Flight Lieutenant Basil Tatters Tatham


| Flight Lieutenant Basil Tatters Tatham
Basil Tatham was born on the 13th of March 1921 in Bardolfs, Knebworth and later went to St Edwards in 1936 following many months in Middlesex hospital with osteomyelitis, which nearly cost him his leg. Despite this he went on to follow his father in to the 1st XI cricket team, became captain of shooting, entered the Officer Training Corps and passed his school certificates. After finishing school in 1940 he could have gone on to university but felt duty bound to join the RAF. Basil was training in the Battle of Britain, but served through two tours as a pilot flying Hurricanes, Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests. Tatters Tatham first flew Hurricanes with 79 Squadron, and then in 1941 on Atlantic convoys with the MSFU before being torpedoed. In May 1942 he was posted to 257 Squadron on Hurricane night fighters, before joining 247 Squadron on Typhoons. After a brief rest period instructing, he rejoined 247 Squadron the day before D-day, and spent the following months destroying German tanks and other ground targets. Basil Tatham ended the war as a Flight-Lieutenant, (he was an acting Squadron Leader) with a number of medals including the Croix de Guerre Avec Etoile de Vermeil (F). He survived being shot down twice. Sadly he passed away on 2nd December 2007. |