No.42303, Flight Lieutenant (Pilot), Anthony DARLING
Aged 27
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Anthony was born in Q2-1914 [Newmarket 3b:866], the son of Sam Henry and Thora Olive DARLING (née MARSH), of Green Lodge, Newmarket In the 1939 register his father Samuel [5-2-1887] a racehorse trainer; mother Thora [27-2-1881] and sister Diana [16-6-1917] were at Warren Place, Moulton. |
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With the assistance of Ian Simpson who is creating the history of 94 Squadron we have the following:- Came from Newmarket, his father Sam was a noted racehorse breeder and trainer and his Uncle, Fred Darling, a noted racehorse trainer with a record number of Derby winners. Anthony was known as "Horse" in the squadron. He was commissioned 8th July 1939, receiving his final training with 4 FTS. He arrived at Sheikh Othman, in Aden, via Abu Sueir on June 20, 1940 and joined 94 squadron, RAF to fly Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters. He damaged an Italian S 79 bomber on September 6, 1940. The squadron moved to El Ballah in Egypt in August 1941 and into Libya shortly after, using several different landing grounds. Promoted F/O March 20, 1941. 94 Sqdn converted to Hawker Hurricanes in April, 1941 and he was on ferrying duties to Takoradi (Ghana) in May 1941. Flying a Hurricane, "Horse" damaged what he recorded as a 'Dornier Do17' during the evening of September 9/10, 1941. He contracted Infective Hepatitis in December 1941. Promoted F/Lt January 1942. Not fully recovered, he returned to squadron January 1942,( by then flying from Mechili, halfway between Benghazi and Tobruk) but died from Pneumonia January 16, 1942. |
Hurricanes taking off in desert (not Anthony's actual aircraft though)
Anthony Darling's memorial plaque in St. Peter's Church, Moulton
Tobruk War Cemetery in earlier days
Commonwealth War Graves Commission photo
Anthony is buried in Tobruk War Cemetery Ref: 9.F.1 click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details