Info: Australian? Allied Unit, 39983, F/O Richard Lindsay Glyde DFC RAF, 87sq.

I have quite a deal of information on this Australian born Airman in the RAF but would welcome any additions or corrections.



Any further information would be appreciated.

Need assistance on Who/Where/What/How for this man who is on the Australian Commemorative Roll which is for those "Australians" who died in other Allied Services. If proved not to be "Australian" their names will not be removed from the Commemorative Roll however their details will be updated accordingly.

I have researched the Air Force members but there are many more Land and Sea deaths in a myriad of different forces.

There is not a lot of information on these people that can be accessed easily and I ask your assistance to fill in at least some of the gaps.

Hopefully some relatives may see this thread and add more.

I will make a different thread for each along the way as they may tend to get lost if clumped together.

In Memory of
Flying Officer RICHARD LINDSAY GLYDE
D F C

39983, 87 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 26
on 13 August 1940
Son of Frank Cave Glyde and Phillis Napier Glyde, of Claremont, Western Australia.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL


D.F.C. For Australian
Australian Associated Press
LONDON, June 4, 1940 - Flying-Officer Richard Lindsay Glyde, of Perth, has been awarded the Distinguished Fly ing Cross, for showing great dash and offensive spirit. He has brought down four German planes.
----------------------------------------------

Kristen Alexander
Richard Lindsay Glyde
Sat Aug 13, 2011 03:09
122.49.205.13

As a boy, Richard Lindsay Glyde of Perth Western Australia dreamed of flying. He applied to join the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) but, shortly after he commenced his cadetship, he was discharged as medically unfit. Through sheer determination, he rectified the slight spinal defect which had been diagnosed by the air force doctors and three years later was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A little over three years after he commenced flying training at a civil flying school in England he was dead. 13 August was the first day of a new stage in the Luftwaffe’s campaign against Britain. The Germans dubbed it Adler Tag, Eagle Day, and launched a series of carefully synchronised attacks on the south of England. Those attacks encountered a determined resistance from the RAF but a number of losses were sustained. Richard Glyde was just one of the RAF pilots who were lost that day. Shortly after his squadron members noticed white vapour pouring from his Hurricane’s engine he vanished. It was presumed that he had crashed into the sea. No trace was found of the gallant young Australian who had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his successful encounters with the enemy in the Battle of France and who had already added to his score over English skies. Richard Glyde was one of the 544 men entitled to the Battle of Britain clasp who lost their lives during the Battle of Britain, and the fifth Australian. Vale Dick Glyde



Our Few Of The Few
Take Richard Lindsay Glyde of Perth. He won his way into the RAAF school at Point Cook, Victoria, took to the air like a bird and went solo after only five hours of instruction. The fastest cadet ever to get his wings at Point Cook, they said, and added: "So sorry, you can never be an RAAF pilot. We've discovered you have a slightly crooked spine. So sorry." Glyde refused the rejection.
He paid privately for spine therapy, paid his own way to England as a civilian, joined the RAF and was fighting the Luftwaffe before the Battle of Britain. He helped cover Allied ground forces during the battle for France and won the Distinguished Flying Cross.
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P/O Richard Lynsey Glyde, died aged 26, 13th August 1940 - Shot down in combat with Ju88 off Selsey Bill 0800 hrs.

Son of Frank Cave Glyde and Phillis Napier Glyde, of Claremont, Western Australia.

Hurricane I P3387

Source - Norman Franks

He engaged with Oberleutnant Hans-Christian Schäfer, the Staffelkapitän of 5/JG27. Glyde wounded Schäfer but he baled out safely and was taken prisoner by French troops.

