| Frank Reginald Carey | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Chota |
| Born | 7 May 1912 Brixton, London, England |
| Died | 6 December 2004 (aged 92) Chichester, West Sussex, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1927-1960 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Unit | 43 Squadron 3 Squadron 245 Squadron 135 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars Air Force Cross Distinguished Flying Medal Silver Star (US) |
| Other work | Rolls Royce Aero Division employee, Australia |
Group Captain Frank Reginald "Chota" Carey CBE, DFC & Two Bars, AFC, DFM (7 May 1912 - 6 December 2004) was an English World War II fighter ace with 25 victories, three shared destroyed, four unconfirmed destroyed, four probables and eight damaged.[1] He was the second-highest scoring Hawker Hurricane fighter ace of the war.
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Carey was born in Brixton, London and educated at Belverdere School, Haywards Heath. He joined the Royal Air Force in September 1927 as an aircraft apprentice at RAF Halton and later an airframe fitter. In 1935 Carey was selected for pilot training and passed out as a Sergeant Pilot joining 43 Squadron flying the Hawker Fury and in 1938 converting to the Hawker Hurricane.
On 30 January 1940, soon after the war started, Carey shared (with F/L. Caesar Hull) the destruction of a Heinkel He 111 of KG 26 near Coquet Island on his first aerial combat. No. 43 Squadron were moved to Acklington in February 1940, and on 3 February Carey and his wingman claimed another KG 26 He-111, the aircraft ditching in the sea. Another He-111 was shared destroyed the following month and by 21 February Carey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. On 1 March 1940 he was commissioned.
In April 1940 he joined 3 Squadron, based at Merville in France. On 10 May 1940 he claimed four Heinkel He-111s (1 unconfirmed) of KG 54 and KG 27 to become only the third RAF ace of the war.[2] Another KG 54 He-111 was claimed the next day. Two Ju-87 Stukas, a Do 17 and two He-111s were claimed destroyed or damaged on 13 May, and on 14 May he shot down a Dornier Do 17 of 3.(F)/11 near Louvain. In this action he was hit by gunfire and crashed near Brussels. Despite a leg wound he managed to regain Allied Lines, and after treatment Carey was eventually taken to No. 26 Aircraft Depot, where other shot-down aircrew were awaiting to rejoin their units. After days of inactivity and confusion, Carey and the other personnel found a servicable Bristol Bombay transport at a nearby airfield and flew it back to Hendon in the UK on 7 June, Carey acting as rear-gunner for the trip. On arrival he found he had been officially posted as missing in action.[3]
Carey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and bar for his actions. In June he re-joined 43 Squadron at RAF Tangmere as a Flight Commander.
As the Battle of Britain unfolded Carey increased his number of victories. On 19 July he claimed one Bf 109 destroyed and three damaged, and a Ju 88 'probable' on 12 August. He then shared in the downing of a Ju 88 of LG 1 on 15 August. Two Ju 87's (and two 'probables') were claimed over Selsey Bill on 16 August. At the height of the battle on 18 August 1940, a date known as The Hardest Day, Carey was leading the Squadron against a raid of Ju 87s and Bf 109s over Thorney Island. He shot down a Ju 87 of StG 77 but was hit in the knee by a stray bullet. Due to enemy action he could not land at Tangmere airfield and had to crash land his Hawker Hurricane at Pulborough. After medical treatment in Chichester and recuperation Carey was posted to a No. 52 OTU at Debden as an Instructor, returning briefly to operations with 245 Squadron in Northern Ireland. Shortly after he returned to a training post until in August 1941 he was posted to RAF Baginton to form 135 Squadron as Squadron Commander.
Originally intended for service in the Middle East, in December 1941 Carey and No. 135 Squadron were diverted to reinforce the severely pressed Allied Air Forces in Burma. The first four fighters arrived in Rangoon on 23 January. On 29 January 1942 he claimed his first Japanese victory when he shot down a Nakajima Ki-27 'Nate' flown by Sgt-Maj Nagashima of the 77th Sentai over the RAF airfield at Mingaladon Township, Rangoon (now the site of Yangon International Airport). This victory incorrecly appears as on 4 February in his official tally.[4] In early February he was promoted to Wing Commander, commanding the two fighter squadrons that formed 267 Wing at Mingaladon. He downed a reconnaissance aircraft of 70th Chutai on 23 February, and a 'transport' and another Ki-27 on 24 February. On 26 February Carey led seven Hurricanes in a ground strafe of Moulmein airfield. They spotted several Ki-27 "Nate" fighters returning to the airfield, and in the ensuing combat Carey claimed three (of a total of five) claimed shot down, with possibly others destroyed or damaged on the ground. Carey was chased out over the Gulf of Martaban, suffering heavy damage to his Hurricane. He was awarded a second bar to his DFC on 24 March for leading this and further ground strafing missions on the airfield and installations around Moulmein during March 1942.
Carey had now gained the Indian nickname 'Chota' ('small') because of his size. His last claim was on 25 October 1942 when a Nakijima Ki-43 'Oscar' was a probable victory. He was attacked on take-off from Chittagong by a number of Oscars and after a battle at very low level an Oscar reportedly flew into a hill.[5] His tally against the Japanese is officially at least seven, but with the Allies in full retreat at the time and many records lost there are many who fought alongside Carey that consider he destroyed considerably more, possibly taking his tally to over 30.[6]
Carey was taken off operations in late 1942 and then commanded RAF Alipore. He was sent to Air HQ, Bengal, and then in February 1943 formed the 'Air Fighting Training Unit' based at Amarda Road. In November 1944 he was posted to command 73 OTU in Egypt as a Group Captain, receiving the AFC.
He returned to England in 1945 and was given a permanent commission and taught tactics at the Central Fighter Establishment. After attending the Army Staff College he reverted to the rank of wing commander to lead No 135 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany, flying Hawker Tempests. Converting to jets he moved to Gutersloh as wing commander, flying.
He was also Air Adviser, British High Commission in Australia from 1958 to 1962; He was also became a Commander of the British Empire in 1960 and then worked for Rolls Royce Aero Division in Australia. On his retirement from Rolls Royce he returned to England. Carey married three times and had two daughters, he died in 2004. His final years were spent in Bognor Regis.