Branse Burbridge

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Branse Burbridge
1921 - ???
Place of birth	East Dulwich, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1940 - 1945
Rank	Wing Commander
Battles/wars	Battle of Britain
Awards	DFC* DSO
Other work	Scripture Union

Wing Commander Branse Burbridge DSO*, DFC* of 85 Squadron, Royal Air Force was the top scoring Allied night fighter pilot of World War Two.

Born in East Dulwich on 4 February 1921, Burbridge lived in Kenbworth when war broke out, working as an insurance clerk. For the first six months of the war he was a conscientious objector, but realising the war was a just cause joined the RAF in September 1940. After completing training at 54 OTU Church Fenton he was posted to 85 Squadron in October 1941 , flying Douglas Havoc night fighters. Tour-expired, he was posted to 62 OTU and then to 141 and 157 squadron. He returned to 85 in July 1943 as a Flight Lieutenant. Burbridge was to gain far more success flying Mosquitoes with 85, initially on home defence duties prior to June 1944, then on Bomber Support operations with 100 Group against the Luftwaffe's Nachtgeschwaders. With radar operator F/L 'Bill' Skelton, he claimed 21 kills over the next ten months, 16 over occupied Europe.

The pair shot down a total of 21 enemy aircraft and three V1 flying bombs, the total including a Bf 110 and three Ju 88Gs during the night of November 4/5 1944. On this occasion Burbridge fired only 200 rounds of ammunition in downing four enemy aircraft. Their score of enemy aircraft destroyed made them the top night-fighting crew in the RAF.

Burbridge is quoted as saying "I always tried to aim for the wings of enemy aircraft and not the cockpit. I never wanted to kill anyone."

A committed Christian, Burbridge went on to become a full-time Christian worker for Scripture Union after the war.