Gerald Stapleton
Encyclopedia
Squadron Leader
Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton DFC
(12 May 1920 – 13 April 2010) was a Royal Air Force
officer and fighter ace
who flew Spitfires
and Typhoons
during World War II
. He preferred the name Gerald and was nicknamed 'Stapme' after a phrase used in his favourite cartoon strip Just Jake
published in The Daily Mirror. His score of 6 enemy aircraft destroyed, 2 shared destroyed, 8 probably destroyed and 2 damaged, all achieved on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain
made him one of the outstanding pilots of that battle and he was revered as one of Richard Hillary
's contemporaries in whose book The Last Enemy, he features. Without doubt he was one of the real 'characters' to survive the war and to many the quintessential image of a Battle of Britain fighter pilot, complete with handlebar moustache
.
, South Africa
, Stapleton was educated in England, at King Edward VI School
at Totnes
, Devon
.
in RAF Montrose
, Scotland
, in October 1939. Throughout the Phoney War period, the way was open for German bombers to raid Scotland and the north of England
. However raids were infrequent as they were beyond German fighter range, but 603 Squadron did intercept the first German air raid of the war in 1939 and had shot down the first German aircraft on British soil.
. This was during the critical phase of the battle, when the fighter airfields were being attacked. Pilot attrition was high, as 603 found out the next day.
Stapleton recalled:
In an attempt to avoid the situation happening again, the CO
, Sqn Ldr 'Uncle' George Denholm, employed a system of climbing on a reciprocal heading
to that given by the controllers after take-off. Only when he believed they had gained sufficient altitude
did they turn onto the heading given by the controllers towards the enemy. But still the losses mounted up.
No. 603 Squadron lost thirteen pilots during the summer of 1940 with many more seriously injured, most of whom were good friends of Stapleton. These included on 3 September Richard Hillary, who was shot down and badly burned, and wrote his book during recovery, and on 5 September one of the Flight
Commanders, Flight Lieutenant Fred 'Rusty' Rushmer, who was killed. But it was not all bad news. Stapleton, 603 and the RAF were scoring kills and inflicting heavy losses on the Luftwaffe
.
A short time after the war when Stapleton learned that the pilot was Oberleutnant
Franz von Werra
, whose exploits were made famous in the book and film The One That Got Away
, as the only German pilot PoW
to escape captivity (from Canada
) during World War II and return to Germany. On 7 September the Luftwaffe changed tactics and began bombing British cities. On that day, Stapleton was shot down himself:
Gerald was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
on 15 November 1940, and in December the unit returned to Scotland. As of July 2007, he was one of only four surviving veterans of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron who flew in the Battle of Britain and survived the remainder of World War II and the ravages of time since, and the only one left who flew with the Edinburgh Squadron throughout the entire Battle.
' with the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
, as a Flight Commander with 257 Squadron
, and as an instructor at Central Gunnery School before taking over Command of No. 247 (China-British) Squadron
, part of 124 Wing
, 2nd Tactical Air Force
, flying Typhoons from beachhead
code B.6, northern France in August 1944. Initially the Squadron helped close the Falaise Gap
but as the Allied forces moved inland, so they followed: from B.6 - Coulombs
to B.68 (Amiens
/Glisy
), B.58 (Melsbroek) and B.78 (Eindhoven).
campaign: Operation Market Garden
.
In January 1946 he received notification he had been awarded the Dutch DFC for his leadership of 247 Squadron throughout Operation Market Garden, conferred by Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
. There was no ceremony: he received the medal in the post.
flying Doves
, Herons
and Dakotas
on the West African routes until 1948 when he returned to the UK
. Later Stapleton emigrated to South Africa where he had a number of very different jobs, including in Botswana
, a country he refers to as 'God's Own'. In 1994, he returned to the UK with his wife, Audrey.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
in 2007, for the next 2 seasons the Flight's Supermarine Spitfire IIa, P7350, which fought in 603 Sqn during the Battle of Britain will carry the letters XT-L, Stapme's personal aircraft.
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(12 May 1920 – 13 April 2010) was a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer and fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
who flew Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and Typhoons
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He preferred the name Gerald and was nicknamed 'Stapme' after a phrase used in his favourite cartoon strip Just Jake
Just Jake
Just Jake was a comic strip that ran for 14 years in the British newspaper, the Daily Mirror. Drawn by Bernard Graddon, it was published daily beginning 4 June 1938 and concluding early in 1952 after Graddon's death.-Characters and story:...
published in The Daily Mirror. His score of 6 enemy aircraft destroyed, 2 shared destroyed, 8 probably destroyed and 2 damaged, all achieved on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
made him one of the outstanding pilots of that battle and he was revered as one of Richard Hillary
Richard Hillary
Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary was a Battle of Britain pilot who died during World War II...
's contemporaries in whose book The Last Enemy, he features. Without doubt he was one of the real 'characters' to survive the war and to many the quintessential image of a Battle of Britain fighter pilot, complete with handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
.
Early life
Born on 12 May 1920 in DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Stapleton was educated in England, at King Edward VI School
King Edward VI Community College
King Edward VI Community College is a secondary school in Totnes, Devon, England. The College enjoy a favoured open site in the Dart valley amidst the rolling South Hams countryside...
at Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Second World War
In January 1939 he signed up for a short service commission with the RAF, and following pilot training, eventually ended up with No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) SquadronNo. 603 Squadron RAF
No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection.-Formation and early years:No...
in RAF Montrose
RAF Montrose
RAF Montrose was a Royal Air Force station in Forfarshire in Scotland.In 1912, the British government planned twelve "Air Stations" operated by the Royal Flying Corps...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in October 1939. Throughout the Phoney War period, the way was open for German bombers to raid Scotland and the north of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However raids were infrequent as they were beyond German fighter range, but 603 Squadron did intercept the first German air raid of the war in 1939 and had shot down the first German aircraft on British soil.
