Wilfred Patrick Francis Treacy

Wilfred Patrick Francis Treacy — known to his comrades as “Paddy” — was an Irish-born RAF officer who had been commissioned into the permanent Air Force before the war and held service number 37617. In the opening months of the conflict he flew Supermarine Spitfires with No. 74 Squadron RAF from Hornchurch, commanding B Flight alongside fellow Irishman Pilot Officer Vincent Byrne, and saw fierce action over northern France during the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940: on 24 May his Spitfire (K9992) was set alight by a Bf 109 of Stab II./JG 26 south of Dunkirk and he baled out unhurt, then three days later he went missing again near Lumbres, this time falling into German hands. He subsequently escaped from captivity and made his way back to Britain through occupied France and Spain — a journey he shared with Wing Commander Basil Embry, who had been brought down over St Omer during the same campaign. Promoted to Squadron Leader and given command of No. 242 Squadron RAF in early 1941, Treacy led the unit on Hurricane sweeps from Stapleford Tawney; on 20 April 1941, during the squadron’s first operation of that day, three Hurricanes collided in cloud over the Channel while under attack from enemy fighters, and Treacy drowned when his aircraft — Hurricane Z2887 — crashed into the sea. He was 30 years old. His Distinguished Service Order, awarded for his leadership and gallantry in 1940–41, was gazetted posthumously on 10 March 1942 (London Gazette, Issue 35486, Supplement page 1165). He is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France, in Plot 11, Row A, Grave 17.