The Guardians
Battle of Britain – Summer 1940
by Philip E. West
![]() |
|
Legendary Hurricane pilot Flight Commander Pete Brothers (32 Sqn) and his wingman, having just taken off from Biggin Hill, proceed to gain height over the White Cliff's of Dover in search of the fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe. By the end of the war Pete Brothers had amassed 875 operational hours over a 44-month period. He was credited with having personally shot down 16 enemy aircraft and damaged many more. Approx. overall print size 16½” x 26½ ” / 420cms x 67cms *The Primary Edition is signed by the artist. 100 Primary Edition: Orders from outside the European Union are free from VAT
Air Commodore Peter Brothers DSO, DFC & Bar learnt to fly at the age of 16 and joined the RAF two years later in 1936. He first saw action in 1940 when as a Flight Commander in 32 Squadron, based at Biggin Hill, he flew his Hurricane against the fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe. He recalls this an intensely busy period, during which he shot down a Me109 - his first enemy aircraft. At the end of August that same year his tally of enemy aircraft shot
down, increased to eight. Awarded the DFC, he was transferred to 257 Squadron
where he joined Bob Stanford-Tuck as Flight Commanders. Promoted in 1941
to Squadron Leader, Pete Brothers then took command of 457 Squadron (Royal
Australian Air Force), equipped with Spitfires. A year later when 457
Squadron returned to Australia, Pete took command of 602 Squadron. In
the early autumn of 1942 he went on to become Wing Leader of the Tangmere
Wing, succeeding his old friend Douglas Bader. By the end of the war Pete
Brothers had amassed 875 operational hours over a 44-month period. He
was credited with having personally shot down 16 enemy aircraft and damaged
many more. He later went on to command 57 Squadron during the Malaya Campaign.
Upon return to the UK Pete Brothers joined the V-Force, flying Valiant-4
jet bombers. He retired in 1973. If you have arrived at this page through a ‘backdoor’ you will have nowhere to go. Please click here to go to our HOME page www.oliversart.com
|