Battle of Britain London Monument – P/O A McFadden 
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN LONDON MONUMENT 
"Never in the field of human
conflict was so much owed
by so many to so few." 
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Privacy Statement The Airmen’s Stories – P/O A McFadden
Aubrey McFadden, from Ashford, Kent, joined the RAF on a short service commission in June 1939 and converted to Hurricanes at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge in April 1940. He joined 73 Squadron in France on 5th May and was shot down on the 10th but was unhurt.
He served with 73 throughout the Battle and claimed a Me110 destroyed on 27th September.
By April 1942 he was serving with 258 Squadron, based at the Ratmalana and Colombo Racecourses in Ceylon. 258 Squadron were scrambled on 5th April when an attack was launched by Japanese carrier-based aircraft at 0700. All the squadron’s aircraft managed to take off and along with pilots of 30 Squadron gave a good account of themselves, despite being outnumbered about six to one. The attacking force comprised 36 Zero fighters escorting 53 Kate attack bombers and 36 Val dive bombers.
Although only three Japanese aircraft were shot down near Colombo, it would appear that about seventy actually failed to rejoin the aircraft carriers of Admiral Nagumo. Apart from those damaged by the RAF fighters many were hit by the guns of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery and the Royal Artillery plus AA fire from Royal Navy ships in the harbour.
McFadden was killed on this day when his Hurricane I Z5665 was shot down into the sea. He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.
(Photograph courtesy of Jonathan Morford and Captain Robert L Koprowski, US Army (Veteran))
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