Commemorative E-Book

World War II

Fighter PILOTS
1939 - 1945

A UNIVERSAL PROMOTIONS E-BOOK

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WORLD WAR II

FIGHTER PILOTS

Commemorative E-Book

God send me to see suche a company

together agayne when need is.
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

E-Book Cover with Pilots Wings

Half-title page with poem by Lord Effingham
Index of contributing Fighter Pilots
Introduction by Captain John Purdy
American Fighter Pilots
A tribute written by Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson

A Message from Air Commodore Alan Deere

Fighter Command 1939-45 Fact Sheet
The commanders, fighter production, leading fighter pilots of the war all nations

Prominent Aircraft of RAF Fighter Command

Technical drawings with specifications of the principal fighter aircraft

RAF Fighter Command 1939-1945

A major feature describing the role and activity of RAF Fighter Command in WWII written by
Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson, Allies leading fighter pilot in World War II

The Personal Memoirs

Individually written by twenty five distinguished RAF and American fighter pilots comprising
over 20,000 words of un-edited descriptive combat recollections

Acknowledgements

INDEX OF CONTRIBUTING FIGHTER PILOTS

Colonel Gerald Brown, DSM, DFC, Air Medal
Squadron Leader Danny Browne, DFC
Major General Marion Carl, Navy Cross*, DFC, Air Medal
Captain Robert Coates, Navy Cross, DFC, Air Medal
Group Captain Paul Davoud, DSO, DFC
Squadron Leader Harry Dowding, DFC*
Wing Commander Stocky Edwards, DFC*, DFM
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, DSO
Wing Commander Hugh Godefroy, DSO, DFC, MD
Colonel Jim Goodson, DSC, Silver Star, DFC
Squadron Leader Bob Hayward, DSO, DFC
Squadron Leader P.W.E (Nip) Heppell, DFC*
Group Captain Al Houle, DFC*
Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson, DSO**, DFC*
Colonel Robert Johnson, DSC, Silver Star, DFC, DFC (RAF), Air Medal
Lieutenant General Don Laubman, DFC*
Wing Commander Laddie Lucas, DSO*, DFC
General Robin Olds, AFC, Silver Star, DFC, DFC (RAF), DSO, Air Medal
Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard, DFC,
Wing Commander Dal Russell, DSO, DFC*
General Robert Scott, Silver Star, DFC, Air Medal
Flight Lieutenant Sir Alan Smith, DFC
Wing Commander Rod Smith, DFC*
Commander Alex Vraciu, Navy Cross, DFC, Air Medal
Group Captain The Hon. John Waddy, DFC, Air Medal

Introduction by Captain John Purdy

P-38 Fighter ace and Chairman of the American Fighter Aces
Museum Foundation

Fighter pilots are people I have known most of my life. Many of the aces included
in this volume are personally known to me and I am therefore honoured and
delighted to introduce this collection of biographical recollections from WWII.
I have often been asked what it takes to be a fighter pilot. I dont believe there
is a straightforward answer to the question because a fighter pilot needs to
have a variety of special qualities. If pressed, however, I would say there is one
characteristic every fighter pilot I ever knew has, and that is individualism.
What makes this series of memoirs so fascinating is that each has been
individually written by the man himself. Thus each personal memoir gives a
glimpse into the character of the man in a way that reflects his personality and
individualism.
Since the early days of aerial combat fighter pilots have been portrayed as
glamorous extroverts. However justified this image may be, of one thing you can
be sure: in the air, fighter pilots are true professionals.
I like the professional way in which this series has been compiled and published
and I believe these memoirs will serve as a tribute to all fighter pilots, and in
particular to the memory of those who lost their lives while still in the flush of
youth.


Captain John Purdy, USAAF (Ret.)

AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOTS

by Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson
In these memoirs you will read the personal accounts of some outstanding American
fighter pilots including my old friends Robin Olds, Danny Browne, Eagle Squadron ace
Jim Goodson, and Robert Johnson who achieved 28 victories in the space of just 12
months combat in Europe. Some fought in Europe with the RAF, others with the USAAF
Jim Goodson with both. Others fought in the Pacific with the US Navy and Marine
Corps. Robin Olds, one of the great fighter pilots of our time, became an ace flying P-51
Mustangs in Europe during WWII and went on to become one of the outstanding jet
fighter leaders in the hard fought war in Vietnam.
After Pearl Harbor, in 1942 the Japanese were masters of a large part of Asia, dominated
the Western Pacific, and controlled Indonesia. American strategy was to hold the line
until sufficient strength had been gathered, then progress using amphibious landings
as they arduously fought their way step-by-step up through the Pacific towards Japan.
When in May 1942 the Japanese struck the U.S. Fleet in the Coral Sea, for the first
time in naval history all the fighting was conducted by carrier-borne aircraft not a
shot being fired by the surface ships during the battle. It was a portent of what was to
become a war dominated by American fighter aircraft.
Soon after came the decisive Battle of Midway when the brilliant flying of the Navy and
Marine pilots set new standards in carrier-borne warfare. Then followed Guadalcanal
one of the hardest fought campaigns in American history and up the ladder to the
Solomons, Gilbert and Marshalls, the Marianas and Bonin islands till, in the summer of
1945 the American forces had battled their way to within bombing distance of Japan
itself.
Both Services produced many fighter aces, Marine pilot Marion Carl being among those
to achieve early success at Midway. Flying Wildcats, Hellcats, Corsairs big radial
engine fighters favoured by the Americans the Navy and Marine pilots that fought the
Pacific battles were among the bravest and most determined of the war.
Although the memoirs in this collection largely represent pilots that fought in the
European Theatre, the publishers wisely felt those that fought in the Pacific should be
acknowledged in any collection titled WWII Fighter Pilots, and I heartily agree.

Fighter pilots were, and are with few exceptions, more important than the machines
they fly and this applies to all forms of aerial combat. Fighter pilots are individualistic,
characterful, sometimes colourful, occasionally quirky, but all have in them the basic
nature of the hunter. In war the fighter pilot lives a strange life alternating between
short periods of intense excitement in the air, sometimes quite frightening, which
greatly contrasts with long periods on the ground between fighting when they have little
to do. These periods of relaxation often produce much gaiety and frivolity but, unlike
the image often portrayed in the popular press, never of the nature that affects a sense
of purpose in the air. Once airborne, the fighter pilot becomes at one with his aircraft
and in extreme adversity, invariably exceeds even his own expectations. I believe these
personally written memoirs bring out the individuality of each contributing Fighter Pilot
in a quite unique way and I am proud to have had the opportunity to acknowledge the
huge role that our American counterparts played in WWII.

ROYAL AIR FORCE

FIGHTER COMMAND
1939-1945

AN INTRODUCTION BY

AIR COMMODORE AL DEERE,

DSO, DFC, OBE.

A casual observation in Johnnie Johnsons Fighter
Command 1939-45 could well be that it has all been
said before and so it has; but, the author, calling on
adepth of experience on fighter operations throughout
the period, has successfully knitted together the various
phases of the development of the Command to produce a
refreshingly readable account of Fighter Command in war.


It has been said that mistakes lose wars, and
so it was to prove in the Battle of Britain, for, as the
author brings out, German High Command made two
grevious ones. In the first place, flushed no doubt with
quick victory in Poland and the Low Countries, their
Head of Intelligence assessed victory over Fighter
Command as between a fortnight and a month. His
mistake was grossly to underestimate the capability
of the Command to withstand an aerial blitzkreig as
practised thus far by the Luftwaffe, due no doubt to the
fact that he either ignored or was not made aware of
the highly sophisticated radar defence-control system
which appended the RAF fighter force, that high degree
of flexibility not available to the continental air forces.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, in switching
the Luftwaffe from its originally stated pre-invasion aim
Destruction of the Royal Air Force to the bombing of
London, as a retaliatory measure for the bombing of
Berlin in August, the German High Command abused the
first principle of war maintenance of the aim and this at
a time in the Battle when victory was almost in sight.

This account of Fighter Command should, I
believe,be treated as a follow up to the Authors
autobiographical Wing Leader; together they make
complementary reading.

Royal Air Force

Fighter Command 1939 - 1945

FACT SHEET

1.

On 16th October 1944 Headquarters Allied

Expeditionary Air Force ceased to exist and was
. absorbed into Headquarters Allied Expeditionary
Force. Air Defence of Great Britain reverted to Air
Ministry control and was redesignated
Command. The Principal components of
Command as it supported overlord in its final stages
are shown below.
Air Marshal commanding:
Senior Air Staff Officer:

No. 10 Group.

No. 11 Group.

Air Vice Marshal H.Wl. Saunders (to 31. 10.44)

Air Vice Marshal J.B. Cole-Hamilton (from 1.1 1.44)

25,29, 151,307, (Pol), 406(RCAF),456(RAAF)

squadrons - Mosquito.

19, 65 Squadrons - Mustang.

329(Fr) Squadrons - Spitfire.
Arrivals
British
British
Arriv als of
Ovrseas
Fighter
Fighter
Fighters in
Production Production U.K. from of FIghters
(Numerical) (Million Ib) N. America Direct Fm
U.S.A.

1940
194 1

5,804

8,457

1942

18.39

26.79

578
467

1943

10,663
1 1, 103

34.75
29.16

1,099

1945

5,445

22. 12

493

1944

10,730

29.69

Maj. Erich Hartmann

470
495

Hungary

2nd Lt. Dezio Szentgyorgyi

Italy

Maj. Adriano Visconti

Ireland

922

1,066
648

1,04 1
260

I.e. To British overseas commands and other

governments, Including Canada

Japan

17

Fg. Off. B.J.G. Carbury, D.F.C.

15+ 1 shared
15+ 1 shared

PIt. Off. E.S. Lock,DSO, DFC.

Sgt. J.H. Lacey, DFM.

16+ 1 shared

Netherlands

PIt. Off. RF.T. Doe,DSO, DFC.

15

FIt. Lt. P.C. Hughes,DFC.

14+ 3 shared

PIt. Off. C.F. Gray,DSO, DFC.

FIt. Lt. AA McKellar,DSO, DFC.

Fg. Off. W Urbanowicz, DFC

Fg. Off. C.R. Davis, DFC

FIt. Lt. RF. Boyd,DSO,DFC.

Sgt. A McDowall, DSO,AFC,DFM.

Fg. Off. JW. Villa, DFC.

14+ 2 shared
14+ 1 shared

Sqn. Ldr. M.T. St. J. Pattle

Gp. Capt. James E. Johnson

Victories

Gp. Capt. J.E. Johnson DSO, DFC.

Gp. Capt. AG. Malan DSO,DFC.

Wg. Cdr. B.E. Finucane DSO, DFC.

Sqrr. Ldr. N.F. Duke DSO, DFt, AFC.

28 (UK)

Gp. Capt. C.R. Caldwell DSO,DFC.

Gp. Capt. F.H.R. Carey DFC,AFC,DFM.

Sqn. Ldr. J.H. Lacey DFM.

Wg. Cdr. C.F. Gray DSO,DFC.

FIt. Lt. E.S. Lock DSO, DFC.

14

28 (AU)
28 (UK)

28 (UK)
27 (NZ)
26 (UK)

Hurricanes

303 sqn.

Cz.

Spitfires

603 sqn.

N.z.

Hurricanes

501 sqn.

Spitfires

234 sqn.

234 sqn.

Aus.

605 sqn.

G.B.

60 1 sqn.

Pol.

54 sqn.

N.z.

60 1 sqn.

SA

11

Spitfires

602 sqn.
72 sqn.

G.B.

10+ 4 shared

Hurricanes

Spitfires
Spitfires

60 1 sqn.

GB.

92 sqn.

G.B.

Spitfires

222 sqn.

G.B.

Hurricanes

257 sqn.

G.B.

10+ 1 shared

Lt. Off. H.C. Upton, DFC.

10+ 1 shared

Spitfires

FIt. Sgt. G.C. Unwin, DSO,DFM.

10

Spitfire

---

G.B.

Hurricanes

FIt. Lt. RS.S. Tuck, DSO, DFC.

Aux.

1 1+ 1 shared

10+ 3 shared

----

238 sqn.

G.B.

303 sqn.

Fg. Off. DAP. McMullen, DFC.

-----

4 1 sqn.

Hurricanes

1 1+ 1 shared

Spitfires
Spitfires

Spitfires

Col. F.S. Gabreski

Lt. Col. RS. Johnson

USN:-

40

38
31

Col. C.H. MacDonald

28
27

Capt. D. McCampbell

34

Lt. RM. Hanson

25

Maj. G.E. Preddy

USMC:- Maj. J.J. Foss

Lt. Col. G. Boyington

26

26

22

(Lt. Col. Boyington is known to have destroyed an

additional six enemy aircraft while serving with the

Air Volunteer Group under Chinese command).

25 (US)

Wg. Cdr. LC. Wade DSO, DFC.

Hurricanes

Maj. T.B. McGuire (CMH)

32 (Ir)

29 (UK)

Victories

Pilot

USAAF:- Maj. Richard I. Bong (CMH)

35 (SA)

Wg. Cdr. J.RD. Braham DSO, DFC, AFC.

62

6. Fighter Pilots serving with the

USAF during the Second World
War who achieved 25 or more
confirmed aerial victories.

38 (UK)

3 1 (Ca)
29 (UK)

Sq. Ldr. G.F. Buerling DSO,DFC, DFM.

41

40

Guards Col. Ivan N. Kozhedub

4 1 (SA)

36
60
38

Maj. Richard I. Bong

Pilot

Hurricanes

27

either 14 or 16

Cap. Prince Constantine Cantacuzino

Sqn. Ldr. M.T. St. J. Pattle DFC

Spitfires

12 V-Is and 5

FIt. Lt. Svein Heglund

Jan Poriatowski

5. Fighter Pilots serving with the

RAF during the second world war
who achieved 25 or more
confirmed aerial victories.

Spitfires

26

103

Wg. Cdr. Colin F. Gray

Norway

Hurricanes

43

32

Lt. Col. Van Arkel

New Zealand

Spitfires

19

352

Sub-Off. Hiroyoshi Nishizawa

Allied Fighter Pilots who scored ten or more confirmed victories

during the Battle of Britain.

Sgt. J. Frantisek, DFM.

94

Wg. Cdr. Brendon E. Finucane

Wg. Cdr. R.R.S. Tuck DSO, DFC.

3.

Germany

28
either 8 or 10

Sqn. Ldr. Pierre H. Clostermann

U.S.S.R.

Air Commodore JA Boret.

8.33

F/Mstr. E.I. Juuualainen

S. Africa

Air Vice Marshal J.M. Henderson (to 3 1.12.44)

,Air Vice Marshal JW. Baker (from 1. 1.45)
1, 9 1, 602, 603 Squadrons - Spitfire.
125 (Newfoundland) Squadron - Mosquito.

2,403

Finland

31

Gp. Capt. Kaj Birksted

UK
United States

No. 12 Group.

1939

Sgt. Josef Frantisek

11

Sqn. Ldr. George F. Buerling

Poland

124,3 1 O(Czech), 3 12(Czech), 3 13(Czech),

33 1(Nor), 332(Nor) 44 1(RCAF), 45 1(RAAF),
453(RAAF) Squadrons - Spitfire.

Czechoslovakia

28

258

FIt. Lt. Vicki Ortmans

Canada

Romania

64, 1 18, 122, 126, 129, 165, 234, 303 (Pol),

306(Pol), 309(Pol), 315(Pol),316(Pol),
442(RCAF),61 1 Squadrons - Mustang.

Gp. Capt. Clive R Caldwell

Maj. Waiter Nowotny

France

(to 3 1.1.45)
1.2.45)

Air Vice Marshal J.B. Cole-Hamilton (to 3 1. 10.44)

Air Commodore AV. Harvey (from 1. 1 1.44)
26 Squadron - Mustang.
504 Squadron - Meteor.

No.13 Group.

Australia

Austria
Belgium

Denmark

Air Marshal Sir Roderic M. Hill.

Air Vice Marshal WB.
Air Vice Marshal G.H. Ambler

4. The most successful fighter pilots of the Second World War, by

nationality.

54 sqn.

92 sqn.
43 sqn.

607 sqn.
19 sqn.

Can.
G.B.

7. Fighter Pilots who scored over

100 victories against the Western
Allies in N. Europe, S. Europe,
the Mediterranean and N. Africa.
Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille
Oberstleutnant Kurt Buhligen

Generalleutnant Adolf Galland

Major Joachim Muncheberg

Oberstieutnant Egon Mayer

Major Werner Schroer

Oberst Josef Priller

158

112
104
102
102

102

10 1

8. Some of the most outstanding

Jet Fighter Pilots' Victories from
W.W.II. Records.

Oberstleutnant Heinz Bar

Hauptmann Franz Schall

16

14
Major Erich Rudorffer
12
Oberfeldwebel Hermann Buchner
12
Not fewer than 8
Leutnant Karl Schnorrer
Not fewer than 8
Leutnant Rudolf Rademacher
Major Theodor Weissenberg

Oberst Johannes Steinhoff

6
5
5

Oberleutnant Waiter Schuck

Major Wolfgang Spate

Leutnant Klaus Newmann

British Aircraft
that flew with fighter command
SUPERMARINE
SPITFIRE lA

POWERED BY:1 x 1030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin III

12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine.
WING SPAN:36 ft. 11 ins. LENGTH:29 ft. 11 ins.
MAX. SPEED:362 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft.
SERVICE CEILING:34,200 ft.
NORMAL RANGE': 505 miles.
ARMAMENT:8 x 303 Browning machine guns,
wing-mounted.

HAWKER HURRICANE I
POWERED BY:1 x 1030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin III
12-cylirider liquid-cooled engine.
WING SPAN: 40 ft. 0 ins. LENGTH: 31 ft. 4 ins.
MAX. SPEED: 328 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft. NORMAL RANGE: 505 miles.
ARMAMENT: 8 x 303 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted.

BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT

POWERED BY:1 x 1030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin Ill.
WING SPAN: 39 ft. 4 ins. LENG:rH: 35 ft. 4 ins.
MAX. SPEED: 303 m.p.h. at 16,500 ft.
ARMAMENT:4 x 303 Browning
in power-op turret.

HAWKER TYPHOON.
POWERED BY:1 x 2,100 h.p .. Napier Sabre I.
WING SPAN:41 ft. 7 ins. LENGTH: 31 ft. 10 ins.
MAX. SPEED:412 m.p.h. at 19,000 ft.
SERVICE CEILING: 35,200 ft. RATE OF CLIMB:2,540 fVmin.
NORMAL RANGE: 510 miles.

ARMAMENT: 12 x 303 Browning in wings.

GLOSTER GlADIATOR
POWERED BY:1 x 830 h.p. Bristol Mercury IX.
WING SPAN:32 ft. 3 ins. LENGTH: 27 ft. 5 ins.
MAX. SPEED:253 m.p.h. at 14,500 ft.
SERVICE CEILlNG:3200
RATE OF CLIMB: 2,444 fVmin.
NORMAL RANGE:428 miles.
2 x 303 Browning
2 x 303 Browning

under lower wings.

WESTlAND WHIRLWIND
POWERED BY: 2 x 885 h.p. Rolls Royce Peregrin I.
WING SPAN:45 ft. 0 ins. LENGTH:32 ft. 9 ins.
MAX. SPEED: 360 m.p.h. at 15,000 ft.
SERVICE CEILING: 30,000 ft. RATE OF CLIMB:2,586 fVmin.

ARMAMENT: 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk I in fuselage nose.

Optional bomb load of 500 lb.

GLOSTER METEOR
POWERED BY: 2 x 2,000 Ib Rolls Royce Derwent I.
WING SPAN: 43 ft. 0 ins. LENGTH: 41 ft. 3 ins.

MAX SPEED:475 m.p.h. at 30,000 ft.

SERVICE CEILING: 44,000 ft. RATE OF CLIMB: 4,000 fVmin.

ARMAMENT:4 x 20 mm in nose.

