John Wooldridge

Wing Commander John De Lacy Wooldridge, DSO, DFC and Bar, DFM, (18 July 1919 – 27 October 1958) was a British film composer.

Wooldridge was born in Yokohama, Japan and was educated at St Paul's School, London. A talented music composer and academic, he studied music under Sibelius and was a friend and contemporary of William Walton.

He joined the Royal Air Force as a Sergeant pilot in 1938. During World War II he was a member of RAF Bomber Command and flew a total of ninety-seven operational bombing sorties.

Affectionately known as 'Dim', he served with 207 Sqn based at RAF Bottesford flying Avro Manchesters. He then served with No. 106 Squadron RAF as one of Guy Gibson's Flight Commanders, before being appointed commanding officer of No. 105 Squadron RAF in March 1943, which specialised in low level precision daylight bombing using de Havilland Mosquito aircraft.

He wrote a book, Low Attack about these operations in 1944.

"It would be impossible to forget … the sensation of looking back over enemy territory and seeing your formation behind you, wing-tip to wing-tip, their racing shadows moving only a few feet below them across the earth's surface; or that feeling of sudden exhilaration when the target was definitely located and the whole pack were following you on to it with their bomb doors open, while people below scattered in every direction and the long streams of flak came swinging up; or the sudden jerk of consternation of the German soldiers lounging on the coast, their moment of indecision, and then their mad scramble for the guns; or the memory of racing across The Hague at midday on a bright spring morning, while the Dutchmen below hurled their hats in the air and beat each other on the back. All these are unforgettable memories. Many of them will be recalled also by the peoples of Europe long after peace has been declared, for to them the Mosquito came to be an ambassador during their darkest hours."

...
Wikipedia