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Air Commodore P Burnett (39252)

Patrick b: 13 Dec 1914 r: 13 Nov 1960 d: 27 Mar 2004

DSO – 22 Oct 1943, DFC – 10 Sep 1943, MiD - 14 Jan 1944.

Act Plt Off (P): 23 Sep/3 Dec 1936?, Plt Off: 23 Sep 1937, Fg Off: 23 Mar 1939, Flt Lt (WS): 13 Sep 1940?, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Dec 1941, Act Wg Cdr: 8 Sep 1942?, Sqn Ldr (WS): 8 Mar 1943, Sqn Ldr: 26 Mar 1946 [1 Sep 1945], Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1947, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1954, Act A/Cdre: 13 Nov 1959?, A/Cdre: Retained.

19 Dec 1936: U/T Pilot, No 4 FTS.

xx xxx 1937: QFI, No 4 FTS

xx Jan 1939: Pilot, No 211 Sqn.

xx xxx xxxx: Pilot, Blenheim Delivery Flight

4 Jan 1940: Pilot No 211 Sqn

xx xxx xxxx: Flight Commander, 'B' Flight, No 211 Sqn

21 Mar 1940: Adjutant, No 211 Sqn.

xx xxx 1940: Pilot/Flight Commander, No ? Sqn?

xx xxx 1941: Instructor, RAF Ismailia

xx xxx 1942: Flight Commander, No 44 Sqn.

xx Nov 1942: Air Staff, HQ No 5 Group.

12 Apr 1943: Officer Commanding, No 9 Sqn.

14 Nov 1943:

xx xxx 1944: Attended Army Staff College.

xx xxx 1944: Senior Operations Officer, No 54 Base, Coningsby

xx xxx 1945: Senior Operations Officer, No 55 Base, East Kirkby

18 Dec 1945: Staff, Directorate of Personnel (II).

26 Mar 1946: Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Squadron Leader (retaining rank current at the time) [wef 1 Sep 1945]

xx xxx xxxx: CFI, No 202 AFS, Finningley

xx xxx 1949: CFI, No 203 AFS, Driffield.

28 Nov 1950: Air Attaché, Stockholm.

xx Jun 1954: Officer Commanding, Officer Cadet Training Unit/RAF Jurby.

13 Nov 1958: Director of Intelligence (B).

His father was one of five brothers, who ran an engineering firm in Doncaster, specialising in rolling stock for railways. He was educated at Oakham School and joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1936, being sent to Egypt to undertake his flying training. On completion of his training, he was retained by the school and became an instructor. He eventually joined his first squadron, No 211, which was then flying the Hawker Hind, although shortly after he arrived the squadron began to convert to the Blenheim. When No 211 moved to the Middle East, he was retained in the UK and employed ferrying Blenheims until early 1940 when he rejoined No 211. From June 1940 until early 1941, he undertook many operations against targets in Italian held areas of North Africa, but he was then taken off operations and became an instructor, again, this time training Blenheim crews.

In 1942 he returned to Britain and was posted as a flight commander on No 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron at Waddington, which had been the first to equipped with the Avro Lancaster. Amongst the operations in which he took part was the daylight raid against the armaments factory at Le Creusot in France on 17 October, which was carried out from 6,000 ft in order to minimise civilian casualties. He also took part in raids against Milan, Turin and Genoa in Italy and targets in the Baltic as well as the usual German targets.

Rested from operations at the end of 1942, he joined the air staff at HQ No 5 Group and six months later he was given command of No 9 Squadron at Bardney. In September 1943, he carried out a remarkable feat of airmanship after his aircraft had been attacked by a night fighter and was awarded an immediate DSO (see below). By the time he was rested from operations, he had completed 45 missions in Bomber Command in addition to the numerous missions carried out in North Africa. After attending the Army Staff College, he became the senior operations officer at Coningsby and then East Kirkby, still managing to undertake missions to repatriate PoWs at the end of the war.

He accepted a permanent commission in 1945 and served at the Air Ministry until appointed Chief Flying Instructor at No 202 Advanced Flying School, at Finningley, near his birth place of Doncaster in Yorkshire, training multi-engined crews on the Wellington. In 1949, he moved to Driffield, also in Yorkshire, as CFI of No 203 Advanced Flying School, tasked with training pilots on jets using Meteors. 1950 saw him appointed Air Attaché in Stockholm, followed by command of the Officer Cadet Training Unit at Jurby on the Isle of Man. His final appointment saw him back at the Air Ministry as a Director of Intelligence. In retirement, he went back to his roots and spent a further 15 years in light engineering.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Service Order

“Acting Wing Commander Patrick BURNETT, D.F.C. (39252), Reserve of Air Force Officers, No 9 Squadron.

Wing Commander Burnett is an ideal leader, whose untiring efforts and personal example have been reflected in the high standard of operational efficiency of the squadron he commands. He has taken part in many sorties against important enemy targets and throughout has displayed great skill and tenacity. On one occasion in September, 1943,when nearing base, on the return flight from Hanover, his aircraft was damaged by machine gun fire from any enemy fighter. Two engines were put out of action but the airfield was reached. When coming in to land, a third engine failed but, in spite of this, Wing Commander Burnett effected a safe landing without the aid of the flaps which had also been damaged. His masterly effort merited high praise.”

(London Gazette – 22 October 1943)

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