Sydney Pigden
Sydney Charles Pigden (25 April 1922 – 27 December 2017) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and PE teacher.
Career[edit]
RAF Spitfire pilot[edit]
At the age of 18, he joined the RAF and flew Spitfires and Hurricanes.[1] He survived well over 100 ground-attack sorties with No. 164 Squadron RAF Argentine-British, when flying Hawker Hurricane and Typhoon rocket-armed aircraft against heavily defended enemy ground targets. After the war, he flew Spitfires and took part in the Battle of Britain flypast over London on 15 September 1945. He donated his flying logbook and medals to the Shoreham Aircraft Museum.[2]
Teacher[edit]
Pigden was a teacher for 30 years at Turnham junior school, on the Honor Oak estate in Brockley, south London, where his pupils included Ian Wright, who credited Pigden with much that he subsequently achieved.[3] In his 2016 autobiography A Life in Football, dedicated to Pigden, Wright described him as "the first positive male figure that I had in my life".[4] In 2019, Ian Wright unveiled a memorial plaque at Turnham Academy in memory of Sydney Charles Pigden.[1] The plaque reads: “In Recognition of Sydney Charles Pigden for his dedicated service to the Lewisham community: WW2 Spitfire pilot, Teacher at Turnham school, Secretary Lewisham Primary Schools Football Association & Sports Coach and Mentor."[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Ian Wright unveils memorial plaque to teacher Sydney Pigden at Turnham Academy". Newshopper. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ↑ "The Shoreham Aircraft Museum".
- ↑ "Ian Wright tearfully remembers childhood teacher". BBC. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ↑ "Sydney Pigden, inspirational teacher – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
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