Edward Trevor Williams

Edward Williams was granted a short service commission as a Pilot Officer in the RAF on 13 July 1936. He was confirmed in that appointment on 18 May 1937 and promoted Flying Officer on 18 Feb 1939. Following problems in Palestine, 6 Squadron relocated to RAF Ramleh in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role with Hawker Hardys, adding Gloster Gauntlets and Westland Lysanders later. During the early part of the Second World War, the squadron operated in the army co-operation role with Westland Lysanders from Palestine, but detached aircraft to the Western Desert until 1941. Westland Lysander L6888 flew into high ground at night 10 miles East of Rafa.

MiD and DFC awarded for service in Palestine.

Also killed Sgt Edward Melville Mould - Son of Mathew Henry and Mary Mould, of Selby, Yorkshire, air gunner and wireless op.

F/O Williams had survived a collision between his Blenheim L1448 and Blenheim L8368 while with 23 Sqn over RAF Wittering 20/7/1940. While flying in formation the aircraft entered cloud, on exiting the cloud the two aircraft touched and the propeller of L1448 cut the tail off L8368. The pilot of L8368 Sgt Jack Arnold Bullard was killed; he deliberately sacrificed his life to save the life of his passenger, a schoolboy Dennis Effrain Nahum from Oundle School on an "air experience" flight.

The pilot gave his schoolboy passenger his parachute (the only one on board) and pushed him out of the escape hatch. Dennis Nahum becomes the first English schoolboy to qualify for the Gold Caterpillar, and the badge of the Caterpillar Club, open only to those who have saved their lives from a crashing aircraft by a parachute jump.

P/O Williams had landed his minor damaged aircraft and raced two miles from the airfield to the spot where Dennis landed. Just, as he reached there Dennis was recovering; the boy got to his feet, stood at attention, and smartly saluted him.

Dennis severed in the Royal Navy, moving to and marrying in the USA. He died aged 74 in Bogotá, Columbia in 1997.