Shipley MP joins appeal for information about Wharfedale war hero

Anna Dixon MP for Shipley constituency, has joined forces with a group dedicated to preserving the memory of a specialist World War II unit to appeal for information about a local resident who served in it.  

The Spitfire AA810 Project reached out to the Member of Parliament, hoping to find details of the life of F/Lt Paul Douglas Petrie, a pilot who served first with the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.  

The squadron undertook clandestine missions to take intelligence photographs during the Second World War. 

The dangerous nature of their work meant that this unit tragically had one of the highest death rates of the entire war at 48%. 

In the wake of Remembrance Day, Anna, along with the Spitfire AA810 Project, is calling for a national memorial to honour the sacrifice of these men. 

Petrie, born in Wharfedale, was one of the group's surviving members and then ended the war with the 140th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, flying reconnaissance Mosquito aircraft.  

He remained in the RAF after the war, but little else is known about his life.  

Any information that helps to build a picture of the unit and its links to the constituency would help make the case for the memorial. 

If any reader has more information about what became of F/Lt Paul Douglas Petrie DFC or his surviving family, please contact Anna at anna.dixon.mp@parliament.uk