Denis Geach Parnall (1915-1940)

Denis Geach Parnall (1915-1940)

Second World War Roll of Honour

Denis Geach Parnall was born in Bristol on 3 April 1915, thSecond World War Roll of Honoure younger son of George Geach Parnall, a founder and director of Parnall Aircraft Ltd, and Edith Rose (née Blackmore). They lived at 4 Cecil Road, Clifton, Bristol before moving to ‘Nancemellan’, St Gennys, Cornwall. Denis attended Clifton College before matriculating at Downing College in 1935 to study Mechanical Sciences. He played Hockey for the College XI and was awarded Colours in 1936 before being elected Captain for 1937-8. He was a member of the University Air Squadron, transferring to the RAF Volunteer Reserve in January 1938. After graduating in 1938, he received a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of Pilot Officer on 3 September 1938, with seniority from 3 June 1937 and was promoted to Flying Officer on 3 March 1939, with seniority from 3 December 1938.

Denis was posted to No.5 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down on 6 May 1940 to convert to Hurricane fighters, after which he joined 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron at RAF Leconfield on 29 May, where he was posted to B Flight. (A detailed account of individual flights and engagements undertaken by Parnall during the Battle of Britain is available on request.) He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 3 September 1940.

On the 15th of September 1940, the Luftwaffe launched one of the largest attacks of the battle to date, in an attempt to break the Royal Air Force as a prelude to invasion. On 18 September 1940, 249 Squadron was scrambled and took off from RAF North Weald at 12.25pm to patrol over Gravesend. Denis Parnall took off in Hurricane Mk I V6694 as the Flight Commander of A Flight for the patrol. Shortly after taking off, he discovered a fault with the aircraft’s air pressure system and gun firing mechanism, leaving him unable to fire his guns. He returned to North Weald where he quickly changed aircraft and took off again on his own at 1.10pm in Hurricane Mk I V6685 to rejoin his comrades. His aircraft was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf109s and Flight Lieutenant Parnall was killed when his aircraft crashed and burnt out next to the A12 near Furness Farm, Ivy Barn Lane, Furze Hill Margaretting in Essex at 1.25pm. He was 25 years old. Two eyewitnesses on the ground reported seeing a brief dog fight at high altitude before seeing the aircraft hurtle to the ground in a power dive. He was buried locally as an unknown airman but was later identified and his body was exhumed in April 1941 so it could be reinterred in St Gennys. The Downing College magazine, ‘The Griffin’, remembered “a very likable man, whose loss is a great blow to all who knew him."

Flight Lieutenant Parnall is buried in the churchyard of St. Genesius at St Gennys. He is commemorated on the war memorial in St Gennys and on a plaque on the cliff tops at Crackington Haven, close to the family home. Land there was presented to the National Trust in 1959 by W/Cdr. A. G. Parnall and a plaque at the site reads:

'Given to the National Trust in 1959 by Wing Commander A. G. Parnall in memory of his brother F/Lt. Denis Parnall RAF and all those who gave their lives in the Battle of Britain 1940'.

Sources

TNA RAF combat reports: AIR 50/96/109; AIR 50/96/45; AIR 50/96/34; AIR 50/96/25; AIR 50/177/200; AIR 50 50/96/14

TNA 249 Squadron Operations records: AIR 27/1498/5; AIR 27/1498/6; AIR 27/1498/4; AIR 27/1498/3; AIR 27/1498/2; AIR 27/1498/1

http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ParnallDG.htm

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