Royal Air Force

FIGHTER COMMAND
1939-1945

Edited by
Air Vice Marshal
JOHNNIE JOHNSON
CB, CBE, DSO, DFC
Top Scoring Allied Fighter Pilot in WWII

Defeat in the West

In the spring of 1938 Hitler and his Nazis were
on the march, and they rehearsed some of their
Blitzkrieg techniques during their bloodless
occupation of Austria. Czechoslovakia was next
on the list and was Hitlers last territorial claim
in Europe. In the Autumn of that year our
radars watched the Prime Ministers aeroplane
return from Munich bringing the news of the
unsavoury agreement whereby Britain backed
the French Government, who abandoned her
faithful ally, Czechoslovakia and left her to her
fate. The policy at Munich was fiercely contested
at home by those who held that if Britain had
taken a firmer stand at Munich, France would
have followed the lead. However, it gave us a
breathing space not Chamberlains intention
at the time and Air Chief Marshal, Sir Hugh
Dowding, took full advantage of the precious
months to fashion his force, Fighter Command,
for the war he knew was inevitable. Had we
gone to war in 1938 our old fighter biplanes,
like the Hawker Fury and the Gloster Gauntlet
would have been swept from the skies by the
infinitely superior Messerschmitt 109s.
When, in September 1939, the Second World
War began, Dowdings unrelenting struggle to
provide Britain with an adequate air defence
had made great strides. We had more than 500
modern fighters, Hurricanes and Spitfires, in the
front-line. However, our greatest achievement
was the establishment of a sound air defence
system incorporating twenty radar stations
which could detect aeroplanes at medium

altitudes at a range of one hundred miles from

our shores. Special radars had been ordered
for the detection of low flying aeroplanes
and an I.F.F. (identification friend or foe) had
been developed for distinguishing friendly
aeroplanes from hostiles. A network of new
communications had been laid down which
enabled Dowding to exercise control through
a simple yet effective chain of command from
his headquarters at Bentley Prior, through the
fighter groups, to the fighter stations, and
thence to the squadrons in the front-line.
Unfortunately, Fighter Commands tactical
training was based on the theory that the air
threat to Britain would be hordes of German
bombers, flying in close formation, and not
escorted by fighters since the Messerschmitt
109 could not reach our shores from airfields
in Germany. Apparently, those who assessed
the threat did not take into account either the
possibility of French airfields becoming available
to the Luftwaffe, or that Willi Messerschmitt
might increase the range of his angular fighter
by the simple method of fitting long-range
tanks. Dog-fighting, it was held, was a thing
of the past, and rigid air fighting tactics were
introduced which, by a series of complicated and
time-wasting manoeuvres, aimed at bringing
the greatest number of guns to bear against
the bombers.
Our fighting unit was the tight vic of three
fighters, and squadron training was based on six
types of formation attacks against unescorted
bombers. These set-piece attacks, although
excellent for precision flying and squadron
discipline, were useless in combat.
Tactically the German Fighter Arm was well
ahead of Fighter Command mainly because of
their young fighter pilots like Mlders, Galland,
and Wiecke, had fought and gained valuable
experience, since 1936, with the German Condor
Legion in Spain. The German fighter pilots soon
realised that the speed of their 109s made close
formations impracticable for combat. The large
turning circle of the curving fighters dictated
that a loose pattern was the only method by
which individual pilots could hold their position
in the turn and keep a sharp look-out at the

same time. The high closing speeds, especially

from head-on positions, made it essential to
pick out and identify the enemy aircraft as soon
as possible, so that the leader could work his
way into a good attacking position. The simple
requirement was for a loose, open type of
combat formation with the various aeroplanes
flying at separated heights which would permit
individual pilots to cover each other and search
a greater area of sky than before.
Credit must be given to the Germans for
devising the perfect fighter formation. It was
based on what they called the rotte, that is the
element of two fighters. Some two hundred
yards separated a pair of fighters and the main
responsibility of the number two, or wingman,
was to guard his leader from a quarter or an
astern attack. Meanwhile the leader navigated
his small force and covered his wingman. The
Schwarme, four fighters, simply consisted of
two pairs, and when we eventually copied the
Luftwaffe and adopted this pattern we called it
the finger-four because the relative positions
of the fighters are similar to a plan view of ones
four finger-tips.
On 10th May, 1940, the Blitzkrieg pattern again
unfolded. Enemy bombers, escorted by longrange fighters, attacked more than seventy
Dutch, Belgian, and French airfields some of
which housed Fighter Command squadrons.
Some of these well-planned attacks lasted
nearly an hour and were so successful that the
Dutch and Belgian Air Forces were practically
written-off. In Holland the Germans were
careful to leave some landing areas undamaged
and, when the bombers turned for home, scores
of Junkers 52s, which strong fighter escorts,
dropped thousands of tough and experienced
paratroops. The seizure of Holland had begun
and would be completed in a matter of days.
When the storm broke there were six Hurricane
squadrons in France. Within twenty four hours
three more Hurricane squadrons had flown to
France, and a fourth on 12th May.
As the terrible German combination of
aeroplanes and armour blasted and punched
their way through the Low Countries and into

France, fighter pilots of four countries took on

the Messerschmitts as best they could. But
the French were poorly placed in their ageing
Moranes, and Our fighting unit was the tight
vic of three fighters, and squadron training was
based on six types of formation attacks against
unescorted bombers. These set-piece attacks,
although excellent for precision flying and
squadron discipline, were useless in combat.
Tactically the German Fighter Arm was well
ahead of Fighter Command mainly because of
their young fighter pilots like Mlders, Galland,
and Wiecke, had fought and gained valuable
experience, since 1936, with the German Condor
Legion in Spain. The German fighter pilots soon
realised that the speed of their 109s made close
formations impracticable for combat. The large
turning circle of the curving fighters dictated
that a loose pattern was the only method by
which individual pilots could hold their position
in the turn and keep a sharp look-out at the
same time. The high closing speeds, especially
from head-on positions, made it essential to
pick out and identify the enemy aircraft as soon
as possible, so that the leader could work his
way into a good attacking position. The simple
requirement was for a loose, open type of
combat formation with the various aeroplanes
flying a separated heights which would permit
individual pilots to cover each other and search
a greater area of sky than before.
There were many Messerschmitts and few
Hurricanes, and the Stukas had a splendid time
when those screaming dive-bombers seemed to
have a personal antagonism towards everyone
on the ground. For it seemed that disaster
came with the Stukas; that after the divebombing and machine-gunning the tanks rolled
on and on through France. The Stukas spelled
death, confusion, and terror. The dive bombers
were not part of the Blitzkrieg, they were the
Blitzkrieg.
The Stukas usually flew in large numbers
escorted by twin-engined Messerschmitt 110s
and higher 109s. Other enemy bombers were
also heavily escorted and packs of free ranging
109s roved well out on the flanks. Hurricane

pilots thus found themselves fighting for their

lives before they could get at the bombers; for
they were so few and the odds so great four
Hurricanes against thirty Domiers and twelve
109s, eight against sixty Stukas and 109s,
three against one hundred Stukas and sixty
109s. Many Hurricanes were shot down before
they could get at the bombers.
France was disintegrating before the onslaught.
The British Expeditionary Force had begun a
fighting withdrawal that was to end at Dunkirk,
and what remained of the Hurricane squadrons
were ordered back to England. Nearly two
hundred destroyed or damaged Hurricanes
were left behind, and these represented onequarter of Fighter Commands strength of
modern fighters. Dowdings home-based force
of some forty squadrons was well short of the
fifty-two he thought necessary to defend these
islands, but he was under much pressure to
send more squadrons to France, where, without
the backing of a proper system of air defence,
they would have fared like their predecessors.
Dowding was allowed to plead his case before
the War Cabinet, who no doubt had to strike
some balance between moral support for
France and unsound military measures, for
Dowding felt his audience was not sympathetic
to his views; after some time he produced a
graph showing the wastage rate of Hurricanes,
placed this before the Prime Minister and said,
If the present rate of wastage continues for
another fortnight, we shall not have a single
Hurricane left in France or in this country. On
the following day Fighter Command sent the
equivalent of a further four squadrons to France
but these, the Cabinet decided, were to be the
last fighter reinforcements.
So far the Messerschmitt 109E had proved to
have a decided advantage over the Hurricane 1,
since the enemy fighter was faster, had a higher
ceiling and better armament. Now, however, the
two great antagonists of the air war Spitfire
and Messerschmitt clashed for the first time
as Dowdings home-based Spitfire squadrons
patrolled over Dunkirk to help bring home the
bulk of the B.E.F.

At Dunkirk the initiative lay with the Luftwaffe

because no one could anticipate the timing of
the attacks and enemy bombers could rapidly
concentrate over the town. For all that the
radars in England constantly saw large gaggles,
RAF airfields in Kent were too far away for
fighters to intercept from ground readiness; and
when the bombers came in low there was no
radar warning whatsoever. Accordingly Air Vice
Marshal Keith park, a tall lean New Zealander,
thrice decorated for gallantry in the First War
and now commanding 11 Group, had no option
but to resort to the wasteful system of standing
patrols, and each of his thirty-two fighter
squadrons flew up and down the beaches at
16,000 feet or so for forty minutes and, in
theory, was then relieved.
Occasionally a squadron fought immediately
it arrived near Dunkirk, and the pilots, having
used all their ammunition, withdrew to re-arm.
Sometimes RAF formation leaders attacked
such large numbers that all that a few Spitfires
could hope for was one pass at the bombers
before the 109s were upon them. Park therefore
increased the strength of his patrols to two
squadrons, and later to four squadrons, but
this meant even longer periods when the men
below were without fighter protection and had
to suffer heavy bomber and a murderous hail of
machine-gun fire.
1st June, 1940, was a fine summers evening.
The first 11 Group patrol met masses of
Stukas and Messerschmitts and was fought to
a standstill. The second patrol saw nothing,
but the third intercepted Stukas who had
already bombed and straffed our shipping. The
third patrol fought three times its number of
Messerschmitts, but after the Spitfires withdrew
another damaging German attack ravaged the
shipping off-shore.
On 4th June the long agony ended, and the last
men to leave Dunkirk sailed under a cover of
fog and fighter squadrons. Operation Dynamo,
one of the most desperate combined operations
in our long history, was over.

Mlders often fought over Dunkirk, where

the Defiant, a two-seater fighter, gave him a
nasty shock because it had a four-gun power
operated turret which had a good arc of fire
on either flank. At a range of half a mile the
Defiant looked not unlike a Hurricane and when,
during its first combats, the Germans allowed
it to come alongside, it gained a spectacular
but shortlived success. But the turret proved
little compensation for the Defiants indifferent
performance; the Germans soon had its
measure and, like the Lysander and the Battle,
it was fought out of the sky.
Mlders sometimes bounced a few spitfires
who, flying in their neat, tight vics, failed to see
the German ace in the sun; but once the RAF
pilots had broken out of their pitiful formations
they fought with a skill and determination which
Molders had never met Uke the Hurricane, the
Spitfires could not fly as high as his 109 E.
and he could out-dive both British fighters, but
when he stayed for the close fighting he found
the Spitfire could out-tum him.
Mlders, with twenty-five victories, and Galland,
with seventeen victories, were each
awarded the Knighfs Cross and promoted. The
RAFs top scorer in France, with some fourteen
victories, was Flying Officer Cobber Kain, 73
Squadron, a happy, strapping, fearless boy
from tremendous odds, and showed that man
for man, RAF fighter pilots could stand up to the
best of the Luftwaffe.
The Thin Blue Line
Now Hitler was master of Europe, German
grand strategy relied on Operation Sealion by
which Hitler aimed to conquer Britain within
the next few months; first of all the Royal Air
Force (like the Continental Air Forces) would be
destroyed, then invasion, and the destruction
of our shattered armies on our own soil. Thus,
with the western seaboard secured, a neutral
America, the added industrial power of the
conquered nations, and Europe held by the
vicious and nauseating Gestapo, the German
legions could turn to the east and deal with
their arch enemy, Russia.

The strategy of Operation Sealion was to be

that of the recent campaign in the Low Countries
and France, but on a far greater scale. There
would be massive attacks against the R.A.F.,
the Channel would be a major river crossing,
and the German Armies, well supported by the
Luftwaffe, would, as before, carry all before
them.
By the end of July the Luftwaffe forces poised
to crush Britain compromised 2,600 aeroplanes
of which 1,200 were bombers, 280 Stukas and
980 fighters. This was a formidable force, much
bigger than its adversary, but it had two fatal
flaws.
The proportion of bombers to fighters showed
that Reichmarshal Herman Gring clearly
underestimated the forthcoming fight for air
superiority over the Channel and southern
England; he, and other in the German High
Command, thought that Fighter Command
would be crushed in a matter of days and his
bombers would then be free to roam over
England, blasting all before them, and paving
the way for the great armoured thrusts. The
proportion of supporting fighters to the bombers
should have been at least three to one.
The second serious omission was the lack of
radar deployed on the French coast. Enemy
bomber and fighter formations would not be
guided by radar, nor would their leaders have
any knowledge of Fighter Commands reaction.
These two failings proved to be the beginning of
their undoing. The rest was provided by Fighter
Commands radar shield, resolute leadership
by the commander-in-chief, brilliant tactical
handling by the 11 Group commander, Keith
Park, and the courage and determination of
the young fighter leaders Malan, Tuck, Bader,
Broadhurst, Beamish, the brothers Dundas,
Holden, Crowley-Milling, Kingaby, Lacey, Deere,
Cunningham, and others of the ilk.
The Battle of Britain divided itself broadly
into four phases the attack on shipping,
ports, coastal airfields and radar stations; the
onslaught against inland fighter airfields; the

bombing of London; and finally, the fighterbomber encounters mostly at high altitude.
Dowding clearly saw that during the July
attacks against shipping the Luftwaffe was
far less interesting in sinking ships than in
bringing our fighters to battle in conditions
which favoured the attacker. This probing and
sparring continued for more than a month with
little satisfaction to the Germans, their Stuka
pilots receiving rough treatment at the hands of
our Hurricanes and Spitfires.
By mid-August the Luftwaffe had sunk a number
of small ships and four destroyers but at a cost
of 296 aeroplanes. Though we lost 148 fighters
- just one weeks factory production - this
preliminary fighting gave Dowding and Keith
Park, the opportunity to perfect their defensive
arrangements, and by the beginning of August
the Command, with 55 squadrons, could call on
a total of 1,434 fighter pilots.
On 12th August Gring launched the first strike
at our radar stations on the south coast, causing
more alarm than damage. For the installations
were vital to our defences. All suffered damage
but only one was wrecked, and the following
day all but one were repaired and again helping
identify German bombers at a range of 110
miles.
13th August, coded Eagle Day, saw heavy
raids against southern ports and airfields, the
enemy trying to destroy our aircraft and vital
communications on the ground. But their
intelligence was poor: of the eleven airfields
attacked only one was a fighter station. These
raids intensified, the size of the enemy bomber
formations increased, but the Stuka losses
mounted to the point where, on 18th August,
Gring withdrew them from the battle losing
one-quarter of the German bomber strength.
At the same time the Reichsmarschal gave
orders that fighter escorts should fly close to
the bombers; a stupid order which restricted
the German fighter pilots freedom of action
and incensed Galland and Mlders.
Parks 11 Group squadrons usually fought singly

because there was no time to form them into

wings, however the Leigh-Mallorys squadrons
based in Cambridgeshire, with greater advance
warning, put into practice Douglas Baders strong
views about meeting strength with strength.
Heading south from Duxford leading three, four
and sometimes five fighter squadrons, Baders
wings inflicted much damage on the bombers.
The incessant bombing of our sector airfields,
with their operations rooms and essential
communications, was the most critical phase of
the battle and by early September the damage
was having a serious effect on the fighting
efficiency of Keith Parks 11 group. The fighting
was furious and during a four day period we
shot down 106 enemy aircraft losing 101 of our
own pilots.
We were losing pilots at a rate of about 120
every week and with our operational training
units producing only sixty-five inexperienced
fighter pilots each week it was obvious to
Dowding and Park they were fighting a battle
of diminishing returns. If the Luftwaffe kept
up this it was only a question of time before
the Germans dominated the air over Southern
England.
Fortunately at this point the conduct of that battle
changed. On the night of the 24th/25th August
the first the first bombs fell on central London
and Winston Churchill ordered a retaliation
raids against Berlin. Hitler raged demanding
immediate reprisals, shouting in an hysterical
broadcast: If they attack our cities, we will rub
out their cities from the map Gring eagerly
responded, diverting his bombing tactics away
from the vital fighter bases, to concentrate on
London.
It was the crux of the Battle and its turning point,
giving Park the opportunity to repair his battered
airfields and restore his communications so
that when, on Sunday, 15th September, Gring
made his maximum effort to saturate our
defences with massive raids on London and the
south coast cities, the Luftwaffe was routed. In
the morning raids thirty Germans were brought
down at a cost of seven R.A.F. pilots, and with

heavy fighting continuing into the afternoon

R.A.F pilots claimed a further fifty-nine bombers
and twenty-one fighters destroyed at a cost of
just eleven of our fighters.
The Germans were harried by Spitfires and
Hurricanes as they withdrew across the
Channel, bombers struggling back to France,
some on one engine, badly shot-up with
many crew members dead or injured. At the
debriefings the bomber captains complained
bitterly of incessant Hurricane and Spitfire
attacks from squadrons that, according to their
own intelligence and Berlin radio had long
ceased to exist.
The fighting on this day clinched the victory,
and two days later, on Hitlers instruction, the
German invasion fleet left the Channel ports and
Operation Sealion was permanently cancelled.
The daylight offensive against London continued
for another six weeks but from the beginning of
October enemy bombers only operated at night.
Though the Blitz, in all its fury, was upon us, the
daylight offensive passed to enemy fighters and
fighter bombers. These raids, flown at great
heights and taking every advantage of cloud
cover, set Dowding new problems about high
altitude interception, but they achieved little
else, and Fighter Command continued along the
path of recovery.
In the Dark
During the early evening of 14th November,
1940, a dozen Heinkel bombers crossed
the south coast. By following a radio beam
intersected at known intervals by two crossbeams the navigators made good their tracks,
found the speed and direction of the wind, and
calculated their ground speed; armed with this
information they knew the exact moments to
drop their bombs over Coventry.
Shortly after 8 oclock, on that bright moonlit
night, the incendiaries rained down and kindled
fires to guide more than 400 bombers, who,
in steady streams from the east and south,
pounded the target with high explosive,
parachute mines, and more incendiaries until
just before dawn. From the air the old place
looked stricken beyond repair, and the wretched
scene somehow fitted the word coined by the

Germans to describe the attack coventrated.

During the ten-hour raid fighter command
flew well over one hundred defensive sorties,
but only seven German planes were seen. Two
Blenheims opened fire without success, the
anti-aircraft gunners claimed two destroyed.
Thus began the worst winter yet endured
in Britains long history. The Coventry raid
marked the peak of the Luftwaffes power to
make devastating attacks against out cities,
and also represented the nadir of our night
defences. Attacks swiftly followed against
London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester and
Cardiff until it seemed to the citizens of those
cities that darkness and the enemy approached
together to bring yet another night of fire and
death.
Gring had found that the heavy losses off the
daylight battles were reduced to practically
nil when he operated his bombers at night.
He had more than seven hundred serviceable
aeroplanes, each carrying over a ton of bombs.
Training in night bombing and navigation,
started long before the war, enabled the bomber
force to operate round the clock. The Luftwaffe
already had Knickebein, and now a new and
improved beam, used on the Coventry raid, was
ready.
These beams were not sufficiently accurate to
enable a bomber to hit, say, a particular factory,
but they made it possible, whatever the weather
over the target, to hit a town or city, for their
average bombing error was about half a mile.
Further, dozens of radio beacons were available
on the Continent, and enemy navigators could
either home to the beacons or fix their positions
from them. In fact the Luftwaffe had developed
a reliable airways system which allowed them
to keep the pressure on Britain from their great
string of airfields during the winter months.
Their offensive was not confined to bombing, for
some crews, in Junkers 88s, flew on intruder
operations when they patrolled airfields in
East Anglia and Yorkshire, and attacked R.A.F.
bombers as they returned from their raids.

On 25th November, 1940, Sholto Douglas

replaced Dowding and the new commander
in chief turned his attention to improving our
night defences, for after the victorious daylight
battles of the previous months the man in the
street found it hard to understand why the
Germans enjoyed such a free hand at night.
In the simplest terms it was because neither
fighters nor guns possessed a fraction of
their daytime efficiency. One reason for this
was largely the lack of inland radars. Once a
bomber crossed the coast, the Observer Corps
were responsible for tracking its progress. But
ground observers could not see through thick
cloud at night, and the Prime Minister of the
day aptly described the handover from radar to
Observer Corps tracking as a transition from
the middle of the twentieth century to the early
Stone Age.
The pilot of a night fighter worked more
intimately with the ground controller than did
the day fighter, for the latter could see gaggles
of 109s ten miles or more away; but on dark
nights a pilot could not see another aeroplane
unless it was flying at the same height, and
depending on visibility, within a range of one
hundred to about 1,000 yards.
The technique of night interception was to
plot the tracks of enemy bombers at sector
operation rooms, where the sector controller
assigned particular raids to other controllers
at new radar stations, known as ground
controlled interception (G.C.I.) stations. Here,
the specialist controller called in a night fighter
from its patrol line and, by instructing the pilot
to steer different headings, he juggled with the
two returns, or blips, on his radar scope until
the night fighter was about three miles astem
of the bomber, when the radar operator in the
fighter, could also see the enemy blip on his
radar display. By giving directions to his pilot
the radar operator narrowed the gap between
friend and foe, until the pilot saw the bomber
looming up like a lamp-post on a foggy night.
Then the fighter pilot slowly eased into the
ideal firing position, from behind and below, so
that he stalked a dark object against the the
lighter background of the sky, and at the same

time the enemy gunners in the bomber had to

search against the difficult, black back-ground
of the land. Having got to a position some two
hundred yards behind, but still below, the fighter
pilot opened his throttles, climbed, watched the
bomber sink slowly into his illuminated gunsight, pressed the firing button, and saw his
cannon shells tear the bomber apart. Then, if
trade was brisk, the G.C.I. Controller sent him
after another bandit, or handed him back to
the sector controller for homing to his airfield.
So much for the theory. What for the practice
during the bleak winter.
Five hundred well-trained fighters would not
have stopped the enemy bombers dead in their
tracks. They would, however, have made the
Germans think again. But Fighter Command
had less than a dozen squadrons. Of these, six
were twin-engined Blenheims, which, carrying
a belly pack of four Brownings, were transferred
to night fighting not because the aeroplane
was suitable, but because it could not exist
by day. Fortunately, two of these squadrons
were receiving the new Beaufighter, but it was
not until the spring of 1941 that all were reequipped. The Defiants, too, had been switched
to night fighting for much the same reason
as the Blenheims; three Hurricane squadrons
completed the night force. Even on a bright,
moonlit night the efficiency of these squadrons
was not high.
Fully realising their tremendous responsibilities,
the night fighters took appalling risks to try to
stop some of the bombers. Weather forecasting
was unreliable, and the crews were often
caught out by rapid and unpredicted weather
deteriorations which cut down visibility and
made it impossible for them to grope their
way back to their feebly illuminated airfields.
Radios often failed, and the crews desperately
required navigational and airfield approach aids
that would get them back to their bases and
help them to carry out a safe approach and
landing. There were few runways at this time,
and it was not an easy matter to land a ten-ton
aeroplane safely on wet, slippery grass. During
these early months of the winter the deadliest
enemy was the weather, for more crews were

lost to low cloud, fog, ice, and freezing rain than

to enemy action.
As the cities burned, the more experienced
members of Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons
patrolled over the target when it was known
that the German beam was on a particular
city. Separated by five hundred feet, the pilots
flew a few thousand feet above the shell bursts
and relied on the sector controller to keep the
Beaufighters away. Flying in bright moonlight, a
good day fighter found little difficulty in takingoff, navigating, and landing; but occasionally
they were sent off in foul weather and were
profoundly thankful to get down in one piece.
One or two determined and reckless types
destroyed a few bombers by prowling among
the heaviest gun-fire, but it only taught the
remainder to appreciate the problems of
fighting at night.
The grave problems of night defence exercised
some of the best brains in the country, and
many schemes were pressed forward with
great speed. Long aerial mines, consisting of
a parachute suspending a small bomb, could
be dropped to form a barrier ahead of the
bombers: likewise a curtain of bombs could be
hung from drifting balloons, but both failed,
simply because the bombers could approach
the target from any direction. One night twentyfour R.A.F. bombers patrolled over Birmingham
to try to get at the raiders, yet, despite many
sightings, they were too slow and cumbersome
to fire at the Germans.
A lot of time and energy was spent in fitting
search-lights on to twin-engined, radarequipped aeroplanes that would patrol with
a Hurricane in close formation on either side.
This Turbinlite aeroplane would operate like a
Beaufighter except that when it reached a good
range the searchlight would be switched on and
the Hurricanes would attack. The idea, however,
suffered from the fact that once the searchlight
was switched on it gave the game away; for
surprise, the essence of fighting by day or
night, was immediately lost,. Other schemes of
a more passive nature, including decoy fires and
dummy airfields, attracted a small proportion

of the enemy effort, and an increasing number

of German crews were baffled by the hamming
and the distortion of their radio beams.
Gradually, after months of perseverance and
ingenuity, of heartbreak and despair, things
began to improve. Beaufighters replaced
Blenheims. More squadrons were formed.
Runways with improved lighting were built, and
night flying became less dangerous as better
radios, beacons, blind approach, and landing
aids made their appearance.
More G.C.I. Stations came on to the air,
but, since each controller could only handle
interceptions simultaneously, the system
could easily be saturated, especially if the
bombers came in thick and fast. The number
of Beaufighters that could be closely controlled
was strictly limited at any one time, and this
was a severe handicap against a concentrated
raid. Other Beaufighters free-lanced at the
discretion of sector controllers and, at long last,
both closely controlled and free-lancing night
fighters got the contacts, and the mounting
claims, especially those of john Cunningham
and his A.I. Operator, Jimmy Rawnsley, inspired
the whole force.
The anti-aircraft gunners, too, were able to fire
more accurately as radar sets reached both antiaircraft and searchlight units, for they destroyed
almost one hundred enemy aeroplanes in the
first five months of 1941. Counter-measures,
including jamming and rebroadcasting, against
the German beams improved to the extent
that the enemy no longer set up his beams the
afternoon before the attack, except to fool the
defence, but waited until the bombers were
on their way. Fighter command, not content
to remain always on the defensive, copied
the Luftwaffe and formed a special Blenheim
intruder squadron to patrol over enemy airfields
and attack bombers as they landed or took-off;
these aeroplanes were not allowed to carry
radar, lest a set should fall in German hands,
and although the squadron did not immediately
gain spectacular results, it laid important
foundations for this highly specialised form of
long-range air fighting.

