Reunited. Squadron Leader Gerald Stapleton and the Spitfire, Cottesmore 2000. Copyright Gary Parsons, f4 Aviation 2000

Born in Durban, South Africa, Stapleton travelled to England to take up a short service commission in the Royal Air Force in 1939. He was posted to 603 Squadron in December that year to fly the legendary Spitfire.

During the Battle of Britain Stapleton saw action over the south-east of England throughout the summer and autumn of 1940. On 5 September his Spitfire was hit and damaged by Messerschmitts, but he was able to force-land, unhurt. On 15 November he was awarded the DFC.

By August 1944, Squadron Leader Stapleton was in command of 247 Squadron, flying Typhoons and based on the European mainland. He took part in operations around Arnhem, for which he received a Dutch Flying Cross. On 23 December 1944, he attacked a train with rockets. The engine blew up and the debris pierced the Typhoon's radiator, obliging him to force-land two miles inside German lines near Munchen Gladbach. In consequence, he spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft 1 at Barth on the Baltic coast.

Squadron Leader Stapleton left the RAF in 1946 to fly the BOAC West African routes until late 1948. He then returned to South Africa, where one of his jobs was escorting tourists on photographic trips in sub-Saharan Africa. On retirement he settled for a time in Natal, but now lives near Stamford in Lincolnshire.

Baffle of Britain Score: 6 Confirmed, 8 Probables, 2 Damaged.