History of War – October 2019

ROALD DAHL’S

ARTEof ACT

Image: Roald Dahl Museum

and

Story

Centre

Theaward-winning Roald Dahl Museum and Story

Centre receives over 60,000 visitors a year and

contains many artefacts from his life, including the

flying helmet and his famous writing hut. For more

information visit: http://www.roalddahl.com/museum

T

houghbestrememberedasoneof the

greatestchildren’sauthorsof the20th

Century,Dahlwasalsoa distinguished

veteran.WhileworkingforShellin

Tanganyika,Dahlwascommissionedasa

lieutenantintotheKing’sAfricanRiflesin August1939.

HesubsequentlyjoinedtheRoyalAirForceandbecame

a pilotofficeron 24 August1940.

Assignedto No. 80 SquadronRAF,Dahlfirstflewa

GlosterGladiator.Hewasalmostkilledin it duringa

forcedcrash-landingin Egyptin September 1940 after

beingmisdirectedto thesquadron’sairstripsouthof

MersaMatruh.DahlwasrescuedbyBritishsoldiers

betweenAlliedandItalianpositionsandsufferedmultiple

injuries,includingbeingtemporarilyblinded.

Afterrecuperatingin Alexandria,Dahlrejoined 80

Squadron,whichhadsincebeenequippedwithHawker

Hurricanes.Theunitflewoverto Greecewherethey

werepartof a minimalRAFpresenceagainsttheGerman

invasion.BetweenApril-May1941,Dahlflewmany

combatmissions,includingtheaerialBattleof

Athenswherea handfulof Hurricanepilotsfoughtan

overwhelmingnumberof Germanaircraft.

80 S d d f Greeceand

shotdownVichy

Above: Dahl’s

headpiece was a

‘Type B’ flying helmet.

It was designed

to accommodate

earphones for radio

communication

and styled to be

comfortably worn with

anoxygenmask

Right:Acclaimedwriter

anddistinguished

veteranRoaldDahl

Frenchaircraftbeforehewasinvalidedhometo Britain due

to hispreviousinjuries.Hewassubsequentlyappointed as

anairattachéto theBritishEmbassyin Washington D.C.

andendedthewarasa squadronleader.

Dahlwasa flyingacewithfiveconfirmedaerial victories

althoughit is likelythathisscorewashigher.He later

wroteabouthiswarexperiencesin thevivid1986 memoir

GoingSoloandhisleatherflyinghelmetis

displayedat theRoaldDahlMuseumandStory

Centrein GreatMissenden,Buckinghamshire.

Image: Carl Van Vechten

T

fl

80 SquadronwasevacuatedfromGr

reassembled at Haifa, Palestine. Dahl

“DAHL WAS A FLYING ACE

WITH FIVE CONFIRMED

AERIAL VICTORIES

ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY THAT

HIS SCORE WAS HIGHER”

The acclaimed writer wore this

aerial headpiece as an ace

fighter pilot during WWII