Rex de Silva
Rex De Silva | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 November 1918 Colombo, Ceylon |
| Died | 18 August 2005 (aged 86) Australia |
| Allegiance |  Ceylon United Kingdom Australia |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941-46 |
| Rank | Probationary Pilot Officer (Flight Sergeant) |
| Unit | 504 Squadron |
| Commands | Chief Pilot Air Ceylon |
| Battles / wars | World War II, Ibsley, Church Stanton, Redhill, Burma Assam, Minneriya Ceylon |
| Other work | Airline pilot |
Rex de Silva was chief pilot of Air Ceylon and a Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) who served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force in World War II.
Early life
Mervin Rex de Silva was born on 29 November 1918. His father was John Walter de Silva (a head guard in the Ceylon Railway) and his mother Freda (née Ebert).[1] He was educated at St Peter's College, Colombo and later worked as a stenographer. He had flying lessons after winning a scholarship awarded by William Hulme Lever, 2nd Viscount Leverhulme.
Career as a pilot
He volunteered to the RAF and trained at the Elementary Flying School at Fairoaks. He flew Spitfire VB aircraft with 504 Squadron from 1943 to 1944, from Ibsley, Church Stanton and Redhill as an interceptor as well as flying bomber escort missions, escorting Marauder bombers. In 1944 he was posted to 17 Squadron and flew Spitfires (notably MT719/YB J) from Minneriya Ceylon, Calcutta and Chittagong, Assam and Burma.[2] After serving in Bangalore and as Flight Controller in Katunayake, Ceylon (RAF Negombo) he was demobilised.
He was appointed a probationary pilot Officer in the RAF volunteer reserve and gazetted on 9 October 1945.[3]
Later career
On demobilisation he was recruited to Air India and flew DC-3 Dakota and Vickers Viking aircraft out of Bombay. He also flew Indian pioneer aviator and founder of Tata Airlines, J. R. D. Tata in a private Beechcraft C-45. In 1947 he joined Air Ceylon and became its Chief Pilot. He married Dorothy Armer in 1947. He immigrated to Australia in 1955, working as a Senior Administration Officer for the City of Waverley in Glen Waverley, Victoria and retired in 1982. He died on 18 August 2005.[4]
References
- ^ "From Piano Stool to Spitfire Cockpit Roger Thiedaman". Sunday Times. 23 February 1997. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Forgotten Campaign;Forgotten Veterans by Sergei de Silva Ranasighe". Sunday Times. 5 November 1997. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "The London Gazette 1396937 Mervin Rex DE SILVA (200773). 27th Dec. 1944.1 353200 A" (PDF). www.london-gazette.co.uk. 4 December 1945. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "More Burgher Obituaries from Australia". Sri Lanka Genealogy Forum. 11 February 2006. Retrieved 12 November 2013.