Air Marshal Sir Harold Brownlow Morgan "Micky" Martin, KCB, DSO & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC (27 February 1918 – 3 November 1988) was an Australian pilot in the Royal Air Force.
He rose to become a senior officer in the RAF commanding RAF Germany, then appointed as Air Member for Personnel, a member of the Air Council the managing council of the RAF.
He took part in Operation Chastise, the RAF's famous "Dambusters" mission in 1943. He was described by journalist Sir Max Hastings as "one of the three great bomber pilots of the war".[1]
Early life
Born in Edgecliff, New South Wales, Martin left Australia for the United Kingdom in 1939. He intended to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but instead volunteered to join the Royal Air Force on 28 August 1940.[2]
World War II
Martin commenced his operational career with No. 455 Squadron RAAF in October 1941, flying the Handley Page Hampden. In February 1942, he captained the first all-Australian crewed bombing sortie against Germany. Martin soon acquired a reputation for low-level flying in order to avoid anti-aircraft fire and fighters. After 13 operations, he and his crew joined No. 50 Squadron. Flying Hampdens, the Avro Manchester and finally Avro Lancasters, they completed their tour in October 1942, Martin being awarded the DFC.
Martin's penchant for low flying contributed to his selection in March 1943 for assignment to the newly formed No. 617 Squadron under Wing Commander Guy Gibson.
Martin took part in the famous "Dambusters" raid on 17 May 1943. He piloted the Lancaster bomber AJ-P "Popsie" in the first formation, which was assigned to attack the Möhne Dam in Western Germany. Martin's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire during the attack, but he successfully accomplished the bombing run and returned. He was awarded a DSO for his actions.
Following Gibson's retirement from operations and the immediate loss in action of his successor, Wing Commander George Holden, Martin assumed temporary command of 617 Squadron. Later, under the command of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire, Martin participated in various pin-point attacks on targets in France, Italy and Germany, often employing the new 12,000 lb Tallboy bomb.
In February 1944, during an attack on the Antheor Viaduct, Martin's Lancaster was hit by ground fire, killing the bomb aimer Bob Hay , causing Martin to force land his crippled aircraft in Sardinia. This was Martin's 49th (and last) heavy bomber operation.
Martin was soon back on operations, however, flying Mosquito fighter-bombers with No. 515 Squadron. By late 1944 Martin had flown another 34 operations, where he claimed 2 aircraft shot down, and 3 destroyed (and 1 damaged) on the ground.[3].
After World War II
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After the war he attended a course at the RAF Staff College in Haifa and in 1945 joined the Headquarters staff of No. 100 Group RAF
He broke the speed record for flying from England to Cape Town in a de Havilland Mosquito, for which he won the Oswald Watt Gold Medal.
In 1947 he flew the meteorological Mosquito for the first transatlantic jet crossing in support of 54 Squadron's Vampires.[4]
He was appointed to a succession of staff jobs; Air Attache, Tel Aviv (1952), Operation Plans Division (1955), Group Captain - Electronic Warfare, HQ Signals Command (1959) before being appointed ADC to the Queen in 1964.
He the served for three years (1967-1970) as Senior Air Staff Officer No. 38 Group RAF. In 1970 he was appointed C in C RAF Germany and finally in 1973 Air Member for Personnel
After retiring from the RAF on 31 October 1974 he worked for aircraft manufacturer Hawker Siddeley as an advisor.
Sir Harold Martin died at his home in London on 3 November 1988,[5] and is buried at Gunnersbury Cemetery.
United Kingdom
Royal Air Force