Hero pilot who died to save a village WWII crash sergeant’s medals on sale
THE heroic tale of a Battle of Britain pilot sacrificing his life to save a village has come to light after his medals emerged for sale.
Flight Sergeant John Haire was shot at by the Luftwaffe over the Isle of Wight on November 6, 1940.
His Hurricane caught fire and plummeted towards houses in
Arreton but, rather than bail out, Sgt Haire, 20, steered away from the village towards a field then got out of the cockpit and jumped from a wing. But it was too late for
Luftwaffe ace Wick his parachute to open and he fell to his death. Villagers rushed to his aid.
Local farmer George Moody said in a letter: “I took his helmet off but could do nothing for him. I was very struck by the peaceful and calm expression on the face of the gallant boy.” Sgt Haire, of 145 Squadron based at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, was shot down by German ace Helmut Wick who claimed 56 “kills”.
Wick was shot down and killed three weeks later over the Channel. Sgt Haire’s medals will be auctioned in London by Spink & Son with a £4,000 estimate.