Just found this on a British site and felt compelled to share it with you. Its men like this that make me so very proud of my country and the brave souls that defend it.
Gentlemen,
Please join me in paying respect to a true hero,one who we owe dearly.
RIP Sir.
SHOT DOWN FIVE TIMES, A PRISONER OF THE NAZIS, THE AMAZING LIFE OF A TRUE BRITISH HERO
link
BY TINA ROWE T.ROWE@BEPP.CO.UK
08:00 - 04 May 2007
As an RAF Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain, Sergeant Pilot Iain Hutchinson was shot down five times, had to bail out twice, and destroyed at least three, and possibly six, enemy aircraft.
During those terrible six weeks in the summer of 1940 an RAF pilot could expect to survive no more than 87 hours in the air, as Britain fought for its life against a German airforce that outnumbered the RAF by 4-1.
But through skill, and luck, the young pilot beat the odds, even managing to bail out when his plane was shot down in flames following an action over south west London.
He survived to fly reconnaissance missions over Norway, before being shot down again and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III, the prisoner of war camp famous for the Great Escape.
Now, nearly 67 years later, Mr Hutchinson - retired Squadron Leader, and one of the last remaining links with the historic battle - has died, aged 88, at Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester.
He died on the day and to the hour that the restored Battle of Britain Memorial Flight of a Lancaster bomber accompanied by a Hurricane and Spitfire took to the skies over London once again.
Family and friends will gather in his home village of Charminster, near Dorchester, next Tuesday to celebrate his life. His funeral service will take place at 2.30pm at St Mary's Church.
Speaking of his extraordinary escape when he was shot down in flames on September 30, 1940, he said: "Flames were coming out of the plane and I was being frizzled. The next thing I knew, I was floating free in the air. I couldn't see very well because my face had been burned. I pulled my ripcord - my parachute was there - but it was rather late and I hit the ground with a thud."
He was treated for burns at RAF Hospital Uxbridge, where he was one of the last to receive tannic acid treatment.
"The acid produced great scabs that covered my face and legs while the whites of my eyes turned red," he added.
Born in Glasgow in 1918, Mr Hutchinson joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in May 1938 and, when war was declared in September 1939, was sent for advanced pilot training. He joined 222 Squadron at Duxford, initially flying Blenheim Mk 1s, and then, from May 1940, flying his beloved Spitfire ZD-W, he took part in defensive patrols over Dunkirk.
In July the squadron moved to Hornchurch and into the thick of the battle. He recalled: "When we were moved south we had a lot to learn. On our first sortie we lost half the squadron."
His official score for the Battle was three Messerschmidt 109s confirmed destroyed, one Heinkel 111, one Messerschmidt 109 and one Messerschmidt 110 probably destroyed, and one 109 damaged.
He shot down German ace Oberleutenant Eckhardt Priebe, who survived and the pair were reunited at an 80th birthday lunch at the RAF Club in 1998.
When finally captured by the Luftwaffe in Norway, an officer greeted Mr Hutchinson in perfect English with the words: "We've been waiting for you for a while and I'm afraid our coffee is cold but have some schnapps instead."
Mr Hutchinson moved to Dorset because of his work for the Atomic Energy Authority at Winfrith. He specialised in site monitoring and inspection and was later seconded to the International Energy Agency in Vienna.
He returned to Charminster on his retirement in 1982 and was active in the community and church life.
A supporter of the Battle of Britain Association, his family say he was privileged to be counted "one of the few".
Rest In Peace Sir,
And thank you