John Woodburn Gillan

Wing Commander John Woodburn ‘Downwind’ Gillan AFC, DFC and Bar was born in Edinburgh around 1907 and was a brilliant pilot of the inter-war RAF. As commanding officer of No. 111 Squadron — the first unit to receive the Hawker Hurricane — he flew from Edinburgh to Northolt on 10 February 1938 at an average ground speed of over 400 mph, a celebrated feat that earned him the nickname ‘Downwind Gillan’. He later flew Hampden bombers with No. 49 Squadron before returning to fighters, and on 29 August 1941 was shot down and killed in his Spitfire while escorting Blenheims to Hazebrouck. He is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery.