…... on one of the last Allied ships leaving Cherbourg. For a brief period he was adjutant of the 8th Battalion, but in November 1941 he transferred to the RAF to train as a pilot in the Army-co-operation role. In December 1942 he left for North Africa and a month later joined No 225 Squadron, based in Algeria, to support the Allied advance to Tunis.
He suffered frequently from airsickness, far from pleasant in a Spitfire. His squadron commander wrote: “He had the greatest will power and determination to overcome this disability and he succeeded. I admired him for his guts.” Initially he flew the Hurricane, until it was replaced with the Spitfire. He flew many low-level tactical reconnaissance sorties gathering information on enemy formations and locations when anti-aircraft fire was intense. It was not the only hazard: on one occasion he was photographing an enemy airfield when a force of bombers above him began hitting the same target, and Perrens found himself surrounded by falling bombs. On a separate sortie he came under heavy fire from American anti-aircraft defences.
By May 12 all German resistance in North Africa had ceased. On June 9 he photographed the two islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, looking for signs of the surrender of the German garrisons. No 225 Squadron resumed operations again in September, when it moved to Italy. Perrens flew many tactical reconnaissance and artillery-ranging sorties until the end of 1943. Shortly afterwards he was awarded the DFC and rested.
Perrens was promoted to sq
uadron leader and joined No 285 Wing, which controlled three tactical reconnaissance squadrons, including his old squadron, No 225. He worked with the Eighth Army to provide its need for photographs and information on enemy positions; for the Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944 he also had to co-ordinate support and air observation for the artillery batteries. Perrens remained with No 285 Wing as it advanced north in Italy until he joined No 208 Squadron. After his recovery, he flew more tactical reconnaissance missions until the end of April, when the Italian campaign came to an end.
After the war Perrens was commissioned into the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) and transferred to the Fighter Control Branch. He became CO of No 3618 (County of Sussex) Squadron, a post he held for many years, and on relinquishing command in 1961 he was appointed OBE.
In the meantime he had taken up the post of physics master at Eastbourne College, later becoming head of science. He was a housemaster, acting headmaster and second master from 1973-75, and a coach for tennis and hockey. He ran the RAF section of the CCF, becoming commanding officer in 1954. This gave him the unique distinction of simultaneously holding commissions in the RAuxAF and the RAF Volunteer Reserve (Training).
