Hammer Blow by
David Pritchard.
Six signature edition - Notes on
Cyril Bamberger
Cyril Stanley Bamberger – 116515 Sgt Pilot British 610 and 41
Squadrons
Born in Port Sunlight on May 4 1919, Bamberger won an electrical
engineering apprenticeship at Lever Brothers in 1943. He joined 610 Squadron,
AuxAF in 1936, on the ground staff. Accepted for pilot training with the RAFVR
in the late 1938, he soloed in mid-1939.
Bamberger was called up at the outbreak of the war and on October 23 1939 was posted to 8 EFTS, Woodley and
later went to 9 FTS, Hullavington to complete his training. He rejoined 610 at
Biggin Hill on July 27 but with no experience on Spitfires, he was sent to 7
OUT, Hawarden for three weeks. Back with 610, Bamberger claimed a probable Bf
109 on August 28. He was posted to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch on September 17 1940 and on October 5 he claimed a BF 109
destroyed.
After volunteering for Malta, Bamberger left
41 in mid-October 1940. He sailed from Glasgow in the
aircraft carrier HMS Argus. Luckily for him, he did not fly off for Malta with the
twelve Hurricanes and two navigating Skuas which did. Only five of the fourteen
aircraft reached their destination. Bamberger eventually reached Malta on November
28 on the destroyer HMS Hotspur and on arrival he joined 261 Squadron. On January 18 1941 he destroyed a Ju 87 and another the
next day. 261 Squadron was disbanded on May 21 1941. Bamberger had moved on the 12th to
the newly-formed 185 Squadron at Hal Far. He was posted back to England on June 12
and sent to Central Gunnery School at Sutton Bridge. Commissioned
in February 1942, he was posted to Northern
Ireland as a Gunnery Officer, with Americans
who were converting to Spitfires. In March 1943 Bamberger volunteered for North Africa, where he
joined 93 Squadron at Hal Far, Malta in May. On
July 13, operating over Sicily, he shot down
a Ju 87. In August Bamberger joined 243 Squadron in Sicily, as Flight
Commander. He was awarded the DFC (28.9.43). On October 16 Bamberger damaged a
Bf 109, his first success after 243 crossed Italy.
On May 25 1944 he claimed a
Bf 109 destroyed and on June 15 a Mc 202 damaged. Bamberger came off operations
in July for medical reasons and returned to the UK. He was sent
on an instructor’s course and in early 1945 was posted to the Gunnery School at Catfoss.
Awarded a Bar to the DFC (14.11.44), Bamberger received it from the King at Buckingham Palace on July 3 1945.
Released in 1946, Bamberger returned to Lever Brothers and rejoined
610 Squadron at Hooton Park, becoming its
CO in 1950. When the Korean crisis came, he was recalled to the RAF. In
February 1951 he was granted a Permanent Commission and in May 1952 moved to an
Intelligence unit, assessing strike capabilities of the Chinese and Koreans.
Bamberger retired on January 29
1959, as a Squadron Leader, and became Managing Director of a small
packaging materials company he had started in 1954. On retirement, he had an
antique shop in Hampshire.
Comments on this page should be emailed to Alan @ FDLC.co.uk
Last update 12th
June 2006
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