Adrian Warburton

Wing Commander Adrian "Warby" Warburton (10 March 1918 in Middlesbrough - 12 April 1944 over Germany) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot during World War II. He became legendary in the RAF for his role in the defence of Malta. His gallantry was recognised by the award of the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bars and an American Distinguished Flying Cross.

Early Life

The son of a naval officer, Warburton was christened on board a submarine in Grand Harbour, Valetta, Malta. He attended St Edward's School in Oxford, where two other famous airmen, Guy Gibson and Douglas Bader, were also educated.

Malta 1940-42

Warburton was commissioned in the Royal Air Force in 1939. On completing flying training, he was posted to 608 Squadron, flying Blackburn Bothas on North Sea patrols. Warburton's criticism of the obsolete plane led to his commanding officer having him transferred to Malta as an observer, not a pilot. He joined 431 Flight, an RAF detachment flying reconnaissance sorties over the Mediterranean in twin-engined Martin Maryland recon/light bombers. Within four days of arrival, he had his pilot status reinstated.

Fearless and unorthodox, "Warby" participated in an increasing number of daring sorties. On 30 October 1940, Warburton and his two crewmen shot down an Italian Z.506B seaplane. Three days later, they nearly fell victim to an attack by four Italian aircraft. Warburton was hit by a spent bullet which caused no serious injury, but did render him unconscious. Sergeant Frank Bastard took control and managed to keep the aircraft flying (for which he received the Distinguished Flying Medal) until Warburton had recovered sufficiently.

He was soon back in the air, and on 10 November, 431 Flight spotted a major concentration of Italian battleships and cruisers in Taranto, Admiral Cunningham then deciding on an audacious night attack by Fleet Air Arm Swordfish. Warburton flew a reconnaissance mission on 11 November prior to the attack. Circling the harbour several times, when the cameras failed, Warburton flew so low, his observer was able to read off the names of the battleships as they flew past. Guided by this intelligence, the Fleet Air Arm launched its devastating attack that night. In April 1941, he crash-landed in Malta after being mistakenly shot by an RAF Hurricane. Warburton was rested later that year, but returned to operational flying in 1942, with further missions over Italy and North Africa.

With 431 Flight now expanded into No. 69 Squadron in January 1941, Warburton steadily developed a reputation within the RAF as its leading reconnaissance pilot, locating numerous enemy convoys supplying the Axis forces in North Africa, providing vital information to the Allied anti-shipping forces in the Mediterranean interdicting Rommel's supplies. His superiors therefore turned a blind eye to many of "Warby"s eccentricities. On 14 April 1941, the Maryland was mistaken for a Ju 88 by a Hurricane flown by F/O Innes Westmacott, and Warburton had to force-land the damaged aircraft.

Although the Maryland's guns were for defence, he and his crew were frequently involved in air combat, claiming five air victories and three enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground or afloat on the water. He crashed twice, but each time walked away.

At the end of September 1941, Warburton and his crew were rested. In December 1941 Warburton, while on detachment in Egypt, managed to 'acquire' a Bristol Beaufighter. Stripping the aircraft of all guns and armour, he equipped it with cameras and took the airplane back to Malta. He flew the plane for about a year until it was destroyed in a raid. His second tour finished in mid-March 1942.

Given command of 69 Squadron in August 1942 and flying the Supermarine Spitfire PR IV, Warburton was shot down over by a Bf 109 over Bone in Tunisia, being imprisoned by the French on suspicion of being a spy. The local French admiral had him flown to Gibraltar where "Warby" 'borrowed' a Spitfire and returned to Malta, shooting down a Junkers Ju 88 en route.

Sicily 1943

He was then involved in the vital pre-invasion reconnaissance of the landing beaches in Sicily in 1943. Now commanding 683 Squadron, he co-ordinated the photographic work with the local American forces, who were amazed at the much-decorated officer attired in dirty grey flannels, an oil-stained tunic and topped by a mop of long unkempt blond hair.

In October 1943, Warburton was given command of a new photo-reconnaissance wing of four squadrons. However, following a car accident in late 1943, he was hospitalised for several weeks and subsequently returned to the UK.

Death

By the beginning of 1944, he had been promoted to the rank of Wing Commander and his gallantry recognised by the award of the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bars, and an American Distinguished Flying Cross. By this time he had flown nearly 400 operations and claimed 9 enemy aircraft destroyed.

On 1 April 1944, he was posted as the RAF Liaison Officer to the 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, US 8th Army Air Force, then based at RAF Mount Farm in Oxfordshire.

Warburton was the pilot of one of two Lockheed F-5B reconnaissance aircraft (a version of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter) that took off together from Mount Farm on the morning of 12 April 1944 to photograph targets in Germany. The aircraft separated approximately 100 miles north of Munich to carry out their respective tasks; it was planned that they would meet and fly on to a USAAF airfield in Sardinia. He failed to arrive at the rendezvous point and was not seen again.

Years of speculation about his fate came to an end in 2002, when his remains were found in the cockpit of his plane, buried about two metres deep in a field near the Bavarian village of Egling an der Paar, 34 miles west of Munich. According to witnesses, the plane fell there on 12 April 1944, around 11:45. One of propellers had bullet holes in it, which suggests that Warburton had been shot down. Parts of the wreck can be seen in the Malta Aviation Museum.

A memorial was held on 14 May 2003 in the Pfarrkirche St Agidius, Gmünd, followed by burial at the Durnbach Commonwealth War Cemetery. The ceremony was attended by his widow, Eileen (known as Betty) and Jack Vowles, a former colleague who had served with "Warby" in Malta in the early 1940s.

External links

*http://www.raf.mod.uk/ptc/warburton.html