How a Russian aristocrat defended Great Britain from the Nazis

Prince Emmanuel Golitsyn, a member of an old Russian aristocratic family, was born in Kislovodsk in 1918, at the height of the Civil War. A year later, his family fled Russia and settled in Great Britain.

During World War II, Golitsyn served in the Royal Air Force. In 1942, he was included in a special high-altitude unit equipped with improved Spitfire ‘Mk.IX’ fighters – the only ones at that time capable of reaching the German high-altitude Junkers Ju. 86R bombers.

On September 12, 1942, Golitsyn was patrolling the Solent Strait in southern England in his fighter. Having risen to an altitude of over 12,000 meters (39,000 ft.), he spotted one of the elusive Junkers and immediately attacked it. However, the bomber was not shot down. He suffered some serious damage, but managed to make it back to his base.

Spitfire fighter piloted by Lieutenant Golitsyn during Operation 'Dragoon' in 1944.

The effect of this incident on the Luftwaffe was enormous. The Germans could no longer feel at ease, even at high altitude, which significantly affected all their plans to bomb Great Britain.

Golitsyn then fought in Italy and France and, after the war, worked for Indian Airlines and an aircraft sales company. In 1994, he restored his Russian citizenship.

After the prince's death in 2002, part of his ashes, according to his will, were buried in Kislovodsk.