430:, was frequently ill and Gibbs often picked up his work. In 1960, Dixon left the post and Gibbs took over his duties. He was an observant critic, but sometimes irked readers with his detailed summary of a film's plot. He had little time for celebrity or the Hollywood system and his reviews were independent and tended to concentrate on acting and production.
352:
Gibbs continued leading attacks throughout August, which had a considerable impact on the war in the
Mediterranean and altered the attitude of RAF command towards aerial tactics. Gibbs' war substantive rank was increased to squadron leader on 1 September 1942. By then Gibbs was exhausted and returned
348:
successfully launched his torpedo at the leading warship. He flew his extensively damaged aircraft safely to base where he executed a skilful landing. This officer has at all times displayed great skill and devotion to duty. He has contributed materially to the operational efficiency of his squadron.
315:
that he and the
Beauforts would be more effective posted on the island. He was given permission, though Gibbs later revealed that the Air Ministry in London believed he was reinforcing India. He was promoted temporary wing commander on 1 June 1942. Gibbs flew four sorties from Malta between 22 July
347:
Early in June 1942, Squadron Leader Gibbs attacked and sank a large enemy merchant vessel. Some time afterwards this officer participated in an attack on an
Italian naval force. Despite opposition from enemy fighters and in the face of defensive fire from the naval vessels, Squadron Leader Gibbs
396:. The book took in his early life and his war experiences up to his posting in Cairo. The book was a success and he began work on a sequel, but his publishers believed that with the end of the war the book would not be as well received and it was shelved.
217:
in 1934. At Oundle and
Cranwell, Gibbs, like his father, excelled as a sportsman, especially in rugby, tennis and squash. He trained as a pilot and specialised in maritime strike and reconnaissance. On 1 August 1936 he was commissioned into the
380:
This officer, who has achieved much success in torpedo bomber sorties, has displayed fine qualities of leadership, combined with exceptional skill. Throughout, his courage has been of a high order and has proved a source of inspiration to
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and, on his first sortie, he managed to sink an
Italian ship after releasing a torpedo from just 50 feet. Gibbs soon realised that the convoy targets he wanted to attack were out of range of the Beauforts and, after crash-landing on
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286:(DFC) for his performance in that role. By then he was in the midst of another six-month stint training pilots. Bored by the training post, Gibbs volunteered for service in the Middle East and was posted to the
433:
Although a film critic, Gibbs preferred theatre and opera in particular. He enjoyed trips to France and Italy, and his job took him to film festivals all over the world. He retired from his role in the
316:
and 4 August, twice turning back the convoys. On the final sortie his
Beaufort was badly damaged and he crash landed his plane on Malta for a second time. For his actions from Malta he was awarded a
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450:
Gibbs was married twice; his first to Nina
Thruston in 1947 was dissolved 12 years later. He then married Jane Eyre and they had two children. Gibbs died on 8 March 2008 at the age of 92.
385:
Gibbs' rank of squadron leader was made fully substantive on 20 November 1942, and backdated all the way to 1 March 1941. He was kept from operational service and was given a role in the
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274:. He then commenced a year-long tour of duty running sorties against enemy shipping off the coasts of Norway and the Netherlands and bombing raids on
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The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: —
332:
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: —
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headquarters of the Air Staff. He was given an administrative post, which he found frustrating. He managed to persuade his superiors that the
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242:, and he gained his first experience of launching torpedoes from the air. Gibbs was then posted to the Torpedo Training School at
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389:, but by 1944 the strain from his flying days caught up with him and he was invalided out as a wing commander on 24 February.
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At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gibbs was still posted at
Gosport but, on 1 February 1940, he was promoted
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442:. The book was released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta.
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412:. He and Pavlow became lifelong friends, and Pavlow in turn introduced him to dramatic critic of
294:, which he flew with No. 22 Squadron, could have a role in disrupting German oil supplies in the
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418:, W A Darlington. Darlington invited Gibbs to review some minor works for the paper as a
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Squadron Leader
Reginald Patrick Mahoney GIBBS, D.F.C. (33250), No. 39 Squadron.
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Wing
Commander Reginald Patrick Mahoney GIBBS, D.F.C. (33250), No. 30 Squadron.
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408:, but his career shifted after a friend introduced him to actress
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While in the Air Ministry, Gibbs wrote a book on his experiences,
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908:
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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in 1987, and in 1992 he finally released his second book
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on 1 March 1941, and on 26 September he was awarded the
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After the end of the war Gibbs invested in a chain of
165:(2 April 1915 – 8 March 2008) was a British military
193:, Wales, on 2 April 1915, the son of shipowner and
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19:For the American football player born in 1950, see
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918:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
353:to Britain, and on 18 September the award of the
550:"Wing Cdr Patrick Gibbs: Air ace and journalist"
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835:(Supplement). 13 September 1946. p. 4619.
795:(Supplement). 15 September 1942. p. 4059.
662:(Supplement). 23 September 1942. p. 5596.
903:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
815:(Supplement). 17 November 1942. p. 5034.
8:
775:(Supplement). 20 October 1942. p. 4594.
620:
618:
27:
888:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
735:(Supplement). 28 July 1942. p. 3355.
755:(Supplement). 3 July 1942. p. 2979.
311:, took his proposal to Air-Vice Marshal
16:British pilot and journalist (1915–2008)
485:
422:. During this period, the Telegraph's
338:Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross.
7:
682:. 11 March 1941. pp. 1448–1450.
278:ports. He was promoted to temporary
933:20th-century English businesspeople
246:, where he became an instructor in
898:British World War II bomber pilots
591:. 15 September 1936. p. 5940.
177:and was noted for his specialised
14:
230:for two years. With them he flew
923:People educated at Oundle School
611:. 13 February 1940. p. 853.
563:from the original on 25 May 2022
547:Nicolas Barker (25 April 2008).
362:Air Ministry, 18 September 1942.
213:and was awarded a cadetship to
698:Eric Shorter (14 April 2008).
626:"Wing Commander Patrick Gibbs"
298:. In 1942 Gibbs was posted to
146:Reginald Patrick Mahoney Gibbs
1:
270:, based at RAF North Coates,
373:Distinguished Service Order.
893:British World War II pilots
355:Distinguished Service Order
320:to his DFC on 7 July 1942:
127:Distinguished Service Order
949:
928:The Daily Telegraph people
505:"Wing Commander Pat Gibbs"
325:Air Ministry. 7 July 1942.
284:Distinguished Flying Cross
226:, and was seconded to the
181:attacks against shipping.
131:Distinguished Flying Cross
18:
266:as a flight commander in
883:Royal Air Force officers
878:British military writers
700:"Wing Cdr Patrick Gibbs"
466:Torpedo Leader on Malta
440:Torpedo Leader on Malta
383:
350:
173:. Gibbs fought in the
468:, Grub Street (1992)
460:Not Peace but a Sword
428:George Campbell Dixon
394:Not Peace but a Sword
205:. He was educated at
95:Years of service
446:Later life and death
400:Career in journalism
215:RAF College Cranwell
913:People from Penarth
510:The Daily Telegraph
415:The Daily Telegraph
868:Welsh film critics
832:The London Gazette
812:The London Gazette
792:The London Gazette
772:The London Gazette
752:The London Gazette
732:The London Gazette
679:The London Gazette
659:The London Gazette
608:The London Gazette
588:The London Gazette
189:Gibbs was born in
873:Welsh journalists
474:978-1-902304-83-0
462:, Cassells (1943)
366:ROYAL AIR FORCE.
329:ROYAL AIR FORCE.
260:flight lieutenant
248:aerial torpedoing
240:aircraft carriers
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313:Hugh Pughe Lloyd
262:and then joined
254:Second World War
211:Northamptonshire
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117:Second World War
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634:. 26 March 2008
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556:The Independent
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513:. 18 March 2008
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300:No. 39 Squadron
280:squadron leader
268:Coastal Command
264:No. 22 Squadron
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89:Royal Air Force
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228:Fleet Air Arm
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224:pilot officer
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207:Oundle School
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185:Early history
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863:Welsh airmen
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709:. Retrieved
705:The Guardian
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636:. Retrieved
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565:. Retrieved
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515:. Retrieved
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387:Air Ministry
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304:Sidi Barrani
272:Lincolnshire
257:
203:Reggie Gibbs
188:
145:
141:
113:Battles/wars
63:(2008-03-08)
61:8 March 2008
48:2 April 1915
25:
858:2008 deaths
853:1915 births
827:"No. 37724"
807:"No. 35791"
787:"No. 35709"
767:"No. 35755"
747:"No. 35621"
727:"No. 35650"
674:"No. 35102"
654:"No. 35287"
603:"No. 34790"
583:"No. 34323"
424:film critic
406:laundrettes
238:planes off
847:Categories
559:. London.
480:References
171:journalist
75:Allegiance
44:1915-04-02
631:The Times
436:Telegraph
292:Beauforts
236:Swordfish
98:1934–1944
70:, England
21:Pat Gibbs
561:Archived
420:stringer
83:Service/
711:4 March
638:4 March
567:4 March
517:4 March
244:Gosport
201:player
191:Penarth
179:torpedo
53:, Wales
51:Penarth
472:
276:Biscay
160:&
133:&
123:Awards
85:branch
68:London
309:Malta
288:Cairo
232:Shark
222:as a
199:rugby
195:Wales
167:pilot
156:
154:,
713:2009
640:2009
569:2009
519:2009
470:ISBN
381:all.
234:and
169:and
103:Rank
58:Died
38:Born
318:Bar
302:at
209:in
162:Bar
158:DFC
151:DSO
135:Bar
849::
829:.
809:.
789:.
769:.
749:.
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688:^
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488:^
426:,
250:.
148:,
715:.
642:.
571:.
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46:)
42:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.