10th May, 1941, six months after the Coventry

raid, was another bright, moonlit night and saw
the biggest enemy night attack of the Second
War when more than five hundred sorties were
flown against London. Day fighters defended
the capital, and the total claims were twentyeight, but, according to their records, the
Luftwaffe only lost eight bombers, and of these
one crashed on take-off. Such an attrition rate,
of less than two per cent, would never deter
the Luftwaffe and it, with the coming of the
good spring weather, they were ready to begin
intensive, round-the-clock attacks, Britain was
in for another rough time.
The Luftwaffe was indeed ready to move into
top gear, but Hitler was set upon the destruction
of Soviet Russia, and the panzers were already
deploying between the Baltic and the Black
Sea. Blitzkrieg in the east called for the usual
reconnaissance, bombing, and close support,
and almost two-thirds of the Luftwaffes combat
units were soon established in secret along the
Russian front. From time to time the bombers
would return, but the long ordeal was over.
Even with its beams, skilled pathfinders and
ingenious tactics, the Luftwaffe was not capable
of night precision bombing, and had resorted
to indiscriminate bombing of cities to try to
stop industrial production and to break the
nations spirit; had the enemy possessed more
powerful bombs, the story might well have been
different. The industrial war effort suffered,
but not desperately, and the peoples morale
was far better than during the Zeppelin raids
of the First War. The mass bombing caused
much distress and suffering, but the man-inthe-street thought only of hitting back and,
eventually, when Bomber Command got into its
stride, his wish was fulfilled a thousandfold.
Reaching Out
Throughout 1941 the air defence system was
improved in accordance with the experience
gained in the Battle of Britain. The number of
operational fighter groups grew from five to
seven, and the number of fighter squadrons
was increased to seventy-nine. Squadrons were

organised into wings, each of three squadrons,

and wing commanders were appointed to lead
these formations of thirty-six fighters. We had
learned, the hard way, about the wretched vic
of three and now our basic fighting unit was the
pair, two pairs combining to make the fingerfour.
11 Group, now commanded by the genial
Leigh-Mallory, had an abundance of talent to
lead the new wings, including Douglas Bader at
Tangmere, and Sailor Malan at Biggin Hill.
In the spring of 1941 Fighter Command was
poised for more defensive fighting, but the
enemy daylight bombing was not resumed
so our fighter wings began to lean forward
across the channel and over northern France.
Sometimes our fighters sweeps were opposed
by the Messerschmitts, but we were not seriously
challenged since thirty-six Spitfires flying over
the Pas de Calais at 25,000 feet did not offer any
serious threat Galland and his chaps, based at
St. Omer, could please themselves whether or
not to seek combat.
It was therefore decided that some bait must be
offered to the skulking 109s to lure them into
the air and the bait was to be a dozen Blenheim
bombers heavily escorted by four wings of
fighters, with other wings free-lancing on the
flanks of the bee-hive, providing diversionary,
forward, target support, and withdrawal cover.
On these Circus operations the bombers would
amass over their own airfields.
On 27th September, 1941, the Circus operation
was directed against the marshalling yards at
Amiens. It was a routine affair, except for one
thing. Several pilots reported the presence of
radial-engined fighters which seemed faster
than the 109s and completely out-climbed our
Spitfire Vs. Soon it was confirmed that the
Focke-Wulf 190, designed by Kurt Tank, was in
service.
The Focke-Wulf 190 completely out-classed our
Spitfire Vs and was supreme in the skies over
France and the Channel. Our new fighter, the
Hawker Typhoon, was suffering from teething

troubles. Two tons heavier than the Spitfire V

the Typhoon had a disappointing performance at
high altitude, which was a serious disadvantage
because a good high flying performance was the
essential quality for air superiority. The Typhoon
was finally vindicated and gave yeoman service
in the ground attack role.
In the summer of 1942, enemy fighter-bomber
units flew to bases in northern France and
began to make fast low-level attacks against
coastal targets. Their tactics were to fly a few
feet above the sea, where radar could not detect
them until the last minute, to drop their bombs
on pre-selected targets, and to get away out to
sea. Because of the lack of radar warning they
were very difficult to intercept and although
Typhoon squadrons were moved to forward
airfields they had little success against the fast
low raiders.
That year, 1942, was also marked by the night
revenge bombing of our old non-industrial
cities as listed in Baedecker. Exeter was the
first target followed by raids against Bath,
Norwich, York, Exeter again, Cowes, Hull and
Canterbury. By mid summer our night fighters,
with their splendid new Moquitos and improved
airborne radars, had shot down some forty of
the raiders. In four raids, during late July, the
attackers lost twenty-seven bombers to the
night fighters and anti-aircraft guns, which
was welcome evidence that the Command
was plugging the gap in night defence. Soon
afterwards the Allies landed in North Africa and
the night attacks petered out as the slender
German bomber force was transferred from the
west to the Mediterranean.
Dieppe
The security of Operation Jubilee, the
disastrous combined assault against Dieppe,
was appalling, for in mid-July it was common
knowledge that the Canadians were to make a
big raid on the French coast.
The troops were originally embarked on the
2nd and 3rd July and sealed on board their
ships. High-ranking officers visited the various
ships and all the troops were fully briefed.

The operation was cancelled because of the

weather and the troops were disembarked, but
not before the Luftwaffe had attacked the ships
lying in Yarmouth Roads near the west end of
the Solent.
The Canadian historian says: As the troops
had been fully informed of the objective of the
proposed raid, and once they left the ships
it would no longer be possible to maintain
complete
secrecy,
General
Montgomery
recommended that the operation should now
be off for all time.
Now, six weeks later, the operation was on
again. More than 6,000 troops, of whom about
5,000 were Canadians, would take part in the
assault, the stated objectives of which were to
destroy enemy defences, airfield installations,
radar stations, power stations, dock and rail
facilities; to capture enemy invasion barges and
prisoners and remove secret documents from
an enemy headquarters.
My squadron, 610, formed part of the wing
led by Jamie Jameson, a great air fighter
from New Zealand. On our first patrol over
Dieppe, just after dawn, we were savagely
attacked by higher Focke-Wulf 109s and in our
inferior Spitfire Vs we were sorely pressed. My
wingman, South Creagh from Australia was
shot down, and I was lucky to get back after a
fierce running combat with a 190.
Most fighter wings flew four times that day and
the Luftwaffe had the better of the air fighting
for German pilots shot down two of our fighters
for every one lost to them a fair indication of
the superiority of the 190.
The close-support operations of Hurricanes and
Typhoons were not effective because tactical
aircraft can rarely participate successfully in
close-locked, hand-to-hand fighting of this
nature. In later years we devised tactics and
communications whereby our forward ground
troops were able to indicate precision targets,
and in Italy attacks were successfully carried
out against enemy troops occupying houses
on the other side of the street from our own

soldiers. But these facilities were not available

at Dieppe. When Leigh-Mallory asked for a
situation report, the reply was: Situation too
obscure to file useful report.
Tactically the Dieppe raid must be regarded
as a complete failure, for none of its stated
objectives were achieved in full measure. It is
a record of poor security, of faulty intelligence,
of inadequate communications between air
and ground, of a confused and bloody ground
situation over which central coordination could
not be exercised. It is a story of great gallantry
and heavy loss of life, and the record of the
(Canadian) Essex Scottish, who brought back
52 personnel, of whom 28 were wounded, out
of a force of 553, gives some indication of the
desperate situation on the ground. Perhaps
Chester Wilmot made the best assessment of
the operation when he stated: the Dieppe raid
yielded bloody warning of the strength of the
Atlantic wall.
Fortunately for we fighter pilots, a much
improved Spitfire was at hand; this was the
Spitfire IX powered by a 1600 h.p. Rolls Royce
Merlin engine fitted with a two-speed, two stage
supercharger that maintained the power at high
altitude. It had a speed of 408 m.p.h. at 25,000
feet and, at long last, we had a slight edge
over the FW 190. The Spitfire IX was a splendid
defensive fighter and it formed the backbone of
Fighter Command until the end of the war.
It was not until the spring of 1943 that I was
able to fly this latest product from a great
stable. I was promoted to lead the Kenley
(Canadian) Wing and soon found the great
tactical advantage of the Spitfire IX was that,
apart from its longer nose and more exhaust
stacks, in the air it looked very similar to the old
Spitfire V. Thus, enemy fighter pilots would not
know whether they were tackling the inferior
V or the superior IX. We exploited this tactical
advantage and soon settled some old scores
with the 190s.
Seven League Boots
From their bases in East Anglia the Flying
Fortresses of the United States Army Air Force

were getting into their stride and we began to

escort these day bombers as they reached out
over France, Holland and Belgium, and soon
into the heartland of Germany. On their early
missions the Luftwaffe reacted in strength and
our fighter wings had some stiff fighting. But
the Fortresses had a range far greater than that
of our Spitfires and so we had to leave them at
the German border in the hands of their own
longer-range escorts of Republic Thunderbolts
and Lockheed Lightnings.
The sturdy Thunderbolts escorted their bombers
far beyond the radius of action of our Spitfires.
Sometimes the Fortresses and Liberators made
long penetrations beyond the range of their
own fighter escort: it was on some of these
operations that the Luftwaffe reacted with
uncanny skill, and in one black week almost
150 bombers were lost together with their
crews. Despite these setbacks, the Americans
never lost sight of their goal and eventually
attained it through their characteristic energy
and perseverance.
The bomber formations grew in size and
strength, and some of the Fortresses were
modified to carry more guns; but the selfdefence experiment was unsuccessful. Their
fighters were then fitted with special long-range
tanks and the Thunderbolt was given a radius
of action of almost 400 miles, while that of the
Lightnings was increased to nearly 600 miles.
Eventually the single-engined Mustang made
its appearance over Germany; this beautiful
little fighter could fly as far as the bombers. The
Spitfire, the supreme fighter, could have had
the range to take part in this epic contest had it
not been for some blinkered minds in Whitehall
who thought only of defence.
D-Day and the V-Weapons
Towards the end of 1943 planning for D-Day
was well advance. Leigh-Mallory handed over
the Command, now approaching the zenith
of its might and power, to Roderick Hill who
would have the supreme task of coordinating
and controlling the new Second Tactical Air
Force until its fighters and radars were safely
located in France. Many wings were transferred

to the Second Tactical Air Force and Fighter

Commands name was changed, regrettably, to
that of Air Defence of Great Britain.
The existence of German pilotless weapons had
long been suspected and in the late summer
of 1943 many concrete launching pads were
constructed inland of the Channel coast; these
were called Crossbow sites and the German
aim was to fire 500 a day against London.
This plan, however, was frustrated by heavy,
medium, and fighter-bomber attacks against
the sites and it was not until after D-Day that
the first flying bomb fell on London.
Magnitude, simultaneity, and violence were,
said Winston Churchill, the essential ingredients
for the successful invasion of Europe.
On D-Day these requirements were met in
full for besides the colossal power of Bomber
Command and the Eighth Air Force, we had a
tactical air armada of 9,210 aeroplanes. This
vast force as directed from a combined control
centre at Uxbridge where, less than four years
before, when the Battle of Britain had reached
its zenith, Keith Park had told Winston Churchill
that he had no fighter squadrons in reserve.
On the early morning of Tuesday, 6th June, I
led my Canadian Wing of thirty-six Spitfires
across the choppy, grey Channel to patrol the
eastern flank of the assault beaches. The cloud
base was about 2,000 feet and the visibility
between five and six miles, which meant that
a great many aeroplanes were compressed into
a small air space. I called the Wing Leader of
the Spitfires we were about to relieve and told
him we were on our patrol line. Had he seen
any enemy fighters? Not a bloody thing, he
replied, but theres plenty of ours milling about
and the flak is pretty hot. I called the fighter
direction ship below and asked if there were
any plots of Hun formations. The controller
came back with the guarded reply that for the
moment he had nothing for me.
We swept parallel to the coast beneath a leaden
sky, and I positioned the wing a few hundreds
yards off-shore so that the enemy gunners
could not range our Spitfires. We were forced

down to a low altitude by the intermittent cloud.

The air space became dangerously crowded
as fighters, fighter-bombers, light bombers,
medium bombers, reconnaissance aeroplanes
and gun spotters twisted and turned above the
grey, choppy sea. The danger was not from the
Luftwaffe, but from a mid-air collision!
Four times that day we made our way across the
Channel and never a sign of an enemy aeroplane.
My pilots were bitterly disappointed with the
Luftwaffes failure to make an appearance on
this day one of the most momentous in our
long history of war. But the truth was that the
once-vaunted Luftwaffe was crumbling into
defeat on all fronts beaten into the ground by
the might of Allied air power.
A few days later my Canadian Spitfire Wing was
based in France. We had left the static airfields
of Fighter Command and now belonged to the
flexible Second Tactical Air Force which had
its own mobile radars and engineers to build
airfields. Soon we would breakout of Normandy
and begin the long, buccaneering, exciting trek
that, in the following spring, would take us to
the Baltic but that is another story.
In the early hours of 13th June, 1944, the
first flying bomb fell on London and Hill faced
a great challenge; his defence plan included a
belt of anti-aircraft guns on the North Downs
and a concentrated balloon defence around the
south-east of London; similar arrangements
were made at Bristol and Southampton.
Fighters would patrol off the coast at 12,000
feet whenever Divers were expected and
would have plenty of space to intercept, before
the robots reached the guns.
On the night of 15th June 244 Divers left the
ramps in France. Forty-five crashed soon after
launching; 144 crossed the English coast and of
these seventy-two reached Greater London. A
further fifty were fired at Southampton.
The V.1. carried 1,870 pounds of high explosive
and it was set to fly between 1000 and 4000
feet. Its speed increased steadily from 200
mph after launch to about 400 mph when it

reached London. The auto pilot controlled the

course; another device cut-off the engine and
at the same time depressed the elevators thus
causing this unpleasant weapon to dive into the
ground.
Our air defence against the flying bombs
consisted of Spitfire IXs and XIVs, Typhoons,
Tempests, Mustangs, and Mosquitos. Between
mid-June and mid-July these squadrons had to
contend with about 3,000 robots which reached
the defence coverage; of these the fighters
destroyed more than 900, the guns and balloons
over 300, some went astray, about 1,200 fell
on London, and twenty-five on Portsmouth and
Southampton.
The flying bomb was not easy to shoot down
because it was as fast, near the target area, as
our best fighters and presented a small target
(about half the size of a Spitfire). It could fly in
any weather and sometimes when attacked it
would explode and engulf the overtaking fighter.
Fortunately many launching sites were captured
when our armies entered the broad plains of
France and at the beginning of September it
seemed that the contest was over. However,
more flying bombs were launched, well out
at sea, from Heinkel bombers and Junker
transports; these small and spasmodic attacks
went on for some time and the last struggles
against the flying bombs were fought at night
as the launching aircraft could not get near our
coasts by day.
On 8th September, 1944, shortly before sunset,
there was a loud explosion at Chiswick followed
by the sound of some object rushing through the
air - the long expected V.2. had arrived to further
challenge the defenders. There was little the
Command could do about these rockets except
to join with Bomber Command and the Second
Tactical Air Force in heavy, concentrated attacks
against the launching pads and all components
of the system. For a short time England was
subjected to her last ordeal as about half the
V.2.s fired fell in the greater London area.
In the spring of 1945 Allied forces crossed

the Rhine and the demented Fuehrer raved

in his bunker that would soon become his
mausoleum. But there was still the possibility of
some suicide attack on England and so Fighter
Command, again wearing its honoured name,
watched and waited as it had since those far-off
days of 1939.
It had been a long hard road but, thanks to
Dowding, the base was firm and withstood the
onslaught during the four critical months of 1940
when the command held the fate of the country,
and perhaps of the civilized world, in its hands.
Few men in history have had the tremendous
responsibility shouldered by Stuffy Dowding
throughout the battle. His pilots knew that
behind that bleak and melancholy countenance
was a man utterly devoted to his Service and
his Country. His moral courage and integrity
came through our simple chain of command
and produced that priceless pearl high morale
the most important single factor in the Battle
of Britain.
Fighter Command had flown a wide variety of
missions small formations of hard-pressed
Hurricanes and Spitfires, the vigil of the
lonely night fighter, the daring of the intruder,
dangerous low-level rhubarbs, big wings
and multiples of big wings on the offensive,
essential reconnaissance flights, and thousands
of fighter-bomber operations to pave the way
for D-Day. Day in, day out; year in, year out,
the Command had never rested.
The fighter pilots of Fighter Command were
quick, responsive, proud, highly strung,
young in years twenty five was maturity
and thirty was old age and brought to near
perfection a form of warfare invented by their
fathers. No less than 3,690 command aircrew
had fallen over the years, and they and their
contemporaries had proved themselves to be
worthy descendants of that generation of whom
the first Queen Elizabeth spoke three and a half
centuries before: Even our enemies hold our
nature resolute and valiant, and whensoever
they shall make an attempt against us, I doubt
not but we shall have the greater glory.

SOl A ,A

CBE, DFC, DL, Comp.T.!., JP

I always wished to fly and joined the R.A.F.V.R. as a Sergeant Pilot in the
Spring of 1939. I started flying training on Tiger Moths on 24th June that year.
I recommenced training in 1940 on Magisters and Harvards. I then moved to 7
O.T.U. at Hawarden and was introduced to the Spitfire I. I never experienced
anything like the surge and power of the aircraft-I was haUWay across
Liverpool before I got the wheels up!
Ijoined 610 Sqn. at Acklington in October 1940 and was later posted to 616
Sqn. at Kirton Lindsey in December 1940. The Eagle Squadron was also
based there-volunteer American pilots flying Hurricanes; a great crowd of
chaps.

Douglas Bader's Wing man

The Squadron moved to Tangmere in February 1941, joining 610 and 145,
thus forming the Tangmere Wing. Douglas Bader joined us in March and
decided to lead the Wing with 616 Squadron. He selected 'Cocky' Dundas
and Johnnie Johnson tojoin him in the leading section of four aircraft. Looking
around the dispersal hut his eye fell on me and he said, "What's your name?".
"Smith, Sir". "You'll do-stick to me like glue and watch my tail". I just
couldn't believe my luck! Douglas was the perfect pilot-flew as if part of his
aircraft, superb at aerobatics and the finest leader I ever experienced.
It was Douglas Bader who perfected the "four aircraft abreast" formation
which was so much more efficient than the earlier "four in line astern". I say
this with feeling as will every pilot who flew No. 4-tail-end Charlie!
I owed not only whatever tactical flying ability I may have had to Douglas, but
also very many examples and lessons of leadership which stood me in good
stead in later life.
On August 9th I was grounded due to a heavy cold and my place as Douglas's
No. 2 was taken by Sergeant Geoff West. What one had always dreaded
happened-Douglas did not return with his squadron. Geoff was a superb
pilot but, nevertheless, I have always felt as guilty as hell at not being in the air
that day.
November 8th was my first combat experience with F.W.190's when a bunch
of themjumped us from out of the sun, demonstrating a new aircraft which was
better than our Spitfire 11. We lost our Wing Commander Scott during the dog
fighting which ensued.
In November 1941 I was posted to 58 O.T.U., Grangemouth and an
Instructor of Spitfrre pilots, and in June 1942 Ijoined 308 Sqn. United States
Army Air Corps at Atcham. My job was converting American pilots to
Spitfires, teaching formation flying and dog fighting. I found the American
pilots cheerful, able, and quick to learn.

Pilot's Combat

July 2nd, 1941: We were doing an offensive patrol over France combined with
bomber escort to Lille. There was a great deal of opposition and a considerable
amount of dog fighting during which the squadron destroyed three and
damaged two. My first confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed-an Me 109
which shed various bits and pieces of metal after two long bursts from astern.
It was pouring heavy smoke and proceeded almost vertically downwards. A
further Me 109, which came in to attack me, overshot and I got in a quick burst
which did a certain amount of damage. As always, in these dog fights, the sky
was full of aircraft one moment and practically devoid of them the next.

In August 1942 I was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and posted to 93 Sqn.

and took part in the invasion of North Africa. We operated from Maison
Blanche aerodrome, initially then moved to Bone and immediately thereafter
to Souk-el-Arba. Operationally it was an active period, patrolling, dog
fighting, attacking enemy ground positions and escorting bombers. I was
posted back to U.K. in January 1943 to instruct on Spitfires, and ended the
war instructing at No. 5 B.F.T.S., Clewiston, Florida.

No 66 Sq

The highlight of my time in Fighter Command was

spent flying Number 2 to Douglas Bader, who was
leading the Tangmere Wing and flying with 616
Sqn.; The other two pilots of the four leading
aircraft being 'Cocky' Dundas, and Johnnie
Johnson. We saw a great deal of action over both
the U.K. and on sweeps over France. Bader was an
exhilarating leader and a superb pilot. Morale of the
Squadron and the Wing was extremely high and not
one of those of us who were privileged to fly in those
days will ever forget 9th August, the day on which
Douglas did not return.

L-R. Johnnie Johnson. Cocky Dundas. Douglas Bader. Alan Smith

Comb

I only saw operational service on one aircraft type-Spitfires. In the U.K. I

flew Mark IIa and lIb and also Va and Vb. In North Africa I flew the Vb
clipped wing which I found a remarkably good aircraft with extremely good
manoeuvrability.
The Spitfire was a quite superb aeroplane and in all the time I flew it I was
never once let down by engine failure.

