Group Captain Denys E. Gillam  DSO DFC AFC
Flight Lieutenant D.E. Gillam with No.616 Squadron at Church Fenton 1st July 1940.
Posted to No.312 (Czech) Squadron on the 6th September 1940 as Flight Commander.
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on the 12th November 1940.
Appointed Officer Commanding No.306 Squadron at Tern Hill.

Dennys Gillam obtained his flying licence in 1934 and joined the RAF the following year. In June 1938, Gillam received the AFC for flying food to Rathlin Island in very hazardous conditions in a Westland Wapiti.

During the Battle of Britain he served with No. 616 Sqn very successfully. On September 2nd, 1940 Gillam was shot down by a Bf110 but he was picked up though by Air Sea Rescue Launch off Dunkirk. March 1942 saw him forming the first Typhoon Wing at Duxford and subsequently taking command of 20 Sector 2nd TAF in April 1944. In October 1944 he led an attack on the German Staff Conference at Dordrecht which killed many of the senior staff of the 15th Army.

Gillam left the RAF late in 1945 but re-joined 616 Squadron as a Flight Lieutenant in the RAuxAF and became Director and Chairman of Homfray Carpets in Halifax and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. He then returned to his farm with his second wife, the sister of Air Vice-Marshal Bird-Wilson.

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