Allan Richard Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1920-02-12)12 February 1920 Teignmouth,Devon |
| Died | 16 September 2015(2015-09-16) (aged 95) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938–1967 |
| Rank | Group captain |
| Unit | No. 92 Squadron RAF |
| Commands | Air Fighting Development Unit |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross &Bar Air Force Cross King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
Group CaptainAllan Richard Wright,DFC &Bar, AFC (12 February 1920 – 16 September 2015)[1] was aRoyal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot andflying ace of theSecond World War. Wright scored 11 kills, three shared kills, five probable kills and seven damaged against the GermanLuftwaffe, and was one of the last surviving airmen calledThe Few who served in theBattle of Britain.[2]
Wright was born in Devon on 12 February 1920. His father had been in theRoyal Flying Corps from 1916 and retired from the RAF in 1943. Wright enteredRoyal Air Force College Cranwell as a flight cadet in April 1938.
After training, Wright was posted toNo. 92 Squadron RAF atRAF Tangmere on 29 October 1939 flyingBristol Blenheim night fighters. On 8 March 1940, the squadron converted toSpitfires. Wright flew his first combat mission on 23 May 1940 over Dunkirk and claimed a probableMesserschmitt Bf 110 destroyed and two damaged. The following day Wright added one confirmed Bf 110 and one 'probable' Bf 110 and on 2 June aMesserschmitt Bf 109.
During theBattle of Britain he shared a Heinkel He 111 destroyed on 14 August, a Heinkel He 111 ofKampfgeschwader 27 (KG 27) at night over Bristol on 29 August, a Heinkel He 111 and Messerschmitt Bf 109 'probable' on 11 September, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 damaged on the 14th, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 'probable' on the 15th, aJunkers Ju 88 'probable' on the 19th, aDornier Do 17 on the 26th, a Junkers Ju 88 on the 27th, and two Messerschmitt Bf 109's on the 30th. On 30 September he was shot down and wounded near Brighton by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 ofJagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) and hospitalised. He was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 22 October 1940. The citation read:
On night in August 1940, this officer displayed great determination and skill in destroying a Heinkel 111, under difficult conditions. Pilot Officer Wright has consistently shown a keen desire to engage the enemy on all occasions. He has brought down a total of four enemy aircraft and has badly damaged four more.[3]
On 6 December 1940 Wright destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109. By July 1941 Wright had received aBar to his DFC. He was posted to No. 59 Operational Training Unit in July 1941. Service withRAF Fighter Command HQ and as an instructor followed until being posted toNo. 29 Squadron RAF atRAF West Malling in March 1943, whereas a night fighter he had his last confirmed kill – a Junkers Ju 88 on 3 April.
For the remainder of the war, Wright worked on training and fighter tactics. He became chief instructor at the Pilot Gunnery Instructor Wing of the Central Gunnery School based atRAF Sutton Bridge and later commanded theAir Fighting Development Unit atRAF Wittering. In early 1945, Wright was transferred toRAF El Bellah in Egypt where he commanded the fighter wing of the Middle East Advanced Bombing and Gunnery School.
Remaining in the RAF post-war, he retired as agroup captain on 12 February 1967.[4]
In 1999, Wright attended aTime Team excavation inWierre-Effroy in France. The episode focused on excavating a Mark 1 Spitfire (P9373) as flown by fellow 92 Squadron pilot Paul Klipsch. On the arrival of the aircraft into the squadron in 1940, Wright was the first pilot to fly it to ensure everything was correct.
