F/L Francis ("Bertie") Bassett Battle of Britain London Monument   Portrait Snapshot Colour Face   Francis Bernard Bassett volunteered for the RAF in early 1939, and went into action almost immediately war broke out flying Blenheims with 266 squadron. In December 1939 he was transfered to 222 squadron, also flying Blenheins. In Feb 1940, he was quite badly injured, and spent the next 6 months either in hospital, or in and out of hospital. He returned to 222 squadron, which had been re-equipped with Spitfires, in July 1940, and appears to have in action through part of the Battle of Britain. In November 1940 he was transferred to a flight training school in Moose Jaw, Canada, and spent 6 weeks in hospital after another air accident in February 1941. In September 1841 he returned to England, and in December 1941 joined 152 squadron, again flying spitfires. In November 1942, 152 squadron was transferred to N. Africa. On 14 November 1942, during the flight from Gibraltar to Algiers, his Spitfire caught fire, and he was seen to bale out, and get into a rubber dinghy. He was never seen again. TimeLine
Date	Service record	Squadron record
Mar 1939	6 Mar, signed up to RAF for 4 years. Civil Flying School Brough
Apr 1939	12-Apr-39 Certificate of Competency and Licence to Fly Private Flying Machines. Pilot Licence
May 1939	17 May 39, posted to No. 12 F.T.S., flight training.
Jun 1939	Admitted Cranwell hospital with rubella 9 June - 26 June.
July 1939
Aug 1939
Sep 1939	9 Sep: Authorised to wear Flying Badge. Good average pilot. Average in ground subjects.
Oct 1939	Inj in aero acc't ON DUTY 17/10/39. 19 Oct 39, seriously injured in flying accident.	1 October 1939, No 152 Squadron reformed at Arklington with Gladiators 5 October 1939, No 222 Squadron reformed at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, as a shipping protection squadron and received Blenheim 1f. 30 October 1939, No 266 Squadron reformed at Sutton Bridge and was intended to be a Blenheim squadron. None were received and after training with Battles, it began to receive Spitfires in January 1940.
Nov 1939	6 Nov, graded as Pilot Officer (on probation?) 6 Nov 39, posted to 266 Squadron, flying duties. 25 Nov 39, posted to 222 Squadron, flying duties	266 Squadron.
Dec 1939		222 (Natal) Squadron ZD
Jan 1940		222 sqdn at Duxford
Feb 1940	17 Feb 40, slightly injured in flying accident. 17 Feb, aero accident. Concussion and fractured jaw. A Maggie piloted by P/O A F Delamore with P/O F B Bassett as passenger hit a tree just south of Duxford aerodrome. P/O Delamore was seriously injured and died the next day. P/O Bassett was badly injured. 23 Feb 40, Halton hospital. 28 days sick leave.	Douglas Bader becomes Flight Commander of 222 Squadron.
Mar 1940	6 Mar, confirmed as Pilot Officer? leave. 23 Mar, Harlow(?) hospital	222 Squadron re-equipped with Spitfire 1 as a day fighter unit. Moved to Kirton.
Apr 1940
May 1940	10 May, Halton hospital, concussion and fractured jaw. At Bt	10 May 1940, 222 Squadron moved to Digby, Essex to help cover the Dunkirk evacuation before returning to Kirton-in-Lindsay, Lincolnshire, 23 May. 28 May, 222 squadron arrived Hornchurch, Essex.
Jun 1940	21 June, Halton hospital. 14 days sick leave. Sick leave until 21 July then RTU	4 June, 222 squadron briefly at Hornchurch during Dunkirk, then returns to Kirton-in-Lindsay. Douglas Bader ends term as Flight Commander of 222 Squadron.
Jul 1940	19 July, Halton hospital. Cerebral contusion and fractured vertebra. Sick leave (S/L) until 21 July, then return to unit (RTU). Next medical board 11 Oct.	10 July - official beginning of the Battle of Britain.
Aug 1940	3 Aug, posted to No. 5 O.T. unit 18 Aug, posted to 222 Squadron, flying duties.	222 Squadron, on 29 August, again came back to the London area (Hornchurch) for the last part of the Battle of Britain.
Sep 1940	5 Sep. P/O Bassett flying Spitfire K9939 from 09:45 to 11:00 hrs on patrol over Gravesend 25 Sep, posted to No. 5 S.F.T.S., for flying duties as Staff Pilot. 29 Sep, headaches following February crash. RTU.
Oct 1940	Admitted St Hughes hospital 9 Oct. Discharged Halton hospital 18 Oct. Returned to unit 18 Oct.	30 Oct - official end of Battle of Britain
Nov 1940	6 Nov, Flying Officer 15 Nov, posted to No. 10 S.F.T.S., for flying duties as Staff Pilot. No. 32 S.T.F.S. Moose Jaw, Sa, Canada?
Dec 1940
Jan 1941	3 aircraft
Feb 1941	18 Feb, admitted Deer Lodge hospital, Winnipeg, air accident while training pilots.
Mar 1941
Apr 1941	2 April, discharged from Deer Lodge hospital, Winnipeg.
May 1941
Jun 1941
Jul 1941	14 days sick leave from 17 July.
Aug 1941
Sep 1941	10 Sep, No.17 O.T.U 3-Sep-40 Diary entry - Left Winnipeg 10-Sep-40 Diary entry - Left Canada 25-Sep-40 Diary entries - Arrived Liverpool. Sent cable to Stovels (Note: these diary entries are in a 1940 diary, but make more sense in 1941)
Oct 1941
Nov 1941
Dec 1941	9 Dec, posted to 152 (Hyderabad) Squadron, flying.	152 (Hyderabad) Squadron UM 17 Dec 1941, 152 squadron arrived Coltishall, Norfolk
Jan 1942		17 Jan, 152 squadron arrived Eglinton, County Londonderry.
Feb 1942
Mar 1942	Undated cockpit photo
Apr 1942		152 squadron receives Spitfire Vb
May 1942		Tatler photo
Jun 1942
Jul 1942
Aug 1942		16 Aug, 152 squadron arrived Angle, Pembrokeshire
Sep 1942		30 Sep, 152 squadron moved from Angle, Wales to Colley Weston and then on to Wittering, Cambs.
Oct 1942	20 Oct, posted to 152 (Hyderabad) Squadron EAC Africa, flying.	1-16 Oct, intensive aerial practice sessions prior to departure by sea for Gibraltar.
Nov 1942	6 Nov, Flight Lieutenant. 14 Nov, missing presumed dead. Weather OK, lots of shipping. Possibly as the most experienced pilot, Francis Bassett was positioned last in a formation of 18 spitfires flying from Gibraltar to Algiers, Maison Blanche - a distance of 500 miles. His plane was seen to catch fire, and he baled out, and was seen to climb into a yellow inflatable rubber dinghy. But when Spitfires returned to look for him, they found no trace. Prevailing sea current north of Oran is due East. Sea temperature in November is typically 18 deg C.	Pilots Jackie Sing, commander of A flight F/L Alistair Smith, deputy C/O F/L Wilf Sizer, J. A. (Tony) Tooth, Wiliam Parris.
Dec 1942	Telegram
Jan 1943
Feb 1943
Mar 1943	Due to transfer to reserve, 6 Mar. The Times Roll of Honour, 10 March Medical record