Gartrell Parker, DFC & Bar, AFC, DSM (26 November 1918 – 19 February 1963) was a flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

Gartrell Richard Ian Parker was born on 26 November 1918 in Harberton, a town in Devon, the United Kingdom, the son of a gamekeeper.

[1] Plans to return to the United Kingdom to undertake training as a pilot were put on hold following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 which led to Britain's declaration of war.

[1] Following the entry of Italy into the war, he flew as a sergeant observer on a number of sorties in the Mediterranean, including the raid of Catania on 5 July 1940.

[6] Shortly afterwards Parker was mentioned in despatches for a second time, on 20 January, for "courage, enterprise and resolution in air attacks upon the Enemy".

[8] At his new unit, which was based at Honiley and was partway through converting to the de Havilland Mosquito heavy fighter, he was nicknamed 'Sailor', on account of his previous service with the FAA.

219 Squadron was tasked with night patrols and intruder missions across the English Channel and into the German-occupied Low Countries.

From mid-June, it was also engaged in Operation Diver, the RAF offensive against the V-1 flying bombs being launched against southern England.

[2] On the night of 10 August 1944, while patrolling to the south of Le Havre, Parker and Godfrey detected and destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber.

Immediately afterwards, with the assistance of ground radar, they engaged and destroyed a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter which was carrying an external long-range fuel tank.

He shot down a Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber on the evening of 28 September and destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter near Arnhem on 6 October.

The joint citation read: As pilot and navigator of aircraft respectively, these officers have completed very many sorties and have consistently displayed a high degree of skill and determination.

[2] After the war, Parker was posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment as a test pilot, a service in which he was rated as " exceptional" on two occasions.

He was also involved in air racing in the 1950s, placing highly in a number of major events including second at the 1952 King's Cup and 1953 Goodyear Trophy.

He and his observer were killed in an aircraft accident on 19 February 1963 while testing the production version of the Buccaneer at the RAF station at Holme-on-Spalding Moor.