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The Airmen's Stories - F/O T M Kane

 

Terence Michael Kane was born on 9th September 1920 at Maida Vale, London and educated at several schools, finishing at Varndean County Grammar School in Brighton.

After leaving he went to work as a junior clerk with a firm of stock jobbers in the City.

Kane joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training at 3 E&RFTS Hamble on 25th July 1938.

 

 

He moved on to 5 FTS Sealand in late September. While there he was injured in an Audax crash and admitted to hospital.

Kane finished his advanced training at 10 FTS Ternhill. He joined 9 Air Observer School Penrhos on 27th September 1939 as a staff pilot. Kane was detached from 9 AOS to RAF Farnborough on 28th October for high-altitude tests.

9 AOS was redesignated 9 B&GS on 1st November 1939. Kane was posted from there to CFS Upavon on 10th March 1940 for an instructors course, after which he joined the staff at 14 FTS Kinloss and later Cranfield.

On 21st June 1940 Kane crashed in Oxford N4767. He and his pupil, Sgt. Tarplee were both slightly injured.

Kane went to 7 OTU Hawarden on 2nd September 1940, converted to Spitfires and joined 234 Squadron at St. Eval on 18th September. He shared in the destruction of a Ju88 on the 22nd.

The next day Kane failed to return from a routine section patrol. His Spitfire, R6896, was damaged in combat off the French coast. He baled out at 6000 feet and was picked up from the sea and captured by the Germans. His aircraft crashed into the Channel.

Before being shot down Kane destroyed a Me109.

He was in several PoW camps, including Stalag Luft 3. He was joined after some months by his elder brother Michael, who had been shot down in a Whitley bomber.

Freed in May 1945, Kane stayed in the RAF until 1950, when he went on to the RAFO.

He rejoined in April 1954, in the Fighter Control Branch and retired on 29th May 1974 as a Wing Commander.

He subsequently worked for the Department of the Environment for ten years before managing a golf club.

Kane died on 5th August 2016 aged 95.

 


 

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