Ian Handford: A true gent and squadron leader in civvy street

Veteran Lieutenant Colonel Glenn served in the Boar War and First World War and yet his son George Hugh Wesley Glenn would become a Squadron Leader that earned not one but two DFC's in the Second World War.

George was born in Paignton on October 19th 1920 and educated at Newton College before at age sixteen becoming an apprentice with the Ellerman Shipping Line for three years while travelling the world. 

By 1939 George was volunteering for the RAF who soon trained him to be a pilot. Having joined 144 Squadron during 1941 flying what were then said to be outdated twin engined Hampden Bombers he completed 20 missions over Germany before his term was about end in December 1941.

However, the Squadron were urgently ordered to mount an attack on the German Battlecruiser Gneisenau berthed at Brest France and during the pre-briefing George learned three Hampden bombers were to rendezvous over Start Point and fly on to Brest.

George had a faulty radio yet having arrived five minutes late at Start Point - his home region - the crew decided to fly on and meet up with their partner fliers over Brest. What they could not know a "recall" had been issued by radio - the flight and attack - had been cancelled.

Emerging from cloud cover over Brest George's aircraft immediately struck a barrage cable on it's port wing which fortunately the special cutter on the wing's leading edge actually worked, allowing George to regain some control of his aircraft before then he immediately ran into anti-aircraft gunfire from below which made direct hits.

Yet somehow George still managed to release his 2000lb bomb, achieving a "direct hit" on the Battlecruiser whilst sustaining damage to his aircraft, forcing him to immediately turn for home and eventually landing safely in Cornwall in an emergency manoeuvre. The "unauthorised attack" later earned George and his navigator their first DFC. Having now been collected by a special aircraft sent to Cornwall his crew were safely returned to their base where it's Commander insisted their attendance at a special Christmas Party. 

George after this incident next became a flying instructor until becoming operational again with 139 Squadron this time flying Mosquito's. He flew a total of 50 successful missions safely over Germany as part of a new Pathfinder Force capturing photos of well defended targets. Twice during those missions George had safely returned home again in spite of failing engines.

The "Pathfinder" service earned him his second DFC. Meanwhile in 1948 he married Elaine Smith and yet continued to serve the RAF for 10 more years mainly on photographing reconnaissance flights over the Canal Zone of Egypt. His next role was again training pilots' until finally two years later he retired in 1963 having moved into  RAF administration. 

George's second passion was in fact sailing and having run a Charter yachting business on the River Dart he was appointed Assistant Harbour Master at Dartmouth. He stayed there four years ultimately becoming Dartmouth Harbour master.

Then for two years he  had a Wyvern Sailing School which included a yacht he had inherited. Yet by 1983 Elaine and George had moved to Paphos in Cyprus where they had three happy years before in 1986 moving to Vendee in France. It was here that Elaine died in 1992 while working for the Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service and George then returned to Dorset where his son David lived and was Editor of Yatching World magazine.

This amazing man of Paignton who served his country so well in completing 51 successful operations, training others and being appointed Harbour Master at  Dartmouth and spent much of his retirement abroad. He survived until the amazing age of 90 before Squadron Leader George Hugh Wesley Glenn DFC (Twice) died on May 30th 2010 at the Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Home survived by a son and daughter.