D.F.C.
+ Bar
AIIUl Smith

WING COMMANDER

Ht

DSO, DFC, MD

)y

In the fall of 1939 I was very upset when a young girl-friend of mine was
missing from the SS Athenia - sunk by a U-boat in the Atlantic. I
immediately applied to join the Royal Canadian Air Force but my training
did not begin until the following year.
After the usual flying training I was posted to England and flew bullet
scarred Hurricanes at an operational training unit; and then I joined 401
Squadron, RCAF, at Digby in Lincolnshire. I did several sorties with the
squadron over France without seeing a Hun - only to discover on landing
that some of my friends were missing! I still had much to learn about
keeping my eyes open.
Re-equipped with Spitfire VBs we joined the Biggin Hill Wing led by the
able and softly-spoken Jamie Rankin. One day when the controller
reported a lot of enemy activity over the Pas de Calais I thought I saw
sparks coming out of my engine. On closer inspection I realised they were
going the other way. Tracer! I broke violently and saw my number two,
Brian Hodgkinson, going down in flames. I was in the midst of a swarm of
Me 109s. Turning and twisting, I fired at every 109 that came in front of me
until I ran out of ammunition. For what seemed an eternity I held my
Spitfire in tight, shuddering turns to avoid being shot down. Eventually, I
pulled the stick back into my guts and kicked the Spitfire into a spin. At
15,000 feet I recovered from the spin and continued down in a spiral dive
balls out. At 10,000 feet I started a pull-out and headed for the white cliffs
of Dover- when I saw them they looked like the pearly gates. On landing at
Biggin I found that of the twelve pilots who had taken-off eight were
missing.
The rest of that tour was similar. Our Spitfire Vs were decidely inferior to
the redoubtable Focke- Wulf 190s. I often found myself alone, out
numbered, dog-fighting to survive, no definite hits, running out of ammunition
and struggling back over the Channel, sometimes hit in several places.
Taken off operations I went as a test pilot to the Air Fighting Development
Unit at Duxford and here for the first time, and with the aid of a camera gun,
I learned to shoot. Also, I gained the very valuable experience of flying
Spitfires and Mustangs in mock combat against a captured FW 190.
Returning to 401 Squadron, now at Kenley, I wanted to get my revenge for
my previous tour and I was happy that the squadron had just re-equipped
with the formidable Spitfire IX, which I soon found was superior to my oid
adversary -the FW 190, and in early 1943 I got my first victory when I
destroyed a low-flying 190 returning from a raid on London.
Transferred to 403 Squadron, I was soon promoted to flight commander
and in that spring and summer saw a lot of action with the Kenley Wing led
by 'Johrmie' Johnson. The highlights of those epic days, during which I was
promoted to command the squadron, were escorting the Flying Fortresses
of the 'Mighty Eighth'.
After 144 sorties on my second tour I was given a month's rest and then
returned to the old Kenley Wing, now re-named 127 Wing, to replace
Johnnie who, after three years at the sharp end, was taken off operations.
127 Wing was transferred to 83 Group and during the following months I
led the wing on some 100 missions during which we destroyed 50 enemy
aeroplanes, dive-bombed V-I launching sites and strafed all manner of
military targets.
In April 1944 I was awarded the DSO, disgruntled because I was taken-off
operations with the Normandy invasion imminent, and flattered when Air
Vice-Marshal Harry Broadhurst, a leader I greatly admired, posted me to
his 83 Group staff.
I flew over the beaches on D-Day, and two days later landed with
Broadhurst, at B.2, the first landing strip in Normandy, and so began the
great adventurous trek through north-west Europe.
My Merlin 61 engine finally let me down. It caught fire returning from
Normandy to England and without time to give a Mayday I baled out in
mid-Channel. Fortunately, a ship was passing, a man on the bow saw me
and gave the alarm and soon I was safe aboard.

I!:J

DSO
DFC + Bar
CROIX de GUERRE with
GOLD STAR

On 1st July 1943, I was leading 403 Squadron as top-cover to the Kenley
Wing. I saw some specks ahead at my level. Increasing speed I identified them
as Messerschmitt 109s climbing in a wide V. At full throttle I dived my
Squadron below and in front of them and climbed into the centre of the V. I had
two choices, to start shooting at the wingmen and maybe get myself a brace and
leave little chance for my mates to get a shot, or go for the leader. I chose the
latter and I passed half the 109s before I reached lethal range. I shot him down
with a two second burst and pulled up sharply in a climbing tum. I looked back
a 109 was on my tail and he could not miss. I was waiting transfixed for the hot
lead in my back when he burst into flames; Sergeant Soldice, my Number 2,
had not let me down.

I was transferred from 40 1 to 403 Squadron where I

was properly trained as a fighter pilot and leader. At
403 Squadron my efforts were warmly received and
rewarded with rapid promotion. It was with 403
Squadron that I enjoyed my greatest success and
was able to see the first unit under my command
welded into an unbeatable outfit.

I started on Hurricanes, including the 12 machine gun version and later went on
to Spitfire Vbs. Returning to 403 Squadron we had the excellent Spitfire IXb
and at 20,000 feet the second blower came in automatically, giving full power. I
have taken a IXb to 42,500 feet. I eventually had the four machine guns taken
out of my IXb to make it easier to compete with the rate of roll of the FW 190; it
was the best fighter I ever flew.
I flew the Typhoon from Normandy and found it a powerful and manouvrable
brute, able to withstand punishment. With four 20mm cannon and either two
500lb bombs or eight rockets, it was a very resilient fighter bomber.

COLONEL

JAMES GOODSON
DSC, DFC, USAAF (Ret'd)

Although born in New York in 1921, I became dramatically involved in the

war almost from its declaration. After a summer in Europe, I heard
Chamberlain announce that England and Germany were at war as I sailed
away from England to Canada on the SS. 'Athenia'. A few hours later, the
'Athenia' became the first ship of the War to be torpedoed.
After helping the crew in rescuing the passengers, I slithered down a rope,
swam to a lifeboat and was finally picked up by a Norwegian tanker which
took me to Galway in Ireland. I now had only one goal: to become a Fighter
Pilot with the RAF.
After training in Canada, I achieved this ambition, flying Hurricanes with 43
Squadron (Tangrnere) and Spitfires with 416 Squadron (Kenley). When the
entire 133 American Eagle Squadron was lost on a mission escorting
Fortresses over Brest-as an American flying with the RAF-I was asked to
help reform that Squadron, a move which led to my eventually becoming
Commanding Officer.
In September 1942, the US Army 8th Air Force needed fighter pilots with
combat experience and it was agreed that 133 Squadron, together with the
other two Eagle Squadrons of the RAF, should transfer to the 8th U.S. Air
Force to become 4th Fighter Group. It was of this Group that Maj. General
"Monk" Hunter, chief of Fighter Command 8th US Air Force, said to the
RAF: "You will never know what it meant to us to receive a group of fully
trained, operational pilots. It has formed the nucleus around which we have
built our fighting machine. The 4th Fighter Group has been the stem whence
Fighter Command doctrine has sprung".
The main goal of the 8th Fighter Command was to provide escort protection to
the growing fleet of bombers attacking Germany's production centres by day;
but the Spitfire, designed for defence, had only enough range to protect the
bombers on the first and last brief stages, and the 8th Air Force learned, after
such disasters as Schweinfurt, that their losses became unacceptable without
Fighter cover all the way to the target and back.
The 4th first exchanged their Spitfires for P-47 Thunderbolts, which, with
droppable external fuel tanks enabled them to cover the bombers over
Western and Northern Germany. Then, taking only 24 hours out of action,
they switched to the new Rolls-Royce engined P-51 Mustang, with which,
always at the far end of the relay of fighters, they could cover the whole of
Germany. This led Goering to say that when he saw the 4th's Mustangs
escorting the bombers over Berlin, he knew the War was lost.

Aerial Combat
On August 16, 1943, one hundred and seventy B-17 Flying Fortresses took
off to bomb Le Bourget, the main Paris airport; a short mission for us. The
bombers were to be escorted at 23,000 ft. by four Thunderbolt Groups (192
fighters), with Spitfires sweeping the area at 15,000 ft.
Before we joined up with the bombers, we saw 30-plus enemy fighters coming
up from behind. Don Blakeslee, Colonel commanding the Group, asked me to
cover him and took his flight into the attack. The FW-190's broke away and
we followed in a vertical dive, reaching such speed that we not only left our
wingrnen behind, but also caught up with the 190's.
Blakeslee was getting hits on one of them, but we were now in the hornet's nest
and three 190's curved in behind him. Due to my speed, I was able to shoot one
of them down. We were now below 10,000 ft. and fighting for our lives in the
kind of dogfight where, every time we attacked, we had to break off because we
were attacked ourselves.
I was able to shoot down another 190 off Blakeslee's tail but not before his
Thunderbolt was badly hit. I was able to drive off other 190's by pressing home
attacks, although by now I was out of ammunition. Although both he and the
plane were covered in oil, I managed to guide him back to an emergency
landing at Manston. The Thunderbolt had over twenty cannon holes,
including one which took out a cylinder in the engine.

The Fourth ended the War as the most successful of all Allied Groups or
Wings, with over 1000 enemy aircraft destroyed, of which 360 were
accounted for by the old 133 Squadron.

Although I spent the last 10 months of the war as a POW, I was officially
credited with 32 enemy aircraft destroyed.

(Later 336 S quadron, 4th Fighter Group, US

8th Air Force.)

After being shot down, I was Adjutant of the Centre Compound of Stalag-Luft
Ill, escaping towards the end of the War to lead the American Army back to
the Camp.

This was my first and only Squadron command. It

was my home for over a year and a half, during
which time I was constantly in combat (about 1000
hours of combat operations, including some 300
missions).

33

( agle) Sl ad

The Squadron at one time included the three

leading aces of the US Air Force, as well as twelve
other aces. Its score at the end of the War was 360
enemy aircraft destroyed.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat,

1939-45

During World War 11, I flew the Hurricane, Spitfire, P-47 Thunderbolt and P
SI Mustang. Whilst the Hurricane was a better gun platform, the Spitfire was
the best defensive fighter of the war due to its excellent rate of turn and
manoeuvrability. The P-47 could out-dive the 109 and the 190, but was
inferior to German fighters under 25,OOOft. The P-51 Mustang with the
Merlin engine was in my opinion the most complete fighter aircraft of the war.
It had speed, dive, manoeuvrability and climb, but above all it had the range to
enable it to escort bombers to the limit of their range.

And, if the Squadron was my home, the people in it

were my family. When I met Luftwaffe pilots after
the War, I asked how they kept on fighting so
fanatically right up to the end, although they knew
the War was lost. The answer was always the same:
"We were fighting for the Squadron". That's how I
felt about my Squadron.

D.S.C.
Silver Star
D.F.C.
Legion d'Honneur

Jim Goodson

GROUP CAPTAIN
DSO,OBE,DFC

After graduating from the Royal Military College in June 1932 I accepted a
permanent commission in the Royal Air Force and after completing my
training at 5 FTS, Seal and, I was posted to 17 (F) Squadron at Uphaven in
September 1933. However in 1935 I resigned my commission in the RAF to
accept a commercial flying job in Canada and also I transferred to the Royal
Canadian Air Force Reserve.
I rejoined the RCAF in June 1940 and after instructing at the Central Flying
School I joined a night fighter unit, 410 Squadron, at Ayr. In June, 1941, we
moved our obsolete Defiants to Drem where, without airborne radar, our
chances of intercepting at night were remote.
In September I was posted to Coleby Grange, Lincs, promoted to Wing
Commander and given command of 409 Squadron who were re-equipping with
Bristol Beaufighters. Fortunately, both my flight commanders were experienced
pilots and with their help, and two Oxfords, we ran our own 409 Operational
Conversion Unit until all the crews were checked out on their Beaufighters.
On the night of 1 November, 1941, my radar navigator, Sergeant Carpenter,
and I were vectored onto a lone hostile aircraft which had flown eastbound
across the middle of England and was heading out over the sea. The plotting
and instructions from the GCI Station were perfect and after obtaining a visual
contact we destroyed the Dornier 217 which fell blazing into the sea.
In May, 1943, I was posted to command 418 (Intruder) Squadron, who, at
Ford, were phasing out their old Douglas Bostons for the versatile Mark VI
fighter-bomber Mosquito which, with its de-rated engines, tremendous fire
power, great range and high speed made it a really sharp weapon. In addition to
its normal night fighter role we began to fly an increasingly large number of low
level daylight sorties.
In early, 1944, I was promoted to Group Captain and commanded a RCAF
Spitfire wing, but this assignment did not last long and in April I took over 143
Wing, consisting of three Typhoon squadrons. This fighterlbomber wing was
part of No. 83 Group RAF which supported the British 2nd Army into
Normandy and across North Western Europe.
The Typhoon, with its eight 60Ib rockets was particularly lethal against
German armour and transports, and the very close working relationships
between Army and Air Force units at all levels, and excellent communications,
permitted the flexible Typhoons to operate extremely close to the Allied front
line of advance.
During the winter of 1944 my wing was based at Eindhoven but on 1 January,
1945, I was appointed Group Captain Operations, 83 Group, which proved to
be a highly responsible and rewarding assignment as I had a free hand to control
and operate some 600 fighters and fighter-bombers until the ceasefire. In my
view the flexible fighter-bombers played a tremendous part in this campaign.
After the war I kept a very close liaison with all my oid squadrons, the Canadian
Forces Base at North Bay and Fighter Group Headquarters, and it gives me
great pride and pleasure to have the school at North Bay named after me. 409
and 410 Squadrons are now equipped with the splendid CF-18 Hornet (TAC)
fighter at Cold Lake, and 418 is an active Reserve Squadron flying De
Havilland Twin Otters out of Edmonton on search and reserve operations.

Date
1 November 1941. Base - Coleby Grange, Lincs. Squadron - 409
RCAF. Aircraft- Bristol Beaufighter. Pilot- Wing Commander P. Y. Davoud,
RCAF. RlNav. - Sergeant Carpenter, RAF
-

We took-offfrom Coleby Grange at 2055 hrs under the control of Orby GCI.
After several vectors between 80 and 100 degrees at an altitude of 16,000 feet,
contact was obtained at a maximum range. Bandit was to port and 500 feet
below. I turned port and lost height and obtained a visual at 6,000 feet. I lost
height and closed to 400 yards and identified e/a as a Dornier 217 which dived
for cloud cover. I increased speed and closed to 200 yards firing a short burst
and seeing hits on his starboard wing. Dornier returned fire and, after closing to
100 yards, I fired two long bursts into starboard engine. Just before entering
cloud a heavy explosion blew his right wing off. The enemy aircraft fell into the
sea on fire.
I returned to base and was particularly pleased, as Commanding Officer, to
have scored the first victory for 409 Squadron.

The heavily-armed, fast and manoeuvrable Mark

VI Mosquito was ideal for intruder operations. The
side-by-side cockpit permitted easy and positive
communication between pilot and navigator and the
morale of my aircrews of 418 Squadron was very
high.
Although I only served with this squadron from
May, 1943, to January, 1944 I left with a tremend
ous sense of pride and accomplishment knowing
that it would soon be the scourge of the enemy; and
so it proved since it became the top-scoring fighter
squadron in the RCAF with a record of 178 enemy
aircraft and 83 flying bombs destroyed.

I flew Defiants, Bostons, Beaufighters and Mosquitos on operations but the De

Havilland Mark VI fighter-bomber Mosquito was head and shoulders above
any other operational aircraft which I flew in World War IT. It was particularly
suited to the low-level offensive role played by 418 Squadron and was
responsible for much of its success.
This Mosquito was a delight to fly. Fast, manoeuvrable, able to absorb
punishment, and capable of an exceptional single engine performance. Truly a
remarkable aircraft!

OSO
OFC
Order of Orange Nassau
Chevalier, Legion of Honour
Croix de Guerre with Palm

PaulOavoud

AIR VICE-MARSHAL

NN E JOHNSON

CB, CBE, DSO, DFC, DL, C.Eng, MICE

At school I always wanted to become an R.A.F. Figher Pilot, and I was

inspired by the legendary Aces of the First War-Ball, Boecke, Bishop, Von
Richthofen, Mannock and McCuddon. When the Volunteer Reserve was
expanded I joined this enthusiastic bunch of weekend pilots.
After initial training I was posted to 616 Squadron at Kenley. However almost
immediately I found myself out of the front-line when the Squadron, which had
been decimated by the loss of six pilots and five wounded, was moved to
Coltishall. (Perhaps just as well for I had only 12 hours on Spitfires.)
In February 1941 Billy Burton took the Squadron to Tangmere and the next
few months were the most exciting of my fighting career. Then Douglas Bader
arriveo to lead the Tangmere Wing, and the great man elected to fly with 616
Squadron: 'Cocky' Dundas, Alan Smith and myself were selected to fly with
Douglas in the leading section.
We flew and fought hard during that epic summer. Douglas was a great and
inspiring leader whose fruity language in the air was ajoy to hear. He took time
to teach us the intricate art of air fighting. His idea of an afternoon off was to
take one or two of us over the Channel hoping to come across Adolf G alland
and some of his chaps, then based at Abbeville in the Pas de Calais.
On 19th August, 1941, we were badly "bounced" by a bunch of higher
Messerschmitts and Douglas did not return from this fight. After we had
refuelled we searched for him for several hours over the Channel as we thought
he might have baled out and clambered into his dinghy. Gradually it dawned
upon us that he would not be returning and that this day marked the end of an
era that was rapidly becoming a legend.
In the summer of 1942 I was promoted to command 610 (County of Chester)
Squadron, and then in early 1943 I was promoted to Wing Commander to lead
the Canadian Spitfire Wing at Kenley, my personal score at that time was
eight victories. During the spring and summer of that year I led the aggressive
Canadian fighter pilots on 140 missions over North-West Europe, my pilots
shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft, and my personal score rose to 25.
The highlights of those days were escorting the Flying Fortresses of the Eighth
Air Force.
After a short rest from operations, in March, 1944, I was posted to lead
another Canadian Spitfire Wing, and on D-Day, 6th June, 1944, I led 144
Wing on four missions over the beaches. On 8th June, we made history when
we were the first Spitfire Wing to land in France, and a few weeks later we
began the exhilarating, buccaneering trek across France. In September 1944,
I scored my 38th and last victory. Patrolling the Rhine, with 443 Squadron, we
bounced nine Messerschmitts flying low in the opposite direction, and very
quickly shot down five, but unfortunately on this occasion I lost a superb
Canadian fighter pilot, Squadron Leader "Wally" McLeod.
Early in 1945, I was promoted to Group Captain and commanded 125 Wing
equipped with the latest Spitfire 14s. In the spring we crossed the Rhine and
flew from Luftwaffe airfields. Soon it was all over and I had time to reflect that
a boy's amibition of slightly more than a decade ago had, indeed, been
realised.
Publishers Note
A. V. M. Johnnie Johnson retired from the R.A.F. in 1966. He then founded
the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust, which after 15 years now provides homes
for over 2500 Elderly and disabled people. An accomplished author, his book
WINGLEADER being a classic WWII biography, and FULL CIRCLE a
definitive account of aerial combat from WWI to the Korean War. THE
STORY OF AIR FIGHTING, due out in Spring 1985, updates Full Circle
to include air fighting over Vietnam, The Falklands, and various Arab-Israeli
clashes.

tes 0

Aircraft flown in Combat, 1939-45

During the Second War I flew Spitfire I 's, 2's, 5's, 6's, 9's and 14's. HA nice
first flying machine, but it is not a Spitfire any more" was my comment after
my first flight in a 14, for the powerful Griffon engine produced a lot of torque ,
which meant that in a dog-fight the aircraft required constant trimming-not
cond'udve to a favourable conclusion.
My favourite was the beautiful Mark 9-the best Spitfire of them all.

Da

Top Scoring Allied Fighter Pilot-Combat 'R.eport

My stiffest fight took place on 19th August, 1942, when I was leading 610
Squadron in support of the ill-fated Dieppe raid.
We had been "bounced" by a mixed bunch of Messerschmitts and Focke
Wulfs and after a certain amount of sparring I fought a duel-my Spitfire 5
against a 190. We sparred for about a minute and I tried my usual tactic of
trying to turn inside the enemy, but after a couple of turns I was making no
headway, and, in fact, he was gaining on me!
Although I held the Spitfire in the tightest of vertical turns the enemy pilot was
still closing and it was only a question of time before he had me in his sights.
Stick over and well forward, I plunged into a near vertical dive to try and
escape him. At ground level I pulled into another steep turn with the 109 still
with me, and as I gauged my height above the ground and watched the roof tops
I caught a glimpse of the Dieppe promenade, of stationary tanks, the white
casino, and a deserted, littered, beach.
Then I made my bid to throw him off. A short distance off shore I could see a
Navy destroyer surrounded by a cluster of smaller ships. We had been briefed
not to fly near them because the Royal Navy always opened fire on friend and
foe alike. Flat out and at sea level I raced towards the destroyer. The usual
barrage of flak and tracer came straight at me and at the last moment I pulled
over the destroyer, slammed down the nose and headed out to sea. I broke hard
to the left and searched for the 190, but, happily, he was no longer with me.

N0616 (SO

t YOrKS

e)

When I joined the squadron in the late summer of

1940 it was in poor shape, but I witnessed the new
Squadron Commander, Billy Burton, restore the
confidence of the older pilots, train we new pilots
and form us into a fighting, aggressive, squadron,
which eventually rated with the best in Fighter
Command.

DSO and 2 Bar.;

DFC and Bar
Legion of Merit. USA
DFC.USA

I
Air Medal. USA
Order of Lcopold (Belgium)
Croixc de Gucrrc (Belgium)

'0

616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron will always have

great significance for me because it was my first
operational squadron and I stayed for nearly two
years, becoming a Flight Commander and winning
the DFC and Bar.

