Flight Lieutenant Cecil Frederick "Jimmy" Rawnsley (16 March 1904 – 12 February 1965) was a

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) an ...

night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...

observer radar operator and gunner during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He flew many of his sorties with John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham who was credited with 20 kills, of which 19 were claimed at night, and 17 of which were achieved with Rawnsley.

Second World War

Rawnsley initially served as an air-gunner but retrained to become a navigator/

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

operator and was sent to No. 604 Squadron RAF flying Beaufighters. Using the new airborne interception (AI) equipment (an early form of airborne radar). Using this tracking device at night, Rawnsley was able to guide Cunningham onto targets. Their first confirmed "kill" came on the night of 19 – 20 November 1940, when they downed a German

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...

bomber over Oxfordshire. On 4 April 1941 he was awarded a

Distinguished Flying Medal The Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and other British Armed Forces, and formerly to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "exceptional va ...

(DFM) to which he added a

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on 23 May of the same year. With mounting success he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 19 September 1941. In January 1943, Rawnsley transferred to

No. 85 Squadron RAF ("We hunt by day and night") , colors= , colors_label= Post-1950 aircraft insignia , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= Western Front, 1917–1918; France & Low Countrie ...

along with Cunningham. They now flew a

Mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

and within the year had downed four more enemy aircraft. On the 26 October 1943, after flying over 200 sorties with Cunningham and having been his radar operator during the downing of 17 enemy planes he was awarded a

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

(DSO).

Memoir

In 1957 Rawnsley published (with Robert Wright) a memoir detailing his wartime career in the book ''Night Fighter''. Covering his partnership with Cunningham, it gives a clear insight into the methods the pair used to find and down enemy aircraft.

Medals and awards

* 4 April 1941 – Sergeant Cecil Frederick Rawnsley, Auxiliary Air Force, No. 604 Squadron is awarded the

in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: * 23 May 1941 – Sergeant Cecil Frederick Rawnsley, DFM (804251), Auxiliary Air Force, No. 604 Squadron is awarded a

to his

in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: * 19 September 1941 – Pilot Officer Cecil Frederick Rawnsley, DFM, No. 604 Squadron, is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy. * 26 October 1943 – Flight Lieutenant Cecil Frederick Rawnsley, DFC, DFM (102089) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 85 Squadron is awarded the

in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: * 1946

Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The medal was established on July 2, 1926, and is currently awarded to any persons who, after April 6, 1917, distinguish themselves by single acts ...

Notes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rawnsley, Cecil 1904 births 1965 deaths Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force officers