Fighter ace remembered ahead of Battle of Britain wreath-laying

Sergeant-Pilot Horatio 'Ray' Chandler was born and bred in Bexhill, working in the well-known London Road print works before and after his stint with the RAF.

Here, author and air historian Norman Franks, 70, of The Ridings, tells the story of Ray's life, including the Battle of Britain skirmishes leading to his Distinguished Flying Cross.

"Being a historian I was always interested in anyone local to Bexhill," said Norman. "I was intrigued with the fact that Ray and I were related through my aunt. I thought it was such a shame I'd never been able to get hold of him.

"But I managed to track down his daughter, and find this picture and some information. I just dug it out, really.

"I thought local people might like to read about one of their own."

Historian's words

THIS year sees the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the start of the German Blitz on this country writes Norman Franks.

The defenders were named by Winston Churchill as The Few, as they were outnumbered in the air almost three to one, and fighting against a victorious Luftwaffe. Among them was one young man from Bexhill-on-Sea, 23-year-old Ray Chandler.

Horatio Herbert Chandler, known as Ray, was the younger son of Mr FB Chandler, the London Road printer, and the brother of Len Chandler, a popular Bexhill sportsman. Ray was educated at the Country School and both boys were members of the Bexhill Rowing Club. He joined the Auxiliary Air Force shortly before the war and by March 1940 he had qualified as a pilot and received the coveted RAF wings.

Following a brief stay with 501 Squadron, Sergeant-Pilot Ray Chandler was posted to 610 Squadron, to fly Spitfires. Unhappily his first real air action was a scrappy affair, and while he managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt 109 fighter, he misidentified a Royal Navy Blackburn Skua, which could look like a Stuka dive-bomber, and shot this down too.

Once the Battle of Britain began in earnest, Ray damaged another Me109 on August 12, destroyed yet another two days later, while on the 18th he shot down a Dornier 17 bomber and possibly a second south of Croydon.

On August 29 he damaged another Dornier bomber, then on August 30 shot down yet another Me109 and probably destroyed a Messerschmitt 110 twin-engined fighter. For his prowess in combat Ray was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the battle Ray served briefly with two other fighter squadrons before becoming an instructor. For his work in this important field, he was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1943.

Returning to the printing world after the war he became as well known as his father in this family-run business, and in the latter years of his life lived in Gunters Lane, Bexhill.

Ray died in Bexhill on July 18 2000, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the famous battle in which he fought so gallantly.