Adrian "Warby" Warburton, (10 March 1918 – 12 April 1944) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. He became legendary in the RAF for his role in the defence of Malta and was described by the then Air Officer Commanding in Chief Middle East, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, as "the most important pilot in the RAF". Warburton was also awarded a United States DFC. Described as 'Six-medal Warburton', all of Warby's gallantry awards were earned while operating from Malta. He remains the most highly decorated RAF photo-reconnaissance pilot of all time.
His life and work has been depicted in the books Warburton's War by Tony Spooner, and Malta's Greater Siege & Adrian Warburton DSO* DFC** DFC (USA) by Paul McDonald. Warburton was also the subject of the BBC Timewatch documentary The Mystery of the Missing Ace. The 1953 film Malta Story features a photo-reconnaissance pilot who may be based on Warburton.
Early life Adrian Warburton was born in Middlesbrough on 10 March 1918, the only son of Commander Geoffrey Warburton DSO, a highly respected RN submariner, and Muriel Warburton, née Davidson. Adrian was christened on board a submarine in Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta.
Warburton attended St Edward's School in Oxford, where two other famous airmen, Guy Gibson and Douglas Bader, were also educated. On leaving school, he became an articled clerk with a firm of accountants in Cheapside, London. He joined a local Territorial Army unit on 1 November 1937, joining the RAF a year later on 31 October 1938.
Second World War To Malta 1940
Warburton was commissioned in the Royal Air Force (RAF) an acting pilot officer (on probation) on 3 September 1939 and confirmed as a pilot officer on 31 October. During pilot training, Warburton struggled to achieve the minimum standard. Nevertheless, he was awarded his pilot's flying badge in May 1939. Despite writing off his aircraft's undercarriage in a botched landing, he successfully completed advanced flying training and was posted to a torpedo training course at Gosport in Hampshire at the end of August 1939. He was then posted to No 22 Squadron, RAF Thorney Island, on 12 October 1939, which was operating ancient, single-engine Vickers Vildebeest biplanes. The squadron was in the process of being equipped with the advanced Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber. Warburton's weaknesses on twin-engine aircraft were all too apparent and no attempt was made to convert him onto the Beaufort.
In April 1940, 22 Squadron moved to RAF North Coates in Lincolnshire and was involved in mine-laying operations, night bombing of enemy ports and, in May, daylight raids to try and stem the tide of the German Blitzkrieg. The squadron commander failed to return from a mission. Warburton did not fly operationally, and his few flying hours were mostly split between the Vildebeest and the Hawker Audax. He was then sent on a navigation and reconnaissance course at RAF Squire's Gate, Blackpool, which lasted until September 1940.
On his return to RAF North Coates, his new squadron commander, Wing Commander Jos Braithwaite, had been giving Warburton's future some thought. This was not simply because of Warburton's problems in the air. Braithwaite was aware Warburton had debts and may have heard rumours of 'woman trouble', although he had no idea of the extent of Warburton's deception. Against regulations, Warburton had married in secret in October 1939. An unlikely solution presented itself.
Australian Flight Lieutenant "Tich" Whiteley had been tasked with delivering three American-built Martin Maryland aircraft to Malta to be used for reconnaissance. Each aircraft had a crew of three: a pilot, an observer or navigator, and a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (WOp/AG). With few specialist navigators available, pilots with navigation training were considered. One was Warburton, the other was Paddy Devine. Taking two pilots in place of two navigators also gave Tich more flexibility. This was a fortuitous decision. Tich said later, 'Warburton had already demonstrated to me that he was a capable and reliable officer just looking for a challenge.' The new unit created was 431 Flight.
The three aircraft left for Malta on 6 September, with Warburton as navigator in the second. The next Maryland did not reach Malta until October. A fifth was shot down on the way in November. Intense training alongside operations began immediately. The first operational mission was to Tripoli, with Warburton as navigator. Tich then began training Devine and Warburton as Maryland pilots, a task made easier as the navigator sat in front of the pilot and had a set of flying controls. Devine was soon operational, but Warburton struggled on take-off and landing. On his first solo, he landed crosswind, trailing wire behind him from RAF Luqa's perimeter fence. He then completed a savage ground-loop, an uncontrollable swing through almost 360 degrees. This was witnessed by an irate wing commander, and Tich was firmly reprimanded for risking a precious aircraft in the hands of such a "ham-fisted idiot". Warburton found himself back in the navigator's seat.
