Page 24 - link magazine

Harold Starr

and a real-life

Great Escape

Ken ‘Shag’ Rees (above) and Tom
connection
Gleave (below), who were both
influenced by the death of Swindon
pilot Harold Starr

As inspiring and poignant as the been said to be perhaps the most Guinea Pig Club for pilots treated
tale of Swindon’s Battle of Britain important military victory in our for burns, but was to become even
hero Harold Starr is, it’s not the history, it also made an impact in more famous as one of the authors
whole story. other important ways. of Operation Overlord, the plan for
His death and the manner of it For a start, it was the first major D-Day, later in the war.
resonated even after he was laid to victory by our Forces in the Gleave published a book about
rest at Radnor Street Cemetery in Second World War, thus providing his experiences as a pilot, called
September 1940 – and still echoes a boost in morale that cannot be I Had a Row With a German,
in popular culture today, 75 years overstated, coming just weeks which recalls the morning Harold
later. after the disastrous defeat at was killed:
Although the Battle of Britain has Dunkirk, where total disaster was “The station CO arrived shortly
averted by somehow evacuating afterwards and informed me that
more than 300,000 British Starr had baled out but the Hun
Valuation Day troops from the path of a rapidly had shot him on the way down.
opportunity advancing enemy. I could hardly believe that this
Winston Churchill, who
could be the end of Starr. That a
understood, more than anybody, fellow of his ability and charm,
with how important it was for Britain a fellow who had the right idea
Thomas Plant to lift its spirits, made a series of about everything and only wished
landmark speeches in 1940, but the to do his job in complete accord
TV expert on Flog It! soldiers, seamen and airmen found with all, regardless of rank, should
The Antiques Road Trip their own incentives to tackle an die like this was too much.
& Bargain Hunt enemy they called ‘The Hun’. “I went back to the dispersal
Remarkably, Harold Starr’s death point and broke the news to the
would inspire not one but two key squadron. Nothing can describe
figures in the war effort who both their feelings; they were expressed
knew him well. by all, crews and pilots alike,
One of those was Tom Gleave, in no uncertain terms. Tempers
a fellow squadron leader who were raised to white heat; nothing
stepped aside to allow Harold to that they had heard or read could
take command of 253 Squadron in ever have brought home to them
Bring along your portable items for a FREE valuation August 1940. Gleave was awaiting more forcibly the ruthless type
a posting elsewhere, but stayed
we were fighting against. Their
with Thomas, OR members of his team from Special Auction Services with the squadron temporarily. determination to smash the Hun
Gleave assumed command knew no bounds. Although they
Monday 10th August, 10am to 3.30pm once again, just two hours after had missed the first mass raids of
Jury’s Inn, Fleming Way, Swindon SN1 2NG Harold’s death, and on August 31 the Blitz, their subsequent efforts
he became the squadron’s second
bear testimony to the fact that this
squadron leader to be shot down act profited the Hun nothing.”
Valuations are by appointment only. on that day, receiving severe burns Gleave and Harold’s comrades
To arrange a time, please call after miraculously bailing out and in 253 Squadron weren’t the only
01635 580595 or contact us via landing safely by parachute. ones influenced by Harold’s death.
After receiving pioneering Wing Commander Ken Rees
www.specialauctionservices.com plastic surgery for his injuries was a wing commander who was
from Archibald McIndoe (who too young to fight in the Battle
Special Auction Services was later knighted for his work), of Britain but made a name for
Gleave co-founded the famous himself when his Wellington
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