| Date | 7 January 1944 |
|---|---|
| Source | Windsor, Slough & Eton Express |
| Reference | EE02-0005 |
| Volume | Eton Excelsior Rowing Club, Volume 2 |
| Collection | Eton Excelsior |
Transcript
Slough Airman’s Double Against Luftwaffe
Mosquito pilot’s first “kill”: Two Nazis shot down in fight over Bay of Biscay
“While leading a formation of Mosquito fighters over the Bay of Biscay recently, Flt/Lieut. George Dyke, aged 23, of 42 Sussex Place, Slough, destroyed two out of eight Junkers 88’s which dived out of the sun to make a head-on attack upon his formation. As they swooped down he sent the first hurtling into the sea with a short cannon burst, turned and climbed after another that was making for cloud cover, caught it and opened fire so effectively that its wing-tip hood and pieces of fuselage fell off and it dived straight into the sea. They were the first enemy aircraft he has destroyed”.
The above account, issued by the Air Ministry this week, was shown to Fit/Lieut. Dyke’s mother by an EXPRESS reporter on Wednesday. After reading it with obvious surprise, she said: “He was home for Christmas and went back on Monday night. This is the first I’ve heard of the incident. I am glad that he has been quiet and modest about it”.
Quiet modesty would seem to be the common attribute of this well-known Slough family. Asked for details of her son’s school career, Mrs. Dyke said he was educated at Windsor County School, but it took a lucky glimpse of a velvet medal case in a cabinet to elicit the fact that this talented young man is the lad who broke the School record for the high jump, was the first boy to represent the school at the Public Schools Athletic Meeting at the White City, was also a leading light of the Eton Excel-sior Rowing Club and played brilliant football for the Old Windsorian Rugby Club.
Pressed for further family details, Mrs. Dyke admitted that her five daughters are all on war work in the W.A.A.F., War Office, Ministry of Supply and Board of Trade, but completely forgot to add that she herself is still a Nursing member of No. 78 Division of the Red Cross, while Mr. Dyke is an Admiralty Compass technician.
Leaving a City exporter’s office in 1940 to join the R.A.F. as a Cadet, Flt/Lieut. Dyke has quite a Service reputation as a nightfighter and French train-buster, but his parents will have to rely upon another official statement by the Air Ministry for any details of his exploits.
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Curator's Notes
In the 1939 Census, George D L Dyke, born 28 Oct 1920in Calne, was recorded as a stockkeeper in a leather warehouse, living in 42 Sussex Place, Slough with his father George William, mother Alice Minnie Brown, and to of his sisters, Vera J and Ivy Florence Dyke (others recorded there too). He survived the war, married Susana Irene Exiner in 1953, and died in 2 Apr 2010 in Nontron, Dordogne. [source: Ancestry.co.uk]
Recorded as a “pilot officer on probation … 1180505 George Oswald Leonard DYKE (100564)”. [source: The London Gazettte]
He is listed as Dyke, George Oswald Leonard (17 May) as a pilot officere in Sep 1941 [source: British Air Forces Lists]
F/Lt (100.564) George Oswald Leonard DYKE RAFVR and his navigator, W/O (1002660) Charles Robert AINDOW RAFVR, took off in a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk II (HJ647 of 157 Sqdn based at RAF Predannack, Cornwall) at 10:50 hrs for Instep mission on 02/12/1943. They had to return early as had petrol feed trouble. Landing Ok at 11:55hrs. [source: Aviation Safety Network website]
He flew with 157 Sqdn 1943 – 44 as a pilot with two confirmed kills and with 45 Squadron RAF (Far East) as flight commander. [source: Unit Histories website]
He entered the Middle Temple to study law on 15 Oct 1948. [source: The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple]
He was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 1952. [source: MyHeritage website]
He had an extensive career in Africa: [sources: WIkipoedia, Wikiwand, Grokipedia and Unit Histories websites]
- 1954 – 1960 Resident Magistrate, Uganda.
- 1960–1966 Legal Draftsman, Kenya (during its transition to independence).
- Parliamentary Draftsman, Malawi.
- 1975 – 1977 Chief Justice of Botswana.
“The King has been graciously pleased to approve … the Distinguished Fying Cross to … George Oswald Leonard DYKE (100564), RAFVR, 45 Sqdn“. [source: The London Gazette]
Curator's References
The London Gazette of 1 Aug 1941, Issue 35235, Page 4446.
The second supplement of The London Gazette of 25 Jan 1946, Issue 37447, Page 711.
“General Duties Branch”, Sep 1941, of the British Airforces Lists 1938-1945. [source: Ancestry.co.uk]
“Dyke, George Oswald Leonard” on the Aviation Safety Network website [accessed 2 Aug 2026]
“Dyke, George Oswald Leonard” on the RAFVR Officers section of the Unit Histories website [accessed 2 Aug 2026]
“The Middle Temple Admission Records” on The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple website. [acessed 2 Aug 2026]
“Dyke, George Oswald Leonard” on the All Spitfire Pilots website. [accessed 2 Aug 2026]