I am very much indebted to Teddy Donaldsons relatives who have taken a great interest in his achievements, many attending the sixtieth anniversary event held at the Tangmere Aviation Museum in September 2006.
Thanks are due to Teddys niece, Mrs Sally Rudman, and his granddaughter, Mrs Kate Gregory, both of whom gave much support and encouragement, also kindly supplying a number of original family photographs which have been used within these pages. Jane Donaldson, Arthur Donaldsons third wife, kindly supplied corrections to the first chapter, for which I am most grateful.
Mr Donald Donaldson, Teddys oldest brother, was able to assist greatly with information relating to the familys early days in the Malayan Peninsula and Selsey, as well as adding much background information. Thanks are also due to Donalds son, Mark, who was able to help with a number of facts, as well as kindly relaying many of his fathers recollections via the Internet.
The Grimsby Telegraph kindly gave permission for a number of photographs, including one of Teddy on his retirement day, to be included.
Such has been the generosity of Teddys family that few photographs have had to be sourced from elsewhere.
Thanks are due also to the Right Honourable lain Duncan Smith MP for kind permission to quote from his late fathers book Spitfire into Battle (John Murray 1981).
Reference has been made to an unpublished manuscript by Neil Potter. Despite being heavily annotated by Teddy himself, this document nevertheless included a large number of inaccuracies, while omitting anything but the barest mention of his combat years. Here much emphasis has been placed on Teddys own log book and that of David Blomeley, while the Squadron Record and Combat Reports held at Kew have been used to fill the many gaps. However, many of the early details in the Potter manuscript have been corroborated by Donald Donaldson.
I should particularly like to thank Teddy Donaldsons stepson, Wing Commander Julian Stapleton MBE, who kindly loaned a number of original photographs, and whose unique insight into Teddys later years proved invaluable. Wing Commander Stapleton not only proof-read the entire text but also contributed towards a number of chapters.
Over the years a number of members of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association have generously given their time to assist me with this work. These pages have benefited from correspondence with Air Commodore John Ellacombe CB DFC and Bar, Wing Commander Anthony Forster DFC, and Squadron Leader David Blomeley DFC AFC. The latter had close associations with Stafford and it was through Davids wartime experiences that Teddys story first came to my attention.
My thanks go to them all, and to the many Battle of Britain pilots and aircrew who have helped me to build up a lasting archive which has and will be used to perpetuate the memory of the Few.
Finally, my sincere thanks go to Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE DSO DFC and Bar, Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association. Air Commodore Brothers, who has worked tirelessly to promote the ideals of the Association, very kindly agreed to write the Foreword to this work, for which I am truly grateful. His standing in the military and aviation communities lends great weight to the efforts of one who was not there.
APPENDIX 1
Dramatis Personae
Bader, Douglas, Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader CBE DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar
Bandon, Paddy, Air Chief Marshal The Earl of Bandon GBE CB CVO DSO
Barrett, Ugly, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Barrett KCB CMG MC
Barthropp, Paddy, Wing Commander P. P. C. Barthropp DFC AFC
Beamish, Victor, Group Captain F. V. Beamish DSO and Bar DFC AFC
