Hugh John Beazley
Encyclopedia
Wing Commander
Hugh John Sherard "Beazle" Beazley, DFC
(18 July 1916 – 13 June 2010) was a famed World War II Royal Air Force
fighter pilot.
and Pembroke College, Oxford
, where he read History. Whilst at university he began flying with the Oxford University Air Squadron
and played rugby for Richmond
.
25th Sept. 1941.
and completed his training as a pilot at Royal Air Force College Cranwell
.
at RAF Church Fenton
on its formation in May 1940 as a Flying Officer
flying Hurricanes
. He was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer
on 25 September 1940.
On 8 July Beazley shared in the destruction of an enemy bomber over Yorkshire. No. 249 Squadron RAF
then moved to RAF North Weald to join No. 11 Group RAF
in the main Battle in the south of England. On 2 September he probably destroyed a Messerschmitt but was attacked in turn; his Hurricane burst into flames. Beazley bailed out and landed safely near Gillingham
– despite being fired on by the local artillery battery
. He was soon back in action, and four days later shared in the destruction of another enemy fighter. On the 15 September, now known as Battle of Britain Day
, he accounted for a Dornier Do 17
and two days later he shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88
.
On 27 September 1940, whilst attacking a Messerschmitt Bf 110
, Beazley was badly wounded in the foot but managed to nurse his aircraft back to RAF North Weald. He was subsequently hospitalized and therefore it was his last action during the Battle of Britain
.
, he spent five months in hospital before rejoining the squadron in March 1941 in time to sail for Malta
on the carrier HMS Ark Royal
. Beazley, along with the rest of the squadron, was launched from the ship on 21 May 1941, arriving at Ta' Qali in Malta. He was promoted again to the rank of Flight Lieutenant
on 25 September 1941.
Beazley damaged an Italian bomber, a Messerschmitt Bf 109
and, on an intruder mission over Sicily
, destroyed a train. On 19 January 1942 his Hurricane
was hit by ground fire during an attack on the Italian airfield at Comiso
and he was forced to crash land on his return to Malta. In February 1942 he probably destroyed a German Junkers 88. After the loss of the squadron commander in December, Beazley was made 249 squadron's commanding officer
but, in February 1942, after 10 months of continuous action and 215 combat sorties over Malta, he was rested.
After serving on Air Marshal Tedder's
staff, Beazley returned to operations in December 1942, flying the twin-engined Beaufighter
. He was posted to No. 89 Squadron RAF
in North Africa before, in October 1943, travelling with it to join the fighting in South East Asia. In March 1944 he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross
for "displaying the highest standard of courage and leadership" and appointed to command the operational airfield at Minneriya
in Ceylon. He was promoted Squadron Leader
on 13 June 1944.
In the final stages of the war Beazley was offered further promotion, but since this meant he would have to stop flying, he transferred to Transport Command
and flew Dakotas with No. 246 Squadron RAF
in Europe, the Middle and Far East until 1946, when he left the RAF. He officially relinquished his commission on 23 August 1954.
and was posted to Nigeria
, where he worked for 10 years, rising to become a Senior Resident. He loved Nigeria and its people and remained lifelong friends with his Nigerian colleague, Simeon Adebo
– later United Nations Under-Secretary General. After Nigeria was granted independence, Beazley became a chartered accountant
and joined the BET group, where he worked as a finance director until his retirement in 1981.
In Hertfordshire
he was an important supporter of the Conservative Party
, serving as a councillor and then as chairman of Hoddesdon
district council. He was also president of the Broxbourne Conservative Association.
He was a trustee and treasurer of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, playing a major role in establishing a permanent memorial to "The Few
" at Capel-Le-Ferne
.
In 1947 he married Mary Rawlings, daughter of Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings
. John Beazley died on 13 June 2011 and was survived by his wife their two sons and one daughter.
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Hugh John Sherard "Beazle" Beazley, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross
The Distinguished Flying Cross may refer to:*Distinguished Flying Cross , including Commonwealth countries*Distinguished Flying Cross...
(18 July 1916 – 13 June 2010) was a famed World War II 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...
fighter pilot.
Early life
Hugh John Sherard Beazley was born on 18 July 1916, the son of a judge His Honour Sir Hugh Beazley. He was educated at Cheltenham CollegeCheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, where he read History. Whilst at university he began flying with the Oxford University Air Squadron
Oxford University Air Squadron
The Oxford University Air Squadron, abbreviated O. U. Air Squadron, Oxford UAS, or OUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Oxford and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve....
and played rugby for Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
.
25th Sept. 1941.
Royal Air Force
On the outbreak of war, Beazley was called up to serve in the Royal Air ForceRoyal 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...
and completed his training as a pilot at Royal Air Force College Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
.
Battle of Britain
Beazley joined No. 249 Squadron RAFNo. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence.-First formation:...
at RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Plans for a new airfield adjacent to the village of Church Fenton were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable...
on its formation in May 1940 as a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
flying Hurricanes
Hawker 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...
. He was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
on 25 September 1940.
