Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

John Leslie Nunn, (11 April 1919 – 3 July 2013) was a British

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 ...

(RAF) officer, mathematician, and politician. He served as an RAF pilot 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 opposin ...

and, having been taken prisoner, was involved in The Great Escape. It was his miscalculations that caused the tunnel to be too short. This meant the escapees were visible to guards in the camp and only three men successfully escaped. He continued to serve in the RAF after the war specialising in navigation and intelligence. After retiring from the military he worked at IBM and as a

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

. He was

Mayor of Winchester The Office of Mayor of Winchester is the second oldest mayoralty in England, dating back to the period when Winchester was the capital of Wessex and England. The Mayor of Winchester thus stands second only to the Lord Mayor of the City of London ...

from 1992 to 1993.

Early life

Nunn was born on 11 April 1919 in

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, England. He was educated at

Mill Hill School Mill Hill School is a 13–18 mixed independent, day and boarding school in Mill Hill, London, England that was established in 1807. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. History A committee of Nonconformist me ...

, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

boys school Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice of ...

Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18, ...

, north London. He went on to study maths and statistics at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. He graduated in 1939 gaining a Bachelor of Science (BSc).

Military career

Nunn joined the

University of London Air Squadron A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

in 1938, when he was studying for his degree. Having held the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

, he was commissioned into the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

on 3 October 1939 as a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

. He was given the

service number A service number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they may be used in civilian organizations as well. National identification numbers may ...

74685. It was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

on 3 December 1939 that he had been promoted to flying officer back dated to 3 October. He was posted to

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

and flew bombing sorties over

German–occupied Europe German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

. He completed 14 operations with

No. 207 Squadron RAF ("Always prepared")Halley 1988, p. 268. , colors = , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , equipment = Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning , equipment_label = Aircraft , battles = , anniversaries = , decorations = , battle_honours = ...

flying the

Avro Manchester The Avro 679 Manchester was a British twin-engine heavy bomber developed and manufactured by the Avro aircraft company in the United Kingdom. While not being built in great numbers, it was the forerunner of the famed and vastly more successful ...

bomber. He then joined

No. 97 Squadron RAF No. 97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron, was a Royal Air Force squadron formed on 1 December 1917 at Waddington, Lincolnshire. World War I The squadron formed on 1 December 1917 at RAF Waddington, and was initially a training unit.Melinski ''Ai ...

in July 1941, continuing to fly the Avro Manchester.

Prisoner of war

On 16 August 1941, Nunn was shot down over Belgium while on a mission to bomb

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

, Germany. Following interrogation by Nazi

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

intelligence officers, he was sent to

Stalag Luft III , partof = ''Luftwaffe'' , location = Sagan, Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany (now Żagań, Poland) , image = , caption = Model of the set used to film the movie ''The Great Escape.'' It depicts a smaller version of a single compound in ''Stalag ...

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...

. On 3 October 1941, his commission was confirmed. He was appointed head of the mathematics faculty of Stalag Luft III's extensive educational programme. His assistance was sought by Squadron Leader

Roger Bushell Squadron Leader Roger Joyce Bushell (30 August 1910 – 29 March 1944) was a South African-born British military aviator. He masterminded the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III in 1944, but was one of the 50 escapees to be recaptured and sub ...

, organiser of The Great Escape, to calculate precisely how long a tunnel should be to reach the woodland beyond the camp's perimeter wire. He used

trigonometry Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies. T ...

to come to a figure as it could not be found using the usual method of pacing for fear the guards would discover their plans. However, the tunnel proved too short. On 24 March 1944, when the break-out occurred, prisoners were spotted escaping as the tunnel ended in the open ground between the camp fence and the tree line. Nunn was still inside the camp when this occurred, though he had planned to pose as a French businessman and cycle to neutral

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

upon his escape. He rarely spoke of the Great Escape given that his slight miscalculation led to the tunnel being discovered while it was in use; something he described as his lifelong regret.

Post-war service

Nunn was

repatriated Repatriation is the process of returning a thing or a person to its country of origin or citizenship. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as to the pro ...

to the United Kingdom in 1945. He was made temporary

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

on 1 April 1946 with seniority from 1 July 1945. On 24 December 1946, it was gazetted that he had transferred to the

on a permanent commission. He retained his wartime rank of

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 ...

dated to 1 September 1945. He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 August 1947. He specialised in navigation and intelligence during this period, and he was posted to

Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its work ...

where he flew the

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...

. Nunn was promoted to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

on 1 January 1954 as part of the half-yearly promotions. He was posted to the Ministry of Defence's joint planning staff to assist in the creation of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation. From December 1955 to January 1957, he was

Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

No. 210 Squadron RAF ("Hovering in the Heavens")Halley 1988, p. 274. , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= Western Front, 1916–18 Ypres 1917 Lys Atlantic 1939–45 A ...

based at

RAF Topcliffe Royal Air Force Topcliffe or RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. It was established as a RAF Bomber Command station in 1940. The British Army took over a large part of the site in 1974 and the airfield beca ...

, Yorkshire. With them he flew

Lockheed P-2 Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and ...

, a

maritime patrol aircraft A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles ...

. His squadron patrolled the Mediterranean in the run up to Operation Musketeer in 1956. He was post to

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

in 1957, where he served on the staff of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation that he had helped create. His final posting, from 1963 to 1966, was to the Operational Requirements branch of the Air Department in the newly expanded

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. Nunn retired from the Royal Air Force on 11 April 1966.

Later life

In 1966, following his retirement from the RAF, Nunn joined the government branch of IBM. He retired from the company in 1982. In 1982, Nunn was elected a

to the

Winchester City Council The City of Winchester () is a local government district in Hampshire, England, with a city status. The district covers the ancient settlement of the city of Winchester itself, but also covers a large area of central Hampshire including Bish ...

for the ward of

Droxford Droxford ( Drokensford) is a village in Hampshire, England. Geography The village is clustered with slight ribbon development along its main, north–south, undulating road. It is entirely on the lower half of the western slopes of the Meon v ...

Soberton Soberton is a village in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, England, east of the A32 and a few miles south of the village of Droxford. It appears in the Domesday Book as "Sudbertone" or "Sudbertune". For administration, it is in the Hampshire County C ...

and Hambledon. He served as group leader from 1984 to 1988 and vice-chairman of the planning committee from 1985 to 1991. He was

from 1992 to 1993. He stepped down from the council in 1994. Nunn died on 3 July 2013, aged 94. A memorial service was held on 26 July at

Hambledon Church Hambledon Church as it is known locally (historically known as St Peters) is an evangelical Anglican Church in Hambledon, Surrey, United Kingdom. Hambledon Church is part of a parish with Busbridge Church

Hambledon, Hampshire Hambledon is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the county of Hampshire in England, situated about north of Portsmouth within the South Downs National Park. Hambledon is best known as the 'Cradle of Cricket'. It is ...

Personal life

Nunn was married to Joan (née Kelly) who had been an RAF doctor. Together, they had a son and a daughter. Joan died in 1989 and he did not remarry.

Honours and decorations

On 16 March 1943 with effect from 9 September 1942, Nunn was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). It was awarded for landing his damaged

bomber on the night of 16 August 1941 while on a mission to bomb

, Germany, thereby saving the lives of his crew.

References

External links

Obituary – The Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunn, John 1919 births 2013 deaths Conservative Party (UK) councillors Mayors of Winchester Royal Air Force wing commanders Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Air Force pilots of World War II British World War II bomber pilots World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Participants in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) People from Finchley People educated at Mill Hill School Alumni of University College London Military personnel from Middlesex