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Ken Adam
| Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE (deceased) One of only two German nationals (the other was his brother) to fly operationally for the RAF, Klaus Hugo Adam was a German national, born in Berlin, who left Germany in 1934 to escape the Nazi persecution. He joined the RAF in August 1942 and after flying training, mostly in the USA, joined 609 Squadron flying Typhoons in October 1943. Known to everyone in the Squadron as Heinie, he served with the squadron until the end of the war, the hazards of operational flying increased for him by the knowledge that capture as a POW would certainly end in death. Demobilised in 1946 he went on to a very successful career as an art director in the film industry and is best known, perhaps, for his work on the Bond films. -- I think what affected me most and I will remember for the rest of my life, was the aftermath of the battle for the Falaise Gap. After it was all over, 609 Squadron were given a day off and we decided to drive into the Falaise area to get a first hand view from the ground of the results of our rocket attacks. Unfortunately our truck was trapped in an armoured column moving at a snails pace, since the road or what was left of it was choked with wreckage, swollen corpses of men of the SS divisions, dead cattle and horses. The stench of death was everywhere. We tried to breath through our handkerchiefs which we knotted over our mouths and noses, to little avail. The sickly sweet smell of death stuck to our uniforms and bodies for days to come. This was my first contact on the ground with the dead and what had been the enemy. Attacking a target from the air, one felt strangely removed from the realities and horror on the ground. This was our first decisive defeat of the German army, in which 609 Squadron and other rocket Typhoon squadrons of 84 Group played such a vital role, but my feelings of elation at this victory were muted by the carnage of dead bodies and even more so the grotesque spectacle of countless dead horses with their limbs rigidly sticking up in the air. It was an experience I will never forget. He died on 10th March 2016. |
Items Signed by Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE (deceased) |
  | Rocket Firing Typhoons at the Falaise Gap - Normandy 1944 by Frank Wootton. Price : £250.00 | Perhaps the most historically significant painting by Frank Wootton, painted onthe site of the battle just a few days after it took place....... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE (deceased) |
| Squadrons for : Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
Country : UK Founded : 10th February 1936 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 West Riding (Auxiliary) Tally ho! | No.609 Sqn RAF 609 (West Riding) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force: 609 Squadron came into being on the 10th February 1936 as part of the expanding Auxiliary Air Force. Initially a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Harts. On 8th December, 1938, the Squadrons role was changed from bomber to fighter and the squadron took delivery of its first Spitfires Mk I during August 1939. The squadrons first victory was a Heinkel HE111 H-2 of 2/KG26 which was shot down near St. Abbs Head, 27th February 1940, by Flying Officer G. D. Ayre, Pilot Officer J R Buchanan and Flying Officer D Persse-Joynt. 609 squadron was, it is said, the first Spitfire Squadron to reach 100 victories (Ju88 A-5 1/KG51) on 21st October 1940. The victory was shared by Flight Lieutenant F J Howell and Pilot Officer S J Hill. During April 1942, 609 began to replace its Spitfires with Hawker Typhoons, and went on to become the first Typhoon squadron with 227 victories. Based at many RAF Stations 609 was in action throughout WWII, covering the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and supporting the D-Day landings as part of the 2nd TAF. There were many decorations awarded to squadron members, these included 3 DSOs, 22 DFCs and Bars and 4 DFMs. On 16th December 1947, King George VI gave permission for use of the Royal Prefix for all Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. 609 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded on 10th March 1957, whilst equipped with Gloster Meteors F8 at RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire. On 1st October, 1999, 609 (west Riding) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, was re-formed at RAF Leeming operating in the guise of Air Defence Support Squadron (ADSS). | |
| Aircraft for : Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE | |||
| A list of all aircraft associated with Flight Lieutenant Ken Adam OBE. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
| Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1941 Number Built : 3330 | Typhoon Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330. | ||
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