| Percy Charles Pickard | |
|---|---|
Group Captain Pickard |
|
| Nickname | Pick |
| Born | 19 May 1915 Handsworth, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 18 February 1944 (aged 28) Amiens, France |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1937–1944 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
Group Captain Percy Charles "Pick" Pickard DSO & Two Bars, DFC, (16 May 1915 - 18 February 1944) was a British bomber pilot and commander during World War II. He is best remembered by the public for his role in the 1941 wartime propaganda film Target for Tonight in which he featured as the pilot of 'F for Freddie' – a Wellington bomber of No. 149 Squadron. He was killed in Operation Jericho.
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Pickard was born in Handsworth, Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England and was educated at Framlingham College.[1] Pickard was the son of the late P. C. Pickard and Mrs. Pickard. His sister was actress Helena Pickard, married to English actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke.[1]
Pickard received a short service commission into the Royal Air Force in January 1937,[2] which was made substansive in November.[3] He served with a bomber squadron before being appointed personal assistant to the air officer commanding a training group at Cranwell in 1938.He participated in fighting over Norway, France and during the Dunkirk evacuation.[1] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in July 1940 while serving as a flight lieutenant in a bomber squadron. He was promoted to squadron leader with No. 311 (Czech) Squadron and was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in March 1941. In May 1942, as wing commander in charge of No. 51 Squadron, he was granted a bar to the DSO in recognition of his leadership in Operation Biting (also known as the Bruneval raid) on 27 February 1942. In March 1943, while commanding No. 161 Squadron at RAF Tempsford he was awarded a second bar to the DSO for outstanding leadership ability and fine fighting qualities.[4] He was the first RAF officer in World War II to be awarded the DSO and two bars.[5]
Pickard led the February 1944 low-level attack on the Amiens Prison, in the raid known as Operation Jericho. The attack was carried out at the request of the French resistance in order to allow a considerable number of their imprisoned members, who were soon to be executed by the occupying forces, the chance to escape, the Resistance stating that the prisoners had said they would rather take the chance of being killed by RAF bombs than be shot by the Nazis. Operation Jericho was a success but Pickard, together with his Navigator, Flight Lieutenant J. A. "Bill" Broadley, DSO, DFC, DFM, were both killed when their de Havilland Mosquito, HX922/"EG-F", was shot down by a Fw 190 flown by Feldwebel Mayer of 7. Jagdgeschwader 26 in the closing stages of the operation. Pickard and Broadley were initially reported missing and then in September 1944 it was announced that they had been killed in action.[1]
He was buried along with Broadley in Plot 3 at the St. Pierre Cemetery near Amiens, France.[6] Pickard was married at the time of his death.[1]
The French government called, unsuccessfully, for him to receive a posthumous Victoria Cross.[7]