Raymond Hiley Harries, DSO & Bar,DFC & Two Bars (1916 – 14 May 1950) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. Harries scored 15 victories against enemy aircraft, as well as three shared kills, two probable kills and five damaged during the war. Harries is also credited with the destruction of a V-1 flying bomb.
Born in South Wales in 1916, Harries was a dental student at Guy's Hospital when war broke out.
Second World Waredit
Joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in September 1939, after training Harries was posted to No. 43 Squadron at Drem in Scotland. He was then posted on 8 July 1941 to No. 52 Operational Training Unit at Debden as an instructor. In February 1942 he joined No. 131 Squadron RAF, based at Llanbedr as a flight commander, and claimed his first kill, a Junkers Ju 88, soon after. He served with the unit until December 1942, when he became commanding officer of No. 91 Squadron, and in April 1943 received the new Mark XII Spitfire and were based at Hawkinge.
Harries was the most successful pilot to fly the Rolls-Royce Griffon powered Supermarine Spitfire, scoring 11 kills in the type, including a brace of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on 25 May 1943.[1] Flying a Spitfire XII, Harries intercepted the Fw 190s from SKG 10:
I was leading Blue Section on a defensive patrol. I had just returned to base, with my No 2, had just landed when the scramble signal was given from the watch office. We both immediately took off again, and saw enemy aircraft approaching Folkestone. I sighted one lone Fw 190 at sea level returning to France. I came in from his starboard side, delivering a three-second burst at 250 yards. The enemy aircraft hit the sea tail first, split in two, and sank immediately.
The Fw 190 was thought to be Fw 190A-5 Wrk Nr 2511 of 6./SKG 10, flown by Oberleutnant Josef Keller.
I then spotted another Fw 190 to starboard. I flew straight over the top of it in order to identify it in the failing light. The enemy aircraft pulled his nose up and gave me a quick squirt. I pulled straight up to about 1000ft, and turning to port, dived right onto his tail, opening fire from 300 yards and closing to 150 yards. I fired a four-second burst, seeing strikes and flames all over the enemy aircraft. The enemy aircraft gradually lost height, with smoke and flames coming from it, skimmed for some distance along the surface of the water and then sank. I orbited around taking cine gun snaps of the oil patch and pieces of wreckage that were visible.[2]
In June the squadron moved to Westhampnett to form a Mk XII fighter wing with No. 41 Squadron.
On 18 July 1943 Harries shot down three Bf 109s while flying MB831. In doing so he became the first pilot to reach five kills in the Griffon-engined Spitfire. Harries became wing leader in August 1943, and by November, had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and a Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
In early 1944 Harries went to the United States, to lecture on fighter tactics, only to return and become wing leader of No. 135 Wing, 2nd TAF, in the spring of 1944. On 22 September 1943 Harries claimed one Fw 190 shot down and another as a probable.[3] The Westhampnett Wing were the highest scoring Wing in Fighter Command for the month of September, claiming 27 kills.
On 20 October 1944 Harries shot down a pair of Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs near Rouen, his last kills in the type.[4]
In January 1945 he underwent a conversion course on the Hawker Tempest, prior to the wing being re-equipped, but was posted then to 84 Group as Wing Commander/Training.
Postwar serviceedit
After the war Harries was awarded a bar to the DSO, and served as commanding officer No. 92 Squadron RAF in 1949. On 14 May 1950 he died while flying a No. 92 Squadron Gloster Meteor F4 when it ran out of fuel and crashed near Sheffield, Yorkshire.[5] His funeral was held at RAF Linton-on-Ouse on 18 May 1950.[6]
Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII. London: Grub Street. ISBN1-8-9869-7000.
