TUCKER – Victor Emmanuel
121113 – Pilot Officer – 129 sqn – KIA 4 May 1942 – decorated
[Source: CG]
Original Caption: A Jamaican Fighter Pilot serving with the RAF – Flt. Sgt. Tucker.
[Source: AD – Copyright Imperial War Museum ref. CH 5312]
[Pictures below were sent to us by Bill Whalen, courtesy Ray Sherk, a mate from 129 Squadron from Toronto]
Mr. Whalen adds: The BBMF’s Hurricane PZ865 is currently painted in the colours of my Cousin Jimmy Whalen, and I have been to the BBMF to visit the plane. I noticed your Pilots of the Caribbean section and thought you might be interested in Vic Tucker. Vic flew with my cousin Jimmy with 129 Squadron as a Spitfire pilot early in the war. (1941). He was Oxford educated and a lawyer in London prior to the war. His Spit 5b was painted with a yellow coloured Island of Jamaica symbol on the nose. He was shot down on 04/05/1942 and crashed into the channel. His name is on the Runnymede Memorial. I am attaching some shots of him I obtained from his squadron mate, Ray Sherk.
Pilots of 129 Sqn – Vic Tucker is in the back row, 7th from right; on the same row: Jimmy Whalen 11th from right and Ray Sherk 5th from right (click on photo to enlarge)
Vic Tucker with a mate called Sims
Vic Tucker’s Spitfire with the ‘Jamaica’ art
Vic Tucker with his crew helping him kit up
Promoting the Noble Heritage of Caribbean Air Crew who Served in Freedom's Cause in World War II - The Law Firm of Gabriel J Christian & Associates, LLC.
Hello
I’ve lifted a little info about Victor Emanuel Tucker care of a forum to be found on http://www.rafcommands.com . . . “””Sgt. Victor Tucker, from Jamaica, crashed in the Channel off Octeville-sur-Mer, 04-05-1942, North of Le Havre, shot down by Fw.190’s. The Spitfires were escorting Bostons to Le Havre, and aborted the escort shortly before the bombing run. By order they flew a left turn, to which the pilots had protested, as this enabled the Germans to attack from the sun. Vic Tucker was one of several who went MIA this way, that area, that time, and in the months after that as well.”””
PS Please keep up Cy’s good work. this website and the info therein is so important.
Kind regards,
March 8th, 2010 at 2:34 pmA.E. Smith
The cwgc data on V E Tucker: TUCKER, VICTOR EMMANUEL Initials: V E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Pilot Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 129 Sqdn. Age: 25 Date of Death: 04/05/1942 Service No: 121113 Additional information: Son of Adrian and Lydia Tucker; husband of Wilhelmina Casimir Chrenko Tucker, of Highgate, Middlesex. Barrister-at-Law. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 72.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:38 pmFurther information on VE Tucker.My mother was his youngest sister.
January 17th, 2013 at 3:12 amShe was called Olga.I was born 6 months after his death.
Victor was a bright boy.He went to a Methodist boarding school in
Kingston Jamaica.In 1934 when he was 17 years old he came to England
to study at the Bar. I have only one photograph of Victor lying on his Spitfire and no knowledge of what happened to his wife.My mother
died in 2004.The last of the Tucker family. Victor will always be
remembered as a brave young man with a deep sense of patriotism.A
good example to any man.
January 17th at 2200 hrs.
‘Those Other Eagles’ Christopher Shores
TUCKER Victor Emmanuel Pilot Officer
RAF NO 1375018 NCO – 121113 Officer
Qualified as a barrister before the war, and was living in Highgate, North London, when war broke out. He enlisted in the RAFVR circa August 1940, qualifying as a pilot during 1941, when he was promoted Sgt. He served with 129 Squadron and on 12 April 1942 his Spitfire was badly damaged during Circus 122 to Hazebrouck marshalling yards. He managed to get back to England, but AD246 was subsquently written off as beyond repair. By now a Flt Sgt, he was commissioned on 28 April 1942, but on 4 May he was shot down and killed during a ‘Rodeo’ to Le Havre. Aged 25 at the time of his death, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Aircraft Destroyed
February 18th, 2013 at 9:22 pm20/9/41 Bf109 – Spitfire V NE France 129 Sqn
21/10/41 2 Bf109s – Spitfire V St Omer 129 Sqn
21/10/41 Bf109E Probable Spitfire V 10m E Le Touquet 129 Sqn
Love of flying
March 15th, 2013 at 5:50 pmVictor Emmanuel Tucker was my uncle being the younger brother of my mother Myrtle Inez Pullen nee Tucker. He was shot down in 1942 and I was born in Dec 1943. During my mother’s pregnancy, she was in such great mourning for her little brother that it was feared that she would lose the baby. However, she carried me for full term and I came along and came to love flying as my uncle did. I worked for the airlines for years and took trips all over the world never having any fears of flying anywhere at any time. Eventually I took a job as a Flight Attendant with Eastern Airlines and flew as Purser for almost 8 years until the company closed in 1991. I had always heard of my uncle’s heroism and his being shot down over the English Channel. My mother did’nt want me to fly and one can clearly understand but my inner feeling was that I could not be an ace pilot but I too would be doing what my uncle loved – soaring the skies. Sorry I did’nt get to know him but heard he was a wonderful person and another Sagittarian. May his memory live on forever.
You must be very proud Victor.
Best Regards.
March 16th, 2013 at 9:50 amI have many pilots in my family.
Two have passed on
Regards.
Sonja.
March 16th, 2013 at 9:52 amVic Tucker served on 129 Squadron with my cousin Jimmy Whalen. Jimmy was killed in 1944 serving with 34 Squadron in India. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight currently has one of their Hurricanes painted in Jimmy’s colours. Their squadronmate Ray Sherk currently lives in Toronto. Ray told me that everyone on the squadron admired Vic as he was older, highly educated and was a Lawyer. If anyone is interested I have 4 photos of Vic that were taken by Ray and passed on to me. I can be contacted at billwhalen@telus.net
April 13th, 2016 at 7:22 am