Air Vice Marshal BP Young

Links of Long Standing

1930’s Cranwell graduates included HR Goodman, EMC Guest, JER Hayter, DG Heaton-Nicholls, T de T Macdonald, H Mundy, TS Rivett-Carnac, BP Young and HNG Wheeler. Most, including British born NM Hall and MA Aylmer were educated at Bishops, St Johns College, Michaelhouse, Hilton College or St Andrews.

Links of Long Standing

Michaelhouse educated Brian Pashley Young and Pretoria born, Henry Neil George Wheeler who started his schooling at Waterkloof House Preparatory attained “Air Officer Rank” after the War. Air Commodore BP Young CB CBE OBE retired in 1973, Air Chief Marshal Sir HNG Wheeler GCB KCB CB CBE OBE DSO DFC and Bar AFC in 1976.

The First Ten Months

The Hawker Hurricane did not share the Fairey Battle and Blenheim’s performance and armament weaknesses but their pilots in France, including South African’s Flight Lt GDL Haysom, Flying Officer’s EJ Morris, Brian Van Mentz, PH Hugo, BP Young and Pilot Officer’s JJ le Roux and AG Lewis endured a baptism of fire against experienced Me 109 Luftwaffe pilots and intense combat conditions.

The First Ten Months

Flying Officer Spencer Peacock-Edwards and Cranwell graduate Pilot Officer BP Young were Michaelhouse contemporaries. Young suffered serious burns when his No 615 Squadron Hurricane was shot down on May 16th, only resumed operational flying almost two years later as a Coastal Command Sunderland pilot.

More than a “Few” South Africans

Closely involved in the RAFVR’s 1937 founding, sixty-four-year-old Pilot Officer Lionel Cohen’s 1939 Flight Lt appointment was announced in “The London Gazette” on February 6th, 1940. That issue included appointment announcements relating to South Africans ESS Nash, DD Snooke and BP Young.