Group Captain J.A. Kent, DFC and Bar, AFC, Virtuti Militari (Poland)
G/C J.A. Kent, DFC and Bar, AFC, Virtuti Militari (Poland)
01 Oct 1940. S/L John Alexander Kent from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was engaged in a battle with 40 German aircraft over England, downing one. He was awarded the DFC.[1] He would later become G/C J.A. Kent, DFC and Bar, AFC, Virtuti Militari (Poland).
[1] G/C John Alexander Kent, DFC and Bar, AFC, Virtuti Militari (Poland), was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 2 Jun 1914.He learned to fly at the Winnipeg Flying Club and obtained his civil flying licence in Nov 1931. He joined the Northwest Aero Marine Company in 1932 and obtained his commercial licence in June 1933, becoming the youngest commercial pilot in Canada. Kent joined the RAF on a short service commission in January1935. He was posted to No. 5 FTS Sealand on 15 Mar and after completing his training joined No. 19 Squadron at Duxford on 29 Feb 1936. He moved to the Experimental Section, RAE Farnborough on 19 Oct 1937 in the Instrument, Armament and Defence Flight. Kent was awarded the AFC (gazetted 2nd January 1939) for his work on balloon cable research. While working at the RAE he carried out 300 collisions with cables.
On 13 May 1940 Kent was posted to the Photographic Development Unit at Heston(above). On 15 July he went to No. 7 OTU Hawarden, converted to Hurricanes and joined No. 257 Squadron at Northolt on 20 July. On 23 Jul, Kent went back to the RAE at Farnborough but was released four days later and joined No. 303 (Polish) Squadron, then forming at Northolt. Kent was appointed ‘A’ Flight Commander on 2 Aug. On 9 Sep Kent destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 and damaged a Junkers Ju 88. On 15 Sep he destroyed a Bf 109,. On 23 Sep he destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and damaged a Focke-Wulf Fw 56. On 27 Sep he destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 and on 1 Oct he shot down a Bf 109 and probably another. He was awarded the KW (gazetted 1 Sep 1940). Kent’s last flight with No. 303 Squadron was made on 16 Oct. He was posted on 17 Oct to No. 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill. He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 25 Oct 1940) and on 26 Oct he took command of No. 92 Squadron as an Acting Squadron Leader.
Kent claimed a Me109 destroyed on 1st November and two Me109's and probably another on the 2nd. He was awarded the VM (5th Class) (gazetted 24 Dec1940) for his work with 303 Squadron. On 5 Mar 1941 he was posted to No. 53 OTU, then about to be formed at Heston, to organise the Training Wing. In early Jun Kent went to Northolt to lead the Polish Wing. On 21 Jun he shot down a Bf 109,on 27 Jun he destroyed another one on the ground and on 3 July he destroyed one in the air and on 20 Jul he destroyed another and probably a second. On 2 Aug1941, Kent was appointed to lead the Kenley Wing. He destroyed Bf 109's on 7and 16 Aug. In mid-October he was posted back to No. 53 OTU, then to Llandow.
He was awarded a Bar to the DFC (gazetted 21 Oct 1941). Late in1941 Kent went on a lecture tour of Canada and the US. In Jun 1942 he commanded RAF Church Stanton and in Oct he went to HQ Fighter Command, as Wing Commander Training. Kent was posted to the Middle East in Dec 1942 and took command of No. 17 Sector, Benghazi. On 25Jan 1943 he damaged a Ju 88 near Benina. In Aug 1943 he was made Command Training Inspector at Air HQ, Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean. In mid-Mar1944 Kent returned to the UK and was posted to CFS Upavon for an instructors course, after which he took command of a satellite station of the AFU at South Cerney. In late August 1945Kent went on a course at RAF Staff College and was then posted to Air HQ, British Air Forces of Occupation, as Wing Commander Operations Plans. In late 1946 he became the Personal Staff Officer to Sholto Douglas, the Commander-in-Chief and Military Governor of the British Zone of occupied Germany. Kent retired from the RAF on 1 Dec 1956 as a Group Captain. He died on 7 Oct 1985.
