A Very Unusual Air War (18 page)

This was the biggest battle in which I had taken part, a forerunner of the Dieppe raid. I was very lucky not to be shot down and was certainly saved by Paddy’s quick evasive action. I claimed 1 probably destroyed. The Squadron score that day was 1 destroyed (by Paddy), 3 probables and 1 damaged. I myself could not confirm Paddy’s kill, being otherwise engaged, but Johnny Niven saw it crash.

1 May
: I attacked 4 Focke Wulf FW 190s, with my No.2, Yellow 4, in a short sharp dog fight; between us we managed to get in some good bursts of fire and claimed 1 probably destroyed and one damaged. As was usually the case, the enemy pilots dived away at high speed; we could not follow due to our escort duties.

5 May
: For the first four days after May 5th there was a lull in operational activity, for me a very welcome break. After my narrow escapes towards the end of April, I was convinced that in my next operation my luck would run out and I would be the next for the chop. A pencilled note (not in my handwriting) on a strip of paper torn from a logbook:

Any ‘B’ Flight Sergeant of 602

Transport from the sergeants’ mess at 05.10 A.M.

Sergeant Lou Meyer was a young Dutchman who had made his way to England after the fall of France. I think this was the Sergeant John Strudwick who died 11th May 1945 in a mid-air collision between two Tiger Moths, while acting as a flying instructor at 7 EFTS Elmdon. Bill Loud, a butcher in civvy street, lived up to his calling and achieved great success against the Luftwaffe, ending the war as a Wing Commander. Sergeant Sanderson, an Australian, also survived the war to return to Australia.

Early May, a note written by Paddy Finucane.

After April 25th, although I was not held responsible for the loss of Group Captain Corner, I felt then, and ever since, that I was in some way responsible, or there must have been something I could have done. My only consolation is that, despite being attacked myself, I rejoined and remained with him until after he had bailed out.

On the morning of May 10th we arrived at dispersal and were immediately ordered to the briefing room to be told of another deep penetration up to the Belgian border. Returning to dispersal, Johnny Niven said, ‘I have put you to fly Red 3, is that OK?’ My reply was somewhat sharp. ‘If that’s where you have put me, that is where I will fly.’ I suppose that my tension was fairly obvious, for a few minutes later I was called by the Squadron Medical Officer, Dr. Hands. He said, ‘You have had a rough time in the past few weeks. It is time you went on a rest from operations; you are excused duty immediately. Return to your billet, collect your kit and report to the orderly room where you will be given travel warrants and a posting notice.’ Three other pilots who had also been on ops for nearly a year received similar instructions. I remember only two of their names, Sergeants Jimmie Garden of ‘B’ Flight and Gwilym Willis, like me in ‘A’ Flight, both of whom had been with me through training. Sergeant Willis went to the CO and said that he was all right and would like to remain with the Squadron. Permission was granted for him to do so; the very next day he was shot down and killed. A few days later the remainder of the squadron were taken out of 11 Group and posted to a station in the north of England for a well deserved rest.

At this point in my logbook a loose form had been stuck in between the pages; basically, it was as follows:

SUMMARY OF FLYING AND ASSESSMENT FOR YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1st. 1941

ASSESSMENT of ABILITY

(To be assessed as:- Exceptional, Above the Average, Average or Below the Average)

ANY POINTS IN FLYING OR AIRMANSHIP WHICH SHOULD BE WATCHED

Nil

DATE 10/5/42    SIGNATURE
E.R. Bocock
F/Lt For S/Ldr

OFFICER COMMANDING 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqdn A.A.F.

Normally a rest posting would be as an OTU or training school instructor; in exceptional cases it might be a short spell of non-flying duties. I was incredibly lucky in being posted to the AFDU, the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford, near Cambridge. I expected that my ‘rest’ would last for the usual six months but things did not turn out that way and I was never to return to Squadron membership.

Officer Commissioning certificate.

As I mentioned, a rest from operations usually lasted six months and for most chaps a spell in Training Command. The lucky ones went to OTUs (Operational Training Units) but most became instructors at EFTS (Elementary Training Schools, or SFTS (Service Flying Training Schools). The Empire training scheme was by then in full swing so many of the chaps went to Canada or South Africa and their positions became permanent. My old instructor, F/Lt Hall, was one of those posted to South Africa.

I was exceptionally lucky in being posted to the AFDU at Duxford. I arrived there on May 10th, still a Flight Sergeant and reported to the adjutant, Flt. Lt. Simms, always known as ‘Simmy’, to be told that my arrival there had to be a mistake as only Officer pilots were posted to the AFDU. I produced my posting papers and was passed on to the unit commanding officer, Wing Commander Campbell-Orde, who again informed me that there had to be a mistake. I said that, towards the end of April, I had had commission interviews, first with Group Captain F.V. Beamish, the Kenley station commander, followed by another with Air Vice Marshal Leigh Mallory, the officer in charge of fighter command. I suggested that my commission must have been approved but the information had not arrived at Kenley before I left. ‘Simmy’ was instructed to phone Air Ministry for confirmation and my suggestion proved to have been correct.

My commission was confirmed, Gazetted May 1st 1942. My rank now: Pilot Officer. At that time promotion from Flight Sergeant to Pilot Officer was something of a mixed blessing as it led to an actual reduction of income. As an NCO I was attached to the Sergeants’ Mess and all food and accommodation was free but as an officer I received an initial uniform allowance of, I believe, £50, which was only enough to cover bare necessities; further purchases had to come out of my pocket. In addition, I moved into the Officers’ Mess and had to pay mess bills so I was definitely worse off. This situation was put right by an immediate further promotion to Flying Officer for all of us who were promoted from Flight Sergeant or Warrant Officer rank.