Johnnic lohnson

MAJOR GENERAL

MARION E. CARL,

USMC

From the time I first saw an aeroplane in the air I wanted to be an aviator. As a
farm boy I went to Oregon State College and graduated in 1938 with a degree in
mechanical engineering with aeronautical option. As a result of four years ROTC
I received a reserve commission in the Army Corps of Engineers. Near the end of
my senior year I took the physical examinations for both the Air Corps and Navy
flight programs. I chose the Navy as the quickest way to get flight training and
shortly after reporting for duty opted to be a Marine. I received my Wings and
commission on December I. 1939. and was assigned to VMF-I flying F3F-2
Grumman fighters. Six months later I was sent back to the training command as a
flight instructor. While there I was augmented into the regular Marine Corps. In
August of 1941 I reported to VMF-221 at NAS North Island. San Diego. for duty
flying F2A Brewster Buffalos. On December 8. 1941. the squadron boarded the
carrier Saratoga. We arrived on Midway Island on Christmas Day. I was one of
the few that remained there through the Battle of Midway.
On June 4. 1942. 19 Brewsters and six Grumman Wildcats took to the air to
intercept the oncoming Japanese. Ten returned. I had a total of 5.6 Wildcat hours
when launched into combat. Oue to a mix-up on take-off only three Wildcats were
together and were vectored to intercept the bombers. We made an overhead pass
and that was the last time I saw a friendly aircraft until I landed. The next thing I
knew I had a Zero on my tail. Only a friendly cloud saved me as I soon found out
that I could not out-manouever him. Later I found a Zero by itself and shot it
down. I landed with eight holes in my plane. When another scramble came a short
time later one other plane and myself were the only two to take to the air. It was
a false alarm. the Japanese carrier and their aircraft were under attack by the Navy
carrier task force.
Two weeks later I returned to Hawaii and joined VMF-223. I was now a Captain.
On August 20 the squadron departed the jeep carrier LOllg Islalld and we were the
first fighters on Guadalcanal. Initially it was a primitive existence. We were short
on everything-food, fuel. ammo, and spare parts. A lot of it was flown in using
C-47 aircraft. On many occasions six Wildcats were the maximum that we could
put into the air. and we were always out-numbered. Once engaged in a flight it was
every man for himself. In less than two months we lost half our pilots. We were
then relieved and returned to the States. During this period I shot down 15 Zeroes
and bombers and got shot down once.
At home I was promoted to command the squadron re-equipped with new F4U-1
Corsairs. In July, 1943. we embarked and again headed west. First stop was
Midway for two months for training. Eventually we ended up at Vella LaVella and
started flying over Rabaul. The war was beginning to wind down in that area. I
shot down two more Zeroes over Rabaul and was then transferred to group. This
terminated my combat flying for the rest of WW2.
In January, 1946. I reported to Flight Test. Naval Air Test Center. Patuxent River.
Maryland. There I was one of the first Marines to check out in jets and helicopters
receiving the No. One designation as a Marine helicopter pilot.
In 1947 I took command of VMF-122 at MCAS Cherry Point. NC. which a few
months later was the first squadron to receive jets. the Phantom I. In the spring
of 1948 I formed a jet aerobatic team and led it. putting on many exhibitions
including the National Air Races at Cleveland.
In 1949 I returned to Flight Test. again as Chief of the carrier aircraft section. As
a result of my tours in Flight Test I set a World Official speed record in the Douglas
Skystreak in 1947 and an unofficial altitude record in the Douglas Skyrocket while
testing a full pressure suit in 1953.
In 1954 I headed for Korea but got there too late for combat. As CO of a
photographic squadron in 1955 I flew photo missions over Fukien province of Red
China. In 1956. now a Colonel. I was CO of an aircraft Group at MCAS. El Toro.
California. Next came the Air War College. then two years with the Joint Staff in
the Pentagon. This was followed by two years in HQ Marine Corps. After five
months, I was interim director of Marine Corps Aviation. at that time a two star
billet. In 1963 I was transferred to MCAS Kanehoe Hawaii. as Chief of Staff of
the Brigade, an air-ground team consisting of an air group and a reinforced regiment.
Six months later I was promoted to Brigadier General and took command of the
Brigade. In 1965 the Brigade was transferred to Vietnam and split up. I then became
Assistant Wing Commander. During the eight months that I was in Vietnam I flew
an occasional mission in the F4B-I. Phantom 11. and the Huey gunship. While
flying the latter I managed to corner and take prisoner a couple of Viet-congs.
In June of 1966 I reported to MCAS. Cherry Point. as Commanding General of
that base and all bases Eastern Area. In 1967 I was promoted to Major General
and the next year took command of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing and all
Marine tactical aircraft on the East Coast. As Wing CG I checked out in and flew
all the various types of more than a dozen different types of aircraft in the wing.
After two years as CG I was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps and retired
in 1973.

lWO NAVY CROSSES

DISTINGUISIIED r-LYING CROSS with
four oak leaf clu'cr)l,
FOUR LEGIONS OF MERIT
AIR MEDAL (with du(er..)

Pilot Combat Report

About noon on August 26, 1942, a week after our squadron arrived on
Guadalcanal we were scrambled with all available fighters-some ten Wild
cats-to meet an incoming raid of 16 twin-engine bombers and like number
of Zeroes. We tangled with the Zeroes and I shot down one. I returned to
the field alone and was on the down-wind leg with gear down when I was
jumped by a Zero. I immediately dived for an anti-aircraft battery at the edge
of the field which promptly opened fire on the Zero and started winding up
the gear, some 28 turns of the hand crank. The Zero broke-off and headed
seaward. I went after him. He did a 180 and started climbing. As we met
head-on I stood the Wildcat on its tail and opened fire on a 90 degree deflection
shot. The Zero caught fire and exploded over the beach. That night I was
given the oxygen bottle from that aircraft.

Marine Fighter Squadron 223

All of my combat flying in World War, except the two missions at Midway,
was with VMF-223. During the first tour at Guadalcanal in Wildcats we
operated on a day-to-day basis with a shortage of fuel, ammo, and spare
parts, sometimes barely able to get six planes into the air and always
outnumbered by Zeroes that could out-perform us. The second tour as CO
and with Corsairs the situation was reversed. We outnumbered the Zeroes
with better planes and had them on the run. The main problem was finding
enemy aircraft to engage. The main thrust of the war had moved further west.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

Most of the aircraft that I shot down, 16 out of 18, was while flying the
Wildcat. It was a very sturdy aeroplane but a Zero could rather easily out
manouever it and out-climb it. It took 45 minutes to get a Wildcat to 30,000
feet. It could out-dive a Zero and the pilot had full control at terminal velocity.
The pilot of a Zero didnt. At low altitude there was no way of getting away
from one.
On the second tour with Corsairs it was possible to climb with them and to
out-run and out-dive them. Most of our engagements were over or near Rabaul
and we normally out-numbered them. The war was winding down in that area
and a short time later Japanese aircraft abandonded the area.

Marion E. Carl

WING COMMANDER
DSO,DFC

Completing my education at Trinity College School, Port Hope, Ontario in

1934,I was fortunate in gaining employment with Canadian Industries,Ltd. in
Montreal in 1935. In my spare time (5.30-6am),I learned to fly at Montreal
Light Aeroplane Club outside of Montreal and later that year,I joined the
RCAF Reserve,Weekend Pilots,in 115 Fighter Squadron flying out of St.
Hubert Airport.
With the outbreak of the war and as a result of our previous association with
115 F Squadron, we were posted to Halifax to join No. 1 RCAF Fighter
Squadron,then preparing to go overseas. On July 5,we were posted to Croydon
where our fmal training began.
On August 26,we entered the Battle of Britain with a patrol overNorth Weald.
We were operating out ofNortholt withNo. 1 RAF and 303 Polish Squadrons
when we ran into about 25 plus Domier 217s. We shot down three before we
were attacked by Me 109s. I claim one shared on this operation. Our
responsibility flying Hurricanes was to tackle the bombers leaving the high
cover 109s to our SpitfIres. One week later,I destroyed a Heinkel l l l. Later in
September, accompanied by 303 Polish Squadron, we ran into a large
formation of Dorniers with close escort of Me 110s and Me 109s above. We
were positioned above 303 Squadron which attacked the bombers while we
concentrated on the Me IlOs. I destroyed one Me 109 and two Me IlOs.
On October 9,I was awarded the DFC and on that day,the squadron was taken
off operations and moved to Prestwick,Scotland. We had lost two pilots killed
and seven injured and in hospital out of a complement of 20. My first tour ended
with 78 sorties on Hurricanes.
In March, 1941,I returned to Canada for a victory bond tour of US and
Canada. Later,I formed a Kitty Hawk Squadron of fIghters in Ottawa and
proceeded to the West Coast in defense of a possible attack by the Japs who had
already attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. In December,1942,I
returned to U.K. for my second tour. In May,1943,I was given command of
411 Squadron at Redhill,having flown Spit IXs as a supernumery pilot with the
Kenley Wing on fIghter sweeps over France for several months.
With 411 Squadron flying Spit Vs with clipped wings,our job was close escort
to medium bombers of 2 group RAF and Marauders of the USAF attacking
targets in France,Belgium and Holland,not very exciting work except for the
flak. The high cover SpitIXs took care of most of the Me 109s and FW 190s.

In early September,1940,I was flying Blue 3 when we sighted enemy bombers

and as we attacked we were harried by Me 109s from starboard and above,and
as I broke awayI came up under three 109s flying in line astern.I gave the last
109 a three-second burst at about 70 yards,noting strikes on his belly and he
soon baled out. His leader and number two took violent evasive action and I
eventually lost them. Shortly afterwards I climbed to attack a gaggle of Me 11 Os
and fired from above and behind at the last fighter. I gave him about a ten
second burst which set his starboard engine on fire and he rolled over, one
parachute came out and he crashed just south of Biggin Hill. Still above the
110s,I attacked another and saw strikes on his cockpit before my ammunition
ran out. The 110 went into a lazy spiral and crashed several miles from the f1I'St,
somewhere in the Maidstone area.

Promoted to wing commander in July as winco flying 126 wing,2nd TAF,with

Squadrons 401,411 and 421 RCAF. We were moved to an advanced landing
fIeld at Staplehurst,Kent under canvas and continued close escort to bombers.
On October 23,1943,after 97 sorties,I completed my second tour of Ops. We
had escorted well over 1000 bombers without loss of a single bomber to enemy
fIghter action.
I was posted to 83 group 2nd RAF as wing commander tactics. November 23,
1943,I was awarded Bar to DFC. In May,1944,I dropped a rank to S/L to
take over a newly arrived Canadian Squadron 442 to be on hand for the
invasion.
We were given SpitIXs and stationed at 144 NF Ford adjacent to Tangmere.
Our duties were close escort again to medium bombers,dive bombing radar and
buzz bomb installations,bridges, etc. in preparation for D-Day.

I select 1 Squadron (later 401 Squadron),RCAF,

because I went into action with this unit on August
26, 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain.
During the Battle I destroyed a Dornier 217, a
Heinkel Ill,a Me 109 and two Me 110.
Although I never commanded 1 or 401 Squadrons,
the latter was part of 126 Wing which I commanded
on my second and third tours, first in 1943 in
England and later after D-Day in France,Belgium
and Holland.

After D-Day June 6,no more close escort. We were really on the offensive. As
a result, between June 6 and July 9, this new unit accounted for 15 alc
destroyed plus a large number of motor transport rendered useless.
July 9,I was promoted to wing commander and took over my oid wing 126
flying with four Squadrons 401 (formerly No. 1),411,421 and 442.
From a slow start after D-Day,126 wing built up a very impressive record to
over 200 a/c destroyed,ranging over France,Belgium and Holland. Our largest
bag in one day came early morningNew Year's Day,January 1,1945 when we
destroyed 24 a/c. This was the last push by the German Fighter Force.
Awarded the DSO in September for operations during theNormandyInvasion.
On January 5,1945,having flown 99 sorties,I completed my third tour of Ops,
just prior to the crossing of the Rhine and soon returned to Canada.

During the war I flew 78 sorties on Hurricanes and 196 sorties on Spitfires,
about equally divided between Spitfire Vs with clipped wings and SpitfireIXs.
While on a trip to Italy early in 1944,I flew a Spitfire VIII with aNew Zealand
squadron. I also flew a Mustang,although not on operations.
I flew a Spitfire 11 at a fighter leader's course,and had 146 hours on the Kitty
Hawk while in Canada - a nice aircraft,straight and level,but very heavy on the
controls in a dive. I flew Spitfire IXs during the latter part of my operations.
This aircraft fmally gave us superiority over the Me 109s and FW 190s. With
its two-stage supercharger,we had command of the skies in Europe. It was a
most versatile aircraft and beautiful to fly.

E-41

DSO
DFC + Bar
Order of Orange Nassau
Croix de Guerrc

DBl Russel

BRIGADIER GENERAL

ROBIN OLDS,

USAF

I grew up with combat aviation in my blood, my father having served as a

pilot in France in World War I. He was responsible as much as anything else
for my burning desire to be a pilot. He was always a strong advocate of air
power and among many other achievements had been the commander of the
2nd Bomb Group, the first unit to operate the B-I7. In 1940 I entered West
Point, where I was able to play football successfully enough to become an
all-American tackle in 1942, and captain of the Point team.
I received my wings on graduation in June 1943, and started operational
training almost right away on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter, an
experience which seemed to take forever. In May 1944, however, I was
assigned to England as a member of the 479th Fighter Group (434th Fighter
Squadron). There we were stationed at RAF Wattisham. We quickly worked
up to combat status, carrying out a lot of interdiction type flying over France
and Germany prior to D-Day. June 5 was a day never to forget. We were
sent out to cover the Armada headed for Normandy, and were back the
following day to provide escort for the actual invasion itself.
I had still to experience my first actual aerial combat, an event which took
place early on the morning of August 13, somewhere close to Montmirail in
France. This involved a surprise attack I was able to pull off when jumping
two FW-190s down at ground level. After a brief but hectic fight I was able
to down both of them. Things moved faster after that. Just a couple of weeks
later my wingman and I attacked a group of Messerschmidt 109s-there were
between 55 to 60 of them-and had a heck of a fight. The Me's were headed
for the bomber stream. The engagement began at 28,000 ft. over Muritz
Zee, and, in the usual fashion for such affairs, finished down on the deck.
By then, we were close to Rostock on the Baltic. During the battle, I was
able to bag three Me's while my wingman was responsible for two destroyed.
But what I remember most from this was the trip home. It was long, slow
and cold, my canopy having been shot away. Things worked out however,
and this-only my second combat-resulted in the award of the Silver
Star.
That Fall we converted to P-5Is, and I continued on to fly a total of two
combat tours, many of them characterized by engagements every bit as
colorful. Many of the operations were long range escort missions for bombers
on deep penetration missions. We also ha<;l engagements with the Me 262 jet,
and many of the missions involved strafing runs on German facilities and
airfields. By the end of the war I was commanding the 434th Squadron, and
had made it up to the rank of major at the age of 23. My official score for the
war was 24.5 combat "kills", 13 of them in air-to-air engagements and 11.5
destroyed on the ground. I flew 107 combat missions during that period.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

In World War II I flew Lockheed Lightning P-38Js and North American
Mustang P-5IDs. In Southeast Asia I flew the McDonnell Douglas F-4C and
D models of the Phantom. Since the time lapse between the two wars was
rather extensive, I have to say I had two favorite aircraft, these being the P
SI and the F-4C.

Soon after returning home,. I joined the first P-80 jet group in the new USAF,
and became wingman on the first jet aerobatic team formed by the service.
1946 was a great summer: plenty of air shows, and participation in the
Thompson Trophy Races (jet division) at Cleveland, where I placed second.

434th Fighter Squadron,

My luck held, and I then served an exchange tour with Number I Squadron,
RAF, at Tangmere. Here I was able to fly the Gloster Meteor, the RAF's
first operational jet fighter, and was also the first foreigner to command a
regular RAF squadron. I have nothing but warm remembrances of those times.
Staff and command postings sent me to Germany, Libya, the Pentagon,
back to England (to command the 81st Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters), then
on to Ubon, Thailand in September 1966. Here I took command of the 8th
Tactical Fighter Wing at a time when the Vietnam war had come to the front
burner.

I trained with the 434th Squadron in the US, and

flew 107 missions with that unit out of RAF Wat
tisham from May 1944 to the end of the war. In
that time I was responsible for downing 13 enemy
aircraft, and destroying another 11 and a half during
airfield strafing runs.

Publisher's note: Olds earned his second Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star
on January 2, 1967 during his famous "MiG Sweep". The Third Oak Leaf
Cluster was awarded for "exemplary airmanship, extraordinary heroism and
indomitable aggressiveness" in a low level bombing run against the Thai
Ngyen steel mill blast furnaces. By now he had replaced his earlier SCAT I
fighter (a P-38) for SCAT XXVII, a McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom 11. In
all he flew 152 total combat missions, of which 115 were over North Vietnam.
He is credited with destroying two MiG 21 fighters and two MiG 17s during
bombing sorties over North Vietnam. He was awarded the Air Force Cross
for his part in the Famous Paul Doumier Bridge raid.
His career ended with-<>n his own admission-"the rather strange choice"
of Chief of Safety of USAF. Before that he served three years as the
Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy. He retired from active
duty in 1973, and moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

I1
;

US Army Air Corps.

Pilot Combat Report

On 3rd May 1967, we were penetrating from the Gulf of Tonkin to a target
which lay alongside the railroad northeast of Hanoi. Our 8 F-4Cs were
providing escort coverage for a force of F-105s which were in action striking
a marshalling yard. Just short of the target we were hit by a group of some
16 MiG 17s. A swirling battle ensued, with a member of my flight immediately
taking hits and being forced to bail out. I managed to bag one of the MiG 17s
early on in the fight, which turned out to be the longest aerial battle I have
experienced. The enemy was most aggressive and well disciplined. However,
low fuel ("bingo") finally forced us to disengage, but half way to the coast I
turned back by myself to engage the MiG pilot who had seemed to be directing
traffic from a vantage point on the deck below the general melee. I caught
him and downed him with one Sidewinder heat seeking missile, then turned
for the Gulf and that desperately-needed aerial tanker.

AIR FORCE CROSS

ILVER STAR with three
oak leaf cluslcn.
DISTINGUISHED FLYING
CROSS with five oak. leaf
clu:.lcr:.
AIR MEDAL with thirty
nine oak leaf cluster:,.
Distinguished Flying Cross
(RAF)
Croix de Gucrrc (France)
DSO (S. Vietnam Air Force)
Air Gallantry Medal
cS. Vietnam)

Robin Olds

SQUADRON LEADER

J. D

WNE

DFC

As an American citizen I watched World War 11 build-up and felt the awful
menace of the German war machine. In 1940, I travelled to Montreal and
joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a member of the Free World
seeking to keep it that way.
I earned my Wings and was commissioned in the fall of 1941. Shortly
afterwards, just about the time of Pearl Harbour, I sailed from Halifax,
N.S., to Liverpool. My country was then at war.
I became caught in one of the eddies of the war after sailing for Singapore
and being diverted to the Middle East. Eventually, on June 6, 1942, I was
posted to a flight at Abadan, Iran, where Gloster Gladiators defended the
then world's greatest oil refmery. However, there was no air fighting and I
wanted to get to the UK and fly Spitfires over Europe. Eventually, in May,
1943, Ijoined the Kenley Wing which was led by Johnnie Johnson. During
that summer we escorted the first Fortress raids into combat. They took
some very hard knocks and it was not until the most significant fighter of the
war came along, the North American Mustang, that the 8th Air Force was
able to fly to Berlin and back without undue losses.
When the American long-range fighters came into the theatre it changed
the character of the air war and the German fighter squadrons were pulled
back from the coast and operated from bases nearer the centre of Germany
where the bombing targets were located.
This caused a shift of emphasis for our squadrons to ground attack
operations, especially because of the forthcoming invasion of Europe.
Ground attack does not have the romance of the air duels, but in the later
stages of the war, the fighter-bombers of the Royal Air Force and the US
Air Force were the cutting edge of the Allied armies that swept onto
victory.
In the late summer of 1943, we attacked targets in northern France, radar
stations, did rail interdiction and hit a lot of other ground targets with
particular emphasis on transportation. On November 13, 1943, I did a
'Rhubarb' to the Cambrai area, destroying six locomotives and severely
damaging a military train. On April 8, 1944, I led the first Spitfire dive
bombing raids from England against V-I sites.
Early in 1944, Johnnie Johnson formed 144 Wing at Digby where he had
three brand new squadrons from Canada and his job was to get them
operational before D-Day. He asked me to command 441 Squadron, and
during the spring of 1944 we worked hard to train the new Canadian pilots
in the ground attack role so that we could support the First Canadian Army
during the invasion by overcoming enemy strongpoints and attacking
concentrations of enemy infantry and armour.
On D-Day, the wing flew four times over the Normandy beaches without
seeing an enemy aircraft. Soon after that, on D+ 5, we moved to Normandy
to an airfield called St. Croix-sur-Mer, and, having gained a foothold in
France, began more close support operations. By then I had completed
nearly 175 combat sorties, and during July to September, I came back to
the United States for a most delightful leave.
After reading newspaper accounts of old squadrons' activity, I decided to
return to the UK, smuggled myself to Europe and joined Johnnie Johnson
who then led 127 Canadian Wing at an airfield called Grave. He gave me
command of 421 (Red Indian) Squadron.
In the winter of 1944, we were based at Brussels Evere where we were
stationed during the Battle of the Bulge, and also on January 1, 1945, when
the Luftwaffe pulled its great coup including a devastating attack on our
airfield. On March 24, 1945, we supported the great Rhine crossing and
after some more bitter ground attacks, the war ended with 127 Wing based
just across the Elbe south of Hamburg and recognized as the highest
scoring fighter wing on ground targets in 2nd TAF.

DFC

Ground attack against a defended target was always a thriller. Zoned fife
enshrouded the plane with flfeballs - and you only saw every fifth projectile.
Your own debris from dive-bombing was a menace.
Towards the end of the war, we were on a low level patrol just north of the Elbe
when I attacked the lead vehicle on a long convoy of supply trucks and
personnel carriers. I opened fire from several hundred feet of altitude and
perhaps 2,000 feet distance. The entire lead section of the convoy erupted right
in front of me in a colossal ball of white light, with no way to avoid flying
through. I pulled back hard and shut my eyes on my way through the flames.
Somehow I found myself on the way back to base. What an aeroplane!

441 Squadron came to being in the 2nd Tactical Air

Force for the greatest military onslaught ever
attempted - D-Day at Nonnandy. I led the squadron
over the beaches at H-Hour and for three more
patrols on that day. It was a never-to-be repeated
command.
We were the first squadron to operate from Nonnandy
and the frrst to be based there. This kind of air power
paved the path of the invasion and was decisive to
the outcome of Overlord.

My combat experience was in the Spitflfe IX, with some convoy patrol in
Spitfire V's. It was an incredible, immortal combat vehicle. We were bounced
on several occasions at 9,000 feet by P-51 Mustangs from bomber escort at
25,000 feet and we were able to outclimb them back to their level. We came
home on several occasions from deep penetration 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the
FW-190's at 35,000 feet.

WING COMMANDER
DFC, DFM

On completion of senior matriculation at St. Thomas' College in Battleford,

Saskatchewan, I applied to join the RCAP and was called up for pilot training
in October, 1940. After elementary flying training on Tiger Moths at
Edmonton, I received my Wings at Yorkton as a sergeant pilot. It was my first
disappointment not to be granted a commission, but I was determined to
become a fighter pilot. I was transferred overseas in July, 1941, and took my
OTU at Usworth on Hurricanes. In November, 1941, I was one of many
RCAP pilots sent to the Middle East and would fly on RAF squadrons for the
next three years.
Posted to 94 Squadron in the Western Desert on Hurricanes, my introduction
to operations was fitting to the type of life I would lead for the next 18 months.
Flying in an old Bombay from the outskirts of Cairo,it took two days to find the
squadron located temporarily at Antelat landing ground some 80 miles south of
Benghazi. To greet us on arrival a Ju 88 appeared out of the low clouds and
dropped a string of bombs on the landing strip while the ack-ack fired back.

