Raymond Hiley Harries
Wing Commander Raymond Harries, commanding the Tangmere Wing, in the cockpit of his Spitfire Mk XII, 1943
Born1916 (1916)
South Wales
Died14 May 1950(1950-05-14) (aged 33–34)
near Sheffield, Yorkshire
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch
Royal Air Force
Service years
1939–1950
Rank
Wing Commander
CommandsNo. 92 Squadron (1949–50)
No. 135 Wing (1944–45)
Tangmere Wing (1943–44)
No. 91 Squadron (1942–43)
Conflicts
Second World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order & Bar
Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars
Croix de guerre (Belgium)
Croix de guerre (France)
Wing Commander R H Harries, 1945

Raymond Hiley Harries, DSO & Bar, DFC & Two Bars (1916 – 14 May 1950) was a British flying ace who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with having shot down at least eighteen aircraft, plus one V-1 flying bomb.

Early life

Raymond Hiley Harries, the son of a bank manager, was born in South Wales in 1916. He was studying medicine at Guy's Hospital in London on the outbreak of the Second World War.[1][2]

Second World War

Joining the Royal Air Force, Harries was posted to No. 43 Squadron once his training was completed.[2] Based at Drem in Scotland, No. 43 Squadron was equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighters and engaged in patrols over the North Sea, although for a period during the summer of 1941, it carried out night fighter operations.[3] On one of these sorties, on 6 May, he intercepted a German bomber over the Firth of Forth, but had to pull away due to being low on fuel. In July he was posted to No. 52 Operational Training Unit at Debden as an instructor.[2]

In February 1942 Harries, promoted to flight lieutenant, joined No. 131 Squadron as a flight commander of one of its flights. The squadron was based at Llanbedr and operated Supermarine Spitfire fighters. On 12 March he shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber, the first aerial victory for a pilot of the squadron. In May, the squadron moved to Merston from where it operated on offensive sorties and bomber escort duties as part of the Tangmere Wing. On 5 June, while on a fighter sweep to Le Havre he damaged two Focke Wulf 190 fighters and was credited with the probable destruction of a third.[1][4][5] On the morning of 19 August, the day of the landings at Dieppe, No. 131 Squadron provided air cover for Allied shipping.[6] Harries destroyed a Fw 190 some 2 miles (3.2 km) from Dieppe. Later in the afternoon, he and three other pilots shared in the destruction of a Dornier Do 217 medium bomber that was attempting to attack a convoy.[1][7] In September, Harries was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the first pilot of No. 131 Squadron to receive this award.[8] The citation, published in The London Gazette, read:

This officer, who has completed numerous sorties, is an excellent flight commander. He has spared no effort in the training of his pilots, amongst whom he has fostered a fine team spirit. He has destroyed 1 and assisted in the destruction of 2 more enemy aircraft.

— London Gazette, No. 35699, 11 September 1942[9]

On 3 December, Harries was scrambled to intercept an unidentified aircraft approaching the southwest coast of England. Sighting the aircraft, which was found to be a Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber struggling with mechanical issues. He and his wingman escorted the Halifax to Tangmere but on the flight there Harries flew into cloud and his instruments were affected by icing. He became disorientated and on coming out of the cloud at around 1,500 feet (460 m) found himself in a dive; he was only just able to pull out in time. Three days later Harries flew on a sortie to Calais and shot down a Fw 190. This was to be his final aerial victory with No. 131 Squadron, for shortly afterwards he was promoted to squadron leader and posted to command of No. 91 Squadron.[1][8]

Squadron command

No. 91 Squadron was another Spitfire unit, based at Lympne with a detachment at Hawkinge. Like Harries' previous unit, its duties involved escorting bombers and carrying out offensive operations to Europe.[10] On 20 January 1943, while conducting a test flight of new radio equipment, Harries was alerted to the presence of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter bombers approaching London. He was able to intercept and destroy one Bf 109 near Beachy Head as it was returning to France. He also damaged a second Bf 109 and when some FW 190s arrived in the area and attempted to engage Harries, he damaged one of these as well. He shared in the destruction of a Fw 190 on 4 March over the English Channel and later in the month, on 24 March, shot down a Fw 190 and damaged a second, again mid-channel.[1][11]

The following month, No. 91 Squadron relocated to Wittering, in the north of the United Kingdom, to re-equip with the new Rolls-Royce Griffon-powered Mark XII Spitfire over the next few weeks.[10] During this time Harries was awarded a Bar to his DFC, the published citation reading:

This officer is a highly efficient squadron commander whose great keenness and energetic leadership have set a worthy example. In recent operations he has destroyed 3 enemy aircraft, shared in the destruction of another and damaged 3 more.

