Wings Over Belgium: Pilot Officer Samuel Anthony Compton Sibley

In this second installment we share the story of Pilot Officer Samuel Anthony Compton Sibley - a young airman who followed a proud family legacy into the air, only to be lost during the violent opening salvoes of the 1940 Blitzkrieg.

Born to Fly

Born in London on March 27, 1920, Samuel Anthony Compton Sibley was steeped in aviation from an early age. His father, Samuel John Sibley, was a World War One RAF Flight Lieutenant who re-entered service for the Second World War, eventually reaching the rank of Squadron Leader.

Long before he ever wore a military uniform, young Samuel was determined to take to the skies. While his family lived at "Stoneheald" in Streat, near Plumpton in Sussex, he trained at the South Coast Flying Club in a De Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth. On October 28, 1938,at just 18 years old he earned his official civilian aviation credentials (Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 16514).

From Pangbourne to Cranwell

Following his time at the College, Sibley carried Pangbourne's core values into the Royal Air Force. Armed with his early civilian flight experience, he entered the prestigious RAF College Cranwell as a Flight Cadet in January 1939.

As war loomed across Europe, his training accelerated. On December 23, 1939, he earned his official commission as a Pilot Officer on probation. He was subsequently posted to 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron, flying the formidable Hawker Hurricane Mk I.

When the German Blitzkrieg tore through the Low Countries in May 1940, 504 Squadron was rushed across the English Channel to France as desperate fighter reinforcement for the Allied lines.

The Last Patrol

In mid-May 1940, the skies over Belgium became a fiercely contested crucible. On May 15, 1940, Pilot Officer Sibley took off in Hawker Hurricane Mk I (Serial L1943) for a tactical patrol east of Brussels to stem the rapid enemy advance.

At approximately 12:30 PM near Brussels, Sibley’s Hurricane sustained a direct hit from German anti-aircraft flak. He was killed in action alongside his Squadron Leader, James B. Parnall, who was shot down on the very same day.

Amid the chaos of the Allied retreat, Sibley's aircraft crashed behind enemy lines and his body could not be recovered by British Forces.

Commemoration & Legacy

Pilot Officer Samuel Anthony Compton Sibley was just 20 years old when he died.

With no known grave, his name is permanently inscribed on Panel 10 of the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial in Surrey, which stands in quiet tribute to over 20,000 airmen lost in Western Europe with no known resting place. He is also remembered locally on the war memorial in Westmeston, Sussex, as well as on Pangbourne's own roll of honour.

In Part 3 of our Remembrance Series we will pay tribute to those OPs who graduated from the Nautical College Pangbourne (NCP) to pursue a career at sea.