Richard Haine

Group Captain Richard Cummins Haine, (1 October 1916 – 30 September 2008

On 28 November 1939, Haine flew one of six Blenheims of No. 25 Squadron to attack a seaplane base at Borkum, the first fighter attack of the war on German territory. He may have destroyed a Heinkel He 59 on the water.

On 10 May 1940, Haine led six Blenheims of No. 600 Squadron RAF against a key airfield at Waalhaven against an incipient landing by German Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft and parachute troops. The raid was a disaster; five of the six aircraft were shot down upon arrival. They evaded capture and returned to England aboard , the same Royal Navy destroyer that was evacuating the government of Norway and Queen Wilhelmina. The award was published in The London Gazette on 9 July 1940.

At the Ministry of Aviation, Haine was a staff officer, responsible for supervising flight testing of new aircraft. He trained at the Empire Test Pilots' School, and flew the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in the United States. Eventually he earned qualifications to fly 94 types of aircraft, and flew 18 others as a second pilot.