In the mess tent we learned that six pilots, including the CO and a flight

commander had been shot down the previous day by Me 109s. The next day the
squadron packed up and retreated eastward - 'Operation Crusader' was over.
94 Squadron converted to Kittyhawks and I shot down my first Me 109 on my
first operational sortie, escorting Boston bombers over Martuba airfield. Soon
after 94 Squadron was repatriated to the Delta area,and along with six other
pilots, I walked across the airfield to join 260 Squadron.
For the next 12 months I flew Kittyhawks in close support of the 8th Army,
retreating and advancing from 28 different landing grounds. Although the
Kittyhawks didn't go looking for the 109s they found us most times. As we
gained experience and skills we learned to thwart the 109 attacks and
sometimes turn them to our advantage. By the time of the Axis defeat in
Tunisia,in May,1943,260 Squadron like many other squadrons in the Desert
Air Force, had become top operational units. My score in the air at that time
was 13 Me 109s,one Macchi 202 and one six-engine Me 323 transport,plus
many probab1es and damaged. After 195 operational sorties I was hit once in
the wing area by an attacking Me 109 but not a scratch from ground frre during
55 straffmg missions.
After a tour as gunnery instructor at the Middle East Central Gunnery School,
El Ballah, I returned for a second tour of ops with 417 Squadron, RCAP, in
Italy, flying beautiful Spitfrre VIlIs. Two weeks later I became a flight
commander on 92 Squadron, RAF in 244 (Spitfrre) Wing. While flying
patrols over the Anzio beachhead 1 managed to shoot down four more enemy
fighters.
,

In March, 1944, I was given command of 274 Squadron. A few days later,
while flying over the central mountainous region of Italy,my Spitfrre developed
a severe glycol leak and I force-landed on a mountain top. I returned to my
squadron ten days later to learn that it was to be repatriated back to England
with 80 and 229 Squadrons to bolster forces for D-Day.
The squadrons formed a new Spitfire wing at Hornchurch, under Wing
Commander 'Hawkeye' Wells. We operated from Detling, then later from
West Malling, flying sweeps and escorts over the Continent and during 75
sorties no enemy aircraft were encountered.

In August, 1944, 274 Squadron converted to Tempest aircraft to chase

'Doodle Bugs'. Shortly afterwards,I was taken off ops and sent back to Canada.
At this time I received a Bar to my DFC.
I returned to ops in March, 1945, as Wing Leader of 127 Wing, RCAP, and
managed to damage a few more enemy aircraft before the war ended when we
were based on an airfield near Hamburg.
I remained in the RCAP after the war, becoming one of the first jet pilot
instructors on Vampires. In 1952 as Wing Leader of 2(F) Wing, I led three
squadrons of Sabres overseas to Grostenquin,France,for Nato forces. I retired
from the RCAP in 1972. In collaboration with author, Michael Lavigne, I
launched my book KlTTYHAWK PILOT in December, 1983. KlTTY
HAWK PILOT tells my story with 260 Squadron and the air war in the
Western Desert during World War Two. It is published by Turner-Warwick
Publishers Limited, Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada.

DFC + Bar
DFM

We were patrolling just off Anzio up and down the coast at 14000' waiting to
escort our B-26s over their target. Bandits (20+) were reported in the area at
15000'. While flying north we spotted 20+ Me 109s and long-nosed FW 190s
came down through the cloud at approximately two o'clock to the section about
500' above. They appeared to be manoeuvring into sun to bounce the Kitties
below. We climbed into the e/a closing around to astern. One Me 109 was
attempting to fire at one of us from 150 yards astern, when I frred from 300
astern. I could not observe any hits but he broke away immediately and went
down. I turned onto another which half-rolled and I fired from about 300 yards,
100 astern. Pieces appeared to fall off and it dived vertically but my carmons
stuck in the 'on' position (probably frozen) and did not observe results after it
reached 6000', map reference F.7729. I pulled up again and peeled off on
another long-nosed FW 190 and chased it to deck level over the coast. Closed
to about 300 yards just before crossing our lines. E/a saw my Spit behind and
took evasive action by weaving violently I fired two bursts of machine gun from
200 astern. E/a poured black smoke, caught frre, the pilot tried to side-slip the
flames away, but hit the deck and crashed at map reference F.8440. I claim one
FW 190 (long-nosed) destroyed and one FW 190 (LN) damaged.*
*Damage later confirmed by the army - in fact, six E/A were shot down and
only four claims made.

It was on 260 Squadron that I became operational

as a fighter pilot. I led a flight for three months with
great success before I was commissioned and on the
first sortie as flight commander, my squadron inter
cepted enemy aircraft staffing our forward troops
and we shot down six Me 109s without loss.
Seldom did the Kittyhawks go looking for the Me
109s. "Experten" Me 109 pilots of JG 27 and JG
53 attacked our formations at will and shot down
many of our aircraft.
On 260, as on all RAF squadrons in the Desert Air
Force,there was a great mixture of nationalities with
a tremendous camaradie amongst the personnel.
In combat with Me 109s,I managed a single victory (damaged or destroyed) on
18 occasions and a double victory seven times and a triple on two occasions.
While dive bombing and ground strafmg, I destroyed 12 aircraft and over 200
vehicles. I received the DFM and DFC in February, 1943.

I flew all models of Kittyhawks, Mark I,lIs and Ills, in the Western Desert and
North Africa. With six .50 machine guns, the Kittyhawk was great for ground
strafing, but in combat, with 'g' forces, the guns had a terrible habit of stopping
after a couple of short bursts. The Spitfrres I flew were Mk Vbs,VlIIs and IXs. I
always said that one should do a tour on Kittyhawks to really understand and
appreciate the grace and beauty of a Spitfire. In my opinion, the Spitfire Mk IX
was the fmest fighter ever built.

'Stocky'

Edwards

SQUADRON LEADER

P. W. E

(N )

HEP ELL

DFC, FRICS

On my eighteenth birthday, in June 1939, Ijoined the RAF Volunteer Reserve

and was posted to my first squadron, 616 (South Yorkshire) AAF, in the
autumn of 1940; this weary and sadly depleted unit had been pulled out of the
Battle of Britain for a rest and to train new pilots like Johnnie Johnson, Alan
Smith and myself. In February of the following year we moved to Tangmere
and shortly afterwards Douglas Bader arrived to lead the Tangmere Wing.
Bader's impact on 616 was truly remarkable. He chose to fly with our
Squadron so that when in the spring and summer of 1941 we reached out over
North-West Europe, we of 616 -Johnnie, Cocky Dundas, Alan, JeffWest,
BuckCasson, Colin Mcfie-always seemed to be in the thick of the fighting. In
August, when Bader went missing, 616 was one of the crack units in Fighter
Command.
Early in 1942 I took-off my Spitfire from the 400 feet deck of HMS Eagle-an
experience I shall long remember! I was a FlightCommander in 249 Squadron
and I was leading my flight to Malta, then struggling desperately for its very
survival against the Luftwaffe.
The enemy attacked in strength, never less than three times a day. The pattern
seldom varied. Stukas and Junkers 88's escorted by yellow-nosed 109's
carrying out dive-bombing attacks on the airfields at Hal Far, Luqa and
Takali, and the Grand Harbour. The number of attacking aircraft varied from
forty to over one hundred, and they were seldom opposed by more than a
handful of Spitfires. Often the very numbers of the opposition allowed the few
Spitfires to enter the fray, fire a few bursts, and depart unnoticed. On 8th April,
1942, only two of us took off to intercept more than one hundred bombers
escorted by a similar number of 109's. I was leading this pair of Spitfires and
our gunners were fuing at the bombers, but they hit me, and my Spitfire simply
disintegrated. I fell about 7,000 ft. before regaining consciousness.
After a spell as both ferry and test pilot in the Middle-East, I returned to Malta
at the end of 1942 and found the situation much changed. The Island was now
secure and it was our turn to go on the offensive - fighter sweeps over Sicily
and a fair amount of train bashing.
Early in 1943 I baled out offCalanfrana because of a bomb hang-up and landed
in the sea where I was soon picked up. In April I was promoted to Squadron
Leader to command 229 Squadron, and shortly afterwards was clobbered by
the pilot of a Focke-Wulf 190 with a remarkable deflection shot. I was hit in the
chest and the backside, but managed to stagger back to Malta where I put my
Spitfire down safely and was taken to hospital.
After sick leave in UK I took the opportunity to fly as Johnnie Johnson's
wingman on fighter sweeps over France. Then I was given command of 118
Squadron (Spitfire 9's) and later re-equipped with Mustang 3's, in my opinion,
the most significant escort fighter ofWorldWarn. Its great range enabled it to
escort Fortresses and Liberators right across Germany and so establish the
vital air superiority which eventually made the Normandy landings possible.

['-R Nip HeppeJl Km Holdm. Johnnie Johnson

Pilot's
On 10th March 1942, Stan Turner, from Canada, was leading our Squadron
and I was leading a section of four Spitfires. We climbed to over 20,000 ft to
try and intercept some enemy bombers and fighters, but there was a lot of
cloud about and I had difficulty keeping contact with Turner. After some time
searching for him I suddenly saw eight enemy aircraft about 3 or 4,000 ft
below and led my flight to attack. I got in a long burst at the leading
Messerschmitt and could see I was hitting him, but I was closing very fast and
suddenly I must have hit his slip-stream because my Spitfire was wrenched
upside down and I thought I had been shot at and hit from behind. I pulled into
a steep turn, jettisoned the canopy and called my wingman to report any
damage, but he replied that all was well, and that he had seen the 109 crash
into the Grand Harbour. This was the first Spitfire victory over Malta.
After landing we held a post mortem about my losing contact with Stan
Turner. Clearly, this was my fault and we all put it down to 'finger trouble' , but
two days later another pilot, flying the same Spitfire, flopped out of a formation
at 25,000 feet and just regained consciousness at low level. Inspection
revealed that the oxygen supply was faulty, and we concluded that I was
suffering from oxygen starvation when I lost contact with Turner.

616

(South Yrshire)

616 made a great impression upon me, aged 19, for

I saw it transformed from a poor unit to one of the
most ouststanding squadrons in FighterCommand.

Notes on AIrc aft flown In Co bat,

During my RAF career I flew about 50 different types of aircraft including a

number of twins when I ferried in Africa. The Spitfire was the finest. I first flew
the Mark 1 Spit with pump up undercarriage and then Mark 2 (a), (b) and (c);
Mark 5 (a), (b) and (c); Mark 6 and 7 high altitude; Mark 9 (a) and (b). A
wonderful aircraft on which much praise has justly been lavished. It must be
borne in mind that it first flew in 1935 and its limited fuel range was its only
embarrassment.
The Mustang Mark 3 with Rolls Royce Packard Merlin was a much later
design and much had been learned by more than trebling the fuel capacity,
improving the visibility and improving bad weather handling with adjustable
flaps giving greater stability.

Ken Holden, our direct Yorkshire Flight

Commander with his "now you young lads",
fatherly approach, probably did much for my career
with his careful guidance and advice, and Douglas
Bader's outstanding bravery and qualities of leader
ship made a lasting impression.
I have the fondest memories of those epic days at
Tangmere, of Cocky Dundas, with his great ability
and humour, whose brother, John, was shot down
and killed in the Battle of Britain; of Johnnie
Johnson, a life-time friend; of JeffWest, from New
Zealand who later came to Malta with me; of our
Commanding Officer, Billy Burton, who became a
great Wing Leader in the Western Desert and who
was sadly lost in the Bay of Biscay returning to
Africa; and even after all this time, I still remember
vividly those days and those who did not return.

l
D.F.C. + Ba,
Croix de Guerre Avec Palmes

l'{ip Heppel\

WING COMMANDER

ROD SMITH
DFC + BAR
When I was five I saw a biplane flying from a field near Regina in Canada
where I lived. It broke its undercarriage at the moment it lifted ofT and belly
landed later in a cloud of dust. Aeroplanes captivated me ever after.
At 18, I joined the RCAF in September 1940. I trained in Canada on Tiger
Moths and Harvards, and then took operational training on Spitfire I's at
Grangemouth, Scotland. I thought they were superb but was surprised to find
that their eight .303 machine guns seemed rather feeble when fired.
In June 1941 I joined 412 RCAF Squadron, at Digby, Lincolnshire, in 12
Group flying Spitfire lI's. Our first action, in September, was a patrol between
Calais and Dunkirk to give withdrawal cover to some Blenheim medium
bombers. On the climb-up my stomach felt like ice, but when we got near the
Pas de Calais anti-aircraft shells burst all around us, and I then felt fine! Later,
a bunch of blue and silver Messerschmitt 109E's, looking like small sharks,
dived upon us firing without success. They turned our subsequent withdrawal
into an embarrassing rout however.
In October 1941, we were equipped with Spitfire Mark V's. They had two
20mm cannon, which were vastly more inspiring than the machine guns.
During a sweep over Dunkirk tn November we first met the new Focke-Wulf
190. We didn't shoot any down and lost three pilots. The FW 190 quickly
gained ascendency because of its speed and high rate of roll.
In May 1942, I was posted to Malta. On July 15, in the Western
Mediterranean, I took ofT from the old aircraft carrier Eagle in a tropical
Spitfire V with a long-range drop tank, and flew to Malta. There I joined 126
RAF Squadron and was surprised to find that my older brother Jerry was in it.
He and I then began to operate as a pair: and once shared in the probable
destruction of a Junkers 88 bomber. Unhappily, he went missing about four
weeks after I arrived and was subsequently presumed killed in aciton.
Throughout July, Malta was receiving four or five bombing raids a day. On
July 24 I shot down a Ju 88 almost over our aerodrome, expending all my
cannon shells and putting it on fire. It left a long arc of black smoke which
lasted a long time. Between that day and the end of October I shot down two
more Ju 88's, a tri-motored Italian S.M. 79 and two Me 109F's. Daylight
bombing began again in October, and I became a flight commander in the
squadron. On October 15 I was shot down, baled out, fell into the sea and
luckily was rescued. In December 1942, I returned to England to spend most
of 1943 instructing at a Hurricane O.T.U. and taking leave in Canada.
In December 1943 I was posted to 401 RCAF Squadron at Biggin Hill, which
had Spitfire IX's. They were much superior to the Me 109's and FW 190's
still being used by the enemy. In March 1944 I became a flight commander in
412 Squadron and in April we moved to Tangmere. On June 6, D-Day, we
covered the Normandy beach head and on June 18 we landed at our new
Normandy base, Beny-sur-Mer. I managed to shoot down an FW 190 in
flames, south of the beach-head. We began to concentrate on shooting up
enemy vehicles on the roads.
In early September we moved up to Brussels. When the Arnhem airborne
landing began we covered the vital bridge at Nijmegen. Enemy fighters
appeared low over the bridge in large numbers, and during that time I shot
down six Me 109G's.
During this period I took command of 401 Squadron. We began to see enemy
jet aircraft, Messerschmitt 262's, for the first time. On October 5 we shot one
down near Nijmegen, five of us shooting and sharing him. It was said to be the
first. This brought the total number of enemy aircraft destroyed by me to 13
1/5. I returned to Canada in December 1944 and retired from the service in
June 1945 with the Rank of Squadron Leader. I joined the Auxiliary Air
Force in 1946 and retired from it in 1953 with the Rank of Wing Commander.

Notes on Are. aft flown in Combat, 1939-45

I flew only Spitfires in combat. No mean fate! I grew to envy the Mustang's
great range, however. The Spitfire Mark IX was a far better fighting aeroplane
than the earlier Marks because it had the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 Series
Engine, which had a two-speed two-stage supercharger. This device wrested
the height advantage from the Germans and gave lasting command of the air to
the Allies. Spitfires were blind directly behind, a serious fault of most World
War 11 fighters, but they were marvellously nimble.

DFC + Bar

Pilot's Combat Report

During the daylight bombing over Malta in October 1942 my Squadron
intercepted nine Ju 88's escorted by 80 Me 109F's, attacking from one side. I
flew across and behind the 88's to fire at the one on the far side. The gunners in
the 88's fired tracer bullets at me, which looked like coils of thrown rope. The
109's were swarming above and behind, and after I fired at my 88 and set its
port engine on fire, I saw tracer from 109's going right over my head towards
the 88. I dived down for several seconds then came back up again to fire at the
starboard engine of the 88, which caught fire also. The 88 plunged gracefully
down and exploded spectacularly before falling into the sea. It was the first
Hun bomber to come down in the October blitz.

No 412 (RCAF) Squadron

When I joined 412 (RCAF) Squadron, my first, it
was newly formed, with pilots of little or no
experience. When I left it and went to Malta in
1942 I gained experience very similar to that I
would have got had I been fortunate enough to be in
the Battle of Britain. In September 1944 the
honour fell to me to lead 412 Squadron in the air
battles around Nijmegen Bridge. Over the years the
Squadron had become very experienced, and around
Nijmegen Bridge it shot down more enemy aircraft
than any other Squadron.

CAPTAIN

ROBERT C. COATS,

USN

Prior to graduation from the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, I was accepted in the
Aviation Cadet program, Navy, and in June 1939 received orders to active duty
for Hight training in Pensacola and Miami, Florida. In early 1941, I was designated
a Naval Aviator, commissioned Ensign, USNR, and retained to instruct in the
Fighter Training Squadron, Hying Boeing F-4B and Grumman F-2F biplane obsolete
fighters. In March, 1943, I reported to Fighter Squadron (VF) Eighteen, a fleet
unit. We trained in the Grumman F-4F and transitioned to the F-6F Hellcat. We
deployed in the aircraft carrier, USS Blinker Hill and participated in routine combat
air patrol, strafing and bombing attacks in the Solomons prior to our first real
combat activity against the Japanese at Rabaul, New Britain, on November 11,

1943.
Following our strike sweep at Rabaul, the Japanese launched a retaliatory strike,
catching Hornet in the early phase of a second launch. I happened to be in a
position with my wingman between the force and three flights of torpedo planes
(Kates). I downed four Kates, while my wingman downed two more. We disrupted
the torpedo attack, such that no torpedos found their targets.
While flying CAP January I, 1944, I engaged a Tony fighter, a snooper. I maneuvered
onto his tail at about 12,000 feet, followed through clouds and rain, firing when I
could, and finally brought the Tony down at about 300 feet. A wild ride! Other
combat activities followed in the Gilbert Islands (Tarawa), the Marshalls and the
Carolines (Saipan, Guam, Truk).
After five months of flying an intensive schedule in the combat zone, VF-18 pilots
returned to continental US to re-deploy in other squadrons. I joined VF-17 and
returned to combat in January 1945. We flew the Grumman F6F-5 from the USS
Hornet, and participated in strikes against Okinawa, Tokyo, Iwo Jima, the Okinawa
invasion, the Japanese home island Kyushu, battleship Yamato and shipping in
and around the Sea of Japan.
March, 1945, was a very significant month for me and it began on the first, when
my F-6F took anti-aircraft hits over Okinawa that made her far too unstable for a
carrier landing. I opted for a water landing inside the task group-the first of three
water landings during my fighter career-and I made it safely.
March 18 saw enemy air attacks on the Hornet. Bad weather, and trigger-happy
ships gunners firing on our own airplanes, interrupted the pre-dawn launch of 24
fighters, with only six airborne. My division plus two Hellcats from the second
division, rendezvoused and proceeded toward Kyushu. Twenty to thirty Zekes
patrolling the coastline high, mounted a mostly unco-ordinated attack. The Hellcats
maintained the three, two plane sections in a line abreast. and figure eight defense
to guard each others tail. Nine kills verified. We survived only because of outstanding
air discipline, aggressive head-on shots, snap shots, and returning to formation.
Continuing inland, we spotted six Zekes that wanted to fight, and flamed them all.
We re-grouped, eased south, and found two Zekes and a Corsair in a vertical circle.
My wingman and I collected the two Zekes, and a grateful Marine. During this
sweep I got five kills from a total of sixteen. We took some hits, but no losses.
The last day of the month was also exciting when over Ammimi-O-Shima I took a
direct hit in the engine causing loss of engine and very heavy fire. I dived into a
channel between two islands striking the water at 170 knots. I recovered under
water, surfaced and survived with the help of a one-man raft dropped by Ensign
Harry Hanna, my Number Four man. Then I was picked up by a single-engine sea
plane, escorted by 60 fighters, and was returned to the Hornet and back in action
a few days later.
What a month.
Tally for March-seven confirmed, four probables, versus two definitely confirmed
for the other side!
While attending the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in the fall of 1960,
President Eisenhower dedicated the new building housing the college. He stayed
for lunch with Lieutenant General Mundy, USAF, Commandant of the school. An
officer from each service was invited tojoin them. I represented the Navy, General
Mundy read the Atlantic Fleet Safety Award, and President Eisenhower presented
me with a momento award. Needless to say, "I like Ike!"
In October, 1970, I was on duty as Head, Mid-East Plans for a Joint Staff, the
Strike Command. During an unpleasantness in Jordan, the Strike Command
Commandant, an Army general proposed that I parachute with a support group
into a Middle East airfield, hostile environment, to co-ordinate Navy aircraft carrier
support. Fortunately, the situation corrected itself. I felt like telling the General
that water landings are alright, but like windows, I don't do bailouts!
I retired in 1971 with 32 years of satisfying service.
Happy Landings.

NAVY CROSS
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS with
IWOl!otan.
AIR MEDAL with :-i:( )<.130.
PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION
LEGION OF MERIT

Fighter Squadron 17
On this Hellcat Squadron we had well trained
fighter pilots and superb ground crews, and mor
ale-'that priceless pearl'-was very high. It was
a great era-pushing the Japs back-and we all
knew we were winning the war in the Pacific.
FIGHTING SEVENTEEN
Hellcat Squadron

What a pleasure to fight with such men as Lieutenant Bill Colvin, Ensign Harry Hanna and Ensign
Jerry Foster.

Pilot Combat Report

On March 19 my division, due to mechanical problems, was last to j oin a 60
plane strike formation at West Kanoya airfield, Kyushu. The Japanese
obviously cleared the field of aircraft, and when the bombing began, Japanese
planes of all kinds penetrated an overcast and came into view. I dropped my
division out of the bombing group, and we started chasing airplanes, firing on
eleven above the overcast; we could only verify two kills since they would
drop back in the overcast; some of them were on fire. We then started our
bombing runs, only to spot six Zekes in formation in the landing pattern, and
with lights on. We dropped into tail position and started shooting, getting two
more; dropped our bombs on the runway, and headed home to Hornet for a
night landing. Four kills and six probables for the division. Later during the
month we downed four more enemy at Kanoya, all at low level, following
attacks on the airfield.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

I Hew Grumman Hellcats (F6F and F6F-5) in combat and always felt very

confident in these sturdy fighters which could take a lot of punishment and
still bring you home. The -5 was a smoother version with Hush rivets, and
maybe 20-25 knots faster; it was the best carrier-based Navy fighter at that
time, having better visibility, more stable Hight characteristics, and more
internal fuel than other carrier-based fighters. This airplane made more 'aces'
than any other fighter.

