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If you do not already have a copy of his service record, you can apply to the RAF's 3rd Party Disclosure Team. This website gives all the details on how to apply: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

You could look at the Operations Record Books for No. 218 Squadron for a day by day summary of events on the squadron: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503992. These are currently free to download with a website registration for a limited time.

They have a large backlog they are working through unfortunately.

Hi Alice,

If you use google to do a keyword search for "OLL Fitzwilliams", you'll find some links to his academic papers in the Aeronautical Journal:

"Pursuit of the Aerial Carriage": https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/aeronautical-journal/article/pursuit-of-the-aerial-carriage/F8BE724E3589C6A4FAF9A395B37BB0E1

"The Engineering Reliability of Shaft-Driven Helicopters": https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/aeronautical-journal/article/engineering-reliability-of-shaftdriven-helicopters/A83B119629952A6A862FF85C77678BEE

Also:

RE: the American Helicopter Society https://vtol.org/files/dmfile/commentaryMJ141.pdf:
"The organization was international
from the beginning, as British rotary
wing experts were asked to join the
fledgling organization despite a virtual
wartime moratorium on rotary wing
development in the United Kingdom.
Early inductees included Royal Air Force
Wing Commander Reggie Brie and Air
Ministry leaders James A.J. Bennett,
O.L.L. Fitzwilliams and Raoul Hafner.
During the War, Brie was instrumental in
establishing a British purchase of 100
Sikorsky R-4s for the Royal Navy, while
Fitzwilliams helped establish the
licensing of Sikorsky helicopter designs
by Westland. Bennett was initially the
Chief Technical Officer for rotary-wing
aircraft at the Air Ministry, and then was
assigned to Sikorsky Aircraft"

There is a piece by O.L.L. Williams in David Gibbings' anthology, "A Quiet Country Town: a celebration of 100 years of Westland at Yeovil" (The History Press, 2015)

From Matthew R. Uttley's "Westland and the British Helicopter Industry, 1945-1960: Licensed Production versus Indigenous Innovation" (Routledge, 2014) - OLL Fitzwilliams was Designer on the W.6 at Weir in 1940, at CLE (Central Landing Establishment)/AFEE between 1942 and 1945; and did Rotachute work with Raoul Hafner.

1951 article in The Straits Times: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19510705-1.2.142

Regarding Westland Aircraft Ltd., here is where you can find company records:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F168040

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your help! Funnily enough I'd spotted the newspaper article but hadn't noticed 'Mrs T Campbell' - shows how important attention to detail is. It seems the CWGC had the wrong info. I was hoping I could get a precise date of birth if possible but it's useful to know the information isn't publicly available as yet. I already know getting the precise date of birth is a long shot as I'm sure Kenneth Wynn have looked at plenty of sources for his book on The Few (every so often little tidbits of new information becomes available): https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/men-of-the-battle-updates-and-additions/

Keep up the good work you guys! I got into genealogy from a young age and online communities like this got me inspired. Now I'm in my dream job using genealogy skills on a daily basis in a military museum...anyway I digress...

Would it be cheeky to request another lookup? I have a Manitoba man on my list: James Thomas Johnston: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2361180/JAMES%20THOMAS%20JOHNSTON/

- Lucia

She was originally entered under Alexander's surname of Paton which I think has been corrected as an incorrect entry - not by marriage

Am I right in thinking there were a number of residents at the same address - was it possibly a lodging house or similar

Yep here is the full household detail (additional text in square brackets):

192 Lord Street  Schedule 80
1. [Raymond] Clegg Catherine M. 20 May 1907 Single Paid Domestic Duties
2. Raymond Alexander 8 Dec 1906 Single Trawl Fisherman
3. [PR 283] [LA] [1.7.55] [Nicholson] Clegg Margaret J[une] 8 June 1931 Single At School
4. Newton Mary 20 June 1879 Widow Independent Means
192 Lord Street  Schedule 81
1. Paton Alexander 2 March 1889 Married Trawl Fisherman
2. [310] [M/NUR] [19.6.73] [JOYCE] [Paton] Florance Gertrude 1 May 1890 Unpaid Domestic Duties