Gp/Cpt. J. A. Kent was born on 23rd June, 1914, in Winnipeg, Canada, where he learned to fly and obtained his licence in 1931. He gained a commercial licence in 1933 after working for the Northwest Aero Marine Company and became the youngest to achieve this in Canada.
In 1935, John joined the RAF and was posted to 5 FTS ( Flight Training School) on 15th March before joining 19 Squadron at Duxford in February, 1936. He remained with the squadron until October, 1937, when he moved to the RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) at Farnborough. For his work on balloon research during which he made over 300 collisions, John was awarded the AFC on 1st February, 1939.
John was posted to the PDU (Photographic Development Unit) at Heston in May 1940 and by early July had converted to Hurricanes while on a posting at Hawarden
On 2nd August, 1940, John joined the newly formed 303 Squadron (which contained mostly Polish pilots), as a Flight Commander.
His first combat victory was on 9th September, when he shot down a Bf110 and a Ju88. On 23rd September, he destroyed a Bf109 and damaged an Fw58 reconnaissance aircraft while intercepting a raid over Dungeness.
He also shot down a Ju88 heading for the south coast, after a raid over London on 27th September.
During a dogfight over the south coast on 1st October, John found himself alone with nearly forty Bf109’s. During the ensuing engagement he shot down one of the Bf109’s and made hits into another before it dived into cloud. After chasing out over the Channel he turned for home out of ammunition.
John was awarded the DFC on 25th October, 1940, and the following day he was posted to Biggin Hill to take command of 92 Squadron.
On 1st November, 1940, John shot down a Bf109 and two more the following day along with a probable destroyed. On 24th December, John was awarded the Polish decoration “Virtuti Militari” for his achievements with 303 Squadron.
After a posting in March, 1941, to organise a training wing at Heston, he was then posted back to Northolt as a Wing Leader in June to lead the Polish Wing, which consisted of four squadrons.
On 21st June, during an operation escorting Blenheim bombers against enemy positions at St. Omer, France, John shot down a Bf109.
On 27th June, during another raid over northern France he destroyed a Bf109 on the ground.
As the raids over France continued from Fighter Command during the summer of 1941, John continued his victories with a destroyed Bf109 on 3rd July, another Bf109 and a probable on 20th July before he was then moved again as Wing Leader to command and lead the Kenley Wing on August 2nd, 1941. His first few operations over northern France with his new squadrons proved successful, claiming Bf109’s on 7th and 16th August.
John remained with the Kenley Wing until October 1941, when he was posted back to 53 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Heston and then Llandow before he was sent on a lecture tour of Canada and America late that year.
John was awarded a Bar to his DFC on 21st October, 1941.
He returned to the UK in June 1942 as Station Commander of RAF Church Stanton where he remained until October of that year when he was posted to Fighter Command HQ as a Wing Commander of Training.
Two months later, in December, he was posted to the Middle East and took command of 17 Sector in Benghazi, Libya where on 25th January, 1943, he damaged a Ju88 during an engagement near the airfield at Benina.
After a posting to Air HQ as a Command Training Inspector at Air Defences East Mediterranean, John returned to the UK during March, 1944, for an instructor’s course at the Central Flying School, Upavon. He then took command of a satellite station at South Cerney before starting a course at the RAF Staff College in August, 1945.
On completion of the course, John was posted to Air HQ, British Forces of Occupation and in late 1946, he became the Personal Staff Officer to Sholto Douglas, the Commander-in-Chief, and Military Governor of the British Zone of occupied Germany
John returned to flying duties as a Chief Test Pilot at Farnborough in 1948 and was involved until 1952 both in the UK and the USA with many developments of military aviation.
His final posting was awarded in August, 1952, when he assumed the command of the RAF Station at Odiham, a fighter base operating Gloster Meteor 8’s before the Wing was relocated to Tangmere and equipped with Hawker Hunters
On 1st December, 1956, John Kent retired from the RAF service, which had been his life for the nearly twenty-two years, with the rank of Group Captain.
John Kent died aged 71 years, on 7th October, 1985.
