Tag Archives: 1947

Pilot Officer Eric Pile

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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 6th October, 1944.

Younger brother of Pilot Officer Kenneth Laurence Pile D.F.M.

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 6th October, 1944:

Two Mitcham pilot officer brothers of the R.A.F. are in the news this week through the award to one of them of the Distinguished Flying Medal.

He is Pilot Officer Kenneth Laurence Pile, aged 22, eldest son of Mrs E.C. Pile, Eldertree-place, Grove-road, Mitcham, who has completed his full number of “ops”, most of them over Germany.

His brother Eric, who is two years his junior, trained in Southern Rhodesia, and is now in Italy.

Both were educated at Western-road Central School, where their father, the W.A. Pile was school keeper from the opening day until his death. Mr Pile served through the last war.

P.O. Ken Pile continued his education at Wimbledon Technical Institute. He was a Flight Engineer with the R.A.F.V.R., with a rank of Flight Sergeant, when his gallantry was officially recognised by the award. it is not yet known why he was decorated.

Both brothers are keen sportsmen.

Kurt Taussig, a Jewish refugee and the last Spitfire pilot from Czechoslovakia who stayed in the UK after the war, spoke of his good friend Eric Pile, in an interview recorded by the Imperial War Museum (reel no. 11, from 2 minutes 25 seconds to 4 minutes 40 seconds.)

He said that as Eric didn’t have a father, and Kurt had no family himself, the two formed a friendship on this common ground. He said they were ‘like brothers’. Kurt spoke of their time in operations flying Spitfire Vc and IX with 225 Squadron, RAF at Peretola Airfield, Florence, from February 1945 to May 1947, and of reactions to posting and their accommodation at Villa Cora.

In the recording, made in December 2007, Kurt said that Eric was living in Stirling, Scotland and had advertised in a newspaper to meet up with his old comrades from 225 squadron, and Kurt re-established contact with him then.

Kurt Taussig died 19th September 2019, aged 96, and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, 25th September 2019.

Percy Mayhew

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Confectioners, newsagents and stationers, from early 20th century to possibly the late 1960s.

A number of postcards of scenes in Mitcham have his name on them, such as this undated one of London Road.

‘Mayhew’ in bottom left hand corner.

This photo of Preshaw Crescent has ‘Mayhew Mitcham’ on the left and ‘2721 Johns’ on the right, who might have been the photographer.

Preshaw Crescent

This photo of the Blue Houses has ‘Percy Mayhew’ on the left.

Ravensbury Arms and the Blue Houses

There is a collection on Merton Memories.

In the 1919 electoral register, Daisy Maud and Percy Mayhew are listed at number 8, The Parade. In the 1925 street directory, listed as a confectioner at number 4 The Parade, which was renumbered as 231.

Listed in the 1929 Where to shop in Mitcham advert as at 239 and 231 London Road.

This ad, possibly from 1935, shows 237 – 239 London Road:

This ad from 1947 has the Monarch Parade address and refers to the previous address of 237 – 239 London Road.

1947 ad

In the programme for the 1952 Sports and Shopping Week his shop is listed as having contributed a pen and pencil set, worth 13s. 11d., as a prize in the lucky programme number competition. The address of the shop then was 72 Monarch Parade. The shop can just be seen on the right of Davant Ltd (the furniture shop at number 73), in this 1950 Tuck postcard:

1950 Tuck postcard

Listed in the 1954 telephone directory as newsagent, tobacconist, 72 Monarch Parade, London Road, MIT 2478.

Listed in the 1967 edition of the Mitcham Chamber of Commerce Yearbook, but not in the 1969 edition.