Alan Francis Eckford, (6 February 1919 – 6 December 1990) was a British flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with at least eight aerial victories.
Born in Thame Park, Eckford joined the RAF in late 1938. In the early stages of the Second World War he served with No. 32 Squadron, including a brief period in France following the German invasion of the Low Countries. During the later stages of the Battle of France, he flew with No. 242 Squadron as a reinforcement pilot. During the subsequent Battle of Britain, he returned to No. 32 Squadron and was heavily engaged in the fighting over Kent during July and August, achieving several aerial victories. In the final weeks of the aerial fighting over Britain, he flew with No. 253 Squadron. He remained with the unit until late 1941, when he was rested from operational flying. After a period of instructing duties, he returned to active operations in mid-1942, serving with No. 154 Squadron during the Circus offensive, the Dieppe Raid, and in North Africa. He commanded No. 242 Squadron during the final stages of the North African campaign before returning to the United Kingdom. He served in the Air Ministry for the remainder of the war. He died in 1990, aged 71. A photograph taken of Eckford and other pilots of No. 32 Squadron during the Battle of Britain inspired the ‘Spirit of The Few’ Monument at Hawkinge.
Early life
Alan Francis Eckford was born on 6 February 1919 in Thame Park, Oxfordshire, in England. He went to King Edward VI Grammar School in Birmingham before going on to Loughborough College on an engineering scholarship. Eckford joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in November 1938 on a short service commission. Once his flight training was completed, he was posted to No. 32 Squadron as a pilot officer. At the time, the squadron was based at Biggin Hill and operated Hawker Hurricane fighters.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, No. 32 Squadron was scrambled several times to deal with incoming German aircraft, but were mostly unsuccessful. On 18 May 1940, the squadron was sent to France as reinforcements for the RAF fighter squadrons already there. It was based at Abbeville and was immediately thrown into the aerial fighting. Eckford destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter over Cambrai the day after arriving in France. The squadron returned to Biggin Hill a few days later and was engaged in patrolling over Kent until the end of the month.
Eckford returned to France in early June as a reinforcement pilot for No. 242 Squadron, which was based at Châteaudun at the time and provided cover for the British forces retreating to the Atlantic coast. It was heavily engaged and had suffered heavy casualties. Eckford flew several sorties before the squadron moved to Le Mans. Flying from an airfield there, he shot down a Bf 109 on 14 June in the Seine-Rouen region. Patrolling continued in the area around the western Bay of Biscay until 18 June, at which time No. 242 Squadron was withdrawn to England.
Battle of Britain
Now under the command of Squadron Leader Douglas Bader and based at Coltishall, No. 242 Squadron was brought back up to strength and resumed operations on 9 July. Eckford intercepted and damaged a Heinkel He 111 medium bomber off Yarmouth the next day. He was posted back to No. 32 Squadron, flying from Biggin Hill, towards the end of the month. By this time, the Battle of Britain was well underway, and Eckford and the other pilots of the squadron flew several sorties daily to intercept incoming Luftwaffe bomber raids. On 18 August, what is now known as The Hardest Day, he destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 and a Dornier Do 17, both bombers and the latter attacking the airfield at Kenley, on separate sorties. He damaged a He 111 on 26 August.
Promoted to flying officer in early September, Eckford was transferred to No. 253 Squadron later that month. The squadron operated Hurricanes from Kenley and faced heavy attacks by the Luftwaffe. He destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter over Maidstone on 27 September. Regular patrolling continued into October, including one at night over London, and he shot down a Bf 109 over Kent on the last day of the month.
Although the Battle of Britain was largely over by November, Eckford was still heavily engaged in patrols, shooting down a Bf 109 near Dungeness on 5 November. He shared in the destruction of a Do 17, and damaged another, on 22 November near Newhaven. The following day, while flying to the west of Cap Gris-Nez, he destroyed a Bf 109. On another sortie the same day, he claimed a second Bf 109 as probably destroyed.