A Very Unusual Air War (17 page)

27 March
: This was to test out, and give practice to, the ground defences against air attack (not the golfers). The starboard leg of my undercarriage folded up as I touched down for the landing but with full throttle I managed to get off again without any damage and went round again to make a safe landing.

On the return leg of the fighter sweep the air compressor of my aircraft failed, believed to be due to flak damage. I made an emergency landing at Kenley without flaps or brakes. Although I used the longer of the two runways, I finished up in the small, grassed area at the end of the runway, after ‘ground looping’ just short of the barbed wire barrier. There was surprisingly little damage to the Spitfire but I rescued the pitot head complete with its heater, which had been torn off and was just hanging on the electric wires. It lay in various places at home, among my bits of memorabilia, until around 2000 but found a more permanent resting place in the Wellesbourne Museum.

28 March
: We swept south from the little fishing village of Hardelot to Le Tréport. Although we saw no enemy fighters, it was found after landing that Group Captain Beamish was missing. He and the Wing leader often joined in operations but rather
as an independent pair; they obviously ran into trouble out of sight of the rest of us. He was seen by the Wing Commander to leave the French coast but soon afterwards disappeared, apparently into the Channel. After landing from the sweep we were immediately ordered off again to search the Channel area where he was believed to have gone in. We searched until it was too dark to have seen anything; in fact the last 45 minutes of this flight was entered in my logbook as night flying. Group Captain Beamish, although a strict disciplinarian, was always fair and was very popular with everyone at Kenley.

29 March
: We continued to search for two hours until our fuel state was critical but sadly our efforts were in vain, the Group Captain was never found. Towards the end of the flight my electrical system went on the blink and I almost force-landed in a field when my petrol gauge read empty. At the last moment I realised that I was very close to Manston so I landed there without mishap.

The loss of Group Captain Beamish was particularly poignant to me as, a few days earlier, he had interviewed me and as a result would recommend that I be granted a commission.

Total time on Spitfire 227 hrs 30 mins

Operational hours to date 84 hrs 20 mins

13 April
: When I returned to duty after 14 days leave, the CO was kind enough to give me an easy day to celebrate my 22nd birthday.

14 April
: We patrolled at 19 to 20,000 feet, entering France at Fécamps in a curve inland to exit near Le Tréport. I was flying Yellow 3 and our flight started to chase seven enemy fighters but before it was possible to get into range, we were recalled to rejoin the Wing. It seems that the seven ME 109s were decoys for another group which was waiting up sun; they were unlucky this time. We returned with no other incident.

On the second sweep we patrolled at 24,000 feet from Desvres to Sangatte. I saw a single FW 190 passing over Yellow Cection and called a warning. When we turned to engage, it dived away before we could get within range. I was then attacked by two 190s but easily out-turned them. I took a quick squirt at another enemy aircraft which appeared behind the Squadron but saw no hits. I had to break off sharply and go into a steep climbing turn to avoid a Spitfire that was diving to attack the same enemy aircraft. In doing so I became separated from the squadron so dived to the ‘deck’ and returned alone.

16 April
: Shortly after crossing the French coast into enemy territory, my No.2, P/O Max Charlesworth, lost a gun panel and we were obliged to return to base.

17 April
: We provided escort cover to 6 Hurribombers, flying at 23,000 feet to Marquise. There was 10/10th cloud over the Channel that extended some way inland. After the Hurri boys had bombed we saw them clear of the target area then
patrolled inland in a sweep to port that took us out over Dunquerque. At our height at this point we met a Spitfire wing, more or less head on, so had to climb to 27,000 feet to get out of their way. We saw only two enemy aircraft, low down over the coast, so came home.

25 April
: This was, without doubt, the worst day of my RAF career and possibly the worst day of my life until I lost Estelle in 1997. It is the one on which I should have died or at least have been shot down. This would almost certainly have happened if the German pilot had been less impatient to add to his score.

A regular visitor to the Kenley Wing and particularly to 602 Squadron was Group Captain Hugh Corner, a doctor based at RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) Farnborough. He was researching the effect of operational stress in fighter pilots. He was also a qualified pilot and had flown with 602 on a number of occasions in order to gain first-hand experience.

He arrived on the morning of the 25th and flew with us on the air sea rescue escort patrol. He afterwards complained that it did not give any real experience of operations involving meeting the enemy. Later that day we were briefed on a deep penetration into France to bomb railway marshalling yards near Lille. Group Captain Corner persuaded the Wing leader and Paddy, the Squadron Commander, to allow him to take part. Paddy said, ‘I will put you No.2 to Flight Sergeant Len Thorne; he is very experienced and you will be safe with him.’ I was flying Red 3 in the centre section and theoretically protected by Blue and Yellow sections to our right and left. Before reaching the target area we carried out attacks on a pair of enemy fighters, then on a four and lastly on a single machine, at which I got in a long burst but did not see any strikes. Then, almost out of ammunition, we headed for home.

