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| August 12th | Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC (Birth) |
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Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar (1918 - 1944) was born in India of a Porthleven family. He moved to Porthleven with his family in 1924 and was educated at St. Erbyn’s Preparatory School in Penzance and later at St Edward’s School, Oxford. In 1936, he joined the RAF as Pilot Officer and by the start of the Second World War, he was a bomber pilot with 83 Squadron. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in July 1940. After completing his first tour of duty of twenty-seven operational sorties, Gibson volunteered for RAF Fighter Command and was posted to 29 Squadron. As a night fighter pilot, he claimed four kills in 99 sorties and, after his final night operation, he was awarded a bar to his DFC. In April 1942, at the age of 23, Gibson was promoted to Wing Commander and posted to command 106 Squadron RAF Bomber Command. In 1943, he commanded the new 617 (Dambusters) squadron and for his role in the attack he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Gibson was killed when his Mosquito was shot down by ‘friendly fire’ near Steenbergen in the Netherlands. He is commemorated in Porthleven with a street named after him, his name on the War Memorial and a memorial in the town’s cemetery. The painting above, hung in Penzance Public Library’ reading room for decades, is now on display at Penlee House in Penzance. |
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