There were four pilots who were "ace in a day" in the Battle of Britain: Archie McKellar (British), Antoni Głowacki (Polish), Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn (British) and Brian Carbury (New Zealander).
Archie McKellar
Born in Paisley in 1912, Archibald McKellar had dreamed of joining the army - but his parents thought it was too dangerous, so instead he started working as an apprentice plasterer in the family business. He also trained as a part-time pilot before joining the Auxiliary Air Force in 1936 and becoming a Pilot Officer in 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron. When war broke out in September 1939, the Spitfires of 602 Squadron were posted to RAF Drem in East Lothian. The following month, he shot down the first German aircraft on British soil - a Heinkel HE-111 bomber - over Humbie, near Edinburgh. The following year he was promoted to flight lieutenant, and became one of The Few - the airmen who fought in the Battle of Britain.
McKellar was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar and the Distinguished Service Order for shooting down 21 enemy aircraft, including five Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in one day. However, the following year he was killed in action after being shot down over Kent on 1 November 1940. He was aged 28.
Antoni Głowacki
Antoni Głowacki was born on 10th February 1910 in Warsaw where he graduated primary and middle schools. In 1926 he joined Aeroklub Warszawski (Warsaw Air Club). From 1928 to 1930 he worked as a chief of laboratory in the Philips plant in Warsaw. In 1930 Głowacki joined Polish Army and after initial training was sent to the 1st Air Regiment in Warsaw. In 1935 he became officer and three years later, after special course, he became air instructor in Dęblin in the Air Force Cadet School (the famous the School of the Eaglets). There he was serving until the war broke. In September 1939 he was serving in reconnaissance air platoon of Warszawska Brygada Pancerno-Motorowa (Warsaw Armoured-Motorised Brigade). When Germany conquered Poland he escaped to Romania where he was interned. Thanks to determination and sheer of luck Antoni Głowacki was able to escape and join Polish pilots who arrived to France and Great Britain.
Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn
Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn was born in Harrogate on 26th February 1914. He was educated at Pocklington Grammar School and after leaving employed as a clerk in an insurance office.
He joined the RAF as a direct-entry pilot in 1936 and carried out his flying training at 11 E&RFTS Perth and 8 FTS Montrose.
He married Jeanne Sanderson in October 1938 at Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
At the outbreak of war Hamlyn joined 72 Squadron at Church Fenton. After Dunkirk he was attached to 610 Squadron at Gravesend on 6th June 1940 and this attachment became a posting.
On 3rd July Hamlyn shared a Do17, on 14th August he damaged a Me109, on the 24th shot down a Ju88 and four Me109s, on the 26th a Me109 and probably another and on the 28th and 30th he destroyed Me109s.
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