Mungo-Park, John Colin, born John Colin Park on 25–03-1918 in Wallasey on the Wirral, 
he was the second son and third child of Colin Archibald Mungo Park and Marion (born Haswell) Park. His sister Linda had been born in 1913, and brother Geoffrey in 1915. Mungo-Park’s father, Colin, had joined the British Army at the start of the First World War as a private with the 7th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment.
On 24-10-1918, just seven months after his son’s birth, Lance Corporal Colin Park was killed in action during the Hundred Days Offensive. He is buried in the Valenciennes (St Roch) Military Cemetery in France.
John Mungo-Park was educated as a boarder at Liverpool College, where he was a successful athlete and sportsman. ‘Mungo’ had been a family forename for many generations, and he used the surname Mungo-Park from his schooldays onward.
The family moved to Bolton in 1934, where a neighbour, the later Flying Officer Harbourne Mackay Stephen had a pilot’s licence and keen interest in aviation. He and Mungo-Park became firm friends, 
and it was here that the passion for flying was born. Harbourne Mackay Stephen survived the war and died 20-08-2001 (aged 85) in London, United Kingdom.
Mungo-Park joined the Royal Air Force 
on a short service commission in June 1937 and was made acting pilot officer on 09 August. He was confirmed as a pilot officer on 31-05-1938, and was posted to the Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit of the Fleet Air Arm 
at Lee on Solent and then in August 1938 to HMS Argus flying Fairey Swordfish. 
The day after war was declared in September 1939, Mungo-Park transferred to No. 74 Squadron RAF 
, also known as a “Tiger Squadron, flying Spitfires from RAF Hornchurch, commanded by Adolph Gysbert “Sailor” Malan 
John was promoted to flying officer 31-12-1939. Sailor Malan survived the war and died 17-09-1963, age 53, in Kimberley, Frances Baard District Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa.
On 24-05-1940, while No. 74 Squadron were providing cover for the British retreat from France and the Dunkirk evacuation, Mungo-Park was wounded and his Spitfire damaged during an engagement with a Henschel Hs 126, but he managed to recross the Channel and land at RAF Rochford.
On 10 July the squadron was engaged a large formation of Dornier Do-17s and their escort of Bf 109s and Bf 110s. Mungo claimed one Dornier, which he saw “turn lazily on its back and dive into the sea”.
On 11-08-1940 he was involved in four major air battles. During the first of these Mungo scored one Bf 109 destroyed and one damaged. In the day’s third combat, over a convoy ‘Booty’ off Clacton, Mungo attacked two Bf 110s in quick succession and saw the first crash into the sea and the second go down pouring black smoke. He was awarded one ‘destroyed’ and ‘one probable’. One further victory followed in the day’s fourth air battle over Hawkinge, when his section was vectored onto a formation of Ju87s and Bf 109s off Margate. He led the attack on the 109s and his five-second burst into one of the fighters caused it to burst into flames and plunge into the sea.
On 13 August No. 74 Squadron were vectored over the Thames Estuary onto an unescorted formation of Dornier 17s. Mungo claimed one destroyed amongst a squadron total of fourteen enemy aircraft claimed destroyed or probably destroyed.
On 20-10-1940 he claimed the Bf 109E-7B Werk # 2059 “Brown 8” flown by Unter Offizer. Franz Maierl (3.(J)/LG 2) 
who age 21, crashed at Chapel Farm, Lenham Heath, Kent.
John was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) 
on 15-11-1940.
Now recognised as one of the cream of the Allied fighter pilots, he was one of the fraction of The Few selected by Fighter Command to have their portraits drawn by Cuthbert Orde, sitting for it in December 1940. 
On 14-11-1940 No. 74 Squadron claimed a total of 13 Ju 87s in a mass dogfight over Dover, Mungo-Park personally claiming two.
On 30 November he and Harbourne Stephen jointly claimed a Bf 109 (of Uffz. Wagelin 5./JG 53) that was deemed the 600th victory claimed by squadrons flying from RAF Biggin Hill. Exactly a year since his last promotion, on 31-12-1940, he was promoted to flight lieutenant. On 10-03-1941 Sailor Malan was promoted, and Mungo-Park became acting squadron leader.
On 16-06-1941 while on a sweep (“Circus 14”) over the Channel he shot down two Messerschmitt Bf 109s, but in the fight his plane was damaged. He turned for home but his engine seized as he crossed the coast. Nonetheless, Mungo-Park managed to stay airborne, gliding his Spitfire back to RAF Hawkinge. For this display of skill, as well as his continued leadership and growing tally of kills, he was told he was to receive a Bar to his DFC.
Death and burial ground of Mungo-Park, John Colin.
On the evening of 27-06-1941, flying Spitfire Vb X4668, Mungo-Park was part of an escort for a bombing raid over northern France coded ‘Circus 25’. They were attacked by two formations of Bf 109s, led by Rolf Pingel 
of I./Jagdgeschwader 26 
(who had been spared by Wing Commander Robert “Bob” Francis Thomas Doe 
during the Battle of Britain) and Wilhelm Balthasar 
of JG 2. 
Rolf Pingel survived the war and died 04-04-2000 (aged 86) in Lollar. Bob Doe also survived the war and died 21-02-2010 (aged 89)
John Mungo-Park, age 23, was shot down and killed when his plane crashed just north of Dunkirk, a couple of miles over the Belgian border. He is buried in Adinkerke Military Cemetery, about 60 miles north of his father. In a twist of fate, Wilhelm Balthasar died in an air crash less than a week later and was buried in a Flanders cemetery alongside his father who had been killed in the First World War. Section E. 17. Mungo-Park had claimed 11 aircraft destroyed (and 2 shared), 5 probables, and 4 damaged.
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