Eric Carter (pilot)

Eric Carter
Born	(1920-02-12)12 February 1920 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England
Died	26 July 2021(2021-07-26) (aged 101) Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1939–1946
Rank	Warrant officer

Eric Carter (12 February 1920 – 26 July 2021) was a British Royal Air Force pilot.

Early life

Eric Carter was born on 12 February 1920 near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, England.^[1]

World War II

Carter joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1939. He said he joined "because the Germans were committing such horrible atrocities".^[2] Carter was posted to No. 615 Squadron.^[3]

Carter left the RAF in 1946.^[4]

Carter was one of only four non-Russians to receive the Order of Lenin, the Soviet Union's highest military honour.^[5] In March 2013, Carter was awarded the Arctic Star for his efforts during the war.^[6] In September 2014, he was awarded the Medal of Ushakov by the Russian government.^[7]

Post-War

In 2012, Carter launched a fundraising campaign to finance the restoration of a Supermarine Spitfire donated to Stoke-on-Trent in 1969.^[8]

Carter died at a retirement home in Birmingham, West Midlands, on 26 July 2021.^[9]

Personal life

Eric married Phyllis Carter in 1943.^[4]

References

1. "Eric Carter obituary". The Times. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
2. "World War II pilot from Halesowen, 101, dies". BBC News. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
3. Carter, Eric (20 August 2010). "A Worcestershire veteran's Battle of Britain memories". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
4. "Warrant Officer Eric Carter, Hurricane pilot decorated for his role in helping to defend Murmansk – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
5. "Stalin's forgotten British lifesavers". Birmingham Mail. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
6. "Medal honour for hero RAF pilot after secret World War II mission to protect Russian port". Birmingham Mail. 18 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
7. "Russian bravery medal for Eric - after 73 years". Kidderminster Shuttle. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
8. "Worcestershire Spitfire pilot launches fighter fund". BBC News. 19 February 2012. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
9. Bannerman, Lucy (29 July 2021). "Eric Carter, last veteran of secret RAF mission to save Stalin, dies at 101". The Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.