Squadron Leader PV Arderne
Philip Valentine Arderne
- Rank
- Flying Officer
- Later rank
- Squadron Leader
- Honours
- DFC
- Squadron
- No 110 Squadron
- School
- Diocesan College (Bishops)
- Fate
- Survived the war
- In the book
- Pages 45, 61, 70
From the book
The First Ten Months
On the day of that disaster, Flying Officer PV Arderne, another South African educated at Bishops, crash landed his No 110 Squadron Blenheim after engaging with Me109’s during attacks around Amiens fortunately, in a sector held by the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. Posted “Missing”, Arderne and his crew spent a few days with the Regiment fighting German ground forces, apparently resulting in a “Military Cross” recommendation and after being evacuated from France, they arrived back at RAF Wattisham much to the surprise of their squadron colleagues.
Against Unfavourable Odds
By September 13th Fighter Command had lost 76 aircrew and over 200 aircraft and whilst that day was relatively quiet for fighter pilots, Bomber Command’s attacks on Boulogne, Calais, and Antwerp destroyed more than 70 invasion landing barges in two days. That Friday’s September 13th “London Gazette” announced “Distinguished Flying Cross” awards to Flight Lt George Frederick Chater a Coastal Command pilot involved in defending Plymouth’s Dockyard during the “Battle of Britain” and Flying Officer Philip Valentine Arderne.
Against Unfavourable Odds
PV Arderne, a few years behind Burton, Barry, and Thomas at Bishops commissioned in May 1938, appears to have been the first South African Bomber Command pilot to be awarded a “Distinguished Flying Cross” and although his squadron participated in the barge attacks, his award has not been linked to those attacks. The only survivor in that school group, he ended the war as a Squadron Leader.