Squadron Leader “Paddy” Barthropp, on the left, was a Flying Officer on Spitfires with No 602 Squadron in the Battle of Britain, having been one of the Army Co-operation pilots who volunteered for Fighter Command. In May 1942, Barthropp was serving with No 122 Squadron when he became a prisoner of war. During a Ramrod (bomber operation intended to lure Luftwaffe fighters to combat with the escort), his Spitfire was shot down by an Fw 190 flown by Hauptmann Karl Willius. The two met later that day. Willius was killed on the Eastern Front in 1944.
Paddy Barthropp became a serial attempter of escapes and was a participant in The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, Sagan in March 1944. However, he was still in the tunnel when the German guards discovered what was happening. He did later get away from another camp but was recaptured.
After leaving the RAF in 1957, Barthropp ran a luxury car hire business. He died in 2008.
Also in the photograph is Squadron Leader Henry Baker, who flew Spitfires with No 41 Squadron in the Battle and then moved to No 421 Flight. Like Paddy Barthropp, he was one of the great number of promotions from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer on 3 September 1940.
Baker went on to serve in north Africa and commanded No 229 Squadron in Malta. After leaving the RAF in 1946 he worked in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Peru before achieving a successful business career in the UK. He died in 2013.
Geoff Simpson FRHistS
