03/06/2026
Carrying on from last nightโs post on Pilot Officer Robert R. Wilson of No.111 Squadron: -
In September 1990 two Canada gentlemen arrived late one evening at The Kent Battle of Britain Museum (www.kbobm.org) and just as we were closing. They pleaded with us if they could have a quick look in the hangar, as we were locking up, which we could hardly refuse. We asked what their connection to the Battle of Britain was and the explained that they were over with their mother from Canada to attend a Flypast at Buckingham Palace and the Service of Commemoration at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Their uncle having been a member of โThe Fewโ. I (Dave) naturally enquired who he was, to which they responded, that we would not have heard of him, but his name was โWilsonโ, to which I responded, โwhat Pilot Officer Robert Roy Wilson of No.111 Squadron?!โ They were amazed and stunned that anyone would have heard of him and were further stunned when I told them that we had recovered the Hurricane, Serial No. L1564, he had baled out of on 2nd June 1940, only three months earlier.
That evening, I drove them out to the crash-site at Margate and gave them a few fragments of their uncles Hurricane to take back to Canada with them. It also turned out that one of the brothers had been named Robert A. Fitzsimmons. Robert after his uncle but also that his initials spelt โR.A.F.โ! It also turned out that Pilot Officer Robert R. Wilsonโs younger brother was still alive, and then fast forward eighteen years.
In October 2008 we managed to arrange for Robert Fitzsimmons and his uncle, Dick Wilson, to visit England for a few days from their homes in Canada, and the Museum Chairman, Volunteer, and Historian, Dave Brocklehurst MBE, promised to give them a personal guided tour of all things connected to Pilot Officer Robert Roy Wilson in southern England.
The three met in London and started their tour at St. Clements Dane, The Central Church of the RAF, in the Strand. There it was arranged that the Book of Remembrance would be made available, and the relations of P/O Wilson would be shown his name, therein. Next, they travelled to the Battle of Britain Memorial, on the Embankment to see Robertโs name on the Memorial, one of one hundred and twelve Canadians who fought in the Battle, via the RAF Memorial of course. Westminster Abbey was the next stop, and they were met by the Dean who showed them their Book of Remembrance showing Robert Wilsonโs name. They were also given a personal guided tour of the RAF Chapel in the Abbey. Next was the RAF Museum at Hendon to see the Battle of Britain Hall where P/O Wilson is also commemorated and the first sight of a Hurricane for our Canadian guests.
The next day Robert and Dick were given a private visit of the Museum where Robert Wilsonโs brother could see the recovered artefacts from his brothers Hurricane, L1564, for the first time. A story he was very familiar with, as his brother had written to him in June 1940 explaining how he had been shot down! From there it was on to Margate to view the crash-site of the Hurricane on the beach and carefully timed with the tide so they could stand on the exact spot of its impact. After this it was on to the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum at Manston where it had been arranged that they could site in the Hurricane as a very special treat. From there it was onto the National Memorial to the Battle of Britain at Capel-le-Ferne so they could see Pilot Officer Robert Wilsonโs name on the Wall.
Continued on next post...
