P/O Eric F. Edsall joined No 54 Squadron on the 1st of August 1940.
Eric destroyed three enemy aircraft before the 31st of August when at 13:15hrs, he was one of three pilots attempting to take off in the middle of an air-raid. His Spitfire I (X4236) was blown sideways across the airfield, spinning around and landing upright. He managed to get out of the wreck, but his legs were so badly injured he could not stand. He crawled over to F/O A. C .Deere's inverted Spitfire I (R6895) where Deere was trapped in his cockpit, hanging in his harness. Eric managed to wrench off the cockpit door and free Deere, who was then able to take Edsall to the sick bay. Sgt J.Davis was the other pilot trying to get airborne.
Eric was posted to No 222 Squadron when he had recovered from his injuries and added only one more kill to his score by the Battle's end. But he did have another crash in a Spitfire I (X4548), on the 27th of October 1940 when he ran out of fuel after combat and he was injured when he crash landed near Hailsham at 14:05hrs.
He was awarded the D.F.C. on the 16th of January 1942,
P/O Eric Edsall was killed in a Japanese attack on Ceylon on the 12th of April 1942, aged 24.