Sqn Ldr Douglas Tidy
No Photo Available | Sqn Ldr Douglas Tidy
Sqn. Ldr. Douglas Tidy was born in 1923. Claiming to be 18 in early 1940 he joined the RAF. Defective eyesight that was discovered (despite charts learned and magic white powder) ended his career as a tyro pilot and by the summer of 1941 he was in he Operations Room at Portreath in Cornwall, happily still with Spitfires, those of 66 and 130 Squadrons. By 1942 he was in his way to the Middle East, having flown on his first twin-engined aircraft, a Wellington of 38 Squadron, as a Wireless Operator. After an attachment to the Transjordan Frontier Force at Zerka, he joined 74 Squadron which was assisting B24s of the 98th Bomb Group, United States Army Air Corps at Ramat David in Palestine. He served under five Commanding Officers with 74 Squadron, before joining 244 Squadron with Blenheims at Sharjah in the Persian Gulf and later with Wellingtons on Masirah Island. From there he went to Aden and back to the UK with redundant aircrew to Mosquitoes at Haverfordwest. Sadly, we have learned that Douglas Tidy passed away on 14th April 2010. |