Marmaduke Pattle | Timeline

Squadron Leader Marmaduke Thomas St John Pattle (3 July 1914 – 20 April 1941), usually known as Pat Pattle, was a South African-born Second World War fighter pilot and flying ace (an aviator credited with the destruction of five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat) of the Royal Air Force (RAF). (Intro from Wikipedia)

July 3, 1914 - Butterworth, South Africa - Marmaduke Pattle is born
January(?) 1(?), 1929 - ? - Passes the junior certificate exam
January(?) 1(?), 1931 - Grahamstown - Graduates from Victoria Boy's High School
January(?) 1(?), 1932 - ? - Applies to join the South African Air Force but is rejected
January(?) 1(?), 1933 - Baberton - Employed at the Sheba Gold Mine
March 22, 1933 - Pretoria - Invited for an interview for a commission in the air force
January(?) 1(?), 1936 - London, England - Travels to London at his own expense. Joins the Royal Air Force
April 30, 1936 - South Africa - Leaves South Africa aboard the "SS Llandovery Castle"
June 29, 1936 - RAF Prestwick - Begins his training
August 24, 1936 - RAF Ternhill, Shropshire - Becomes an acting pilot officer
March 1(?), 1937 - RAF Ternhill - His rate in Final report is "exceptional"
March 20(?), 1937 - RAF Kenley (S of London) - Pattle is posted to 80 Squadron =(START)
May 1(?), 1937 - RAF Kenley - Pattle begins flying the Gloster Gladiator
June 1(?), 1937 - RAF Debden (NE London) - 80 Squadron moves to Debden - Pattle practises aerial exercises, perfects deflection shooting
July 27, 1937 - RAF Debden - Pattle is promoted to Pilot Officer
April 29, 1938 - Amriya, Egypt - 80 squadron moves to Egypt, tasked to defend the Suez Canal
September 1(?), 1939 - Amriya - 80 Squadron moves close to Libyan border
January 28, 1940 - Amriya - 2 probables or damaged over Egypt-Libya border
August 1(?), 1940 - Sidi Haneish, Western Desert - Pattle is deployed to an advanced base to antecipate italian attacks
August 4, 1940 - Sidi Haneish - First combat. Pattle shoots down 1 Breda Ba 65 + 1 Fiat Cr.42 over Sidi Barrani, NW Egypt. Guns Jam and Pattle is shot down by Franco Lucchini (2 total)
August 7, 1940 - Egypt-Libya border(?) - Pattle manages to reach the border and is rescued
August 8, 1940 - Sidi Haneish - 2 Fiat CR.42 shot down over Gabr Saleh, Libya (4 total)
September 3, 1940 - Sidi Haneish - Pattle is promoted to Flight Lieutenant
September 6, 1940 - Sidi Haneish - The italian invasion of Egypt starts. Pattle flies close-support missions missions
September(?) 15(?), 1940 - Habbaniyah - 1 SM.79 damaged. 80 Squadron withraws to Habbaniyah
October(?) 1(?), 1940 - Sidi Haneish - 80 squadron was to receive Mark.II machines but is ordered to Greece
November 8, 1940 - Abu suwayr al Mahattah (W of Ismailia) - 80 Squadron moves from Sidi Haneish to Abu Suweir
November 16, 1940 - Athens, Greece - 80 squadron arrives in Athens and moves to airfield north of the capital
November 17, 1940 - Trikala (W of Larisa) - 80 Squadron moves to Greek-Albanian border
November 19, 1940 - Trikala - 2 Fiat CR.42 shot down over Korçë airfield (6 total)

November 27, 1940 - Trikala - 2 SM.79s (or CR.42s) shared with 11 other pilots
November 29, 1940 - Trikala - 2 SM.79 damaged

December 2, 1940 - Trikala - 2 Ro 37 shot down over Gjirokastër (8 total)
December 4, 1940 - Trikala - 3 Fiat CR.42 shot down + 2 probable + 1 damaged (11 total)
December 20, 1940 - Trikala - 1 SM.79 + 1 SM.81 shot down over Kelcyre (13 total)
December 21, 1940 - Trikala - 1 Fiat CR.42 shot down + 1 BR.20 probable (14 total)

January 28, 1941 - Larissa, Greece - 1 shared + 1 probable

Pattle, sixth from the right, at Eleusis, 1941

February 9, 1941 - Iannina, Greece - 1 Fiat CR.42 shot down (15 total)

February 10, 1941 - Iannina - 1 Z.1007 + 1 BR.20 damaged

February 11, 1941 - Iannina - Marmaduke Pattle is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
February 20, 1941 - Iannina - 80 Squadron is reequiped with Hawker Hurricane Mk.I - 1 Fiat G.50 shot down over Berat (16 total)
February 27, 1941 - Iannina - 1 Fiat CR.42 shot down (17 total)
February 28, 1941 - Iannina - 2 Fiat CR.42 + 2 Fiat BR.20 + 1 CR.42 probable over the south of Vlorë (21 total)
March 4, 1941 - Larissa - 3 Fiat G.50 + 1 Fiat.42 probable (24 total)
March 12, 1941 - Larissa - Pattle is promoted to Squadron Leader
March 13, 1941 - Larissa - 80 Squadron moves to Eleusis - Pattle is assigned to 33 Squadron
March 23, 1941 - Larissa - Pattle flies first missions with 33 Squadron to Fier Airfield - 1 Fiat G.50 shot down + 1 G.50 probable + 3 G.50s on the ground (25 total)
April 6, 1941 - Eleusis, N of Athens - 2 Bf109 shot down over Rupel Pass, Bulgaria (27 total)

April 7, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Dornier Do 17 + 1 CR.42 shot down (29 total)
April 8, 1941 - Eleusis - Several enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground at Petrich, Yugoslavia
April 9, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Dornier Do 17 shot down (30 total)
April 10, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Bf 110 + 1 Bf 109 shot down over Betjol, Yugoslavia (32 total)
April 11, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Junkers Ju 88 + 1 Heinkel He 111 shot down over Volos (34 total)

April 12, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Dornier Do 17 + 1 S-79 shot down + 1 Bf 109 damaged (36 total)
April 13, 1941 - Eleusis - Eleusis airfield is strafed by Bf 109s
April 14, 1941 - Eleusis - 1 Junkers Ju 88 + 1 Bf 110 + 1 Bf 109 + 1 SM.79 shot down (40 total)
April 19, 1941 - Eleusis - Pattle, with influenza, takes shoots down 3 Junkers Ju 88 (+ 1 probable), 2 Bf 109 (Kurt Ubben, 110-victories ace among them) + 1 SM.79 over Eleusis and Tanagra airfields (46 total)
April 20, 1941 Eleusis | Over Piraeus harbour - Pattle flies with fever and shoots down 2 Bf 109 + 1 Bf 110 + 1 Junkers Ju 88 over Piraeus harbour (50 total), however, he is shot down and killed by Bf 110 heavy fighters. His Hurricane crashes in the sea =(END)