Page 5 - Boyd drayton Sellick

Boyd Drayton Sellick was born at Shahjahanpur, India on the 10 November 1916 and educated
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at All Hallows School, Honiton and King's College, Taunton, Somerset.

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Granted a short service commission as acting Pilot Officer on probation on the 16 April 1935
(Service Number 37213) and posted to RAF Depot, Uxbridge. Boyd was then posted to No.2
Flying Training School, Digby on the 7 May 1935.
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Promoted Flight Lieutenant in 1939 and again promoted acting Squadron Leader in February
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1940. He was awarded the DFC on the 17 January 1941. Subsequently awarded Bar to the DFC
on the 26 May 1942, for services in 15 Squadron.
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Boyd was appointed Commanding Officer of 7 Squadron at RAF Oakington on the 10 April 1942.
This commendation printed in the London Gazette.

"This officer has completed many sorties, including attacks on the enemy's shipping, dockyards,
and important industrial targets. He participated in a daylight raid on Brest, and led the squadron
against the enemy battle cruisers on the Channel, showing great courage and leadership.
Squadron Leader Sellick is an excellent pilot and captain, who completes his tasks with great
efficiency and an indifference to danger, which commands the admiration of all flying crews."

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Wing Commander Sellick left 7 Squadron on the 2 October 1942 and posted to West Africa, his
duties in this area of operations are unknown.

Boyd, from the 23 June 1944 was 576 Squadron Commander, having been posted in to RAF
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Fiskerton from 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby. He stayed with 576 Squadron until the end of
February 1945 with the rank of Wing Commander. The webmasters are not sure as to why Boyd
was at 12 Squadron, it being possible Boyd returning to the UK from West Africa and posted to
RAF Wickenby until it was decided what his future duties would be. He completed two tours of
operations with 214 and 15 Squadrons (a 30 op and at least a 20 op tour), and completed eight
further operations with 7 squadron and possibly nine operations with 576 Squadron. (The typing
on 576 squadron records is not clear enough to interpret correctly) This was potentially 67
operational sorties or more, dependant on the number of operations undertaken by Boyd in his
first two completed tours.

Promoted acting Group Captain, Boyd was then appointed Station Commander RAF Hemswell
where he took part in the RAF film ‘Night Bombers’. This rank confirmed in the London Gazette on
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the 1 September 1945 and appointed Station Commander RAF Snaith, near Selby at the end of
the war. Snaith, a former No. 4 Group airfield was allocated to No.1 Group and it is believed the
station for a short time did conversion training on aircraft types used by Transport Command,
(No. 4 Group had disbanded and transferred over to Transport Command).