Late WWII Spitfire hero honoured

[SSGMike.Ivy]

World War II Spitfire pilot who saved a Kent village from destruction did not think he was hero, his widow has said.

Pamela Marshall was speaking about her husband, Bill, as she unveiled a plaque in Lydd, to honour his wartime action.

Bill Marshall flew with the Royal Air Force during World War II

Mr Marshall, who died last year aged 87, fired on a V1 flying bomb at close range, which was about to fall on Lydd.

Mrs Marshall, who now lives in Barbados, said: "He was very modest. He said: 'I did what I had to do' and he was luckier than most."

The pilot would normally have backed off to gain some shooting space, but realising the weapon was about to fall on the town, he risked his life by firing on it immediately.

After the war, Mr Marshall became a successful racehorse trainer and the couple moved to Barbados but Mrs Marshall still has her husband's Spitfire logbook and a copy of a thank-you letter from Lydd's mayor.

The village suffered only a few broken windows in July 1944.

A friend of the Marshalls, Richard Maylam, said: "He knew how jolly dangerous this was, but he knew if he didn't shoot it down it was going to kill and maim a lot of people.

"He did it instantaneously and that was typical of the man who would have done it willingly."

Colin Ellis, a former Spitfire pilot, said: "You don't take into account the risk.

"Your object is to down the doodlebug and that's what you're trained to do. It's just automatic."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/5246258.stm

[morse1001]

Interesting article!

[Lucy Stag]

Ah yes, the same old story; Someone heroic denies being heroic, says it was just duty or something. Silly gentlemen, sometimes that still means you're heroic, duty or not.

Rest in peace.