54 Facts About Pat Pattle

Pat Pattle travelled to the United Kingdom and joined the RAF in 1936 on a Short Service Commission.

Pat Pattle was last seen battling Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters.

Pat Pattle's Hurricane crashed into the sea during this dogfight and Pattle was killed.

Pat Pattle is considered to be the highest-scoring ace on both Gladiator and Hurricane fighters.

Jack Pattle followed his father into the British Army at the age of 15.

Pat Pattle fought in the Second Boer War and the Natal Rebellion.

Pat Pattle took a keen interest in mechanical things, particularly combustion engines, and was building Meccano models of aircraft and other vehicles by the age of 12.

Pat Pattle enjoyed the work so much he considered studying for a degree in mining engineering.

Pat Pattle joined up in 1936 hoping it would lead to a career in the Air Force.

Pat Pattle undertook basic training and national service on the understanding that he would be given an opportunity to enter the Air Force as an instructor at the end of his four-year service.

Pat Pattle flew to London at his own expense to attend the selection processes and was offered a commission by the selection board.

Pat Pattle immediately returned to South Africa to arrange his migration to Britain and left aboard SS Llandovery Castle on 30 April 1936.

Pat Pattle formally began his training on 29 June 1936.

Pat Pattle progressed well in his theory examinations, gaining 99 percent for gunnery and 91 percent for airmanship.

Pat Pattle completed his training within two months and was classified as above average after passing his examination with ease.

Pat Pattle spent three months with the Initial Training Squadron and three further months with the Advanced Training Squadron.

The basic flight training came to an end and Pattle scored 88.5 percent.

Pat Pattle completed his training somewhat later than planned, in March 1937, owing to bad weather which curtailed flying.

Pat Pattle was rated as "exceptional" in his final report.

Pat Pattle preferred attacking at higher altitudes than his quarry, meeting head-on, then waiting for the enemy to fly by before rolling over and diving to attack from the side and rear of the enemy.

Pat Pattle usually held his fire until very close to the target to make sure of hitting his opponent.

Pat Pattle progressed in rank with the squadron and was duly promoted to pilot officer on 27 July 1937.

On 29 April 1938, Pattle accompanied the unit to Egypt having been tasked with the defence of the Suez Canal.

Pat Pattle fired on the enemy several times as local rebellions against British rule took shape and then died away.

Pat Pattle managed to hit one, that he saw falling spinning, but later was himself attacked by another formation of Bredas and CR.

Pat Pattle landed, winded, and played dead to avoid being strafed.

Pat Pattle started to walk towards the Allied lines and crossed the border at around midday the following day.

Pat Pattle considered being shot down by the Italians as an embarrassment and regarded the episode as a slur on his reputation.

On 3 September 1940, Pattle was promoted to flight lieutenant.

Pat Pattle placed the Gladiator below and in front of the Italian fighter to tempt the enemy pilot, but could not persuade it to accept battle.

Pat Pattle expended all his ammunition and watched the Italian pilot attempt a crash-landing, only for the bomber to hit a tree and disintegrate 15 miles north of Kelcyre.

In view of his actions, Pattle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 11 February 1941.

Pat Pattle's Hurricane sustained a bullet hole in the fuel tank.

Pat Pattle assumed Cullen had gone off to scout for more enemy aircraft after missing out on Pattle's victory.

Pat Pattle then became involved with a third such fighter over Valona harbour and claimed to have shot this down into the sea in flames on the west side of the promontory.

On 12 March 1941, Pattle was promoted to squadron leader.

Pat Pattle gathered the pilots together and made a statement of his intent:.

Soon, Pattle had moved onto his tail and Ping could not shake his leader off.

Pat Pattle criticised the pilot for being too smooth on the controls and urged his men to be rough with them in combat.

Pat Pattle impressed on his pilots one critical point about his own approach to combat:.

Furious, Pattle berated the pilots for not carrying out their primary assignment.

At noon, Pattle was ordered to fly a fighter patrol over the Rupel Pass, Bulgaria, another Axis partner.

Pat Pattle left them in order to deal with the intruder.

Pat Pattle left the burning machine as it disappeared into cloud.

On Good Friday, Pattle led his squadron into battle against German bombers minelaying over Volos harbour.

Pat Pattle dispatched a Ju 88 and Heinkel Pat Pattle 111 into the sea.

One of the German pilots bailed out and Pattle watched in horror as the Greek soldiers guarding the airfield shot him dead as he floated down in his parachute.

Pat Pattle did not want his squadron to know he was unwell.

Pat Pattle's success took Pattle's total from 47 to 49.

Pat Pattle was seen, just before an air raid alarm, in the mess, lying on a couch, shivering under the blankets.

Pat Pattle was detailed to take a patrol over the lines but during the mission briefing, around 100 German bombers with fighter escort attacked the capital, seeking to attack Allied shipping in the harbour.

Pat Pattle succeeded in shooting it down in flames, but not before it had fired at point-blank range into the Hurricane, with the same effect.

Jimmy 'Kettle' Kettlewell, one of Pattle's unit, arrived on the scene moments after Pattle had scored his victory.

Pat Pattle saw a lone Hurricane diving towards the sea, its pilot slumped forward over the controls and flames engulfing the engine compartment.