| Admitted to: RAF Hospital Ely. |
Date of Injury: 1944 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| D.O.B/Age when admitted: --- |
Cause of Incident: Mosquito crashed. Pulled from burning wreckage. |
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| Transferred to QVH: --- |
Injuries: --- |
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| No. of Operations at East Grinstead: --- |
IDENTITY CARD
This is to certify that the patient mentioned below and whose description is stated hereon is the authorised holder of this Identity card.
| Forename: Robert |
Surname: Wright |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Service No: --- |
Nationality: --- |
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| Awards/Honours: --- |
Patient Unit: 85 Sqn |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Profession: Navigator |
Patient Rank: --- |
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| Death: 24/01/1992 |
Age at Death: 85yrs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Rank: |
Dr Unit: |
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On the outbreak of war, Wright returned to England from California. Poor eyesight prevented him from taking flying duties and Wright was posted to Fighter Command Headquarters. Here, he served as Personal Assistant to Lord Dowding (Head of Fighter Command) during the latter part of the Battle of Britain, which he continued under Sholto Douglas, Dowding's successor.
He managed to have himself posted as a navigator to 604 Beaufighter Sqn, before joining 85 Sqn, flying Mosquitoes.
In 1944, his plane crashed on landing and he was badly burned. He was treated at RAF Ely Hospital, before being transferred to QVH. After his treatment was complete he returned to his home in Kent, only to come back to QVH when a V2 rocket fell 50 yards from his house.
After the war, he attended the Nuremburg Trials. He left the RAF in 1947 and became a successful writer and historian.
We've been looking through our collections, and discovered this 1972 photograph from the East Grinstead Observer, o…