He was born in Bracknell, Berkshire, on 4 December 1903, the elder son of surgeon Edward Fielden, and his wife, Maud Jennie Armstrong.

[2] He was educated at Heatherdown School, Ascot, and Malvern College where he joined the Officers' Training Corps.

[3] He obtained a short service commission with the Royal Air Force in 1924, aged 21, flying with No.

His association with the Royal Family began in 1929, when the then Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VIII), who had acquired a Gipsy Moth, appointed Fielden as his personal pilot.

[3] In October 1933, the Prince appointed Flight Lieutenant Fielden as his Chief Air Pilot and Extra Equerry.

[3] Fielden had remained in the RAF Reserve and was promoted to wing commander in July 1936 and made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in October.

The 'B' flight consisted of the heavier two engine aircraft, and performed drops of agents and supplies, much as 138 Squadron did.

In the summer of 1942 the special duties squadrons began participating in bombing missions during the 'no moon' periods when they were not running agents and supplies into Europe.

[13] The practice of using the SD squadrons for bombing missions was abandoned by the end of August, with no clear indication as to why.

In October 1942, Fielden was promoted to group captain and was made station commander of RAF Tempsford.

On the night of 26/27 November 1942 Fielden took the King's Flight Hudson on a pick-up mission to an unused French airfield.

He knew if he returned to England he would be flying in broad daylight before he cleared the French coast.

Not wanting to run the risk of being caught out by a Luftwaffe fighter patrol, he decided to head south.

He reached the recently established British airfield in Algiers at Maison Blanche at six in the morning.