— London Gazette, No. 36027, 25 May 1943[12]

No. 91 Squadron returned to Hawkinge on 21 May to resume operations.[10][13] Four days later, he and his wingman were directed to intercept incoming fighter-bombers which, on sighting were found to be Fw 190s. Harries destroyed two of them, seeing both go down into the sea off Folkestone.[1][13]

Wing commander

In June the squadron moved to RAF Westhampnett to form a fighter wing with No. 41 Squadron, which also operated the Mark XII Spitfire. The Westhampnett Wing was tasked with bomber escort duties but also carried out offensive sorties to German-occupied Europe. On one of these, Harries shared in the destruction of a Fw 190 as it took off from an airfield at Poix. Two days later he shot down three Bf 109s in the vicinity of Abbeville. Harries became commander of the wing leader in Westhampnett Wing in August, and the following month was awarded a second Bar to his DFC.[1][13] The citation read:

Since being awarded a bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, Squadron Leader Harries has destroyed a further 4 enemy aircraft. In May 1943, he led the squadron in an engagement against 12 enemy fighters. In the combat 5 enemy aircraft were shot down, 2 of them by Squadron Leader Harries. During an engagement in July 1943, he destroyed 2 and damaged another enemy aircraft. This officer is a fine leader and a skilful and tenacious fighter.

— London Gazette, No. 36027, 7 September 1943[14]

In November, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The published citation read:

This officer is an exceptionally skilful, courageous and determined fighter. Within the past weeks he has led his fighter force on various sorties during which 27 enemy aircraft have been shot down, 3 of them by his own guns. These successes pay an excellent tribute to this officer's inspiring leadership and great tactical ability. Wing Commander Harries has destroyed at least 15 enemy aircraft.

— London Gazette, No. 36241, 9 November 1943[15]

In early 1944 Harries went to the United States, to lecture on fighter tactics, only to return and become wing leader of No. 135 Wing, 2nd TAF, in the spring of 1944. On 22 September 1943 Harries claimed one Fw 190 shot down and another as a probable.[16] The Westhampnett Wing were the highest scoring Wing in Fighter Command for the month of September, claiming 27 kills.

On 20 October 1944 Harries shot down a pair of Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs near Rouen, his last kills in the type.[17] Harries was the most successful pilot to fly the Mk XII Spitfire, claiming eleven aerial victories in the type.[18]

In January 1945 he underwent a conversion course on the Hawker Tempest, prior to the wing being re-equipped, but was posted then to 84 Group as Wing Commander/Training.

Postwar career

After the war Harries was awarded a Bar to the DSO,[19] He served as commanding officer of No. 92 Squadron from November 1949. On 14 May 1950 when his Gloster Meteor F4 jet fighter when it ran out of fuel and crashed near Sheffield, Yorkshire.[1][20] His funeral was held at the RAF station at Linton-on-Ouse four days later.[21]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 315–316.
  2. ^ a b c Baker 1975, p. 93.
  3. ^ Rawlings 1976, pp. 116–119.
  4. ^ Rawlings 1976, pp. 268–269.
  5. ^ Baker 1975, pp. 93–94.
  6. ^ Franks 1979, pp. 80–82.
  7. ^ Franks 1979, p. 151.
  8. ^ a b Baker 1975, p. 94.
  9. ^ "No. 35699". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 September 1942. p. 3962.
  10. ^ a b c Rawlings 1976, p. 217.
  11. ^ Baker 1975, pp. 94–95.
  12. ^ "No. 36027". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 May 1943. p. 2319.
  13. ^ a b c Baker 1975, p. 95.
  14. ^ "No. 36161". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 September 1943. p. 3972.
  15. ^ "No. 36241". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 November 1943. p. 4917.
  16. ^ C. Shores & C Williams 1994, p. 315.
  17. ^ Thomas 2008, p. 16.
  18. ^ Thomas 2008, p. 11.
  19. ^ "No. 37192". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1945. p. 3833.
  20. ^ "Well-Known Fighter Pilot killed". The Times. 16 May 1950.
  21. ^ "Deaths". The Times. 18 May 1950.

References

  • Baker, E. C. R. (1975) [1962]. The Fighter Aces of the R.A.F. London: New English Library. ISBN 0-450-01710-9.
  • Franks, Norman (1979). The Greatest Air Battle: Dieppe, 19th August 1942. London: William Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0396-2.
  • Rawlings, John (1976). Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: MacDonald & James. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-8-9869-7000.
  • Thomas, Andrew. (2008). Griffon Spitfire Aces. Osprey Publishing, London, England. ISBN 978-1-84603-298-1