Cyril Stanley Bamberger Cyril Stanley " Bam " Bamberger DFC * AE * ( 1919 – 2008 ) was a Royal Air Force pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain , the Defence of Malta and the Korean War . Early life . Bamberger was born in Hyde , Cheshire , and educated locally . He left school in 1934 , aged 14 , and joined Lever Brothers as an electrical apprentice . In 1936 he volunteered for the Auxiliary Air Force and was posted to the bomber squadron , No . 610 ( County of Chester ) Squadron AuxAF ( Auxiliary Air Force ) , as a photographer . Bamberger was accepted for pilot training with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve ( RAFVR ) in 1938 ( Service No . 810024 ) . Second World War Service . Bamberger was called to full - time service on the outbreak of war , completed his training and rejoined his former squadron , now with Spitfire s , at RAF Biggin Hill on 27 July 1940 , as a Sergeant Pilot . Bamberger flew with 610 Sqn during the early air fighting over the Channel that followed the Dunkirk evacuation . The squadron suffered heavy casualties but Bamberger was credited with a " probable " Messerschmitt Me109 on 28 August in combat off the Kent coast . When 610 Sqn was withdrawn to rest in mid - September 1940 , Bamberger was posted to No . 41 Squadron RAF at Hornchurch and was soon back in action in the Battle of Britain . He was credited with his first confirmed combat victory , again an Me109 , over Canterbury on 5 October . With the Battle of Britain winding down , Bamberger volunteered for Malta . He flew Hurricanes with No . 261 Squadron RAF from Hal Far from late November 1940 and was credited with shooting down two Junkers Ju 87 aircraft over the Grand Harbour in January 1941 . Bamberger joined No . 93 Squadron RAF in 1942 and was deployed to Tunisia . He was commissioned Pilot Officer ( No . 116515 ) on 9 February 1942 and promoted to Flying Officer on 1 October 1942 . With the same Squadron he returned to Malta in 1943 and was credited with another kill , again a Junkers Ju 87 on 13 July , this time over Sicily . Bamberger was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross ( DFC ) which was gazetted on 28 September 1943 . Bamberger was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 9 February 1944 , returned to the UK in July 1944 and in November of the same year was awarded the bar to his DFC . Post Second World War . Bamberger was released from RAF service in 1946 and he returned to Lever before joining the management of a Guinness subsidiary . When No . 610 Squadron RAF was reformed as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force unit he rejoined it as a flight commander and was given the rank of Flight Lieutenant . In 1950 he became the squadron ' s Commanding Officer . having converted to Gloster Meteor aircraft . After the outbreak of the Korean War Bamberger accepted a permanent RAF commission , and for most of the duration of that conflict was an intelligence officer at the Air Ministry . He was promoted to Squadron Leader on 1 January 1957 . Bamberger later converted to flying helicopters and flew the Bristol Sycamore aircraft in Aden . He finally retired in 1959 , after being awarded the Air Efficiency Award and Bar . Post RAF Life . After retiring from the RAF in 1959 , Bamberger went into business , founding a packaging materials company . He later ran an antiques business . He remained active in RAF matters and was closely involved with the Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust , of which he was vice - chairman . Bamberger died on 3 February 2008 , aged 88 . He was survived by his wife Heather , whom he married in 1954 , and by three sons and a daughter . It was Bam ' s granddaughter who presented the Duchess of Cornwall with a posy at the unveiling of the Battle of Britain Monument in London on 18 September 2005 .