Varananda Dhavaj (; ), born Varananda Dhavaj Chudadhuj (; ; 19 August 1922 – 15 September 1990), was the son of Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok and Mom Ravi Kayananda and grandson of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

of Thailand. Although he was the only son of a senior Thai prince, he was disqualified from succession to the throne because his mother was not Prince Chudadhut's formal wife. Following the death of his father, the prince was raised by his uncle King Prajadhipok. He joined the monarch in virtual exile in England. He enlisted in the RAF on February 24, 1942 under the name Nicky Varanand, was commissioned in 1943, and served as pilot in the Normandy campaign during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He remained in the RAF, finally retiring as a flight lieutenant in 1960 to fly commercial aircraft for Thai Airways International. He later created his own airline, Air Siam, which went bankrupt in 1977. In 1973, he also became an adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Marriage and family

He married Mom Pamela Smee on June 10, 1950. Two children were born from this union: * Mom Rajawongse Dilok Nicholas Chudadhuj (1953), Married with Jane Bishop and Chulalaxana Chudadhuj. * Mom Rajawongse Dara Jane Chudadhuj (1956) On September 24, 1969, he married his cousin, Princess Galyani Vadhana, King Bhumibol's eldest sister. He also had two concubines, Princess Kokeaw Prakaykavil na Chiengmai and Srisalai Suchatwut.

Ancestry

References

* 1922 births 1990 deaths Thai male Phra Ong Chao Chudadhut family Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Non-British Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Thai people of World War II Thai expatriates in the United Kingdom Royal Air Force officers Royal Air Force pilots of World War II Royal Air Force airmen Thai male Mom Chao 20th-century Chakri dynasty Heirs presumptive
HH Prince Varananda Dhavaj
His friend, Prince Karawijakraphan, recorded that Prince Varananda flew a Spitfire plane to shoot down ten German tanks and supply trains, blowing them up. Prince Varananda flew a plane to shoot down German tanks, causing them to explode, and the German crew may have died from the explosion. (There is no confirmed report of Prince Varananda shooting down a German tank.)https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/163338 {{Thailand-royal-stub