Flight Sergeant Vincent Ratcliffe

A portrait of Flight Sergeant Vincent Peter Ratcliffe, a pilot with the 456 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Vincent Peter Ratcliffe joined the RAAF in January 1941 and was posted after pilot training to the 456 Squadron, a unit of Fighter Command. Among other duties the squadron undertook 'Ranger' missions from the United Kingdom into occupied Europe. These were originally night strikes against enemy airfields, but were widened to include attacks on communications by day and night. In this work, especially that of attacking trains, Ratcliffe achieved some notable successes. On 2 June 1943 Ratcliffe failed to return from a 'Ranger' mission carried out in unfavourable weather.