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Percival H Beake

Name : Percival H Beake Died : 25th June 2016 Service Number : 84923 Awards : Distinguished Flying Cross

Joining the RAFVR in April 1939, Percival Beake was mobilised at the outbreak of war. Posted to 64 Squadron on Spitfires in the summer of 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain, he flew with them until June 1941 when he was posted first to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill, and then 601 Squadron at Duxford. On February 2nd 1941 Percy made a forced landing in a field at Sheperdswell in Kent. He tried to make a wheels-down landing to save his aircraft but ended up head down in the mud. Percy’s aircraft was a write-off and he suffered concussion for which he was treated in the RAF Officers Hospital in Torquay. He did not get back to the Squadron until March 27th. On May 16th the Squadron was posted to Turnhouse near Edinburgh. On June 26th Percy complained to the CO about the lack of combat opportunity there and the following day he was posted to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill. On July 8, having taken part in a mission over France, he was shot down by an Me 109 just after leaving the French coast but he managed to bale out over the sea and was picked up 18 miles east of Dover by an RAF Rescue Launch. Towards the end of October the Squadron moved to Digby in Lincolnshire and by the end of the year Percy had completed 100 operation sorties and was declared ‘tour expired’. In January 1942 Percy was posted to 601 Squadron which at the time was equipped with Aircobras. These aircraft had serious maintenance problems and were never made operational. However, the Squadron was re-equipped with Spitfires in March and was posted to Malta. The CO said “Beaky you are tour expired� so I can’t take you to Malta – you will have to go to instructing at an OUT. So it was he arrived at 58 OUT in Grangemouth on April 1st 1942. After a spell instructing he returned for his second tour in December 1942, joining 193 Squadron as a Flight Commander. In May 1944 he took command of 164 Squadron at Thorney Island flying Typhoons, moving to France shortly after the Normandy Invasion. With two victories to his credit he was awarded the DFC in September 1944. "Starting with 6th August 1944 my log book records that a successful attack was carried out on an enemy strong point in a quarry and that on the following morning I flew home on a very rare 48 hour leave. For a few days after my return we had only one specific target - an enemy dump which we effectively bombarded with rockets on 11th August - so we were deployed on armed reconnaissances. After landing from one of these on 13th August my Wing Commander, Walter Dring, called me to his caravan and said - Beaky, you have just done your last op. You are not to fly again and that is an order, until returning to the UK. I am arranging for your relief as soon as possible. - I was absolutely stunned and my lasting memory of that period is not of carnage but of acute embarrassment at having been grounded. I just hated sending the squadron up without myself leading and remember making frequent calls to the met office hoping to get forecasts of filthy weather that would make operational flying impossible. In the event, my relief, Squadron Leader Ian Waddy, was shot down by flak within two or three days of taking over command, so maybe Wally Dring had some sort of premonition that prompted my grounding."

COMBAT REPORTS

The citation read as follows:- This officer has commanded the squadron for several months and during this period has led his formation on many sorties against heavily defended targets with good results. He is a first class leader whose great skill, thoroughness and untiring efforts have contributed materially to the successes obtained. Squadron Leader Beake has destroyed two enemy aircraft.

Known Service Details :
Squadron	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
No.64 Sqn RAF		unknown	unknown
No.601 Sqn RAF		unknown	unknown
No.193 Sqn RAF		unknown	unknown
No.164 Sqn RAF		unknown	unknown

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew

Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor.

Fleeting Moments by Philip West. (AP)

Spitfires Over the Needles by Philip West.

Coastal Patrol by Richard Taylor.

Closing the Gap by Robert Taylor.

Rocket Firing Typhoons at the Falaise Gap - Normandy 1944 by Frank Wootton.

Portrait of Pilot Officer Percival Beake, 64 Sqn by David Pritchard

Portrait of Pilot Officer Percival Beake, 64 Sqn (2nd Ver.) by David Pritchard

Aircraft for : Percival H Beake
A list of all aircraft associated with Percival H Beake. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Spitfire Click the name above to see prints featuring Spitfire aircraft. Manufacturer : Supermarine Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1948 Number Built : 20351	Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954.
Typhoon Click the name above to see prints featuring Typhoon aircraft. Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1941 Number Built : 3330	Typhoon Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330.

Squadrons for : Percival H Beake
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Percival H Beake. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.164 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 6th April 1942 Fate : Disbanded 31st August 1946 Argentine British Firmes Volamos - Firmly we fly Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.164 Sqn RAF	No.164 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.193 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 18th December 1942 Fate : Disbanded 31st August 1945 Fellowship of the Bellows Aera et terram imperare - To govern the air and the earth Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.193 Sqn RAF	No.193 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.601 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 14th October 1925 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 County of London (Auxiliary) Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.601 Sqn RAF	No.601 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.64 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st August 1916 Fate : Disbanded 16th June 1967 Tenax proposite - Firmness of purpose Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.64 Sqn RAF	No.64 Sqn RAF Flew Mustangs from November 1944.

Last edited : 14:31, March 30, 2017
Last editor : kc

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