Two 431 pilots, were laid low with "Malta Dog", a stomach complaint similar to dysentery. Tich had no choice but to use Warburton. His take-off was so bad it tore a wheel off the aircraft (AR712), forcing an immediate emergency landing. Tich then took the unusual step of asking observer Sergeant Frank Bastard and WOp/AG Sergeant Paddy Moren if they were willing to continue flying with Warburton. They thought he was full of guts and said yes. After some high-speed taxiing practice, Warburton was airborne within three days as a pilot, with Frank and Paddy. He went on to fly 20 missions in October. On 30 October, he shot down an Italian seaplane. Publicly, Tich was critical, as Warburton had risked a precious reconnaissance aircraft, but privately, he was rather pleased. To encourage the staff assembling Marylands at RAF Burtonwood, Tich sent them a message: "Your friend Mr Martin doing very nicely out here. Did some boxing yesterday and won by a knock-out." Two days later, during combat with another seaplane and three Italian fighters, a bullet hit Warburton's instrument panel before penetrating his harness and striking him in the chest. One engine caught fire. But the seaplane was destroyed, and one fighter shot down. Warburton extracted the bullet on his way back to Luqa and had it mounted on a wristband. The man who became known as "Warby" began to emerge.
431 Flight was sent to Malta following pressure from the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) Mediterranean, Admiral Cunningham, who wanted "eyes" on the powerful and modern Italian battle fleet. Cunningham had a plan to strike a blow at the Italians in their base at Taranto in southern Italy, but he needed up-to-date intelligence first. November was therefore busy for 431 Flight, with two Maryland missions to Taranto each day. On 3 November, 431 reported three battleships at Taranto; four days later there were four. The most important sorties were flown on 10 and 11 November, two on each day. Tich flew the first on 10 November, Warburton the second. Warburton's aircraft was subject to intense flak and intercepted by an Italian CR.42 fighter which took twenty minutes to shake off. Frank Bastard confirmed that photographs of the Italian fleet were taken on this sortie. These were crucial: "An aircraft from Illustrious working from Malta then picked up full details of the enemy’s dispositions, together with photographs showing the anti-torpedo nets and barrage balloons, and it was in the light of these that the Swordfish crews planned their attack." The pilot of the morning sortie on 11 November was Paddy Devine. That afternoon, Warburton flew with John Spires as navigator. The sortie was abortive photographically because of low cloud, but that did not stop Warburton. Years later, Spires said Warburton told him they were going in at zero feet, and he was to get a sharp pencil and plenty of paper to plot the ships on the harbour map. Spires and the WOp/AG expressed their response in a single word. "The weather was so bad the birds were walking, and the fish were at anchor. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could get in the way of what Warby wanted to do that day." They achieved complete surprise, low cloud having deterred the Italians from raising their balloon barrage. The Maryland crew did their best to count and note the names of the major warships and escaped unscathed, having flown twice around the outer harbour. When comparing notes, there was a discrepancy in the number of battleships: they counted six; there should only have been five. With no photographic evidence, Warburton decided to go back. But they had lost the element of surprise and were quickly spotted. Despite the intense flak, they agreed on only five battleships, along with 14 cruisers and 27 destroyers. The Fleet Air Arm launched their attack that night, which became known as the Battle of Taranto.
The morning after the battle, Tich Whiteley, newly promoted to squadron leader, reported one battleship partially submerged and another beached. Oil was pouring from many other ships and the harbour was in chaos. Admiral Cunningham wrote to Air Commodore Maynard, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Malta, on 14 November thanking him: I hasten to write you a line to thank you for the most valuable reconnaissance work carried out by your squadrons, without which the successful attack on Taranto would have been impossible. I well know what long monotonous flying time they have to put in and I am very grateful to them. The work over Taranto has been particularly valuable and gave us all we wanted to know. Good luck and my grateful thanks again for your cooperation In a single stroke, the balance of power in the Mediterranean had been altered. Announcing news to the House of Commons, Churchill spoke of "this glorious episode". Cunningham's despatch on the operation, published in 1947, said the success of the Fleet Air Arm attack was due in no small part to the excellent reconnaissance provided by 431 Flight under very difficult conditions and often in the face of fighter opposition.
Warburton played an important part over Taranto, but some accounts unnecessarily embellish his involvement at the expense of the other crews. The success was that of 431 Flight, led by Tich Whiteley. Nevertheless, his performance formed the basis of a growing reputation. This gave his confidence an enormous boost. A legend began to develop and, from then on, it appeared as though Warburton could do no wrong. In mid-December he attacked a surfaced U-boat, and on Christmas Eve he shot down an Italian SM.75. On 27 December, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and his two sergeants, Frank Bastard and Paddy Moren, were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).
1941 Warburton was promoted to flying officer on 3 January 1941. On 10 January 1941, 431 Flight was designated 69 Squadron, with Tich Whiteley in command. On paper, the squadron had twelve Marylands, but was short of spares and on some days only one aircraft was ready to fly. Later the same month, the citation for Warburton's Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was published in The London Gazette: This officer has carried out numerous long distance reconnaissance flights and has taken part in eight air combats. In October, 1940, he destroyed an aircraft, and again, early in December, he shot down an enemy bomber in flames. Flying Officer Warburton has at all times displayed a fine sense of devotion to duty.