Son of Philip Charles and Effide Haviland; husband of Anne Margaret Haviland, of Crowborough, Sussex. B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E. "One of the few" Battle of Britain pilot. Native of South Africa. Born in 1913 in South Africa and attended Witwatersrand University, studying civil engineering. He obtained his private pilots licence while a student. He came to England in 1937 to work for the construction company Mowlem and was involved in building one of the reservoirs at Staines. He joined the RAFVR and did further training with them from Fairoaks. Called up on 1st September 1939 he converted to twin-engined aircraft and was posted to 248 Squadron, operating Blenheims from Lee-on-Solent. He was with the squadron when it moved to Dyce and then Sumburgh, where its role was to carry out reconnaisance sorties over Norway.