Second World War hero pilot still flying high above Britain aged 96
CASCADE Johnnie Trotman is believed to be Britain’s oldest regular flier
He said: “I fly with an instructor but I look after everything. “He is there in case of an emergency. I fly about once a month, weather permitting.” Mr Trotman, of Shrewsbury, won the Distinguished Flying Cross twice over, an award given for “an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy” and subsequently received the Legion d’Honneur from the French Government for services to France. His first wartime tour of 30 operations was in Wellington bombers with 150 Squadron based at RAF Snaith in Yorkshire.
He took part in bombing raids on many heavily-defended German cities. In September 1942, his crew was returning from an operational flight to bomb Bremen when their aircraft crash-landed in Yorkshire on the return to the UK due to fuel shortage.
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Mr Trotman survived and went on to do a second tour of 40 operations in the Mosquitos of 692 Squadron, based at RAF Graveley near Cambridge, part of the elite Pathfinder Force. He clocked up more than 2,000 flying hours and walked away from three crashes. He later worked for cleaning appliance company Hoover for 32 years in the United States and Europe.
CASCADE Mr Trotman takes off from Sleap Airfield, Shropshire, in the cockit of a Cessna four-seater
CASCADE Johnnie took part in bombing raids on many heavily-defended German cities
I fly with an instructor but I look after everything. “He is there in case of an emergency. I fly about once a month, weather permitting Johnnie Trotman, Second world war pilot
Five years ago, he rewrote his autobiography ‘J For Johnnie’, which details his daring war exploits, with Telford author Ken Ballatyne. In 2002, Mr Trotman became a widower and later met Olwen, who was also widowed. He has now reached the finals of the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons. Set up in memory of war hero Major Charles Holland, the awards recognise courage and achievement in the categories of Outstanding Military Bravery. The finalists will be judged by a panel including Falklands war veteran Simon Weston. Giuseppe Manzo, general manager for Amplifon UK & Eire, said: “We received some fantastic entries in the Outstanding Military Bravery category and the four finalists truly embody the heroism shown by Charles Holland.”
CASCADE Johnnie survived an aircraft crash-landing in Yorkshire on the return to the UK due to fuel shortage