Robertson, G. A. The Shy Assassin

The Inspiring Story of Cyril "Frank" Babbage, Battle of Britain Spitfire Ace turned D-Day Mosquito Pilot

As one of the few RAF pilots to play a central role in two of the most significant events of the Second World War, the Battle of Britain and D-Day, Cyril Frank Babbage was a survivor. Not only was he an extremely talented pilot, he was also blessed with extraordinary luck. He was shot down three times, once by an Luftwaffe expert and Knight's Cross recipient, and later scored the first aerial kill of a new German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter, killing another Knight's Cross recipient. Whilst Babbage's name had previously been little known, his image gained national prominence at the end of August 1940 and he briefly became the face of The Few. Photos appeared in the press showing him stepping out of a rowing boat on Bognor beach. There he was greeted by a small crowd who had seen him being rescued by fishermen after his jump. He had been shot down by a German fighter plane, but only after he had taken out another one. Babbage's fascinating wartime experiences are brilliantly complemented by the stories of those who crossed his path, famous names such as Amy Johnson and Douglas Bader, as well as countless other unknown heroes. Many of the latter were young people with whom he worked for only a short time: the Spitfire pilots of Squadrons 602 and 41 and the Mosquito crews of Squadron 464 RAAF a unit mainly engaged in night air raids in support of the Normandy invasion, but also known for its daring low-level attacks on the prison in Amiens and a Gestapo barracks near Poitiers. The success of this revenge raid was largely due to the efforts of a fearless SAS team and its inspiring leader, who operated behind enemy lines after the Normandy invasion. Between his contrasting missions, Babbage spent some time as a flight instructor, where he was protected to some extent from the ravages of war. He returned to this role after the war when he switched to jets and commanded one of the first Meteor units for advanced flight training. Wing Commander C. F. Babbage DFM, AE retired in the summer of 1964. Like so many of his colleagues, he owed his final years of peacetime service to the sacrifices of others others like the brave men with whom he flew, but who were less fortunate than himself.