Athol Forbes

Athol Forbes, (4 April 1912 – 18 August 1981) was a British flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with having shot down at least nine aircraft.

Born in London, Forbes joined the RAF in 1935. After completing his training, he served as an instructor at the School of Army Co-operation. The year after the outbreak of the Second World War, he was posted to No. 303 Squadron, which was composed mostly of Polish flying personnel. Forbes was involved in the training to bring the squadron up to operational standard. From September, he flew extensively during the Battle of Britain, achieving most of his aerial victories, but also being wounded twice. He was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Polish honour of the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari for his service with the squadron. From mid-October 1940, he commanded No. 66 Squadron for a year. He spent most of the remainder of the war serving in India as a wing leader and staff officer. He left the RAF in 1948 as a group captain and later worked in civil aviation. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon at the age of 69.

Early life Athol Stanhope Forbes was born on 4 April 1912 in London, England, although one source indicates Stratford-upon-Avon as his place of birth. The son of William and Isabella Forbes, he was educated at Dover College, where one of his fellow students was John Hamar Hill who, like Forbes, would become a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Forbes joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1935, commencing his initial training in November of that year. He was commissioned as an acting pilot officer in January 1936 and the following month commenced flight training at No. 10 Flying Training School at Ternhill. He went on more advanced training at the School of Army Co-operation, at Old Sarum. He was confirmed in his pilot officer rank in November. Upon completion of his course at Old Sarum in August 1937, he was retained as an instructor. He was promoted to flying officer in May 1938.

Second World War Forbes was still instructing at the School of Army Co-operation at the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, and it was not until July 1940 that he was sent to No. 6 Operational Training Unit at Sutton Bridge for a refresher course on fighters.

Battle of Britain Pilots of No. 303 Squadron in front of a Hawker Hurricane fighter, October 1940 Posted to No. 303 Squadron, based at Northolt in early August, Forbes was one of its flight commanders, the other being the Canadian pilot John Kent. Apart from the squadron's commander, Squadron Leader Ronald Kellett, the remaining flying personnel being Polish pilots, many of whom could speak little or no English although all could converse in French. Equipped with the Hawker Hurricane fighter, the squadron was part of No. 11 Group but was still in training. According to Kent, Forbes was fluent in French, which helped the Polish pilots familiarise themselves with RAF procedures and practices. The squadron became operational in late August and was drawn into the aerial fighting over the southeast of England. Subsequently, the Polish government-in-exile awarded Forbes its Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari in further recognition of his leadership role with No. 303 Squadron. His new squadron, No. 66 Squadron, was stationed at West Malling and operated Supermarine Spitfire fighters. As part of No. 11 Group, it was still engaged in the aerial fighting in the southeast of England although the Luftwaffe's operations were on the decline.

Circus offensive Due to poor weather, No. 66 Squadron flew few sorties over the peak of the winter months. After reequipping with the latest version of the Spitfire, in February 1941 it was sent to Exeter, where it was tasked with patrolling duties. Forbes shared in the destruction of a He 111 on 25 June, seeing it go down off Bolt Head. From August, the squadron regularly flew to German-occupied Europe, escorting bombers and using Coltishall as a staging post. On one of these, carried out on 20 August, shared in shooting down a Bf 109. In early November he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. The published citation read:

Later war service At the time Forbes was awarded the Bar to his DFC, he was on staff duties at the headquarters of No. 10 Group, having relinquished command of No. 66 Squadron in October. In April 1942, he was sent to the Far East to serve with No. 224 Group in Calcutta. From October he commanded No. 165 Wing, leading it during the Arakan campaign. In the 1944 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire; the citation noted his services during the Arakan campaign. From August, Forbes served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the headquarters of No. 221 Group at Imphal.

Forbes ended the war credited with the destruction of nine German aircraft, two of which being shared with other pilots. He was also credited with one aircraft as probably destroyed.

Later life Forbes remained in the RAF until 1948, by which time he held the rank of group captain. Returning to civilian life, he worked for Cameroons Air Transport as the company's operations manager. When he retired, he and his wife Ernestine, who he had married in April 1939, moved to Alcester, in Warwickshire. He died while receiving hospital care at Stratford-upon-Avon on 18 August 1981.