Robert C. Coats

SQUADRON LEADER

HI

DFC

In 1940, I applied for pilot training and was called up in the following
spring. My biggest thrill in my flying training was a forced landing in a sheep
pasture in very hilly country,in the middle of a snow storm. My instructor's
biggest thrill was trying to fly the Harvard out of that small field the
following day.
After operational training I was posted to 403 Squadron at Northolt in
early June 1942. Squadron Leader AI Deere was the CO at that time. The
squadron was equipped with Spit V's which I thought was terrific until I
was informed that the squadron had lost six or seven pilots in the last two
sorties because of the superior performance of the FW 190. At this time AI
Deere finished his tour and was replaced by 'Syd' Ford. Because of so
many losses and inexperienced replacements the squadron was moved to
Catterick to regroup.
My first real action was the Dieppe raid on August 19,1942,when we flew
close cover to the ships. I managed to get several shots at FW 190's as they
were popping in and out of cloud cover but missed. The balance of 1942
was spent doing boring patrols over the North Sea with the occasional
sweep thrown in.
In January 1943,403 Squadron was moved to Kenley,south of London
where we were re-equipped with the new Spit. IX's. In addition to sweeps
over Europe a major assignment was escorting US bombers on daylight
raids. I shot down my first Me 109 on May 13, 1943,and shared in the
destruction of an FW 190. Between May and October, 1943, when I
finished my first operational tour I was credited with four enemy aircraft
destroyed plus two damaged. During this same time our Wing Leader
'Johnnie' Johnson ran up a fine score.
From October 1943 to March 1944 I was on rest at Swinderby,and slowly
going mad from boredom. During the first week of March I was contacted
by Johnnie Johnson and asked if I would take the job of flight commander in
a new Canadian wing he was forming. I was ecstatic and thus I was posted
to 442 Squadron of 144 Wing.
In the spring ofl944,we practiced a number of exercises for navy and army
support in preparation for the upcoming invasion. We knew it was coming
but didn't know when. We also learned to use our Spitfires as dive
bombers. In May we dive-bombed a number of'buzz-bomb' sites in France
with considerable success. We also continued to fly escort in the daylight
bombing raids as well as sweeps.

On June 27,1944,we were flying an armed reconnaissance east of Caen when

Larry Robillard spotted six Me 109's low flying towards our lines near Caen. I
led my flight to the attack and as we got closer I could see they were carrying
what appeared to be 500 pound bombs. As we bored in they saw us and
dropped the bombs and took evasive action. During the next several mintues I
shot down two in flames; one pilot managed to bail out. Stan McClarty shot
down two,one of which blew up scorching his aircraft. Larry Robillard's guns
jammed and the other two got away. Terrible disappointment for Larry.

On June 5 we flew cover for a huge naval convoy heading south-east and
knew the time had come. On June 6, D-Day, I flew four sorties on patrol
over the beachhead and witnessed the most awesome assembly of power
the world has ever seen.
On June 8, while dive-bombing tanks in Caen,I was hit by the flak which
pierced the gas tank and promptly sprayed gasoline all over me. While I
was trying to decide how to bail out without becoming a flaming torch,Ian
Keltie spotted a freshly bulldozed landing strip just above the beach. In
order to avoid sparks,I left all switches on,put the wheels down and went in
for a normal landing on soft earth. All went well until near the end of my
landing run when a French farmer with a horse-drawn load of hay tried to
beat me across the landing strip. It finished in a tie. Result - one French
horse destroyed,one French farmer damaged. Miraculously no fire,and I
walked away unhurt. I made my way to the beach and returned to England
that night on a motor torpedo boat in a 50 mile per hour gale. I was sea-sick
the whole way much to the amusement of the British Navy,some of whom
eventually joined me at the rail.
Soon after we moved to Normandy and during June I destroyed two Me
109' s and damaged an FW 190. In early July I became CO of the squadron
and was very proud of their efforts during the 'Falaise Gap' fighting where
the squadron destroyed hundreds of enemy vehicles.
As the rout of the German army continued,we moved up through France
behind them, eventually locating in Brussels where I finished my second
tour around the end of September. For me the war was over.

DFC + Bar

I chose 422 Squadron not only because it was my

first command but also because the squadron had a
great deal of success during my tenure. This gave me
a great deal of personal satisfaction.
To witness the D-Day landing and be part of the
successful invasion of Europe makes 1944 the most
exciting period of the war.

During both tours I flew Spitfires. The marks were V,IXa and IXb. Of the three
types I preferred the IXa which gave us superior performance over the FW
190. When the second stage of the super-charger cut in at about 20,000 feet it
gave us the same manifold pressure and acceleration we had at 5000 feet. At
the time the Spit. IXa was introduced we were doing a lot of high altitude
escorts on B-17 daylight bombing raids. The Spit. IXa was a Godsend.

CL'--"C(

Harry J. Dowding

WING COMMANDER

CBE, DSO, DFC.

CAS

At 24 I was a workingjournalist with Lord Beaverbrook's Express Newspapers

in Fleet Street when World War 11 broke out. After training in Canada in
1940, I served my apprenticeship with Fighter Command's 66 Squadron in
1941 before being posted, early 1942, to Malta. I was later given command of
249, often claimed to be the Royal Air Force's top-scoring fighter squadron, at
the height of the island battle.
I well recall one incident in the intense fighting. The Squadron, brilliantly
controlled from the ground by Group Captain Woodhall, was perfectly
positioned to meet an incoming raid of three Italian Cant bombers, closely
attended by the Luftwaffe's 70 plus Me 109 escort. With height and sun on its
side, the Squadron cut clean through the fighter screen to send all three
bombers plunging earthwards. It was a model interception.
George ('Screwball') Beurling, 249's talented Canadian, watched the action
from the ground. "Boss," he said to me just after we had landed, "I couldn't
fault that one." It was the ultimate accolade.
After a spell on the C-in-C's staff at Fighter Command, I was appointed, in
1943, to command, first, 616, the South Yorkshire Auxiliary Squadron, and
then, later, the fighter wing at Coltishall.
My recollection of Coltishall, is of our clipped-wing, cropped-blower Spitfire
Vs, flying interminable sorties across 120 miles of turbulent North Sea,
interspersed with close escorts for the USAAF's medium bombers to targets in
Northern France. I can still see, as if it was yesterday, Johnnie Johnson and
his Kenley Wing of Canadians, with their coveted Spitfire IXBs, high up
above us, picking off the FW 190's and Me 109's as they began their passes at
the succulent bait way down below. Johnnie's wing leading in the summer and
autumn of 1943 was a wonderfully effective and aggressive affair.
At the end of a second period on the staff, I was told by Leigh Mallory, the
Allied Air Commander, that, at 29, I was "too old for a third tour on fighters".
"Very well, sir," I countered, "then how about a chance with 2 Group's
Mosquitoes?"
So, for the last six months of the war in Europe, as a Wing Commander, I took
command of 613's Mosquitoes at Cambrai/Epinoy for the low-level daylight
bombing attacks and night interdiction missions flown in support of the
advancing Allied armies.
Publishers' Note:

In the peace that followed, Lucas, one of Britain's best-known amateur

golfers, became a member of parliament and a public company managing
director and chairman. Now, in his 'retirement' , he is a successful author with
four books already standing to his credit. He was awarded the CBE in 1981.

Pilot's Co

at Re ort

Ground Control's two JU 88s Confirmed

It was just after first light on 6 June, 1942, when Frank Jones, my Canadian
No 2, reported twoJU 88s at 9 'clock right down on the water, 80 miles south
east of Malta-the result of a hunch by Bill Farnes, the operations controller.
'OK, Frank,' I said, 'we'll take the portside aircraft. "Lint" and Micky*, I
want you two to take the aircraft to starboard.'
It took 249's four Spitfire VBs four minutes to finish the job. But the credit
belonged to Bill Fames and ground control.

No 249 (Gold Coast)

S
adron
Command of a squadron in battle was the ultimate
privilege the Service could bestow upon a fighter
pilot. And when that squadron happened to be 249
in Malta, with its brilliant English-speaking mix
from the United Kingdom and the "old"
Commonwealth, from South Africa and the United
States-the recipient was doubly blessed.
I was lucky to take over 249 from Stan Grant in
Malta's crisis days of 1942. Here was an outstanding
officer, cast in the classical Cranwell mould. Stan
had given the Squadron a conceit in itself which
made us feel we were a pace or two ahead of the
rest. Nothing below our best would do. No
succeeding CO could have asked for more.

*Pilot Officer 'Lint' Linton and Flight Sergeant Micky Butler, two more of
249's stalwart Canadians.

tr

During WWII I flew five different marks of Spitfire, the Hurricane 11 and the
Mosquito VI.
I would select the Spitfire VB as my favourite combat aircraft in the
circumstances of the Malta battle in the spring and early summer of 1942.
The island fighting was generally between the Spitfire VB (and VC) on the one
hand and the Luftwaffe's Me 109F (and G) and the Regia Aeronautica's
Macchi 202 (and 205) on the other.
Against such opposition the Spitfire VB was well able, in experienced hands,
to contain the heavy numerical superiority of the enemy. Its composite
qualities of manoeuvrability, performance, armament and stability as a gun
platform gave it an edge over the Me 109F in individual combat.
Moreover, it imbued the pilots with a faith and a confidence which did much to
sustain morale in those rugged days.

I- I

DSO and Bar

DFC
Croix de Guerre Avec Palmes

Laddie Lucas

COLONEL

GERALD BROWN,

USAF

I was commissioned 10 March 1943 at Williams AFB, Arizona and was

assigned to the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group at Paine Field,
Washington. The Group had P-38 aircraft and we were training for escorting
bombers.
We depa,ted for England in August, 1943 and arrived at Nuthampstead
near Cambridge in early September. Our training intensified during the
next few weeks and our Group went on combat operations 15 October.
Our mission was to provide long range escort to the bomber forces. We
usually escorted them beyond the range of the P-47s and other escort
types. We continued this task alone until another P-38 Group, the 20th,
became operational in December, 1943. Needless to say it was a difficult
task because of aircraft limitations and engine problems. Sometimes I
thought that the only good we were doing was that we were taking some
of the German fighters off the bombers. I was shot up twice in November
and on one mission-I returned on single engine with 120 plus holes in my
aircraft. The German pilots in those days were extremely capable. The
first FW 190 I saw attacked a box of bombers head on and inverted. I
wouldn't fly through a bomber formation from the rear as they aren't
known for their formation flying.
I got my first Me 109 in January 1944. As a defensive maneuver about 12
of us were in a double Lufberry while about 30 Germans were attempting
to break it up. One of them got on the tail of a P-38 and I latched on to
him and blew his tail off. I got one more in March 1944 and three in April
which made me the first P-38 Ace in the 8th Air Force.

I finished my first tour of operations in April and was assigned as operations

officer of a replacement training unit at Goxhill in Northern England until
D-Day happened at which time I volunteered for another tour and I joined
the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group at Debden. I was really
looking forward to flying the P-51 with this well known Group for I
believed the 51 was a much better airplane against the German then the
38. There wasn't anything he could do that I couldn't stick with him plus
the fact that I never once sweated fuel in a P-51.
I got in several scraps but was never able to bag one. The only real
interesting thing that happened to me was that I had to bale out of a
Mustang on 5 September 1944 due to engine failure. The French Under
ground picked me up and I was back in England the same day.

Pilot Combat Report

On 15 April, 1944 after escorting bombers to Munster our Squadron was to
hit the deck on a rhubarb and return to base. When relieved by another fighter
group we started down from about 25,000 ft. My flight was jumped by several
109s and I ended up on the deck trying to evade 2 or 3 of them. After losing
them I ran onto a 190 which I attacked and saw him spin in. A few minutes
later I saw and attacked a HE-Il l which immediately crash landed. Keeping
up my speed I returned to base with several holes in the aircraft from the
109s and A.A.

I made the Air Force my career and started flying jets at March AFB in
July, 1947. I went to Japan in December 1948 and flew P-51s with the 39th
Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group until we converted to F-80s in
February, 1950.
I was the Squadron Commander of the 39th when the Korean War started
and we started combat operations on 3 July, 1950 in F-80s but within two

38th Fighter Squadron

I joined the 38th Squadron right out of flying school and started flying
the P-38. Our Squadron went on combat operations 15 October, 1943

weeks we converted back to 51s because it was a better ground support

aircraft as it could stay over the target area for a longer period. Our
mission was ground support and interdiction and while on an interdiction
mission on 30 November, 1950 I was shot down by ground fire and had
to belly in a burning airplane. I was captured immediately by Chinese

This order wasn't rescinded until February, 1944 at which time we were

troops and was a POW until release on 7 September, 1953.

able to be more aggressive which is the name of the game for a fighter

Being a POW is a thoroughly degrading experience. Much has been written

about your treatment by the communists and I know that all of it is bad.
As a Senior Officer I was blamed and punished for infractions of others.

in April which made me the first P-38 Ace in the 8th Air Force.

with our primary mission escorting the different types. Our orders were
to stay with the bombers at all costs and we weren't permitted to pursue.

pilot. I got my first victory in January, 1944, one in March and three

Eight months of solitary confinement being one type punishment.

I continued my career after release from POW status with duty tours in
the Training Command before going overseas again as Director of Oper
ations of the 66th Tactical Reconnaisance Wing in France from July, 1959
to July, 1962 flying RF- lOls. Returning to the States I spent three years
in Washington, D.C. with the Federal Aviation Administration until I was
transferred to Operations at Tactical Command Headquarters at Langley
AFB, Virginia in July, 1965. I was fortunate to spend only one year there
before being transferred to Luke AFB, Arizona as Vice Wing Commander
in July, 1966 and was assigned to fly the F-I04. I was made the Wing
Commander in June 1967 and continued in that position until I retired I
November, 1967.

III
}
'c:

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

I flew one combat tour in the P-38 and one in the P-51 in the E.T.O. I got
my 5 victories in the 38 and considered it a good airplane. However, I believe
the 51 was a better combat aircraft against German types. I never sweated
fuel in the 51 and I always felt that I could do anything the German could do.
At altitude, above 25,000 ft. the German could initiate combat and break it
off any time against the P-38. We were the initiators in the P-51.
I flew the P-80 and the P-51 in Korea. Neither one was too good for ground
support but we made do with them.

III

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS with three oak leaf clusters

AIR MEDAL with thirteen oak leaf clusters
Crouix de Guerrc (France)

Gcrald Brown

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT
DFM,CD

I wasjust over twenty when, in the spring of 1941, Ijoined 145 Squadron, which
was one of the three squadrons in the great Tangrnere Wing led by Douglas
Bader. I was a sergeant-pilot and I well remember those early, exciting fighter
sweeps over the Channel and the Pas de Calais.
We knew that one of the German fighter pilots opposing us was Adolf Galland
commanding the 26th Fighter Group at St. Omer. At this time Galland had
notched up some 70 victories and had just been awarded Germany's highest
decoration, the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.
On 2nd July, 1941, Galland and I (we subsequently learned) met in the air with
pretty dire results for both of us. I saw his Me109F attacking some Blenheim
bombers and got onto his tail. After a steep dive and some steep turns, I got in
close, fired and saw strikes on the right hand side of his cockpit. I was about to
finish him off when I saw a flash of other fighters in the sun and I had to break
hard into four Me 109's coming at me head-on. They approached very fast.
Their leader was firing at me, and I fired at him and hit him. Somehow we
missed colliding and I turned and dived, for the ground, and safety. Suddenly I
felt a great wallop in my back and part of my wing fell off. My Spitfire went into
a vicious spin, completely out of control and I blacked-out. When I carne to, the
ground was coming up at a great rate of knots. I pulled the ripcord, the
parachute opened, but somehow my legs were caught in the lines and I was
going down head-first! After much struggling I got in the correct position and
landed by a railway embankment with 109s circling overhead
I was in a state of shock trying to get rid of my parachute when a young 12-year
old French boy arrived and tried to tell me, in broken English, that German
soldiers were coming after me. Fortunately I speak fluent French and I followed
Jean Couderc, my new friend, to a nearby farmhouse thereby beginning my
adventurousjoumey through France and Spain, and eventually home-and only
made possible by many courageous French people.
In early September I reported back to 145 Squadron, commanded by Stan
Turner, at Catterick, but soon after I was posted to 72 (Tiger) Squadron at
Gravesend.
On the morning of February 12, 1942, I led a pair of Spitfires on a
reconnaissance flight from Boulogne down Channel to the south. The cloud was
low, 500 feet, but the visibility was reasonable enough when we were ordered to
return to Gravesend where the squadron was brought to cockpit readiness and
scrambled just before noon.
I had no idea of where we were going or what we were looking for, when I saw
three old bi-planes, carrying torpedoes, flying low towards the French coast.
Amazed I recognised them as Swordfish and noticed another three in the flight.
They were so damned slow that we 'S' weaved to stay with them.
With a cloud base of about 1600 feet Johrmie Rutherford, an Australian, warned
us of 18-plus bandits above. We turned into the attack and a strenuous running
dog-fight ensued as we tried desperately to protect the Swordfish. I saw a FW
190 with his wheels down to reduce his speed and I fired at a very wide almost
impossible angle, but before I could do much he blew up the Swordfish, whipped
up his gear and disappeared into the cloud.
The dog-fight, as usual, had fanned out over a wide area and I came out of cloud
and looked right down the funnel of a German battle-ship, with others nearby
and an escort of destroyers and E-boats.
The flak was intense so I made off very smartly, and had a running fight with
more 109's before returning to Gravesend where, at the de-briefmg, we learned
for the first time that we had seen the epic escape of the German battle-cruisers,
Schamhorst, Gneisenau andPrinz Eugen. All the Swordfish were lost and their
leader, Lt. Cmdr. Esmonde, was posthumously awarded the VC.
The following year Ijoined 402 Squadron, RCAF, at Digby, and early in 1944
Johnnie Johnson asked me tojoin his new-formed 144 Wing. I gladly accepted
and in June that year took part in Operation Overlord. Soon after, we were the
flfSt fighter outfit to be based in France at St. Croix sur Mer, and I was very
proud to play my part in the Liberation.
Immediately our troops had captured northern France I made my way there to
thank the lovely people who had helped me in my hour of need. Some, alas, had
paid the full price at the bloodstained hands of the Gestapo.

DFM
CD

This was on August 23rd, 1944, when Johnnie led my squadron (443) with
421's Spitfires stepped up down-sun. During the climb, Johrmie's number two
returned with a rough engine, but he declined my offer of a replacement.
Over the Seine I spotted and reported a gaggle of about 60 aircraft milling about
the sky and after our first surprise attack a big sprawling dog-fight took place and
we climbed into some 109s, firing, trying to break them up and they stayed to
fight. I could not prevent my number two from being shot down, but I got one of
his mates and then I heard the wingco:
"Larry, where are you? I've got some 109's on my ass."
I replied that I was over the big bend on the Seine at 16,000 feet and 10hnnie said
that he would climb to meet us but he was still dodging 109's.
I felt responsible for him, especially as he did not have a number two. Many
formations of 109's and 190's were still around and he tried to avoid these as a
lone Spit was very vulnerable in such a hostile sky. But we could not fmd the
wingco and my apprehension grew until I heard him reporting his landing back at
base - Ben Gilrnour who had joined me in the search, and I returned to base
much relieved. My engine however quit out of fuel at the end of the landing run .
Johnnie told me over a stiff drink, that he had seen my six Spits at 16,000 feet
over the big bend of the Seine. He pulled ahead wagged his wings and called me
tojoin up. He was rewarded with bursts of shot and shell as six 109's closed in
but, somehow, he shook them off-and with only one bullet-hole in his starboard
wing. The Wing, had scored a great victory and destroyed 12 enemy aircraft and
damaged many more.

443 Squadron was my best unit. One of the greatest

pilots ever to strap a Spitfire to his back was Wally
McLeod, from Regina, Saskatchewan, who was our
CO and he was an inspiring and aggressive leader.
Once we left the Normandy beach-head we began
the long trek through France, Belgium and Holland
and then on to the Rhine. We were all young and
savoured those tremendous buccaneering days to the
full. We fought hard and played hard - especially
when either Paris or Brussels was within striking
distance!

I flew 220 trips over enemy territory in various marks of Spitfires, but I felt sort of
invincible in the Spitfire 9b. It was a beautiful aeroplane and I was very happy to
fly and fight with her.

laITy Robillard

AIR CHIEF MARSHAL

Sir CHRISTOPHER FOXLEY-NORRIS

GCB,DSO,OBE,MA,FRSA,CBIM.

In 1936 I was commissioned in the Reserve of Air Force Officers through the
Oxford University Air Squadron; and was called to active service shortly
before the outbreak of World War 11.
In 1940 I joined No 13 Squadron in France. The squadron was equipped with
the Lysander Army Co-operation Aircraft which, when the German offensive
came, proved quite inadequate for first-line daylight operations. Consequently
by the end of May we had lost all our aircraft; and eventually emerged on foot
through Cherbourg, much chastened and looking for better things.
The better things for most of U"S consisted of transfer to Fighter Command,
which I achieved in August 1940. After the necessarily brief training on
Hurricanes, I was lucky enough to join No 3 Squadron in Scotland, where we
saw only occasional and desultory action for a while. But at least one gained
experience on type unlike many of my contemporaries, who were fatally flung
into the hottest of the Battle with sometimes less than 20 hours flying on
Hurricane or Spitfire. In early November I joined 615 Auxiliary Squadron
(Churchill's Own). After a routine operational tour during which I was shot up
once and down once, I left 615 in April 1941.
The rest of my operational career, from July 1943 to May 1945, was spent on
Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. Initially I commanded a flight in 143 Squadron
operating against JU 88's and other aircraft attempting to interrupt our anti
submarine operations in the Bay of Biscay, but in the autumn was flown out as
an emergency replacement to 252 Beaufighter Squadron, which was suffering
heavily in the Cos-Leros debacle. Thereafter, however, the squadron scored
considerable success in operations aimed mainly against shipping trying to
supply and reinforce the German garrisons on the Aegean islands; but also
involving encounters with Me 109's, JU 52's and the Arado 196 fighter
seaplane. I had some success in these operations particularly against ships
which, being larger, I found easier to hit than aircraft. In the late summer of
1944 I took command of 603 Squadron on similar operations but by the end of
1944 the war in the Eastern Mediterranean had been brought to a victorious
conclusion.
On return to the UK I rejoined 143 Squadron, this time as Commanding
Officer and flying Mosquitoes. Our task was to interdict German shipping
along the Norwegian coast and later, with long-range tanks, in the Baltic. The
squadron sank a considerable number of ships and even some submarines but
suffered heavy casualties due to the nature of the Norwegian terrain and heavy
flak and fighter defences.
After the war I served nearly six years in the Far East Air Force and two tours
in Germany, the highlights including appointments as AOC 224 Group in
FEAF and Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany/Commander 2nd Allied
Tactical Air Force. After retirement as an Air Chief Marshal in 1974, I joined
my oid friend of 40 years, Leonard Cheshire, as Chairman of his Foundation.

