The Last Torpedo Flyers

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Imagine being an RAF torpedo pilot during the Second World War, undertaking perilous missions that drew comparisons to the Kamikaze. For British airmen, suicide was not an accepted part of the objective, yet many, including 19-year-old Arthur Aldridge, felt they faced certain death simply by entering their cockpits. Aldridge, who left Oxford to join the RAF, flew his Bristol Beaufort with a sense of urgency after witnessing his best friend's tragic death in 1941. His bravery earned him a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for a daring strike on a German cargo ship, where he narrowly avoided disaster. He survived a chaotic torpedo attack during the infamous Channel Dash, which resulted in the loss of 40 RAF planes. As the stress mounted in 1942, Aldridge and his Cockney gunner, Bill Carroll, persevered. Aldridge was later awarded a Bar to his DFC for sinking two enemy ships off Malta and rescuing a fellow pilot while wounded, despite his own Beaufort sustaining heavy damage. Their efforts were crucial in saving Malta and thwarting Rommel's supply lines in North Africa, significantly impacting the war's trajectory. Now both 91, Aldridge and Carroll remain close friends, representing the courageous torpedo airmen who deserve recognition alongside the legendary Spitfire pilots, their story reflecting the deep camaraderie forged in the crucible of war.