Description
Physical description
Pair of long Service Dress trousers of blue-grey cloth.
History note
These trousers are part of the uniform worn by Wing Commander George Cecil ('Grumpy') Unwin, DSO, DFM and Bar, towards the end of his RAF career.
George 'Grumpy' Unwin enlisted into the Royal Air Force at the age of 16 as an apprentice records clerk in 1929. Selected for flying training in 1935, he qualified and was posted to 19 Squadron based at RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire as a sergeant pilot in 1936. One of the original pilots to have flown the Spitfire, Sergeant Unwin flew on operations over Dunkirk, claiming five victories by the end of the evacuation. Flying throughout the Battle of Britain mainly from Duxford, Unwin often flew as Douglas Bader's wingman and by September 15th was credited with destroying 10 aircraft, for which he was awarded an immediate DFM. By late November he accounted for a further three fighters and a share in the destruction of two more, gaining a Bar to his DFM, and the added distinction of being one of only 60 men to have been awarded this combination throughout the whole Second World War. Now a Flight Sergeant, Unwin applied for commission but was unsuccessful on account of his family background and choice of sporting interests, but he persisted and convinced a later interview board that horses were his passion (and not football)! Thus he was commissioned Pilot Officer in July 1941. Assigned as a flying instructor until October 1943, he converted to Mosquito aircraft before joining 613 Squadron on night intruder operations and bombing raids over North West Europe. With over 50 operations with 613 Sqn, he was sent to the Central Gunnery School to instruct, remaining there until June 1946. In the immediate post-war years he was posted to 608 (North Riding) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force as a regular officer training part-time pilots at weekends. In August 1949 he was promoted and given the command of 84 Squadron, which was then based in Iraq, but within a short period the Squadron was posted to Singapore to fly ground support missions during the Malayan Emergency. Unwin lead 180 rocket and dive-bombing strikes on terrorist positions, and was awarded a rare RAF DSO for that campaign. In 1958 he returned to England where he served the remainder of his career as Permanent President of Courts Martial, retiring in 1961 with the rank of Wing Commander.
Inscription
Gieves
L/4/52.63/24963.
G, C. Unwin.
Ba.