LETTER: Adding more detail when Looking B#ack

FURTHER to the ‘Looking Back’ article in the Bognor Regis Observer on May 28th regarding Peter Parrot DFC written by David Coxon.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Jun 2015, 19:00 BST

The poster depicted in the article I would assume was used as the inspiration for the sign adjacent to the site of the Bersted D-Day airstrip in Chalcroft Lane.

I was in touch with Peter Parrot in 1994 and he sent me a transcript relating to his photo on the poster shown in the article.

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“The photograph for this poster was taken in March 1940 at Vitny-en-Artois airfield, where I was serving with 607 (County of Durham) Squadron.

“A group of war correspondents was visiting the squadron accompanied by an official RAF photographer.

“As I was walking out to my aircraft to take part in a formation flying display he stopped me and asked me to look up at the roof of the Nissen hut which I had just left.

“I did so, he dropped on one knee and took the photograph and I continued on my way to my Gladiator.

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“In late April one of the squadron members gave me a print of the photograph which he had got from his local newspaper while on leave.

“He also said something about my face being all over the country.

“It was not until I arrived home in May that I found out what he meant, much to my embarrassment.

“Peter L. P.”

Ray Brebnor

Springfield,

Nyetimber