Flight Lieutenant Dudley Persse-Joynt 90322
Dudley Persse-Joynt, from Satndymount, Ireland, was born on 8 January 1910 and was educated at Belvedere College from 1924. He was a skilled rugby player who continued his playing career after leaving education, playing with Monkstown Senior and later captaining Shannon Buccaneers. Dudley was also an accomplished cricketer. He became a Superintendent of Shell Mex & BP Company Ltd., working on the western side of Ireland, but was later transferred to Yorkshire, where he remained. In 1936, he joined the Auxiliary Air Force, was commissioned and completed his flying training with 609 (West Riding) Squadron at RAF Yeadon, north of Leeds.
On 31 May 1940, 609 was one of several squadrons covering the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. The air-fighting was furious and the casualties high as the Royal Air Force battled to keep the Luftwaffe away from the beaches and coastline. Dudley did not return – he was one of five pilots lost by 609 during Operation Dynamo.
His obituary from the 1941 Belvederian closes with the words:
‘On patrol duty over Dunkirk on the last day of May last year he was seen to dive in his Spitfire to attack a German bomber. He has not returned, nor has any news been received of him since then, so he must be presumed killed in action. To his sorrowing family we extend our deepest sympathy’.
Dudley Persse Joynt was 30 at the time of his disappearance. He has no grave, but is commemorated at Panel 4 of the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey..