Richard Bunker DSO, DFC & Bar

Richard Henry Bunker Dso, Dfc & Bar 

Service number 40668

Wing Commander Royal Air Force 190 Squadron

Died  20/04/1945 age 25 years

Buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery 24. E. 1.

Son of Frederick and Harriet Bunker of Woodlands Totteridge Lane, Totteridge; husband of Stella and father of Tony Bunker of Redcar, Yorkshire.

Mrs Bunker and son Tony receiving DSO at Buckingham Palace

Richard Henry Bunker was born in 1919 in Hampstead, London. It would appear that during the Russian Revolution of 1917, his father, Frederick, who was born in Hackney, his mother, Harriet Clara, and her sister, Felice Carr, who were British ex-patriots born in Petrograd, were repatriated to England with their elder son, John, who was born in Tsarskoe Selo, Russia. Frederick was a bank manager at the London Joint City and Midland. This amalgamation was between London City, Midland, and the London Joint Stock Bank. Later, it became the Midland Bank. Between 1933 and 1937, Frederick maintained a house in East End Road, Finchley, provided banking services to Argentina, supported British Trade, and travelled extensively between Argentina, New York, and the UK.

Richard Henry Bunker joined the Royal Air Force in 1938 at 18, marking the beginning of a remarkable, though tragically brief, military career. Rising rapidly through the ranks to become Wing Commander by age 25, he earned three prestigious decorations for gallantry before his untimely death just weeks before the end of World War II. His story exemplifies extraordinary courage in combat operations and the ultimate sacrifice made by many young airmen during the conflict.

Richard began his RAF career as an Acting Pilot Officer on Probation on May 7, 1938, and was confirmed as a Pilot Officer on March 7, 1939. His combat service began with 83 Squadron, where he quickly distinguished himself as a skilled and courageous airman.

On April 20, 1940, he served as navigator on an aircraft that attacked Aalborg aerodrome in Denmark under extremely challenging weather conditions. His exceptional performance during this mission earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), which was officially announced in the London Gazette on May 31, 1940. During this incident, enemy fire seriously damaged his aircraft, and he had to break off from the attack. He climbed out of the cockpit onto the wings and stopped up many holes, enabling him to fly back to base.

As Bunker's career progressed, he was promoted to Flying Officer on 3 September 1940. His combat effectiveness and leadership abilities led to further advancement and recognition. By 1943, he had risen to the rank of Acting Squadron Leader with 9 Squadron, where his continued excellence in operational flying earned him a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross on November 12, 1943.

By 1944, Bunker was serving with 620 Squadron, engaged in special operations that required technical skill and extraordinary courage. As announced in the London Gazette on 21 November 1944, he received the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his outstanding leadership during this period. This prestigious decoration, ranking below only the Victoria Cross in recognition of gallantry during active operations against the enemy, underscored the significance of his contributions to the war effort.

By early 1945, Richard Bunker had been assigned to 190 Squadron of 38 Group, based at RAF Great Dunmow in Essex. This unit frequently involved airborne support, transport, and special missions.

On April 20, 1945, just weeks before the end of the war in Europe, Wing Commander Bunker piloted Short Stirling IV (serial number LJ930) on a vital mission to deliver fuel to the front lines. His aircraft was one of ten Stirlings tasked with flying pallets of jerry cans to the captured Luftwaffe airfield at Rheine-Bentlage in Westphalia, Germany. After completing this delivery, the aircraft flew to Brussels to collect recently liberated prisoners of war.

After landing at RAF Odiham to discharge passengers, Wing Commander Bunker prepared to take off again to return to base. The aircraft had a flat tail wheel;  the friction generated by the damaged tail wheel ignited the plane's rear, with the fire intensifying during flight until the tail unit separated.

Witnesses in Windlesham, Surrey, observed the burning aircraft with flames and smoke pouring from its rear as it descended toward a row of houses. In a final act of heroism, rather than abandoning the aircraft, Wing Commander Bunker managed to divert the stricken plane away from the populated area and crash-landed in a field. The crash claimed the lives of all seven crew members aboard:

After the war, Bunker's widow, Stella, and son, Tony, attended Buckingham Palace, where King George VI presented them with the Distinguished Service Order medal that he had earned but never lived to receive. Surrey resident Bill Lindsay researched the story of Wing Commander Bunker and his crew and raised funds for a memorial plaque honouring their sacrifice.

 Sources:

Daily Sketch

CWGC

The London Gazette

Flight Global

Flight Magazine