Guy Gibson - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Gibson was born in Simla, India, during the British Raj, the son of Alexander James Gibson and Norah Gibson. He moved with his family to Porthleven, Cornwall, England in 1924 aged six. At the age of eight, he attended St Georges's Prep School in Folkestone, Kent. His education continued at St Edward's School, Oxford.

In 1936 he joined the RAF, becoming an Acting Pilot Officer with effect from and with seniority of 31 January 1937 and a Pilot Officer on 16 November 1937, learning to fly at No.2 Flying Training School at RAF Scopwick in Lincolnshire. By the outbreak of the Second World War he was a bomber pilot with 83 Squadron, flying the Handley Page Hampden. In July 1940 he won the Distinguished Flying Cross. On the night of 24/25 August 1940 his gunners claimed the probable destruction of a Dornier Do 17 over Lorient docks. After completing his first tour of duty of 27 operational sorties, Gibson volunteered for RAF Fighter Command, avoiding the normal six-month rest from operations at a flying training establishment. He was posted to 29 Squadron flying Bristol Blenheims in a day fighter and bomber escort role.

As a night fighter pilot flying the Bristol Beaufighter with 29 Squadron he claimed four kills in 99 sorties. On 12 March 1941 he claimed a bomber of KG 26 over Skegness, and another two nights later. On 8 April he was about to land at Wellingore air base when his fighter was attacked by a Junkers Ju 88 'intruder' flown by Feldwebel Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2, wounding his radar operator Sgt Bell. Another bomber (a Ju 88 of KG 77) was claimed in flames on 3/4 May, and on 6 July he downed a Heinkel He 111 of KG 4 near Sheerness. His final night fighter operations were in December. and he won a bar to his DFC. His radar operator on all his successful claims was Sgt R.H.James, who was awarded a DFM.

In November 1942 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. While with 29 Squadron, based at RAF West Malling, Gibson said "Of all the airfields in Great Britain, here, many say, including myself, we have the most pleasant".

At the start of 1942 Gibson was transferred to 51 OTU as Chief Flying Instructor. A General Aircraft Cygnet which he flew twice while at the OTU is preserved at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland. In April 1942 he was promoted to Wing Commander and at 23 he was posted back to command 106 Squadron RAF Bomber Command. During the next eleven months he led 106, flying the Avro Manchester and then the Avro Lancaster, personally completing 46 sorties. He was remembered by subordinates as tough, brash and often aloof, a disciplinarian who bore a professionalism and arrogance derived from his position as one of the most experienced bomber pilots in the RAF.

After several operational sorties with 106 Squadron he considered two members of his crew sub-standard and had them replaced. However, when a visiting Air Ministry team considered his 5' 11" tall rear-gunner (Pilot Officer John Wickens) too tall to be a Lancaster gunner, Gibson told them to forget the rules, as his gunner was staying.