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Michael-Terry-Wainwright.

A veteran interview with

Michael Wainwright

Michael Wainwright is one of the Battle of Britain fighter pilots we filmed with the help of the Roger De Haan trust and Group Captain Patrick Tootal.

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About Michael Wainwright

Michael Wainwright served with the RAF during WWII; he fought bravely and valiantly in the Battle of Britain, one of the most frightful chapters of the Second World War, and the first time British forces faced the terrifying Luftwaffe. During the interview, Michael recalls the horrifying moment at which war was announced; he joined the RAF in 1936 at the age of 37 where he trained flying a Hawker Fury. Although, in his early career, Michael flew the notorious Bristol Blenheim, a bomber plane. He was later assigned to 64 squadron where he would take up the cockpit of a spitfire in order to defend the English boats crossing to France. He talks about his friend and leader: sub/Lt. Dawson-Paul who was shot down during the conflict, and taken prisoner by a German patrol boat in the English Channel. As his career continued, Michael made the decision to move to 102 glider OTU and take up the role of an instructor, teaching budding new pilots how to safely glide their planes in the event of being shot down or engine failure – he also teaches them how to defuse situations with angry farmers when landing in their fields.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Charlie Akhlaq

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | Michael Wainwright

A veteran interview with

Michael Wainwright

Michael-Terry-Wainwright.

Michael Wainwright is one of the Battle of Britain fighter pilots we filmed with the help of the Roger De Haan trust and Group Captain Patrick Tootal.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Wainwright, Michael. A Veteran Interview with Michael Wainwright. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 14 Jul. 2012 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/michael-wainwright/. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.
APA Style:
Wainwright, M. (2012, July 14). A Veteran Interview with Michael Wainwright [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/michael-wainwright/
Chicago Style:
Wainwright, Michael. 2012. A Veteran Interview with Michael Wainwright. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, July 14. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/michael-wainwright/
Harvard Style:
Wainwright, M. (2012). A Veteran Interview with Michael Wainwright. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 14 July. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/michael-wainwright/ (Accessed: 21 July 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Wainwright, M. A Veteran Interview with Michael Wainwright [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2012 Jul 14 [cited 2026 Jul 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/michael-wainwright/
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