Michael Giles Homer

Michael Giles Homer was born on 17 April 1919 in Swanage, Dorset, the son of George James Wood Homer, a bank manager, and Millicent Homer. Educated at Wellington College, he entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1937, graduating with a permanent commission and passing through 106 Squadron at Thornaby before joining 44 Squadron at RAF Waddington in early 1940, flying Handley Page Hampdens. On 12 April 1940 he captained a Hampden on a daylight bombing raid against two enemy cruisers anchored in Christiansand Bay, pressing his attack through intense anti-aircraft fire and interception by enemy fighters; his air gunner shot down one fighter, and although the aircraft was damaged Homer navigated it home across more than four hundred miles of open sea. For this action he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted on 26 April 1940. That summer he volunteered for Fighter Command and, after a brief posting to 1 Squadron at Northolt, joined No. 242 Squadron at RAF Coltishall on 21 September 1940, flying Hawker Hurricanes during the closing weeks of the Battle of Britain. Six days later, on 27 September 1940, he was shot down and killed over Kent; his Hurricane, P2967, came down at Bluetown, Milstead, near Sittingbourne, and he was twenty-one years old. He is buried at Swanage (Godlingston) Cemetery, Dorset, close to the town where he grew up.