Battle of Britain
For the first period of the Battle of Britain, 603 Sqn remained in Scotland. On 27 August 1940 603 were sent south to 11 Group and RAF HornchurchRAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
. This was during the critical phase of the battle, when the fighter airfields were being attacked. Pilot attrition was high, as 603 found out the next day.
Stapleton recalled:
In an attempt to avoid the situation happening again, the CO
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, Sqn Ldr 'Uncle' George Denholm, employed a system of climbing on a reciprocal heading
Course (navigation)
In navigation, a vehicle's course is the angle that the intended path of the vehicle makes with a fixed reference object . Typically course is measured in degrees from 0° clockwise to 360° in compass convention . Course is customarily expressed in three digits, using preliminary zeros if needed,...
to that given by the controllers after take-off. Only when he believed they had gained sufficient altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
did they turn onto the heading given by the controllers towards the enemy. But still the losses mounted up.
No. 603 Squadron lost thirteen pilots during the summer of 1940 with many more seriously injured, most of whom were good friends of Stapleton. These included on 3 September Richard Hillary, who was shot down and badly burned, and wrote his book during recovery, and on 5 September one of the Flight
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
Commanders, Flight Lieutenant Fred 'Rusty' Rushmer, who was killed. But it was not all bad news. Stapleton, 603 and the RAF were scoring kills and inflicting heavy losses on the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
A short time after the war when Stapleton learned that the pilot was Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Franz von Werra
Franz von Werra
Franz Xaver Baron von Werra was a German World War II fighter pilot and flying ace who was shot down over England and captured...
, whose exploits were made famous in the book and film The One That Got Away
The One That Got Away
The One That Got Away is a 1957 World War II film starring Hardy Krüger and featuring Michael Goodliffe, Jack Gwillim and Alec McCowen. It was directed by Roy Ward Baker with a screenplay written by Howard Clewes...
, as the only German pilot PoW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
to escape captivity (from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) during World War II and return to Germany. On 7 September the Luftwaffe changed tactics and began bombing British cities. On that day, Stapleton was shot down himself:
Gerald was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
on 15 November 1940, and in December the unit returned to Scotland. As of July 2007, he was one of only four surviving veterans of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron who flew in the Battle of Britain and survived the remainder of World War II and the ravages of time since, and the only one left who flew with the Edinburgh Squadron throughout the entire Battle.
Other duties
Stapleton left 603 Squadron in April 1941 and served in various units, including flying 'HurricatsHawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
' with the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
The Merchant Ship Fighter Unit was a Royal Air Force operational aircraft unit based at RAF Speke during World War II. The aircraft operated by the MSFU were Hawker Sea Hurricanes. These planes were operated from 35 merchant ships outfitted with a catapult on the bow, referred to as Catapult...
, as a Flight Commander with 257 Squadron
No. 257 Squadron RAF
-In World War I:No. 257 Squadron was formed at Dundee on 18 August 1918 from Nos. 318 and 319 Flights. It flew both seaplanes and flying boats on anti-submarine patrols from Dundee until the end of the First World War and disbanded there on 30 June 1919....
, and as an instructor at Central Gunnery School before taking over Command of No. 247 (China-British) Squadron
No. 247 Squadron RAF
No. 247 Squadron was formerly a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was also known as No.247 Squadron in recognition of the donations made by the British colonies, which at the outbreak of the Second World War, were established on the Chinese coast...
, part of 124 Wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
, 2nd Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
, flying Typhoons from beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
code B.6, northern France in August 1944. Initially the Squadron helped close the Falaise Gap
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
but as the Allied forces moved inland, so they followed: from B.6 - Coulombs
Coulombs, Calvados
Coulombs is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
to B.68 (Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
/Glisy
Glisy
Glisy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Glisy is situated east of Amiens on the D4029 road. Amiens airport is within the boundaries of the village. It was used as a military base by the occupying German forces between 1940 and 1944.-Population:-External...
), B.58 (Melsbroek) and B.78 (Eindhoven).
Operation Market Garden
247 Squadron provided aerial support throughout the ArnhemArnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
campaign: Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
.
In January 1946 he received notification he had been awarded the Dutch DFC for his leadership of 247 Squadron throughout Operation Market Garden, conferred by Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
. There was no ceremony: he received the medal in the post.
Prisoner of war
On 23 December 1944 Stapleton was forced to land behind enemy lines and became a prisoner of war.Post-war
He left the RAF in April 1946 and went to work for BOACBritish Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
flying Doves
De Havilland Dove
The de Havilland DH.104 Dove was a British monoplane short-haul airliner from de Havilland, the successor to the biplane de Havilland Dragon Rapide and was one of Britain's most successful post-war civil designs...
, Herons
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
and Dakotas
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
on the West African routes until 1948 when he returned to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Later Stapleton emigrated to South Africa where he had a number of very different jobs, including in Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, a country he refers to as 'God's Own'. In 1994, he returned to the UK with his wife, Audrey.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
in 2007, for the next 2 seasons the Flight's Supermarine Spitfire IIa, P7350, which fought in 603 Sqn during the Battle of Britain will carry the letters XT-L, Stapme's personal aircraft.
Biography
In 2002 an authorised biography was published. Written by David Ross, Stapleton recounted to him his experiences and together they attended many commemorative functions. Ross also wrote a biography of Richard Hillary.- Ross, David - Stapme: The Biography of Squadron Leader Basil Gerald Stapleton DFC, DFC (Dutch) ISBN 1902304985 Pub: Grub Street Publishing, London (22 Jul 2002)
See also
- List of World War II aces from South Africa
- Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain
External links
- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - foreword written by Stapleton with some biography and photos