Eric Carter (pilot)
British Royal Air Force pilot (1920–2021)
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Eric Carter (12 February 1920 – 26 July 2021) was a British Royal Air Force pilot.
United Kingdom
Royal Air ForceEric Carter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 February 1920 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England |
| Died | 26 July 2021 (aged 101) Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Service years | 1939–1946 |
| Rank | Warrant officer |
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]