On 8 July Beazley shared in the destruction of an enemy bomber over Yorkshire. No. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence.-First formation:...
then moved to RAF North Weald to join No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
in the main Battle in the south of England. On 2 September he probably destroyed a Messerschmitt but was attacked in turn; his Hurricane burst into flames. Beazley bailed out and landed safely near Gillingham
Gillingham
-United Kingdom:* Gillingham, Dorset **Gillingham railway station**Gillingham Town F.C., association football club* Gillingham, Kent **Gillingham **Gillingham railway station...
– despite being fired on by the local artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
. He was soon back in action, and four days later shared in the destruction of another enemy fighter. On the 15 September, now known as Battle of Britain Day
Battle of Britain Day
The Battle of Britain Day is the name given to the large-scale aerial battle that took place on 15 September 1940, during the Battle of Britain ....
, he accounted for a Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
and two days later he shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
.
On 27 September 1940, whilst attacking a Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
, Beazley was badly wounded in the foot but managed to nurse his aircraft back to RAF North Weald. He was subsequently hospitalized and therefore it was his last action 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...
.
Later War
After being wounded in actionWounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
, he spent five months in hospital before rejoining the squadron in March 1941 in time to sail for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
on the carrier HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design...
. Beazley, along with the rest of the squadron, was launched from the ship on 21 May 1941, arriving at Ta' Qali in Malta. He was promoted again to the rank of Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
on 25 September 1941.
Beazley damaged an Italian bomber, a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and, on an intruder mission over Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, destroyed a train. On 19 January 1942 his Hurricane
Hawker 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...
was hit by ground fire during an attack on the Italian airfield at Comiso
Comiso
Comiso is an Italian municipality in the Province of Ragusa in Sicily.-Geography:Comiso consists of three boroughs: Comiso, Pedalino, and Quaglio. It lies some 22 km west of Ragusa in the South of Sicily...
and he was forced to crash land on his return to Malta. In February 1942 he probably destroyed a German Junkers 88. After the loss of the squadron commander in December, Beazley was made 249 squadron's commanding officer
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...
but, in February 1942, after 10 months of continuous action and 215 combat sorties over Malta, he was rested.
After serving on Air Marshal Tedder's
Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB was a senior British air force commander. During the First World War, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war...
staff, Beazley returned to operations in December 1942, flying the twin-engined Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
. He was posted to No. 89 Squadron RAF
No. 89 Squadron RAF
No. 89 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, mainly active in the fighter role during its existence.-Formation and World War I:No. 89 squadron was formed on 1 September 1917 as a training unit at Netheravon. The squadron was not used for operations and remained a training unit...
in North Africa before, in October 1943, travelling with it to join the fighting in South East Asia. In March 1944 he was awarded a 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...
for "displaying the highest standard of courage and leadership" and appointed to command the operational airfield at Minneriya
Minneriya
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants...
in Ceylon. He was promoted Squadron Leader
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...
on 13 June 1944.
In the final stages of the war Beazley was offered further promotion, but since this meant he would have to stop flying, he transferred to Transport Command
RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...
and flew Dakotas with No. 246 Squadron RAF
No. 246 Squadron RAF
-In the World War I:The squadron was formed at the former Royal Naval Air Station Seaton Carew, England on 18 August 1918 to provide coastal patrols. It was the only RAF squadron to operate the Blackburn Kangaroo...
in Europe, the Middle and Far East until 1946, when he left the RAF. He officially relinquished his commission on 23 August 1954.
Post RAF Career
After leaving the RAF, Beazley joined the Colonial OfficeColonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
and was posted to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where he worked for 10 years, rising to become a Senior Resident. He loved Nigeria and its people and remained lifelong friends with his Nigerian colleague, Simeon Adebo
Simeon Adebo
Simeon Adebo is a Nigerian administrator, lawyer and a former United Nations Under-Secretary General.He was the former head of civil service in Nigeria's old western region...
– later United Nations Under-Secretary General. After Nigeria was granted independence, Beazley became a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
and joined the BET group, where he worked as a finance director until his retirement in 1981.
In Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
he was an important supporter of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, serving as a councillor and then as chairman of Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon
Hoddesdon is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. The town grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. It is located southeast of Hertford, north of Waltham Cross and southwest of Bishop's Stortford. At its height during the 18th...
district council. He was also president of the Broxbourne Conservative Association.
He was a trustee and treasurer of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, playing a major role in establishing a permanent memorial to "The Few
The Few
The Few is a term used to describe the Allied airmen of the Royal Air Force who fought the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. It comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few"....
" at Capel-Le-Ferne
Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne
The Battle of Britain Memorial is a monument to aircrew who flew in the Battle of Britain. It is sited on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on the coast of Kent. It was initiated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, and opened by the Queen Mother on July 9 1993...
.
In 1947 he married Mary Rawlings, daughter of Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings
Bernard Rawlings (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings GBE KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Flag Officer, Eastern Mediterranean during World War II.-Naval career:...
. John Beazley died on 13 June 2011 and was survived by his wife their two sons and one daughter.