Pilot Officer Michael Mudie - whose last combat was broadcast by BBC journalist, Charles Gardner

Michael Robert Mudie was born in Singapore on 26th February 1916. His father was a Judge of the Supreme Court there in 1935 and Michael was one of four sons.

Michael Mudie studied at King’s College, London and joined the RAF on a short service commission. He began his initial training course on 27th March 1939 at 22 E&RFTS Cambridge. With his training completed, Mudie arrived at 11 Group Pool on 20th November 1939. After further training he was transferred to 2 Ferry Pilot Pool on 21st December as a reserve for France. He joined 615 Squadron at Vitry-en-Artois on 26th January 1940. Mudie was one of RAF pilots who flew in the Battle of France with 615 Squadron using the antiquated biplane, the Gladiator. However the squadron was soon equipped with Hurricanes and was quickly called into action in the Battle of Britain.

However Mudie's involvement was short-lived. Whilst protecting a convoy of ships just off the coast at Dover on 14th July at 3.30pm, Mudie was shot down by Me109s. He baled out of his Hurricane, badly wounded, and was rescued from the sea by the Navy and admitted to Dover Hospital. On arrival at the hospital his wounds were recorded as burns and a gunshot wound to the face but he died the next day, aged 24. He is buried in Esher Cemetery, East Molesey, Surrey.

Rather unusually, Mudie’s loss was witnessed and broadcast by BBC commentator, Charles Gardner (click on YouTube link below), who was recording the scene from a vantage point on the cliffs outside Dover. He mistook Mudie’s Hurricane for a German aircraft. His understandably breathless commentary included:

Audio From the Past [E09] - WW2 - Air Battle at Dover with Charles Gardner (1940) (youtube.com)

“There’s one going down in flames! Somebody’s hit a German and he’s coming down with a long streak - coming down completely out of control - a long streak of smoke. And now a man’s baled out by parachute! The pilot’s baled out by parachute! He’s a Junkers eighty-seven and he’s going slap into the sea. And there he goes - SMASH! A terrific column of water and there was a Junkers eight-seven. Only one man got out by parachute, so presumably there was only a crew of one...' 

Above: the report by the squadron CO.

If you would like to hear more about fighter pilots like Michael Mudie, please contact Dr Anthony Medhurst on info@thebattleofbritaintours.co.uk or 07852 765901.

Photos and text courtesy of the Battle of Britain monument.