Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

Albert Edward Gregory, DFC, AE (1917-2010) was a World War II

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

Air Gunner during the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

, and was one of the men known as "

The Few The Few were the airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the aviators of the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy (RN) who fought the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. The term comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "Never was so much owed by so ma ...

". Albert Gregory was born in 1917. Before joining the RAF he worked in a butcher's shop and later as a Co-op delivery man. As an Air Gunner he was posted to

No. 141 Squadron RAF No. 141 Squadron was a squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps in January 1918 as a fighter squadron, serving on home defence duties for the rest of the First World War., before being disbande ...

to fly in Blenheims before the squadron converted to Defiants. He could not fly in the Defiant because he was too tall for the turret, so transferred to

No. 219 Squadron RAF No. 219 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was founded in 1918 and disbanded in 1957 after four separate periods of service. During the First World War it served as a coastal defence unit, and through most of the Second World War and the 1950s it op ...

with whom he served throughout the Battle of Britain on Beaufighters. Albert then served with 23 Sqn in Boston IIIs on intruder patrols over occupied France, Belgium and Holland on bombing and strafing missions, before spending time with

No. 275 Squadron RAF No. 275 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron that served between 1941 and 1959. History No. 275 Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Valley on 15 October 1941 for air-sea rescue duties in the Irish sea and was 9 Group's Air ...

and No. 278 Squadron RAF both Air-Sea Rescue Squadrons. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1942 in recognition of his night flying service. The citation read "This officer has a long and meritorious record as an air gunner, having been engaged in night flying for nearly 3 years. Throughout his operational tour Flying Officer Gregory has shown great courage, skill and devotion to duty". Gregory was one of the remaining members of "

" and was present at many Battle of Britain events, including the unveiling of the

Battle of Britain Monument in London The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment, overlooking the River Thames, which commemorates the individuals who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. It was unveiled on 18 Septe ...

. He was, however, always puzzled why people were so interested in him; after all as he always said Gregory died on 12 November 2010 after a short illness.

References

External links

BBC Peoples War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Albert Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force officers The Few 1917 births 2010 deaths Royal Air Force pilots of World War II