Cyril Stanley Bamberger

Cyril Stanley Bamberger , nicknamed Bam, was born on 4th May 1919 in Hyde and was educated locally. He left school in 1934, aged 14, and joined Lever Brothers as an electrical apprentice
In 1936 he volunteered for the Auxiliary Air Force and was posted to the bomber squadron, No. 610 Squadron in Chester as a photographer. Bamberger was accepted for pilot training with the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) in 1938.

 


Bamberger was called to full time service on the outbreak of war, completed his training and rejoined his former squadron, at RAF Biggin Hill on July 27, 1940, as a Sergeant Pilot.  Bamberger flew with 610 Sqn during the early air fighting over the Channel that followed the Dunkirk evacuation. The squadron suffered heavy casualties but Bamberger was credited with a "probable" Messerschmitt Me 109"  on August 28 in combat off the Kent coast^.
When 610 Sqn was withdrawn to rest in mid-September 1940, Bamberger was posted to No.41 Squadron RAF  at Hornchurch and was soon back in action in the Battle of Britain.  He was credited with his first confirmed combat victory, again an Me109, over Canterbury on October 5.
With the Battle of Britain winding down, Bamberger volunteered for Malta . He flew Hurricanes with  No. 261 Squadron from Hal far from late November 1940 and was credited with shooting down two Junkers Ju 87 aircraft over the Grand Harbour in January 1941.
Bamberger joined  No. 93 Squadron  in 1942 and was deployed to Tunisia. He was commissioned Pilot Officer on 9 February 1942 and promoted to Flying Officer on 1 October 1942. With the same Squadron he returned to Malta in 1943 and was credited with another kill, again a Junkers Ju 87 on 13 July, this time over Sicily.
Bamberger was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) which was gazetted on 28 September 1943.
Bamberger was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 9 February 1944, returned to the UK in July 1944 and in November of the same year was awarded the bar to his DFC  

Bamberger was released from RAF service in 1946 and he returned to Lever before joining the management of a Guiness subsidiary.
When No. 610 Squadron was reformed as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force unit he rejoined it as a flight commander  and was given the rank of Flight Lieutenant. In 1950 he became the squadron's Commanding Officer . After the outbreak of the Korean War Bamberger accepted a permanent RAF commission, and for most of the duration of that conflict was an  Intelligence Officer at the Air Ministry. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on 1 January 1957.
Bamberger later converted to flying helicopters and flew the Bristol Sycamoreaircraft in Aden
He finally retired in 1959 after being awarded the Air Efficiency Award and Bar.

 After retiring from the RAF in 1959, Bamberger went into business, founding a packaging materials company. He later ran an antiques business. He remained active in RAF matters and was closely involved with the Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust, of which he was vice-chairman.

 Bamberger died on 3rd February 2008, aged 88. He was survived by his wife Heather, whom he married in 1954, and by three sons and a daughter. It was Bam's granddaughter who presented the Duchess of Cornwall  with a posy at the unveiling of the  Battle of Britain Monument in London on 18 September 2005.


^{(Thanks to Wikipedia)}