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 ...

Michael Nicholson Crossley, (20 May 1912 – 7 December 1987) 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) and ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

who, 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 ...

, led

No. 32 Squadron RAF Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force operates in the Very Important Person, VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London. Originally formed in 1916 as ...

in 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 ...

. Crossley shot down 20 enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of two others with one 'probable' and one 'damaged'. All of his victories were scored in the

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

Early life

Born in

Halford, Warwickshire Halford is a village and civil parish about north of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, England. The village is where the Fosse Way Roman road (now the A429 road) crosses the River Stour. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as ...

on 29 May 1912, Crossley was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

and the College of Aeronautical Engineering in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

before he joined the

(RAF) in 1936. Crossley was confirmed as a pilot officer on 25 November 1936. He was posted to No. 32 Squadron after training, promoted flying officer on 25 May 1938 and became a flight commander just before the outbreak of war, promoted acting flight lieutenant on 7 August 1939. His promotion to flight lieutenant was dated 25 May 1940.

Second World War

Crossley first saw combat during the

Battle for France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

, strafing German troop carrying transports at

Ypenburg Leidschenveen-Ypenburg () is a Vinex-location and district of The Hague, located in the southeast. It is geographically connected to the main body of the city by only a narrow corridor. It consists of four quarters: Hoornwijk and Ypenburg on the ...

Airfield in the Netherlands. By the start of June he had claimed six enemy aircraft destroyed, including four

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...

s. As a result of his actions he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 21 June 1940 it was presented to him by HM King George VI in a special investiture held at Biggin Hill aerodrome. His citation reads: During the

, Crossley was promoted to

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 16 August after the departure of John "Baron" Worrall to

Biggin Hill Biggin Hill is a settlement on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Kent, prior to 1965 it was also in the administrative county of Kent. I ...

. Between 12 and 18 August he shot down another 10 aircraft and was credited with one shared. Crossley survived being shot down twice on 18 and 25 August.Holmes 1998, p. 84. On 18 August 1940, known as

The Hardest Day The Hardest DayBungay 2000, p. 231. was a World War II, Second World War air battle fought on 18 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain between the Germany, German Luftwaffe and United Kingdom, British Royal Air Force (RAF). On that day, the L ...

, Crossley and his Squadron were heavily engaged in the morning and afternoon battles. In the last raid of that day, he was shot down. Crossley was awarded the

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, typ ...

on 30 August 1940, his citation reads: Crossley was later

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

on 1 January 1941. The squadron was withdrawn to rest in late August. Crossley remained with the unit until April 1941, when he was sent as test pilot for the British Air Commission in the USA. Promoted to wing commander on 1 September 1942, he returned to the UK in 1943, where he was made

wing leader Wing leader, or wing commander (flying), denotes the tactical commander of a Commonwealth military wing on flying operations. The terms refer to a position, not a rank, although the role was usually taken by an officer ranked wing commander. The p ...

RAF Detling Royal Air Force Detling or more simply RAF Detling is a former Royal Air Force station situated above sea level, located near Detling, a village about miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent. It was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS ...

. Soon after, Crossley's operational flying career ended when he contracted tuberculosis. He was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

on 1 January 1946, before discharge from the RAF later that year. Crossley finally retired from the RAF Reserve of Officers on 29 May 1957. After the war he emigrated to South Africa to farm; he died there in 1987. Crossley was nicknamed "Red Knight" after he had commanded "Red Section" of No. 32 Squadron.

Early life

Second World War

References

Further reading