:in Kent he was shot down but managed to bail out.
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8:
1007:. Battle of Britain Monument. Archived from
442:In March 1942 he was posted as commander of
919:"The Airmen's Stories – S/Ldr. G L Denholm"
913:
911:
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875:
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31:
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833:Denholm returned to the family business,
1005:"The Airmen's Stories – F/O R H Hillary"
544:
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538:
532:
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238:, and is counted amongst the ranks of '
1093:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
1078:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
1068:People educated at Cargilfield School
16:Scottish fighter pilot and flying ace
7:
854:"Battle of Britain – Roll of Honour"
275:No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron
250:Denholm was born at Tidings Hill in
889:"Obituary: Gp Capt George Denholm"
318:(which was attempting to bomb the
14:
1073:People educated at Fettes College
1033:Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
450:. The squadron was equipped with
1098:British World War II flying aces
985:. 22 October 1940. p. 6134
983:His Majesty's Stationery Office
432:searchlights fitted to British
260:Cargilfield Preparatory School
1:
377:, but he came down safely at
334:off the coast near Aberdeen.
281:. He took flight training on
210:George Lovell "Uncle" Denholm
198:King Haakon VII Freedom Cross
547:
268:St John's College, Cambridge
266:, and later studied law at
1129:
190:Distinguished Flying Cross
526:Denholm ended the war an
279:Royal Auxiliary Air Force
30:
1088:Royal Air Force officers
592:Off coast near Aberdeen
194:Mentioned in Despatches
39:Thomas Cantrell Dugdale
690:Bf 109 and two Do 17s
395:
375:Fairlight, East Sussex
486:Mention in Despatches
452:de Havilland Mosquito
117:Years of service
86:Bo'ness, West Lothian
25:George Lovell Denholm
1103:Scottish flying aces
444:No. 605 Squadron RAF
359:Messerschmitt Bf 109
320:Forth Railway Bridge
37:Denholm in 1940, by
1063:People from Bo'ness
422:No. 1460 Flight RAF
1108:Shot-down aviators
1011:on 19 October 2013
981:. No. 34976.
978:The London Gazette
925:on 3 February 2014
732:27 September 1940
716:27 September 1940
700:18 September 1940
684:15 September 1940
357:on 3 July, plus a
835:J & J Denholm
826:
825:
817:No. 605 Squadron
799:No. 603 Squadron
796:29 November 1940
783:No. 603 Squadron
780:11 November 1940
767:No. 603 Squadron
748:No. 603 Squadron
735:No. 603 Squadron
719:No. 603 Squadron
703:No. 603 Squadron
687:No. 603 Squadron
671:No. 603 Squadron
668:1 September 1940
655:No. 603 Squadron
637:No. 603 Squadron
619:No. 603 Squadron
603:No. 603 Squadron
584:No. 603 Squadron
559:No. 603 Squadron
522:Air combat record
496:Denholm had been
347:Battle of Britain
341:Battle of Britain
236:Battle of Britain
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178:Battle of Britain
174:Second World War
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945:"George Denholm"
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887:(27 June 1997).
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764:20 October 1940
751:No. 64 Squadron
745:Shared probable
556:16 October 1939
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508:Bristol Blenheim
291:RAF East Fortune
228:Second World War
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164:No. 603 Squadron
154:No. 605 Squadron
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64:20 December 1908
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652:28 August 1940
634:28 August 1940
545:Enemy aircraft
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498:Richard Hillary
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492:Richard Hillary
463:RAF North Weald
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1027:External links
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814:11 March 1943
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416:Later commands
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412:was arrested.
351:RAF Hornchurch
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316:Heinkel He 111
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600:26 June 1940
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434:Douglas Havoc
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410:Deputy Führer
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402:RAF Turnhouse
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1013:. Retrieved
1009:the original
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987:. Retrieved
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952:. Retrieved
939:
927:. Retrieved
923:the original
898:. Retrieved
892:
858:. Retrieved
848:
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616:3 July 1940
572:East Lothian
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328:East Lothian
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287:RAF Macmerry
285:biplanes at
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256:West Lothian
249:
209:
205:
171:Battles/wars
82:(1997-06-15)
80:15 June 1997
71:West Lothian
18:
1058:1997 deaths
1053:1908 births
885:Tam Dalyell
482:Gilze-Rijen
467:Helge Mehre
406:Rudolf Hess
283:Airco DH.9A
234:during the
226:during the
151:(c.1944–45)
46:Nickname(s)
1047:Categories
1015:30 January
989:30 January
841:References
811:Destroyed
793:Destroyed
777:Destroyed
631:Destroyed
568:Port Seton
471:Gardermoen
430:Turbinlite
324:Port Seton
301:RAF career
246:Early life
230:. He flew
220:flying ace
91:Allegiance
60:1908-12-20
954:25 August
929:25 August
900:25 August
860:25 August
729:Probable
649:Probable
597:Probable
542:Squadron
379:Guestling
345:With the
232:Spitfires
166:(1940–41)
161:(1941–42)
156:(1942–43)
120:1933–1947
829:Post war
820:Unknown
761:Damaged
697:Damaged
681:Damaged
665:Damaged
578:Damaged
473:outside
448:RAF Ford
367:Snargate
312:Spitfire
306:RAF Drem
295:RAF Drem
200:(Norway)
145:Commands
105:Service/
1113:The Few
786:Bf 109
770:Bf 109
754:Bf 109
738:Bf 109
722:Bf 109
713:Shared
706:Bf 109
674:Bf 109
658:Bf 109
606:He 111
553:Shared
363:Bf 110s
322:) near
277:of the
252:Bo'ness
240:The Few
222:of the
67:Bo'ness
803:Bf 110
641:Bf 109
613:Share
563:He 111
548:Notes
536:Claim
186:Awards
107:branch
973:(PDF)
856:. RAF
623:Ju 88
588:Do 17
539:Date
428:with
365:over
140:90190
49:Uncle
1017:2014
991:2014
956:2013
931:2013
902:2013
862:2013
475:Oslo
289:and
262:and
125:Rank
77:Died
54:Born
528:ace
446:at
424:at
326:in
242:'.
215:DFC
1049::
975:.
947:.
910:^
891:.
870:^
570:,
518:.
477:.
381:.
297:.
270:.
254:,
212:,
97:/
69:,
1019:.
993:.
958:.
933:.
904:.
864:.
62:)
58:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