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Raymond Hiley Harries DSO amp Bar DFC amp Two Bars 1916 14 May 1950 was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War Harries scored 15 victories against enemy aircraft as well as three shared kills two probable kills and five damaged during the war Harries is also credited with the destruction of a V 1 flying bomb Raymond Hiley HarriesWing Commander Raymond Harries commanding the Tangmere Wing in the cockpit of his Spitfire Mk XII 1943Born1916Llandilofawr WalesDied14 May 1950near Sheffield YorkshireAllegianceUnited KingdomService wbr branchRoyal Air ForceYears of service1939 1950RankWing CommanderCommands heldNo 92 Squadron RAF 1949 50 No 135 Wing 1944 45 Tangmere Wing 1943 44 No 91 Squadron RAF 1942 43 Battles warsSecond World War Channel FrontAwardsDistinguished Service Order amp BarDistinguished Flying Cross amp Two BarsCroix de guerre Belgium Croix de guerre France Wing Commander R H Harries 1945 Contents 1 Early life 2 Second World War 3 Postwar service 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 BibliographyEarly life editBorn in South Wales in 1916 Harries was a dental student at Guy s Hospital when war broke out Second World War editJoining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve RAFVR in September 1939 after training Harries was posted to No 43 Squadron at Drem in Scotland He was then posted on 8 July 1941 to No 52 Operational Training Unit at Debden as an instructor In February 1942 he joined No 131 Squadron RAF based at Llanbedr as a flight commander and claimed his first kill a Junkers Ju 88 soon after He served with the unit until December 1942 when he became commanding officer of No 91 Squadron and in April 1943 received the new Mark XII Spitfire and were based at Hawkinge Harries was the most successful pilot to fly the Rolls Royce Griffon powered Supermarine Spitfire scoring 11 kills in the type including a brace of Focke Wulf Fw 190s on 25 May 1943 1 Flying a Spitfire XII Harries intercepted the Fw 190s from SKG 10 I was leading Blue Section on a defensive patrol I had just returned to base with my No 2 had just landed when the scramble signal was given from the watch office We both immediately took off again and saw enemy aircraft approaching Folkestone I sighted one lone Fw 190 at sea level returning to France I came in from his starboard side delivering a three second burst at 250 yards The enemy aircraft hit the sea tail first split in two and sank immediately The Fw 190 was thought to be Fw 190A 5 Wrk Nr 2511 of 6 SKG 10 flown by Oberleutnant Josef Keller I then spotted another Fw 190 to starboard I flew straight over the top of it in order to identify it in the failing light The enemy aircraft pulled his nose up and gave me a quick squirt I pulled straight up to about 1000ft and turning to port dived right onto his tail opening fire from 300 yards and closing to 150 yards I fired a four second burst seeing strikes and flames all over the enemy aircraft The enemy aircraft gradually lost height with smoke and flames coming from it skimmed for some distance along the surface of the water and then sank I orbited around taking cine gun snaps of the oil patch and pieces of wreckage that were visible 2 In June the squadron moved to Westhampnett to form a Mk XII fighter wing with No 41 Squadron On 18 July 1943 Harries shot down three Bf 109s while flying MB831 In doing so he became the first pilot to reach five kills in the Griffon engined Spitfire Harries became wing leader in August 1943 and by November had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross DFC and a Distinguished Service Order DSO In early 1944 Harries went to the United States to lecture on fighter tactics only to return and become wing leader of No 135 Wing 2nd TAF in the spring of 1944 On 22 September 1943 Harries claimed one Fw 190 shot down and another as a probable 3 The Westhampnett Wing were the highest scoring Wing in Fighter Command for the month of September claiming 27 kills On 20 October 1944 Harries shot down a pair of Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs near Rouen his last kills in the type 4 In January 1945 he underwent a conversion course on the Hawker Tempest prior to the wing being re equipped but was posted then to 84 Group as Wing Commander Training Postwar service editAfter the war Harries was awarded a bar to the DSO and served as commanding officer No 92 Squadron RAF in 1949 On 14 May 1950 he died while flying a No 92 Squadron Gloster Meteor F4 when it ran out of fuel and crashed near Sheffield Yorkshire 5 His funeral was held at RAF Linton on Ouse on 18 May 1950 6 References editNotes edit Thomas 2008 p 11 Thomas 2008 p 11 12 C Shores amp C Williams 1994 p 315 Thomas 2008 p 16 Well Known Fighter Pilot killed The Times 16 May 1950 Deaths The Times 18 May 1950 Bibliography edit Thomas Andrew 2008 Griffon Spitfire Aces Osprey Publishing London England ISBN 978 1 84603 298 1 Shores Christopher Williams Clive 1994 Aces High A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII London Grub Street ISBN 1 8 9869 7000 Portals nbsp Aviation nbsp Biography nbsp United Kingdom nbsp World War II Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Raymond Harries amp oldid 1180212428, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
