Tony Bartley
Anthony Charles Bartley, was a British film and television executive, and fighter pilot. As a Royal Air Force Spitfire pilot, Bartley was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the Battle of Britain, during which he became a fighter ace.
Early life
Bartley was born in Dacca, India, on 28 March 1919, the son of an Irish barrister, Sir Charles Bartley, a Calcutta High Court judge.Bartley attended Stowe School, a boarding independent school for boys in the civil parish of Stowe, in Buckinghamshire.
RAF career
In 1938, Bartley learned to fly. He was commissioned as an acting pilot officer in the Royal Air Force on 18 April 1939; this rank was made permanent, albeit on probation, on 21 October 1939. He flew with No. 92 Squadron through the Battle of France, seeing action over Dunkirk and during the Battle of Britain and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in October 1940, by which time he had been credited with shooting down "at least eight enemy aircraft".After serving in No. 74 Squadron in early 1941, Bartley became an instructor at several operational training units before transferring to Vickers Supermarine as a test pilot at in July 1941. In early 1942, he returned to operational flying, being posted No. 65 Squadron as a flight commander but took command of the squadron in May 1942. In August 1942, he took command of No. 111 Squadron, and led them during Operation Torch, in North Africa, until January 1943. For his service in North Africa, he received a bar to his DFC in February 1943.
After returning to the United Kingdom, he served on the staff of No. 83 Group RAF, before departing in October 1944 for the US to attend the Command and General Staff College, and then at the School of Air Tactics. His next posting was as a liaison officer to the 70th Fighter Wing. In October 1944 he joined RAF Transport Command in the Far East. At the end of the war Bartley's combat total included 12 destroyed, 1 unconfirmed destroyed, 5 'probables' and 8 'damaged'.