military_branch peter ottewill
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter ( often referred to simply as the " Beau ") is a multi - role ___MASK33___ developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the United Kingdom ( UK ). It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort bomber . Upon its entry to service , the Beaufighter proved to be well suited to the night fighter role , for which the ___MASK24___ ( RAF ) initially deployed the type as during the height of the Battle of Britain , in part due to its large size allowing it to accommodate both heavy armaments and early airborne interception radar without major performance penalties . Radar is an object - detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range , angle , or velocity of objects . It can be used to detect ___MASK33___ , ships , spacecraft , guided missiles , motor vehicles , weather formations , and terrain . A radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwaves domain , a transmitting antenna , a receiving antenna ( often the same antenna is used for transmitting and receiving ) and a receiver and processor to determine properties of the object ( s ). Radio waves ( pulsed or continuous ) from the transmitter reflect off the object and return to the receiver , giving information about the object ' s location and speed . Radar was developed secretly for military use by several nations in the period before and during World War II . The term " RADAR " was coined in 1940 by the ___MASK83___ as an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging or RAdio Direction And Ranging . The term " radar " has since entered English and other languages as a common noun , losing all capitalization . A night fighter ( also known as all - weather fighter or all - weather interceptor for a period of time post - World War II ) is a fighter ___MASK33___ adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility . Night fighters began to be used in World War I and included types that were specifically modified to operate at night . A heavy fighter is a fighter ___MASK33___ designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges . To achieve acceptable performance , most heavy fighters were twin - engined , and many had multi - place crews . The Battle of Britain ( German : " die Luftschlacht um England ", literally " Air battle for England ") was a combat of the Second World War , when the ___MASK24___ ( RAF ) defended the United Kingdom ( UK ) against the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe ) attacks from the end of June 1940 . It is described as the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces . The British officially recognise its duration as from 10 July until 31 October 1940 that overlaps with the period of large - scale night attacks known as the Blitz , while German historians do not accept this subdivision and regard it as a campaign lasting from July 1940 to June 1941 . The Bristol Aeroplane Company , originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company , was both one of the first and one of the most important British ___MASK8___ companies , designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines . Notable aircraft produced by the company include the ' Boxkite ', the Bristol Fighter , the Bulldog , the Blenheim , the Beaufighter , and the Britannia , and much of the preliminary work which led to the Concorde was carried out by the company . In 1956 its major operations were split into Bristol Aircraft and Bristol Aero Engines . In 1959 , Bristol Aircraft merged with several major British aircraft companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation ( BAC ) and Bristol Aero Engines merged with Armstrong Siddeley to form Bristol Siddeley . The ___MASK24___ ( RAF ) is the United Kingdom ' s aerial warfare force . Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918 , it is the oldest independent air force in the world . Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as , at the time , the largest air force in the world . Since its formation , the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history , in particular , playing a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign , the Battle of Britain . Peter Guy Ottewill , GM ( 5 November 1915 -- 31 January 2003 ) was an English RAF officer who during the Second World War in 1943 rescued two airmen from a Bristol Beaufighter which had crashed into an ammunition store at Kirknewton Scotland during take - off , and was awarded the George Medal . Educated at John Roan School , he joined the RAF in 1931 . Initially an armourer , he trained as a Hurricane pilot , serving with 43 Squadron at the evacuation of Dunkirk ; and was one of the first servicemen ever to have plastic surgery . The George Medal citation said : One day in June , 1943 , a Beaufighter ___MASK33___ crashed into an ammunition store when taking off and immediately caught fire . Both occupants of the ___MASK33___ were stunned and unable to get out unaided . Despite the bursting of the ___MASK33___ ' s war load of ammunition ( which included cannon shells ) , the 30 , 000 rounds of ammunition which were exploding in the store and the grave danger of the petrol tanks exploding , Sqn Ldr Ottewill , accompanied by 2 others , went to the scene of the accident in an endeavour to rescue the crew . Sqn Ldr Ottewill , ignoring a burning petrol tank , jumped on to the wing and after opening the front hatch , he succeeded in releasing the pilot and dragged him clear . Sqn Ldr Ottewill then returned and rescued the observer who was in happened . Shortly afterwards a petrol tank exploded . Sqn Ldr Ottewill , who had been severely burned on a previous occasion when his own ___MASK33___ was shot down by the enemy , accepted the risk of further severe burns , and injury in going to the assistance of his comrades and effecting their rescue . Fortunately he sustained only slight burns during this rescue . After the war he was seconded to the Royal Australian ___MASK84___ and served in Korea . He was then a Staff Officer with 2nd Tactical ___MASK84___ and worked at NATO headquarters before his final post as a Station commander . A bomber is a combat ___MASK33___ designed to attack ground and sea targets by dropping air - to - ground weaponry , firing torpedoes or deploying air - launched cruise missiles .