Tony Bartley

Squadron Leader Anthony Charles Bartley (28 March 1919 – 18 April 2001) was a film and television executive. As an RAF Spitfire fighter ace, he was awarded the DFC after scoring eight victories against enemy aircraft in the Battle of Britain.

Tony Bartley was born in Dacca, India, the son of Sir Charles Bartley, an Irish barrister who served as a judge in the Calcutta High Court.

He was educated at Stowe and in 1938 learned to fly. He joined the RAF in 1939 on a short service commission, and was posted to No. 92 (East India) Squadron in November 1939 as it was forming in Tangmere, Sussex with the fighter version of the twin engine Bristol Blenheim.

After the Blenheims were replaced by Spitfires, he fought over Dunkirk during the fall of France and evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. He flew with the Squadron through the Battle of Britain, and was awarded the DFC in October 1940.

In March 1941 he was posted as a flight commander to No. 74 Squadron RAF at Manston in Kent. In May 1941 he served as a flying instructor at No. 53 Operational Training Unit and No. 56 Operational Training Unit (OTUs), before moving in July 1941 to Vickers-Supermarine as a production test pilot, and made a significant contribution to the further development of the Spitfire. During this time he performed the aerobatics for the film "The First of the Few", which chronicled the life of the Spitfire's designer R J Mitchell, as played by Leslie Howard.

In August 1942 Bartley was posted to command of No. 111 Squadron RAF and led it to North Africa for the November Operation Torch landings. He shot down several enemy fighters over Tunisia, including at least three Bf-109s. His tour ended in January 1943 and was awarded a bar to his DFC the following month. He then served on the staff of No. 83 Group, before departing in October 1944 for the USA to attend tte Command and General Staff College. In October 1944 he joined Transport Command in the Far east.

At the end of the war his combat total included 12 (and 1 shared) destroyed, 1 unconfirmed destroyed, 5 'probables' and 8 'damaged'.

Following his demobilisation, he returned to Vickers-Armstrong as test pilot and sales executive. However his career took a new direction when he moved to Hollywood following his first marriage in 1945 to the actress Deborah Kerr.

After studying film production with MGM, he formed European-American Productions, and wrote and produced television films for Fireside Theatre, MCA and Douglas Fairbanks Presents. He later joined CBS Films where he was responsible for European sales and production. He then joined Associated-Rediffusion, serving as head of the international division and assistant general manager until 1965, when he moved to Canada to represent Global Television and he wrote a history of Canada for the Canada Broadcasting Company.

In the late 1960s Bartley was appointed a director of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados and in 1971 he moved to Ireland, where he formed Intercontinental Telefilms and continued to write and develop television programmes.

His marriage to Deborah Kerr was dissolved in 1958 with whom he had two daughters Francesca and Melanie. Their three grandsons include the actors Lex, Tom and the writer Joe Shrapnel. He married again in 1965 to Victoria Mann, who survived him with their two daughters.