Nine Inch Pearson

Nine Inch Pearson in a Spitfire yesterday.

The tiny World War Two fighter ace is celebrating his 85th birthday this week. Hendon Aces Flying Club are planning to put Pearson at the controls of a Spitfire once again, so that he can relive the glory days of The Battle Of Britain. In the summer of 1940, Pearson, just nine inches tall, became the first, and smallest pilot in the RAF to shoot down a German Messerschmitt, and mark the beginning of the historic struggle to decide the fate of Britain itself.

Pearson himself recalls that he struggled at first to get to grips with the controls of the Spitfire but that this was made easier when his older brother, Thirteen Inch Pearson, serving with The Royal Engineers, constructed a specially raised seat complete with finely woven safety harness, as well as a miniature trigger for the wing mounted canons.

Once inside the specially customised aircraft Nine Inch Pearson wreaked havoc upon the Luftwaffe. He engaged in an astounding 63 sorties, bringing down 41 enemy aircraft. It was this alone which drew admirers ranging from The Queen herself, to the ordinary rank and file servicemen to whom Pearson was a shining beacon of hope in the dark days of 1940.