39983 FO GLYDE, RICHARD LINDSAY, DFC.
(Born in W.Aust – Enlisted/served in the Royal Air Force – missing on 13/8/1940)
REFERENCES :
(1) AWM 76 (B204) – The following summarises the material on this file which
includes a letter (undated) from Glyde’s mother who was living at Claremont WA,
and a statement of Glyde’s service in the RAF from the Air Ministry, London.
Statement of Service :
Flying Officer Richard Lindsay Glyde, DFC (39983)
Place & Date of Birth : Perth, WA. 29..1.1914
Prewar profession or calling : Royal Air Force Pilot.
Appointments and Promotions :
Granted Short Service Commission in the General Duties Branch RAF.
Acting as Pilot Officer on Probation. 9.8.1937
Confirmed as Pilot Officer on 24.5.1938
Flying Officer 24.11.1939
Death presumed on 13.8.1940.
Principal Postings
Unit Duties From To
No 3 Flying Training School Flying 21.8.37 25.3.38
No 1 Anti-Aircraft Coop Unit Flying 26.3.38 23.10.38
No 87 (Fighter) Squadron Flying 24.10.38 8.9.39
No 87 Sqn, Combined fighter force Flying 9.9.39 13.8.40
Missing 13.8.40 -
Missing in Flying Battle. Death Presumed on 13.8.1940
Last known address of mother : Mrs P.N.Clyde, 1 George Avenue, Claremont,
W.Aust.
Extracts from mother’s undated letter :
“On 6/9/39 my son went with his Squadron to France. About mid October 1939 whilst
formating on his Squadron Leader who lost his direction and had to land in Belgium,
they were both interned first at the Headquarters of the Gendarmerie in Brussels, and
then transferred to a mediaeval fortress outside Antwerp, where about 40 RAF
personnel, namely bomber crew, were interned.
He received high commendation from the Air Ministry for his part in planning and
carrying out the escape of his Sqn Leader, another 87 Sqn pilot and himself. In what
had to date been looked at as an impenetrable fortress. They were helped by British
agents,
and returned to their squadron in France, in disguise after being hidden in various
parts of Brussels while the search went on. He remained with 87 Sqn until its
remnants returned individually as best they could after the fall of France.
After a short posting to Yorkshire, he operated from Exeter during the Battle of
Britain and as you know was shot down in combat over the English Channel on
13/8/1940.
His DFC was won before leaving France”.
10
(2) AWM Commemorative Roll Database : Name : Glyde, Richard Lindsay, DFC.
Service No : 39983. Rank : Flying Officer. Unit : No 87 Squadron.
Service : Royal Air Force. Date of Death : 13/8/1940.
(3) Commonwealth War Graves Commission : Glyde, Richard Lindsay.
Date of Death : 13/8/1940. Son of Frank Cave Glyde and Phyllis Napier Glyde of
Claremont. W Aust.
Name commemorated on Runnymede memorial, Panel 5, Surrey, UK.
This Memorial overlooks the River Thames on Cooper’s Hill at Englefield Green
between Windsor and Egham on the A308, four minutes from Windsor.
(4) AWM Honours and Awards (Gazetted) Database.
Glyde, Richard Lindsay, DFC, London Gazette of 4 June 1940, Page 3353, Position 1

(5) NAA : A705, 163/34/110 : RAAF Casualty file in the name of Glyde R C.
Glyde died in combat with a German bomber, which was shot down by his comrades.

Glyde had 9 confirmed victories and had destroyed at least 5 other aircraft. He fell
with his plane in the English Channel off Portland Bill, UK.
(Note : At the time 87 Sqn was operating Hurricane aircraft, and was based at Exeter,
with detachments at Bibury and Hullavington. UK.)
Citation :
The Citation for the DFC awarded to FO Glyde of 87 Sqn RAF is as follows :
“This officer showed great dash and offensive spirit and has accounted for four enemy
aircraft. London Gazette 4/6/1940, page 3353.”

From the Aviation Forum Website:

I have just been given a 1930 edition of "Flying fury" by James Byford McCudden, VC, DSO,MM,and Croix de Guerre :Major RoyalAirforce, and formerly Captain Royal Flying Corps, Introduced by C.G.Grey editor of the Aeroplane. Book first published 1918.
In side the first page is an inscription" This book belongs to Richard Lindsay Glyde, DFC. 87 FlightSq, RAF.,and is given in his memory to Donald Jaquet. It is signed R.N.&F.C.Glyde. Dated 14/4/1943.
Does any one out there know who was Richard Glyde and any thing of his history, and any relevent details. I am just interested because of the inscription in the book and the obvious age of the book.
A number of years ago my parents and I plus my three younger brothers lived in the house owned by the parents of F/O S.C.Walch 238 Squadron Hurricane Pilot. His sister still lived in the house when father purchased it in 1958.
Many thanks in advance.


From the Aviation Forum Website:

When his parents died, they gave his books, inscribed such as yours, to members of the family and close friends. They had no other other children to pass them to.

 

Hallo Spidge

I have been researching Richard Lindsay Glyde and have a fair bit of information about him including details to verify his Australian birth.

Send me an email and let me know what you need and I will fill in your information gaps if I can.

best wishes

Kristen Alexander
alexfax@velocity.net.au