Bertram Charles Whittle trained on Course 1 at Falcon Field starting on 18 June 1941 and he graduated on 31 October 1941 as a SGT/Pilot Officer I.



He was sent to the 25OTU for heavy bomber conversion on returning to the UK. He was shot down over Holland at the end of May 1942 and spent the rest of the war as a German PoW.



His new wife was pregnant at the time so he did not see his first born (son) until he was 3 years old. He was liberated from the PoW camp at Follingsbostel and returned home to the UK on his 24th birthday, with the Canadian Dakota aircraft pilot repatriating the PoWs letting him take the controls as they flew over the White Cliffs of Dover so he could fly himself home. He passed away in 2020 on his 99th birthday.



Bert's son Eric has added details of Bert's life and an album of photos on flickr. Please click the link below or copy and paste it into your browser. https://www.flickr.com/photos/188470206@N05/with/50008204847/