Obituary .. Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC AE RAF (Ret’d)
Tom Neil, our president, and one of the last remaining Battle of Britain pilots has died.
Wing Commander Tom Neil died on Wednesday evening, three days before his 98th birthday.
He flew Hurricanes with No 249 Squadron throughout the Battle of Britain and is credited with having destroyed more than 17 enemy aircraft, most of them during the Battle of Britain.
Wing Cdr Neil went on to see further action in Malta, where he commanded No 41 Squadron. After returning to the UK, he flew Spitfires over the Channel during 1943. During an attachment to the American 9th Air Force in 1944, he took part in the invasion of Normandy and remained with the USAAF until the Allies reached the German border. He later saw action in Burma.
Wing Cdr Neil spent a further four years after the war as a service test pilot, flying more than 100 types of aircraft.
He leaves three married sons, Terence, Patrick and Ian. His wife, Eileen, died in 2014.
Tom Neil kindly agreed to become president of the museum a few years ago and had an active interest in the museum. We are very sad to hear of his death and our thoughts are with his family.
