Flypast for battle veteran

ONE OF the last survivors of the Battle of Britain has been honoured with a special RAF flypast marking his 90th birthday.

Former Amisfield Primary School head teacher George Purslow was joined by family and friends at his home in Innerleithen last Wednesday to witness a Tornado fighter jet from RAF Lossiemouth dip its wings as it flew overhead.

George said: “It was absolutely splendid. I don’t think anyone else has ever had this for their birthday. It was quite something.”

The retired teacher has a remarkable history as a wireless operator and air gunner during World War II, surviving 50 bombing raids after narrowly cheating death on at least three occasions.

George joined the RAF in 1938, serving in France the following year as the youngest member of No 12 Squadron at just 19, flying in three-man, single-engine Fairey Battle aircraft. Avoiding being sent home ahead of the Blitzkrieg after Air Marshal Trenchard questioned the fresh-faced airman’s age, George said: “A few months later I was wishing I had been 18, instead of 19.

“It was very bad. Very heavy losses.”

Chased out of France by the Nazis, No 12 Squadron then found themselves in the Battle of Britain, with George one of 1592\!eRAF and Allied airmen to survive out of a total 2927.

Flying in Wellington bombers from 1941, George took part in raids on channel ports and enemy-occupied airfields in France. One brush with death saw George reluctantly switched to a different aircraft for an exercise, returning to discover that his Wellington had crashed, killing all of the crew.

And in April 1941 he lost a coin toss which saved him from serving on a Wellington shot down on its first operation.

In August that year, anti-aircraft fire over Cologne forced a crash landing into a railway bridge at Briston in Norfolk. Three of the six crew were killed and George suffered a serious leg injury, but an unreleased 2000lb bomb did not detonate.

After serving as a wireless instructor he returned for a second tour, this time on Lancasters.

He said: “There was somebody up above looking after me \_ I’m sure of that.”

George left the RAF in 1946, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, and trained as a teacher. In 1947 he married his late wife, Mima, from Walkerburn, with whom he had two children, Ian and Dorothy.

He served as deputy head teacher at Newington Primary School in Annan, taking on the role of headmaster at Amisfield Primary School just outside Dumfries in 1964, latterly serving in the post of headmaster at Eaglesfield Primary School in Annan until 1981.

George retired to Lockerbie before moving to his home town of Innerleithen.

He has spoken extensively about his experiences during World War II, and was deeply touched by the gesture arranged by his old No 12 Squadron for his 90th birthday.

George said: “It was a tremendous surprise to me -- really something. The best birthday present I could imagine.”





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