One thing, I realised, we have never covered in magazines is the vital role of Mascots who were just as important to aircrew as rituals which took place before an op. In a very real way, Mascots were part of crews and their operations, and it occurred to me that they too should be honoured and have their names marked in history to ensure they are remembered.

 

‘Pinnochio’ was one such Mascot.

 

 

He was presented to the City of Norwich Aviation Museum by June Turpie of Bathgate on behalf of her late husband Ron Turpie, an Air Gunner with 223 Squadron, based at RAF Oulton 1944 – 1945. He is displayed in a wooden case donated by Rod Vowler of Bath, our Standard Bearer, and nephew of Len Vowler who was also an Air Gunner in 223 Squadron; killed in action on 21 March 1945.

 

Sgt W. R. Turpie was part of Flight Lieutenant Levy’s crew as an Air Gunner. Fellow airmen consisted of:

 

F/O J. R. Wolf – Air Gunner,

F/O R. Simmons – Navigator,

Sgt N. S. Pearson – Air Gunner,

F/O C. Boden – 2nd Pilot,

Sgt R. D. Pryce – Fight Engineer,

F/L Fairbanks – Special Operator, Sgt J. E. Nicholls – Air Gunner.

 

Sgt Turpie had been one of the Air Gunners in the same group and on the same course as Len Vowler at Walney Island.  

 

It’s interesting to note that while ‘Pinnochio’ ended up on display in a Museum, ‘Beaumont Bear’, (nicknamed ‘Bea’) a fellow Mascot sporting an RAF tie and Royal Crest accompanied by the letters AM (Air Ministry) tattooed on his chest; ended up for sale at Bonhams Auctioneers on behalf of a private collector carrying the unbelievable sum of £10,000.

 

 

Flight Lieutenant Stephen Beaumont had taken this cherished bear on every flight with him and his crew in wartime, and he was right there with him in the Spitfire cockpit as Beaumont went on to become a celebrated Battle of Britain fighter pilot in 1940.

 

Flt/Lt Beaumont was one of just seven of the twenty-four pilots in his Squadron to survive the 1940 Second World War battle and believed it was his beloved ‘Bea’ who brought them luck. When Flt/Lt Beaumont died aged 87 in 1997, ‘Bea’ was passed on to his family suffering only a little wear and tear.

 

Also up for sale at £2,000 was Flt/Lt Beaumont’s uniform.  

 

 

Tom Lamb, a specialist in Military History at Bonhams, explains:

‘The life of an RAF Pilot in the Summer of 1940 was marked by great physical danger and mental strain. Of the 3,000 airmen who served during this period, over one-sixth were killed in combat. Teddy bears became popular mascots and helped bolster the resolve of men engaged in a conflict where survival seemed a matter of luck as much as skill … Flt/Lt Beaumont survived the war and died aged 87. His bear lives on. If it could speak, it surely would have some amazing stories of dogfights, sorties and close shaves. If it were just a normal bear, it would be almost worthless, but this one is almost priceless because of the untold memories it carries …’

 

Flt/Lt Beaumont was thirty years old when his

Squadron Commander, 26-year-old George Darley, removed him from combat duties midway through the Battle of Britain because of his ‘advancing age’. Beaumont was furious - seen right with mascot ‘Bea’ in the cockpit of a Boulton Paul Defiant. The Battle of Britain was the German Air Force’s attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF, and pictured below is a German Messerschmitt 109 shot down in raids over Ramsgate.  

 

Stephen Beaumont went on to become an Instructor, and Flight Commander at an Operational Training Unit, where he distinguished himself in teaching pilots the skills needed to fly Spitfires and Hurricanes in dogfights against the Luftwaffe. Quickly, he rose through the ranks to the position of Wing Commander, before helping plan the aerial assault aspect of the D-Day invasions as Deputy Air Officer Administrator. Everywhere he went, ‘Bea’ was with him, a part of history in the making.

 

In 1945, Beaumont was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the war by being made an OBE with Bea very much a part of that honour. To his owner and constant companion, he was a vital part of his every action.

 

Post-war, Flt/Lt        Beaumont, educated at Oxford University and a solicitor prior to the war; returned to his home town of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, to take a string of administrative roles, including becoming the city’s Deputy Coroner. In 1967, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and in 1979, High Sheriff of West Yorkshire. He retired to Devizes, Wiltshire.

 

 

This article is from the Autumn 2016 issue of Confound and Destroy