Page 69 - The Old Ratcliffian 2015 Magazine

RATCLIFFE’S PAST 69

REMEMBERING OLD RATCLIFFIANS AT BRISTOL POPPY DAY

Cemetery. His headstone has the following inscription: ‘Pilot
Officer P A Baillon. PILOT Royal Air Force. 28th November 1940.
Age 26. One of the Few’.

In addition, George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, one of the two remaining
Dambusters, was present. Johnny was the bomb aimer in the
nose of one of the famous 617 Squadron Lancasters, call sign
AJ-T. The raid took place on May 16th and 17th 1943, with
significant losses. Most of the Lancasters used the bouncing
bomb, designed by Barnes Wallis, to attempt to destroy the
dams along the Ruhr Valley. However, Johnny’s Lancaster was
assigned to destroy the Sorpe Dam, which required a direct hit
from above. Johnny told me that they made five attempts before
he gave the go-ahead to drop the bomb, by which time, the rest
of the crew were getting slightly edgy, as they were under fire on
each approach.

One of the hand-crafted Spitfires A model Lancaster was made and presented to Johnny on Bristol
Poppy Day. The wing was signed by both Johnny Johnson and
Paul and his comrades, who fought during the Battle of Britain, Air Marshal Simon Bollom. The model Lancaster will be taken
have recently been remembered in various commemorative to BBMF RAF Coningsby and presented to the aircrew for
events across the country. One Old Ratcliffian, Chris Della Porta safekeeping, and to make a little piece of history.
(79), who co-ordinated the MOD Bristol element of the Bristol
Poppy Day on Thursday 29th October, gives us his account of At the close of the day, four balloons were released: one red, one
the day: white and one blue, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of
the Battle of Britain. The fourth balloon was pink, to pay tribute
“The event is organised by the Royal British Legion in memory to Olive Cooke, who had been selling poppies outside Bristol
of the fallen and to support the living. We based the event on Cathedral for seventy-six years and who, tragically, died in May
the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which took place this year. Olive was a submariners widow, and many serving
between July 10th and October 31st 1940. MOD staff made submariners were present, to show their respect, when the
over two hundred and fifty Hornby Mk1 model Spitfires and balloons were released. This was done by the cutting of a ribbon
Hurricanes, mostly in Battle of Britain colours. However, others by Johnny Johnson and, as he did so, the ‘Last Post’ was played.
were painted in a variety of fun, but respectful, designs, from
pink ones to gold ones, and from sparkly ones to ones covered It was a very moving and poignant day.”
in poppies. The planes were displayed at the MOD in Bristol
amongst a ‘field of poppies’ created by six local schools. Chris Della Porta (79)

Each model had a parcel tag attached to it. On one side were
written the names of some of the 2900 aircrew that took part in
the Battle of Britain, of which 1542 were KIA. Of these 544 were
RAF Fighter Command, 718 RAF Bomber Command and 280 RAF
Coastal Command. On the other side of the tag were written the
famous words of Winston Churchill: ‘Never in the field of human
conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’ Each person
that made a plane also wrote their name on the tag, and a brief
message.

Johnny Anwyl (79) wrote Paul Baillon’s name on one of the tags Releasing balloons of remembrance on Poppy Day
and tied it to a Spitfire Mk1. Paul was an Old Ratcliffian, having
attended the College from 1924 to 1932. He joined 609 Squadron
at Middle Wallop in September 1940. On October 27th 1940, his
Spitfire, P9503, was severely damaged by return fire from an
enemy aircraft engaged over Andover. Paul bailed out, unhurt,
near Upavon. In combat with ME109s over the Channel, in the
late afternoon of November 28th 1940, Paul was shot down
into the Channel, in Spitfire R6631. His body was later washed
ashore on the French coast, and he is buried at the Bayeux War

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