William Finch-Knightley
(Maxim)
- Place of birth Great Packington, Warwickshire
- Date of birth 22 March 1925
- Age 20
- Allegiance Royal Air Force
- Rank
- Unit No. 41 Squadron RAF
- Total missions 86
- Status Retired
- Share now
- Signature link Click here
Details
Platform
Last logged event
Il-2 Sturmovik 1946
Last logged event
Friday, 30 November 1945
(28/10/2023 02:01)
Biography
William Finch-Knightley was born in Great Packington, Warwickshire on 22 March 1925. The second son of an aristocratic family, William decided to volunteer for the RAF on his 18th birthday in 1943 and was selected for pilot training. He was posted to No. 130 Squadron in August 1944 flying the Spitfire Mk XIV. In January 1945 he transferred to No. 41 Squadron which was one of the first units to receive the Spitfire Mk XIVe. During the war he flew 86 combat sorties and achieved 15 solo and 3 shared aerial victories, making him the leading Mk XIV ace. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross three times, William resigned his commission in the RAF in November 1945 and pursued an education at Cambridge. He worked as an investment banker in London and authored a memoir of his wartime experiences titled 'Griffons over the Reich'. William is still alive today and lives in Alcester, Warwickshire.