Peter Gardner

Peter Melvill Gardner (1 July 1918 – 23 May 1984) was a British flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with at least ten aerial victories.

Born in Grimsby, Gardner joined the RAF in late 1937. In the early stages of the Second World War he served with No. 32 Squadron, but was transferred to No. 3 Squadron in May 1940, serving with this unit during the Battle of France and claiming several victories. He returned to No. 32 Squadron for the subsequent Battle of Britain and was heavily engaged in the fighting over Kent during July and August, achieving further aerial victories. In June 1941, he was posted to No. 54 Squadron, which was involved in the Circus offensive. He was shot down over France the following month and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Germans. In later life he was a restaurateur in the Bahamas. He died in 1984, aged 65. A photograph taken of Gardner and other pilots of No. 32 Squadron during the Battle of Britain inspired the ‘Spirit of The Few’ Monument at Hawkinge.

Early life Peter Melvill Gardner was born on 1 July 1918 in Grimsby, in England. He went to Imperial Service College at Windsor before going on to Eton House at Tonbridge School. Interested in aviation, he took private flying lessons and gained his pilot's licence from Norfolk & Norwich Aero Club in August 1936. Gardner joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in November 1937 on a short service commission. He trained at No. 5 Flying Training School at Sealand and once this was completed in September the following year, he was posted to No. 32 Squadron as a pilot officer.

The Luftwaffe's campaign over the southeast of England had escalated by August, and Gardner and the other pilots of the squadron flew several sorties daily to intercept incoming bomber raids. On 11 August, on the squadron's second scramble of the day, Gardner damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter and saw it disappear into cloud. The next day he shot down a Bf 109 into the sea off Deal after several squadrons were scrambled to intercept 100 bombers and escorting fighters. He also destroyed a Do 17 over the English Channel. On 15 August he destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber to the southeast of Croydon. The following day, he shot down a Bf 109 to the east of Goodwin Sands.

Subsequent war service No. 32 Squadron carried out training in night fighting duties while at Acklington and then, in January 1941, moved to Middle Wallop and then Ibsley, from where it was mostly engaged in patrol duties. By this time, Gardner was an acting flight lieutenant. In June, he was posted to No. 54 Squadron as a flight commander. He is credited with the destruction of ten aircraft, two shared with other pilots, and one damaged.

Gardner is remembered in a memorial, the ‘Spirit of The Few’ Monument, unveiled on 29 July 2022 at Hawkinge airfield. He is represented as one of seven bronze sculptures of pilots of No. 32 Squadron, replicating a photograph taken of the men during the Battle of Britain.