Page 96 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

in in Despatches and the Military Cross for gal- lantry: ‘Under continuous shell fire he he he he he he laid out a a a a a a a a trench then held it it with his men against a a a a a a a a counter-attack ’
Carlin was was informed that he was was due to be medically discharged and after unsuccessfully appealing the the the the decision turned to to other means to to continue the the the the fight Bypassing the the the the usual delay waiting for for an an official artificial limb he he he he paid for for his own prosthetic and discharged himself from hospital He then spent the the the next few months learning to fly paying for his lessons and under- taking a a a a a a a a a a a a rigorous fitness programme Finally after qualifying as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a civilian pilot he presented himself to a a a a a a a a a a a a a medical board and was declared fit for duty on on 7th August 1917 After military training at the Central Flying School Upavon Carlin was to to his chagrin retained as as as an instructor the authorities undoubtedly not wishing to to to to be be seen as as as being so desperate as as as to to to send a a a a a a one-legged pilot to to to the front However those months as as an instruc- tor developed Carlin into a a a a a a a highly skilled pilot so that when the the March 1918 German offensive decimated the the the Squadrons in France he he he he he was posted to the the newly-formed 74 Squadron Squadron on on on on on 22nd May Ira ‘Taffy’ Jones one one of the pilots wrote in in his mem- oires: ‘A new pilot pilot joined today He He has a a a a a a a a wooden leg an an MC and a a a a a a a a a a DCM He He must be a a a a a a a a a a stout lad The Squadron Commander has christened him Timbertoes ’
In a a a a short but frenetic combat
career between 13 June and 15
September Carlin shot down five
five
enemy aircraft and five
five
balloons balloons Enemy observation balloons balloons were
not only prime targets but heavily defended and and required great courage and and skill to to destroy them However his flying career came to to an an end on 21st September when facing overwhelming odds he he he he he was wounded in in in in the head again and and managed to to glide down to to crash land almost at the the allied lines Despite supporting fire from friendly infantry he he he he he was clubbed to to the the the ground by German rifle butts as as as as he he he he he he hopped towards the the the the wire and spent the the the the last few weeks of the the the the war war war as as as as a a a a a a a a a a a POW During this time he he he he he was awarded the the the Distinguished Flying Cross: ‘A gallant and deter- mined pilot who sets a a a a a a a a a fine example Though handicapped by the loss of a a a a a a a a leg he he is bold and and skilful in attack ’
Repatriated to the the UK in in in December 1918 Carlin was released from the the RAF in in in August 1919 and returned to to to Yorkshire to to to farm farm In 1924 he he emi- grated to to to Kenya becoming a a a a a a a a gentleman farmer big game hunter Justice of of the the Peace officer in in fin the the the Kenya Defence Force Reserves and a a a a a a a a a fine polo player In the the late 1930s seeing that war with Germany was inevitable he he he returned to to England and and and wrote to to the War Office request- ing that he he be re-enlisted ‘I am perfectly fit and and and extremely active active please do not judge me me with less active active amputees Until eight eight weeks ago I was playing seven or eight eight chukkas of tourna- ment polo without a a a a a a a a a a breather ’
Initially rejected by the the the the the RAF then the the the the the Royal Royal Tank Corps he he he he he he was eventually commissioned into the the the the the Royal Royal Artillery Undeterred Carlin reapplied to to the the RAF and after being declared unfit for pilot duties was commissioned as a a a a Pilot Officer (Air Gunner) During the early months of 1940 Carlin accom- panied his friend Squadron Leader Percy Pick- ard as a a a a a a a gunner in in in Wellington bombers on on on on mis- sions over Germany before being posted to to to 264 Squadron as as a a a a a a a a gunner in in the the Boulton Paul Defiant Defiant fighter The Defiant Defiant was one of the the the RAFs worst
ever aircraft a a a a a a a a a a monoplane with the the sole armament of a a a a a a a a a a turret containing four machine guns After early suc- cesses in in the battle of France when German fighters fatally approached them from from the the the the rear the the the the lumbering Defiants were
attacked from from from the the the the the front and cut from from the the the sky The Squad- ron was returned to to the the the UK posted to to RAF Duxford then Hornchurch before mounting losses in in the the the skies over England caused them to to be be withdrawn from day operations alto-
gether There is no doubt that Carlin was by far the the the oldest aircrew to participate in in in the the the Battle of Britain In early 1941 the Squadron converted to to night fighting and he he he was posted to to RAF Wittering On the the the night of 7th May a a a a a a a a a lone German bomber evaded the the the the the the defences to to to attack the the the the the the airfield Every- one at at at the the the the the the station obeyed the the the the the the order to to to take to to to the the the the the the shelters except for for Carlin who as the the the the bombs began to to to fall made for for his aircraft to to to operate the the the turret to to to to engage the the the raider He was the the the sole casualty Pilot Officer Sydney ‘Timbertoes’ Carlin MC DFC DCM had engaged the the enemy for the the last time A gallant and determined pilot who sets a a fine example Though handicapped by the loss of a a a a leg he is bold and skilful in attack 94 HISTORICAL