Beurling, George or Screwball, Squadron Leader G. F. Beurling DSO DFC DFM and Bar
Bird-Wilson, Birdy, Air Vice-Marshal H. A. C. Bird-Wilson CBE DSO DFC and Bar AFC and Bar
Blair, Kenneth, Wing Commander K. H. Blair DFC and Bar
Blomeley, David, Squadron Leader D. H. Blomeley DFC AFC
Blount, Charles, Air Vice-Marshal C. H. B. Blount CB OBE MC
Boothman, John, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Boothman KCB KBE DFC AFC
Boxer, Rex, Air Commodore H. E. C. Boxer CB OBE
Braham, Bob, Group Captain J. R. D. Braham DSO and two Bars DFC and two Bars AFC CD
Broadhurst, Harry, Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst GCB KBE DSO and Bar DFC and Bar AFC
Brooke-Popham, Robert, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham GCVO KCB CMG DSO AFC
Carey, Frank, Group Captain F. R. Carey CBE DFC and two Bars AFC DFM
Chalfont, Lieutenant Colonel Alun Arthur Gwynne Jones, the Rt Hon. Lord Chalfont OBE MC PC
Churchill, Winston or Winnie, the Rt Hon. Sir Winston Churchill KG OM CH TD FRS PC
Constantine, Hugh, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Constantine KBE CB DSO
Coryton, Alec, Air Marshal Sir Alec Coryton KCB KBE MVO DFC
Courtney, Buck, Group Captain R. N. H. Courtney CB DFC and Bar AFC
Crerar, Finlay, Air Commodore F. Crerar CBE
Cross, Bing, Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross KCB CBE DSO DFC
De LIsle, Major William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De LIsle VC KG GCMG GCVO PC
Dickson, William, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson GCB KBE DSO AFC
Donaldson, Arthur, Group Captain A. H. Donaldson DSO DFC and Bar AFC
Donaldson, Jack, Baldy, or John Willie, Squadron Leader J. W. Donaldson DSO AFC
Dowding, Stuffy, Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory GCB GCVO CMG
Drake, Billy Group Captain B. Drake DSO DFC and Bar
Duke, Neville, Squadron Leader N. F. Duke DSO OBE DFC and two Bars AFC
Duncan Smith, Smithy, Group Captain W. G. G. Duncan Smith DSO and Bar DFC and two Bars
Dundas, Cocky, Group Captain Sir Hugh Dundas CBE DSO and Bar DFC
Dunn, Paddy, Air Marshal Sir Patrick Dunn KBE CB DFC
Edden, Kaye, Vice-Admiral Sir Kaye Edden KBE CB
Edwards, Hughie, Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards VC KCMG CB DSO OBE DFC
Ellacombe, John, Air Commodore J. L. W. Ellacombe CB DFC and Bar
Embry, Basil, Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry GCB KBE DSO and three Bars DFC AFC
Forster, Anthony, Wing Commander A. D. Forster DFC
Foster, Robert, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert M. Foster KCB CBE DFC
Freeborn, John, Wing Commander J. C. Freeborn DFC and Bar
Gick, Percy, Rear Admiral P. D. Gick CB OBE DSC and Bar
Goodwin, Edwin, Air Vice-Marshal E. S. Goodwin CB CBE AFC and Bar
Gort, John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, Field Marshal (6th) Viscount Gort VC GCB CBE DSO and two Bars MVO MC
Hallowes, Odette, Odette Hallowes GC MBE
Hanks, Prosser, Group Captain P. P. Hanks DSO DFC AFC
Hartwell, Michael, Lieutenant Colonel the Hon. William Michael Berry, Lord Hartwell MBE TD
Harris, Arthur, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris, GCB OBE AFC
Harvey, Arthur, Air Commodore Lord Harvey of Prestbury CBE
Hayr, Ken, Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr KCB KBE AFC and Bar
Heath, Maurice, Air Marshal Sir Maurice Heath KBE CB CVO
Hill, Roderic, Air Chief Marshal Sir Roderic Hill KCB MC AFC and Bar
Hollowday, Vivian, Vivian Hollowday GC
Horsley, Peter, Air Marshal Sir Peter Horsley KCB CBE LVO AFC
Hutton, Jimmy, Major General W. M. Hutton CB CBE DSO MC and Bar
Johnson, Johnnie, Air Vice-Marshal J. E. Johnson CB CBE DSO and two Bars DFC and Bar
Kermode, Cot or Prof, Air Vice-Marshal A.C. Kermode CBE
Kingaby, Donald, Wing Commander D. E. Kingaby DSO AFC DFM and two Bars
Kingcome, Brian, Group Captain C. B. F. Kingcome DSO DFC and Bar