Tom Neil 1920-2018

Tom Neil served as an RAF flying ace during the Second World War, having joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1938 at the age of 18. He flew in a Hurricane during the 1940 Battle of Britain, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross later that year. He died in 2018 at the age of 97.

-  Matt Elton

When did you first hear about Tom Neil? 

Several years ago, I was trying to pitch a show about the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. One of my friends is a Spitfire pilot, and he really wanted to get Tom on board, so we went to meet him at his house.

Tom had told his stories about the war again and again, so didn't really have anything to gain apart from sharing his memories and insights. He was a keen student of war, and had a detached view of its events. He was a really honest guy without a trace of jingoism or nationalism, though he did have a real mischief to him.