Francis Dawson-Paul

Francis Dawson-Paul (18 February 1916 – 30 July 1940) was a fighter ace in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was seconded to the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, serving with No. 64 Squadron RAF. Between 1 and 25 July he shot down seven and a half German aircraft before being shot down himself over the English Channel. Taken prisoner by the crew of a German E-boat he died of his wounds five days later. In those 24 days of combat he became the first naval air ace of the battle and the highest scoring naval ace on the Supermarine Spitfire, a record which still stood by the end of the war.

Early life and career Francis Dawson-Paul was born on 18 February 1916 in Chelsea, London, the son of Joseph Dawson Paul (the chairman and managing director of Boulton & Paul Ltd) and Flavie Leonie Paul. He was educated at Stanmore House Preparatory School and then Harrow School. He later joined Chrislea Aircraft as test pilot, and in January 1939 became a flying instructor at the London Busmen's Flying Club at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. He then commenced training with 758 Naval Air Squadron at HMS Raven at Eastleigh. A shortage of fighter pilots just prior to the Battle of Britain led to the Fleet Air Arm asking for volunteers to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command. Dawson-Paul was one of 23 naval aviators who volunteered to be seconded to the RAF.

Sub-Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul was posted to No. 7 Operational Training Unit at Hawarden, North Wales, for a conversion course to the Supermarine Spitfire on 23 June.#tag:ref|At the time the Fleet Air Arm Fighters were the Sea Gladiator biplane the Fairey Fulmar, the Blackburn Roc, the Blackburn Skua two seated fighters and the American Grumman Martlet which had started to arrive in small numbers. The squadron had been issued with the Supermarine Spitfire in April 1940, a type of plane not yet in use with the Fleet Air Arm. Before Dawson-Paul joined them they had been working over the beaches of Dunkirk providing air cover for Operation Dynamo the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Dawson-Paul arrived at RAF Kenley on 1 July, he was involved in operations from the first day assisting in the destruction of a Dornier Do 17, the first of the naval pilots seconded to the RAF to put in a claim.

Legacy Sub-Lieutenant Francis Dawson-Paul was the first naval ace of the Second World War. All his victories were achieved during 25 days in July 1940, but by the end of the war he was still the leading naval ace on the Supermarine Spitfire. To recognise his achievements in May 2010, the Falkland Islands included him on a postage stamp issued to commemorate the seventieth Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.