John Bryson (RAF officer)

John Samuel Bryson
Birth nameJohn Samuel Bryson
BornWestmount, Quebec, Canada
Died24 September 1940
Buried
St Andrew's, North Weald Bassett, Essex
Allegiance Canada
Service / branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1939 – 1940
RankPilot Officer
UnitNo. 92 Squadron RAF
Battles / warsWorld War II

Pilot Officer John Samuel Bryson (1913? – 1940), called "Butch", was a Canadian fighter pilot who flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.

Bryson, the son John T. Bryson and Marion Elphinstone Bryson, was born in Westmount an enclave of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Prior to the war he was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,[1] but bought his way out in order to serve in defense of Britain.[2]

In January 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission. Upon completion of his flying training at No. 13 Flying Training school at RAF Drem, he was posted to No. 92 Squadron RAF. He joined the squadron at RAF Tangmere on 10 October 1939. He had one 'kill', an He 111 over Dunkirk on 2 June 1940, and shared a kill on 24 July 1940 of a Junkers Ju 88 over the Bristol Channel. Flying with the 92d out of Biggin Hill, joining two other squadrons in a Big Wing group, on 24 September 1940, in response to a ten Ju 88 medium bomber attack, defended by over one-hundred 109s, Bryson was "last seen making a solo attack on a large formation of Bf 109s".[3] He was shot down and killed, his Spitfire, X4037, crashing and burning out near North Weald. Butch Bryson was 27 years old. He was buried in St Andrew's Church, North Weald Bassett, Essex.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Battle of Britain London Monument - P/O J BRYSON". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  2. ^ Michael Robinson, Best of the Few: 92 Squadron 1939-40 (2001: ISBN 0 9540674 0 1), p. 137.
  3. ^ Robinson, Best of the Few, p. 81.
  4. ^ "Casualty Details | CWGC".