As we approached the French coast, the Group Captain and I were attacked by two FW 190s that came in a high-speed dive from the left rear. I saw the first burst of tracer passing over and under my starboard wing and immediately pulled into a tight climbing turn to port, calling to my No. 2 to break with me. I believe he was hard hit in the first burst of fire and failed to turn with me. I rejoined him, calling on other members of the Squadron to help and Paddy called, ‘Close in on that Spitfire chaps and we will get him home.’ Red 4 appeared to be still under control although he continued to fly straight on, losing height slightly, with a little smoke but no fire coming from the Spitfire. After a time he levelled out and continued to fly on across the Channel and the smoke stopped when he was about midway across. At this point two more or possibly the same pair of 190s attacked me again but their fire appeared to be too high over both my wings. I again pulled hard round and gave them the slip and closed on Red 4 in time to see him go into the sea. The Group Captain had baled out at something like 700 feet but his parachute did not properly open. I was able to see him clearly surrounded by the spreading area of yellow dye but he appeared to be dead. I circled his position but, very short of fuel, I had to leave and made an emergency landing at Lymne.

With Paddy and the Wing leader, I had to face a court of enquiry into the loss of Group Captain Corner and was completely exonerated from blame. There was severe criticism of the two senior officers for giving way to the Group Captain and allowing him to fly on what was known to be a hazardous operation. After the horse had bolted the stable door was closed and orders were issued to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. At the court of enquiry the President’s comment was that I could not have avoided or prevented the tragedy. However, at the time and ever since, I have blamed myself and thought that I should have taken some action against the attacking German fighters.

My table tennis friend Sergeant Paul Green was also missing, later confirmed killed, on that fateful day. I was, indeed, extremely lucky to be the one that got away.

26 April
: I was flying as Red 3 with one of the new boys as my No.2. We went in with the bombers, I believe they were the newly arrived Douglas Bostons, to Hazebroucke. As we left the French coast near Dunkirk, Red 1 (Paddy), attacked an enemy ME 109 which was in a climbing turn to starboard. I followed and as a result of maintaining a very steep turn, my speed dropped to 140mph. Although very near to stalling, I got a good burst into him. I claimed a ‘damaged’. I rejoined Red 1 who attacked a second enemy aircraft, causing it to start smoking and go into a very steep, almost vertical dive. I followed it straight and, from dead astern with the enemy machine dead in my sights, I hit him with a long burst of cannon fire. After catching fire it went straight into the sea. I claimed and was given a half destroyed. Reading Doug Stokes’ biography of Paddy some years later I learned that Paddy had withdrawn his claim so I was given one destroyed and one damaged.

27 April
: On the first of the two operations above there was no engagement and no Huns were seen. The second was rather different. We escorted 12 Bostons on another deep penetration to Lille. Over the target the ME 109s appeared in force and went for the bombers. I managed to get a good burst at one of them. We faced repeated attacks all the way back to the coast. Only one bomber was lost, he dropped behind and force-landed in France.

29 April
: This was another special day in my service career; we had patrolled from Calais to Dunkirk and back to Gravelines to cover the exit of a squadron of bombers from their bombing mission. Prior to taking off, King George VI had paid a visit to Kenley and I had the honour to be presented; after a brief conversation we shook hands and he wished me good luck. During the operation the King spent some time in the Operations room and actually spoke to us while we were over France. It was one of those episodes that one remembers forever.

Escort cover. We climbed to 27,000 feet from Hardelot to Cap Gris Nez; we saw many 109s but they did not attack our squadron and we could not engage.

30 April
: I was flying Yellow 2, the first time I had flown as Paddy’s No.2, the position known today as wingman. It was a position of great trust. When flying as No.4 or No.2, I had never lost my flight or section leader. We orbited 2 miles off Le Havre and the enemy were there in force. Red 1 attacked a FW 190 that was heading inland but broke off and started to orbit to starboard but suddenly pulled into a very tight climbing turn. I saw tracer coming past my aircraft and realised I was under attack from below by two 190s and that only Paddy’s quick reaction had saved me from being hit. The second enemy machine overshot and I was able to give him a long burst with all armament. I had to dive almost vertically to get my sights on with considerable deflection. I saw strikes on the engine, the 190 went straight down, pouring black smoke and apparently out of control.