Frank Petts
Frank Petts was a former fitter and gunner with 16(AC) Sqn, flying in the Hawker Audax. Selected for pilot training, Petts flew G-ADGT during his training at Sywell during 1937. Later that year, he joined 38 Sqn at RAF Marham, flying the Fairey Hendon. After converting to the Vickers Wellington, Petts joined 9 Sqn at RAF Honington on 5 September 1939.
Petts' first operational mission was the infamous Battle of Heligoland Bight on 18 December 1939. Petts and his crew survived this mission, diverting to Sutton Bridge with a heavily damaged aeroplane and two wounded crew. Petts flew a further 12 missions with 9 Sqn before serving as an instructor at Wellington Operational Training Units (OTU), during which time he flew further operational missions, including the first two 1000 bomber raids on Cologne and Essen during 1942.
Converting to the Mosquito at the end of 1943, Petts joined 109 Sqn in the Pathfinder role in early 1944, flying missions against German cities and oil plants, coastal defences and transport targets in France in support of D-Day, V-1 installations, the Normandy battlefield and occupied ports during the Allies' advance through France, completing 98 operational missions in total.
Post-War, Frank Petts servied with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
More to follow.
