Suzy Henderson

I'm very sad to share the news that RAF veteran and member of the infamous Guinea Pig Club, Jack Perry passed away on August 7th, aged 92. He was an amazing man, a friend to so many, a husband, father and grandfather. His outlook on life, given his own horrific injuries sustained during WW2, was simply incredible. He was helped so much by the plastic surgeon, Sir Archibald McIndoe and the men in the Guinea Pig Club whom he referred to as a 'band of brothers'. In return, Jack has given so much back, helping others similar to himself, suffering with life-changing injuries as a result of burns. Just as he was shown the pathway back to the living, he too has always tried to help others follow that path. Jack left school at the young age of fourteen and joined the Air Training Corps at sixteen. At eighteen he volunteered as air crew but was chosen for pilot training initially, before training as a flight engineer. Jack was then seconded to 6 Bomber Group and flew with a C...

When Germany attempted to gain air superiority over Britain, from July 1940 - September 1940, this period duly became known as The Battle of Britain. The Battle began in mid July, shortly after the evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk, with the Luftwaffe concentrating on attacking coastal towns, defences and Channel shipping.  In August, Goering altered tactics and they began attacking airfields and Radar bases. On the 4th September they changed tactics once more, upon Hitler's instructions, and bombed major towns and cities. On the 15th September, a day which has come to be known as Battle of Britain Day, the RAF launched a savage, counter-attack upon the swarms of German aircraft, in the skies above London and the South Coast. Hitler then realised that they had failed to break the strength of the RAF and gain the air superiority that he so desperately craved. Hitler's plans for the invasion of Britain were also duly called off on September 17th. He then turned his att...