260634 Aldridge "Finn" Haddock Royal Air Force No. 181 Squadron from:Grimsby Aldridge Haddock was a pilot with No. 181 Squadron at RAF Duxford. His Typhoon fighter-bomber was shot down over northern France by five Me109s in July 1943, but he was able to parachute to safety. Although initially sheltered by the French Resistance, he was eventually captured and held in Stalag Luft III, the POW camp made famous in the movie The Great Escape.
His obituary reads: Doctor Aldridge
"Finn" Haddock, wartime fighter pilot, doctor and artist extraordi-naire, has died peacefully at his Grimsby home after a long illness.
He was a general practitioner in the town for many years, but was perhaps just as well-known for his night-
mare-style paintings
which some attribute to his wartime experiences.
Born and educated in County Durham, he started his career as a fighter pilot in the RAF, doing much of his initial training in the United. States. He was eventually posted to 181 squadron at RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire.
But in July 1943 while on an airfield destroying mission over Northern France his Typhoon fighter-bomber developed engine trouble and was shot down by a formation of five Me109s. He parachuted to safety with only seconds
to spare as his plane
crashed in flames just metres away.
He was eventually picked up by the French Resistance and hid out in several locations for several months. He once travelled about disguised as a football player.
But he was eventually captured by the Germans while hiding out in a large Chateau. Without a uniform or proper identity, he was accused of being a spy and relentlessly interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo to reveal the names of those who hid him and their escape routes.
Despite threats of execution and extreme pain he steadfastly refused to give in.
Dr Haddock was later sent to Stalag Luft III, the camp of Great Escape fame, from where only a few months earlier 50 of the 72 original escapers were shot.
After the war he pursued his original ambition to become a doctor, training at Durham University.
In 1958 he moved south to Grimsby setting up a general practice at Dudley Street where he remained until his retirement in 1992. He was also company doctor for a number of firms including SCM Chemicals and United Biscuits.
A long-time friend, Sdn Ldr Tony Smith, said "He enriched the lives of many people and always had a willingness to help others. In particular he will be remembered for his generosity and his irrepressible zest for life".
An accomplished
artist whose paintings portrayed a distillation of his life, especially his time under torture, Dr Haddock had 32 one-man exhibitions. His works are now held in
private collections
throughout the world including Paris and New York.
He was also a keen sportsman from his earliest days and was well-known in local golfing, squash, tennis and rugby circles.
Dr Haddock leaves a wife, Patricia, daughter Jamanda, son Alexander and three grandchildren. The funeral will be held at St Giles' Church, Scartho at a date still to be announced.
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