james storrar spitfire 9 ix mh358

James E. Storrar was born in Liverpool. In 1938, at the age of 17 he entered the flying school and was shortly afterwards commissioned into the Royal Air Force. In early 1940 he joined 145 Squadron, flying the Hawker Hurricane Fighter over Dunkirk and during the Battle of France. He continued to fly with 145 Squadron at the start of the Battle of Britain, but transferred to 73 Squadron in September, 1940. He then flew missions in the Western Desert during 1941 and commanding 65 Squadron in December, 1942. In 1944 he commanded three squadrons of North American Mustang Fighters, responsible for long range escort and fighter strikes. These included the Mosquito attack on the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen 1 March, 1945, and the destruction of Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ at Berchtesgaden.

By the end of the war he had flown 1120 operational flying hours, scored fifteen confirmed victories and been decorated with the DFC and Bar and the Air Force Cross AFC.