90281 Flight Lieutenant James M Bazin AAF – 607 Squadron
James Michael Bazin was born in Kashmir, India but returned to the UK and was brought up in Newcastle-
607 Squadron was ordered to France on 13 November 1939 to join the Air Component of the BEF and it’s Gloster Gladiators were flown from Acklington down to Croydon and two days later across the Channel to Merville.
On 11 May 1940 now flying Hawker Hurricanes, Bazin shot down his first He111 north of Douai and next day he destroyed another near Brussels. The squadron suffered heavy losses in the fighting in France and was withdrawn to England, re-
Bazin claimed a Do17 destroyed and another damaged during the Luftwaffe’s large raid on the North on 15 September 1940 and on the 30th he claimed a Ju88 shot down and probably a second. Bazin, who had been shot down once in France, crash-
In early 1941 Bazin was posted from 607 and at some time he served as a Controller in the 14 Group Operations Room at Inverness. He did a flying refresher course in November 1943, a Beam Approach Training course in December and in January 1944 was posted to 16 (Bomber) OTU. He converted to Lancasters at 1660 Conversion Unit and, after Lancaster Finishing School, he joined 49 Squadron at Fiskerton in May 1944.
In late June he was given command of 9 Squadron at Bardney. By the end of the war Bazin had carried out twenty-
Post-
He died on 9 January 1985 and his ashes were scattered in Tangmere churchyard.