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Raymond Hiley Harries

Wing Commander · 87447 · United Kingdom

Born: 1 January 1916, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Died: 14 May 1950, aged 34
Fate: Served and survived

Biography

Wing Commander Raymond Hiley ‘Ray’ Harries was the most successful Welsh fighter ace of the Second World War and the top-scoring pilot of the Griffon-engined Spitfire. Born in south Wales in 1916, he was a dental student at Guy’s Hospital when war came, and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in September 1939. After an early posting to No. 43 Squadron he made his name with No. 91 Squadron, which in April 1943 received the Spitfire Mk XII; flying that fast low-altitude variant from Hawkinge he scored heavily against German fighters and raiders over the Channel. Later in 1943 he led the Tangmere Wing. He was credited with around fifteen enemy aircraft destroyed, with further shares, probables and damaged, and was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order and Bar and the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bars. He came through the war but was killed on 14 May 1950 when the Gloster Meteor jet he was flying ran out of fuel and crashed near Sheffield.

Photographs

Royal Air Force Flying Training Command, 1940-1945. CH13509 — Royal Air Force Flying Training Command, 1940-1945. The scene at [Cranwell](/airfields/8666/), Lincolnshire, during a Wings Passing Out Ceremony. Air Vice Marshal M Henderson Air Officer Commanding No 12 (Fighter) Group, takes the salute from Squadron Leader H B Harries, who led the parade. [Airspeed Oxfords](/aircraft/32/) and [Miles Masters](/aircraft/33/) of No. 17 Service Flying Training School mark the boundaries of the parade area. Photograph taken from the second floor of the RAF College building.

ⓘ licence & credit
RAF Cranwell, Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Flying_Training_Command,_1940-1945._CH13509.jpgView source & full licence →

Royal Air Force- British Air Forces of Occupation, 1945. CL3362 — Royal Air Force- British Air Forces of Occupation, 1945. Wing Commander R H Harries wearing the Belgian Croix de Guerre and Palm after an investiture at [B116/Wunstorf](/airfields/9042/), Germany. Harries shot down 20.25 enemy aircraft during the war, commencing his score in March 1942, as a flight commander with [No. 131 Squadron](/squadrons/276/) RAF. He commanded [No. 91 Squadron](/squadrons/251/) RAF from December 1942 until August 1943, bringing his score to 12. After promotion to Wing Commander, Harries added a further 5 victories before departing on a lecture tour in the United States. On his return in early 1944 he took over 135 Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, which he led until February 1945. At the time this photograph was taken, Harries was Wing Commander (Training) at No. 84 Group.

ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force official photographer, Penfold / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force-_British_Air_Forces_of_Occupation,_1945._CL3362.jpgView source & full licence →

Royal Air Force- 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943-1945. CH13599 — Royal Air Force- 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943-1945. Wing Commander R H Harries, Wing Leader of No .135 Wing, sitting in the cockpit of his [Supermarine Spitfire](/aircraft/18/) Mark IX at [Funtington](/airfields/6160/), Sussex, two days after shooting down a Focke Wulf Fw 190 to claim 18.5 enemy aircraft destroyed. He claimed is first victories as a flight commander with [No. 131 Squadron](/squadrons/276/) RAF in 1942 and was given the command of [No. 91 Squadron](/squadrons/251/) RAF in January 1943. After a lecture tour in the United States, he took over 135 Wing in early 1944 and led them until January 1945, when he was posted as Wing Commander (Training) No. 84 Group of 2 TAF. His final score was 20.5 victories.

ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force official photographer, Lea T (P/O) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force-_2nd_Tactical_Air_Force,_1943-1945._CH13599.jpgView source & full licence →

323 others in this archive died on 14 May →

Timeline

1 January 1916 Born
Carmarthenshire, Wales
14 May 1950 Died
aged 34

Service

Squadron Leader, No. 91 Squadron (Nigeria)
Pilot Officer, No. 43 Squadron (Fighting Cocks)

Awards

Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

Distinguished Service Order and Bar.
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bars.