Flying Officer PRF Burton
Percival Ross Frames Burton
- Rank
- Flying Officer
- Honours
- MiD
- Squadron
- No 249 Squadron
- School
- Diocesan College (Bishops), Western Province Preparatory School, University of Oxford
- Born
- 1917
- Fate
- Did not survive the war, 27 September 1940
- In the book
- Pages 24, 25, 32, 51, 62, 63, 65, 98
From the book
Against Unfavourable Odds
Born in Northern Rhodesia and educated at Bishops with PRF Burton and NJM Barry, Pilot Officer JLW Ellacombe commissioned in early 1940 and was 20 when he joined No 151 Squadron in July. Shot down twice in two days, his “Battle of Britain” ended on the 28th after incurring severe burns that kept him off flying for three months. He earned the “Distinguished Flying Cross”, served with No 253 Squadron, flew No 487 Squadron Mosquito’s and was awarded a “Bar” in 1944. Air Commodore JLW Ellacombe CB DFC and Bar retired in 1973 and died in 2014.
Against Unfavourable Odds
Flying Officer Burton, Pilot Officer Crossey, Pilot Officer Lewis DFC, and Flying Officer Wells flew No 249 Squadron Hurricanes during the “Battle of Britain”. Percival Ross Frames Burton, educated at Western Province Preparatory, Bishops and Oxford joined No 249 on July 21st and had flown several sorties by September 27th when he “Rammed Me110 of V/LG1 over Hailsham Sussex”, demonstrating “the greatest form of individual heroism” taking “the conscious and deliberate decision of a man to give up his life so that others might be saved”. The sole Luftwaffe survivor apparently said, “Burton’s was the bravest act he had ever witnessed” 28. Burtons act, “…. I saw his contortions, then I saw him straighten and fly straight into the German aircraft; both aircraft crashed and Percy was killed….”
Against Unfavourable Odds
Flying Officer NJM Barry served as Aide-De-Camp to Air Vice Marshal de Crespigny MC DFC. Posted to No 3 Squadron in July, he joined No 501 Squadron a day before his long-time school contemporary, Percival Ross- Frames Burton lost his life. Barry flew 12 operational sorties, survived a forced landing, but was shot down on October 7th and found lifeless in his parachute 34.
More than a “Few” South Africans
James Bailey (74325) and Percival Burton (74348) were called up from the Oxford University Air Squadron in September 1939 to serve with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
The Dreaded Telegram
The tragic family story resumed when Mrs HM Burton took delivery of an Air Ministry telegram on September 28th 1940 advising her that Percival Ross Frames Burton had lost his life.
The Dreaded Telegram
Pilot Officer Percival Ross Frames Burton a fighter pilot, was killed on September 27th 1940 during the “Battle of Britain” His older brother William Westbrooke Burton pictured right, a bomberpilot, lost his life during a Cologne bombing raid 11 months later. Willam had completed his Oxford Studies, Percival interrupted his studies to join up.