Pilot's Combat Report

On April 22nd 1945 I led the Banff Mosquito Wing on an anti-shipping strike
into the Kattegat, which proved abortive owing to fog. While returning across
the North Sea we encountered a German anti-force of 18 JU 88's and Heinkel
Ill's. In spite of continuing low cloud and poor visibility, we shot down 9
aircraft confirmed and I probable. Unusually, post-war research indicated
that 15 German aircraft failed to return to base. This must have been one of the
most comprehensive single-action defeats inflicted on Luftwaffe operational
aircraft.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat, 1939-45

I flew the following aircraft in combat:
Lysander, Hurricane Mk I, Hurricane Mk 11, Beaufighter, Mosquito
The Beaufighter was an excellent and rugged aircraft but, as for so many other
pilots, my preference must go to the Mosquito for its superb performance,
handling and versatility which made it the outstanding operational aircraft of
World War 11. It could also absorb much punishment although its speed when
fitted with 16 rocket projectiles and their fixed racks was naturally reduced. Its
manoeuvrability enabled us to attack almost inaccessible targets in Norwegian
fiords and harbours and to evade both AA and fighter defences; and when
necessary it could still return across the North Sea on one engine. It was
incomparable.

No 143 Squadron
I served twice with 143 Squadron, latterly as CO,
on Beaufighters and later Mosquitoes. Our
operational task was largely but not exclusively
anti-shipping on which the Squadron established a
reputation second to none. Main weapons were
anti-shipping rockets, solid or HE, and 20mm
cannon. These were highly effective, but to attack
the aircraft had to fly directly at the ship, giving its
AA defences an equally direct no-deflection shot;
Casualties were therefore very heavy but so were
enemy losses. For example on May 4th, 1945, the
penultimate day of the war, I led the Banff Mosquito
Wing in a strike which sank an entire convoy of two
large merchant vessels and three escorting warships.

(See picture. right)

D.S.O.
Chris Foxier-Noms

\------

LIEUTENANT COLONEL

ROBERT S. JOHNSON,

USAAF

I did not like what I heard about the Nazis over-running Europe, so in early 1941
I left college and joined the USAAF. In July, 1942, after the usual flying training,
I received my Wings and gold bars and was assigned to the 61 st Fighter Squadron
at Bridgeport, Conn., flying the first P-47B's. In these early P-4Ts we had several
that got into compressability dives. A couple lived through it, resulting in consid
erable testing by both the aircraft contractor and Air Force test pilots. Many
claimed to have gone through the speed of sound but the absolute maximum that
a P-47 could do was about .84 Mach number, straight down and full power.
On January 5, 1943, we left the States and soon after arrived in England. We were
briefly stationed at Peterborough where we awaited our P-4Ts. A few pilots flew
their first missions from this base. We then moved to Horsham St. Faith, Norwich,
where, in April, 1943, most of us were. initiated into combat. Later we moved to
Halesworth, near the North Sea, from which I flew most of my combat missions.
On June 6, on my fourth or fifth mission, I broke all the rules and dived from my
top cover position through our entire group, pulled up opposite our group commander
and shot down the leading FW-I90 . On arriving back at our base, I first received
congratulations and then a royal ass-chewing from my flight leader right on up
through the group commander, 'Hub' Zemke. I deserved it.
This was the time when the Eighth Air Force was trying to prove their long-held
doctrine of daylight strategic bombing-long abandoned by the RAF's Bomber
Command because of their appalling losses. The Germans fully realized that once
the Eighth could roam across the length and breadth of Europe they had lost the
war. Consequently, they reacted strongly to these daylight raids and we saw the
heaviest air fighting of the war.
On March 6, 1944, Zemke announced that we were escorting Fortresses to Berlin;
he would lead two squadrons of the famed 'Wolfpack' and I would lead the
remaining two squadrons. Two great fighter pilots from our group, Dave Schilling
and Francis Gabreski, would not fly on this highly important mission.
We made our rendezvous with the bombers near the Zuider Zee at 25,000 feet and
we split into finger-fours and positioned ourselves several thousand feet out from
our big friends. We had to make continual'S' turns to stay with the slower bombers.
Near the German border, Mike Quirk's eight P-4Ts broke hard right. They jumped

Pilot Combat Report

On October 10, 1943, I had just shot down an Me 110. I was alone in the
midst of some 25 or 30 enemy aircraft that were attacking the rear of the
bomber formation. As I pulled away from the 110, I saw four FW I90's
coming in to attack the bombers. They were several thousand feet below me
and I dived on the leader. I had to dive in an inverted position in order to
see him. His Number Three man pulled up to attack me. Just as I hit the
leader I felt a bang in my aeroplane, spinning my aeroplane slightly to the
left.
As I pulled the aeroplane out of its dive, I levelled out directly in front of
four Me 1I0's at a very close range. They let loose at me with their rockets
and guns as I dived under their fire and hit left rudder. No reaction. My
rudder cable had been cut by a 20mm. I got out of there, brought it home by
trim tabs and landed in foggy old England.

some Me 100's and had quite a battle, but he would not give us his location. Maybe
they wanted all the Huns for themselves!
We flew over the Dummer Lake-an unmistakable landmark,-and the three boxes

The 61st Fighter Squadron

of bombers we escorted flew silently and majestically on---{\ozens of Forts in each

.

closed packed box.

Suddenly gaggles of FW -190's attacked the bombers head-on. We were so close

to our big friends that we had no hope of stopping the 190's who ignored us and
went straight for the bombers.
American and German fighters flashed together at over 600 mph. In a second, they
were past us. We followed them into the bomber formations whose gunners fired
at friend and foe alike. Enemy 20mm shells threw white bursts into the bombers
and rockets left zig-zag trails as they struck the heavies.
The March air was filled with cries of warning and combat. One B-17 was cut in
half and I thought 'a few seconds ago those ten men were safe and sound'. Others
dropped out of the lead box, trailing smoke, crippled. Several plunged earthwards,
trailing black columns of smoke. A hundred parachutes filled the sky.

61st Ftr Sqdn

Breast Patch
56th Fighter Group

I stayed with the 61st Squadron throughout my

combat tour, except for the last month when I was
transferred to the 62nd for an extension of my tour.
I was promoted to Captain on March 15, 1944,
after shooting down three enemy aircraft, bringing
my total to 25 destroyed. Near the end of my
extension, I shot down numbers 26 and 27, and
was pulled from combat on May S, 1944. I had
flown 91 missions. Promoted to major on May 19,
1944.

Led by one of our greatest aces, Francis Gabreski, the 61st was a terrific
outfit and we took part in a great adventure-that of establishing air superiority
over Europe-which played a major role in the defeat of Germany.

During that desperate, fierce fighting we did our best to protect our big friends and
although my pilots shot down several enemy fighters the Eighth lost 69 bombers

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

(690 men) on this first major daylight bombing of Berlin.

During my term of operations I was hit five times by enemy fire, three times by
flak (with minor damage) and twice by FW-I90's, but I was never shot down. I
was the first to exceed Richenbacker's World War One record of 26 enemy aircraft
destroyed in Europe. About this time, Dick Bong, the top scorer in the Pacific,
had shot down his 27th Japanese aircraft. In late August, or early September, I
received a letter from the Air Force stating that I had a 28th victory confirmed and
I assumed that one of my 'probables' had been confirmed as destroyed. A month
later Dick Bong also received credit for his 28th victory.
Some 38 years later the USAF informed me that the Records Department had
made an error and that my official score was the 27

I came home with!

Our rugged P-47s, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2S00, an IS cylinder
radial engine, could take a lot of punishment and still bring you home. We
were penalized in range and on three occasions, I landed back in England on
the first available strip when my engine quit halfway down the runway. The
maximum distance we could make from our base in England, including
external fuel tanks, was Braunschweig, about a hundred miles short of Berlin.
On one fighter sweep mission, I heard a thump in my engine and called to
my wing man asking if he could see anything wrong with my airplane. He
replied, "N<>-but the belly is covered with oil." I continued the sweep with
one of the top cylinder heads blown, landing with the group as normal.

DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE CROSS
SILVER STAR
DISTINGUISHED FLYING
CROSS wilh cigtH oak. leaf
clusters
PURPLE HEART
AIR MEDAL with four oak
Icarcluslcrs
Dislinguishcd Flying Cross
(RAF)
Crai", de GUCTTC (France)
Crai", de Gucrrc

Robcrt S. Johnson

SQUADRON LEADER

ROB

DSO,DFC

t\RD

In June, 1940, I left home in St. John's, Newfoundland and enlisted in

Halifax, Novia Scotia where I was accepted as Direct Air Gunner but
happily later classified for pilot training.
I received my Wings at Camp Borden in November, 1940. The whole
class was posted for training as instructors with a promise that we
could volunteer for overseas when Empire Training Plan had sufficient
instructors. I did 1200 hours instructing on Harvards and in October,
1942, my application for overseas posting was granted. After
operational training in UK I joined 401 (Ram) Squadron in March,
1943, at Catterick, Yorkshire.
My fIrst operation was a scramble with young Bill Bishop, son of
Canada's greatest fIghter pilot of WWI, without interception. There
followed many convoy sweeps and bomber escorts during which flak
was usually heavy. We flew SpitfIre V's and V b's and enemy aircraft
were usually engaged by the High Cover SpitfIre IX's 127 Wing.
On February 14 we celebrated our change to SpitfIre IXb's by
destroying a Me 410 at the Hun's advance refuelling base at St.Andre
de Leure for the almost nightly bombing of London - no bombing for
several nights after: very satisfying. In March, during a thrash over
Cambrai Airport I destroyed a FW 190, damaged another, and sitting
on my tail side by side with a 190 my number two, Dave Ashleigh blew
him up and for good measure we strafed a Ju 88 on the runway. In
April I got a Me 110 that put on a spectacular exhibition of flying on
fIre, and going in to crash, he tried to lead me into a large factory
chimney.As I was deflection shooting at him my cannon hit the factory
which showed a large explosion on my combat fIlm. In May I was
promoted to take charge of B flight, 411 Squadron.
Four trips over the Nonnandy beach head gave a grandstand view and
a few days later I arrived at Beny-sur-Mer landing strip to stay.
In Nonnandy we saw more enemy action. On June 28, while strafIng
enemy transport south of Caen, we were bounced by a large fonnation
of 190s and Me 109s when short of ammunition and fuel and did not
engage. Next trip saw three enemy aircraft shot down. I damaged one.
Early evening we were out again and in an exciting scrap I destroyed
two FW 190s.July 4, destroyed another 190 and damaged a 190 and a
Me 109.
Destruction of ground targets reached a peak when the Gennan Anny
was retreated from Falaise.I took kindly to the low flying involved as a
severe reprimand in my log book attests. During August, I took
command of 411 and the 'Grizzlie Bears' have the highest score of
ground targets in 126 Wing which in turn led other wings in ground
targets destroyed.
After Falaise we moved through France and on to Belgium. When we
landed at Brussells the Huns had just left and the porridge in cooking
pots was still warm, but our welcome by the Belgians was still warmer.

"I was Yellow One of two sections and while orbitting the aerodrome
at St. Andrew at 7,500 ft, aircraft were seen taxi-ing and on the
runway. I spotted one aircraft in the air, about 4,000 feet, half-rolled
and went down. Ela must have seen me as he dived to the deck.Whilst
closing at high revs and boost, my engine cut out - high boost capsule
had burst in the dive - and my speed dropped. Ela levelled off just
above ground and as my speed was dropping fast, I opened up at a
range of 500 yards from dead astern. My engine cut in but I could not
open up so I held for a long burst and saw strikes in the fuselage and
port engine. Ela broke port and I followed still fIring. Port engine
became enveloped in flames and then his starboard engine caught fife,
somebody left the aircraft and hit the ground with a red and white chute
trailing behind. Ela turned slowly starboard and crashed on a road ...
"

Whilst on the continent my squadron flew

thousands of armed reconnaissances, and
apart from enemy fIghters shot down, destroyed
several hundred Gennan vehicles and we all
felt that we had made a signifIcant contribution
to the Anny's advance. Indeed, the Gennan
Commander in the West, Field Marshal von
Rustedt, said . . . "It was all a question of Air
Force, Air Force, and again Air Force . ..
"

I was acting in charge of 126 Wing and in concert with 127 Wing led
by Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson, we played a key role in the
defence of the Nijmegen Bridge during the Arnhem show. Soon after I
came off operations having completed 195 operations and returned to
Canada.
I retired as General Sales Manager, Molson Breweries in 1980.

I!f2I

DSO
DFC

SpitfIre IX - the sweetheart of them all.You didn't fly it you wore it like
a glove and waved it around!

GROUP CAPTAIN

AL

OPC

JLE

I was born on March 24, 1914, on a farm near the small town of Massey in
Northern Ontario. Due to a bad snowstonn, in those horse and cutter days, the
doctor was many hours late and my paternal grandmother had to act as mid
wife.

In 1936 I graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours degree in

electrical engineering, and when war broke out I immediately attempted to
enlist in the RCAP as a fighter pilot, since that seemed to be the only option that
provided individual competition in combat. After receiving my Wings I was
posted overseas on HMS California and during the voyage we listened to Lord
Haw-Haw brag that the Bismarck had sunk us.
After our operational training on Hurricane Is about 60 pilots, mostly
Canadians, were selected to fly long-range Hurricane lIs off the aircraft carrier
Ark Royal to Malta. With my 178 hours total flying I was a little apprehensive
as it was the type of operation which had to be done right the first time, but on
the day all went well.
Later I was posted to 213 Squadron where we flew Hurricane IIc's with the two
outboard cannons removed. This did not give much of a fire pattern and we
were almost helpless against the much faster, higher flying Me 109s. My first
success came on September 1, 1942, when I was leading ten Hurries against a
Ju 88 bomber raid on our El Alamein line. After a short burst my canon seized
and as my fighter had been hit by return fire I returned to base where my number
three confmned the kill. During this engagement we destroyed three enemy
aircraft but we lost five Hurries - two pilots were killed and three managed to
walk back. I was acting flight commander at the time while the other flight
commander was 'Jock' Cameron, later Sir Neil Cameron, GCB, CBE, OSO,
OPC, ADC, Chief of the Air Staff.
After the El Alamein line broke, 213 and 238 Squadrons landed more than 100
miles behind enemy lines and straffed the roads and airfields used by the
enemy. We were moved out on the third day after we had wiped out two
armoured columns that were only a few miles from our airfield. At this time I
shared a Fieseler Storch but have never included it in my score as I was
ashamed to claim an unarmed opponent.
When Wing Commander Darwen took over the Spitfrre wing in November,
1942, he took me with him as flight commander in 145 Squadron, and I
managed to destroy another 109 before going off for a rest in 1943. A review of
those officers with me at that time will indicate how dangerous war can be.
Wing Commander Darwin was later killed in Italy and his replacement, Wing
Commander lan Gleed, was killed before the fall of Tunis; his replacement,
Wing Commander Olver, was shot down over Sicily and became a POW. My
. CO, Roy Marples, was killed in the UK and his replacement, Lance Wade, was
killed in Italy. Our other flight commander, John Taylor, was killed in Sicily.

In June, 1943, I was posted as flight commander on 417 (City of Windsor)

Squadron, RCAP, which was based at Ben Cardane in Algeria. There was little
action here and Squadron Leader Stan Turner and I were blown up by a Jerry
landrnine while looking for a headquarters for AVM Harry Broadhurst. Both
my eardrums were punctured and I was grounded on doctor's orders for a
month, but I got back on flying just as we were re-equipped with new Spitfrre
VIlIs and preparing for the invasion of Italy.
Later I was promoted to Squadron Leader and given the command of 417
Squadron, RCAF, and I was credited with the first enemy fighter shot down
over the Anzio beachhead on the frrst morning of the invasion. During this
engagement my Spitfrre was badly shot up and a photograph taken at the time
shows me poking my fmger through a hole made by a 20mm shell whilst I was
attacking a second FW 190. In my last dog-fight on February 14, 1944, the
squadron claimed six FW 190s damaged, but ground observers confmned
three destroyed. After assessing the camera gun films, our Wing Commander
awarded two to me, but I gave one up to be credited to three of the other pilots.
During this hot engagement I was hit by a slug which lodged along the carotid
artery.
I was awarded a Bar to the DFC and received both decorations from King
George VI at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace on April 18, 1944. I was
then re-patriated to Canada and denied another tour mainly because the press
advocated that two tours were enough.

My most memorable action was on October 26, 1942, when, at dusk, I got into
about two squadrons of Ju 87 s flying west into an illuminated sky while I was in
relative darkness. On the frrst three I got so close that the bullets straddled the
target. Slight right rudder put the left cannon on target. On the fourth Stuka I
inadvertently pushed forward on the stick, the result was spectacular. Each
cannon frred into a wing root fuel cell. They both blew up. I watched
mesmerized while the aircraft went into a slow spiral from about 700 feet and
crashed on a sandy spit. I damaged another enemy aircraft, then throttled back
and headed for home. Gennany has admitted the loss of two pilots that night
and that the two gunners baled out. N<Hlne had admitted to the flamer as yet. I
was awarded the DFC for this action.

417 Squadron followed in the wake of the 8th Anny

across North Africa, played a notable part in the
invasions of Sicily and Italy and moved well into
Italy still in support of the 8th Anny. These were
great times because we all felt we were achieving
something, having defeated Rommel and become
well established on the mainland of Europe.

My favourite fighter was the Spitfire VIII with clipped wings. It had power,
good armament, could roll quickly and could still out-turn any enemy fighter we
encountered. My proudest boast is that I never had a pilot killed in any
fonnation I ever led while on Spitfires, and that includes more than one
complete tour of operations. That credit must go to the wonderful steed that it
was.

DFC + Bar

Bert Houle

COMMANDER

ALEXANDER VRACIU,

USN

Born in East Chicago, Indiana, I won a scholarship to DePauw University,

and sensing a war looming on the horizon. obtained a private pilot's license
under the government's CPT (Civilian Pilot Training) program during the
summer vacation between my junior and senior years.
Following graduation in 1941, I entered naval Hight training just prior to Pearl
Harbor and earned my wings in August, 1942. With planes and aircraft carriers
scarce in the earlier phases of the war, I was finally given the opportunity to
carrier-qualify on the USS WOLVERINE. a converted excursion ship, on
Lake Michigan. I qualified on eight straight passes in my F4F Wildcat.
demonstrating an early affinity for carrier duty. My first combat assignment
was Hying F6F Grumman Hellcats off carriers. learning my deadly trade for
five months as wingman to Medal of Honor winner. Lieutenant Commander
Edward H. 'Butch' O'Hare, Commanding Officer of Fighting Squadron 3
(later changed to 6).
It was while Hying section lead in Skipper O'Hare's division that I shot down
my first enemy aircraft, a Japanese Zero fighter, at Wake Island in October,
1943. I got a reconnaissance Betty two-engine bomber at Tarawa, and on
January 29, 1944 I qualified as an Ace after downing three more Betty's over
Kwajalein. The last of these was destroyed after a long, low-level pursuit
with only one gun firing part-time at the Betty which was jinking and turning
in. I notched three Zeroes and one Rufe in a wild dogfight at the first Truk
raid on February 16, 1944 as part of a 72-Hellcat fighter sweep at the Japanese
Naval fortress. It was a new and enjoyable experience for the F6F pilots ...
an all-fighter raid with no bombers to protect. That night, Air Group Six,
aboard INTREPID, was forced to retire from the combat zone when the
carrier was torpedoed by a Japanese Kate.
When my squadron returned to Stateside, I requested continued combat duty.
The Navy obliged by assigning me to Fighter Squadron Sixteen aboard
LEXINGTON, where I added two more Zeroes at the second Truk raid on
29 April. My 12th kill, another Betty snooper, was shot down north of Saipan
on 12 June. Betty's (big, fat-bellied, versatile Japanese bombers) were my
prime preoccupation after being told that it was a Betty that had shot down
Butch O'Hare on a strange night encounter. On June 14, participating in a
strike against enemy shipping in the harbor, I sunk a large enemy merchant
ship with a direct hit on its stern.
On 19 June I bagged six Judy dive-bombers in eight minutes in what has
become known as the Marianas 'Turkey Shoot'. The following day I shot
down a Zero, my last enemy kill, and damaged another while Hying escort
for bomber and torpedo planes on a record, long-range strike against the
Japanese Heet in the First Philippine Sea Battle. Air Group Sixteen was
returned to the States, but after several months, I talked my way back out to
the combat area when I found that I was being lined up for a War Bond tour.
My luck ran out early this time on December 14, 1944, however, when I was
shot down by anti-aircraft fire on my second mission while strafing near Clark
Field, Luzon, Philippines. After parachuting to safety, I spent the next five
weeks with the USAFFE guerrillas and was given the honorary rank of Brevet
Major while with them.For the final week of this episode, I found myself in
command of 180 men, dodging Japanese to meet General McArthur's advancing
Americans. I marched into an American camp sporting a Luger and carrying
a Japanese sword. Forced to return home due to regulations, I would not be
able to make the first Tokyo raid.
After surviving service on six carriers, two of which were torpedoed, two
ditchings and two parachute jumps-to be known as Grumman's Best
Customer-my war was over. I was the U .S. Navy's one-time leading Ace
for three months in 1944 and ended World War II as the fourth-ranking Naval
Ace, having shot down 19 enemy aircraft and destroyed 21 more on the
ground. For the last few months of the war I served as a test pilot at the
Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland, helping evaluate tactical
performances of U.S. and enemy aircraft.
After post-war staff duty in the Navy Department, Naval Post-Graduate
School and shipboard duty, I received the ultimate desire of all fighter pilots
command of my own squadron. As Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron
FIFTY-ONE, I won the High Individual Air-to-Air competition in 1957 Naval
Air Weapons Meet at El Centro, California, outshooting all Naval and Marine
pilots for the top honor. I received the following message from CINCPACFLT:
I AM DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE TOP GUN IN JETS IN
PEACE AS YOU WERE WITH HELLCATS IN WAR X CONGRATULA
TIONS AND WELL DONE X ADM STUMP.

Pilot Combat Report

As part of the American task force protecting the Saipan landings, we were
expecting an attack by over 400 Japanese carrier planes on the morning of 19
June 1944. I was leader of the second division of a standby group of 12
Hellcats launched from the LEXINGTON to supplement the combat air patrol
already aloft. The full-power climb was too much for some of our tired
engines, so I radioed our predicament to the FDO who ordered my group to
orbit at 20,000 feet. A short while later we received a new vector of 265
degrees when the radar screens began to show another large force of enemy
planes approaching. Taking that heading led us directly to a rambling mass
of over 50 enemy planes 2,000 feet below, portside and c1osing-a fighter
pilot's dream.In the next eight-minute tail chase, I was able to splash 6 Judy
dive bombers, chasing the last two right into the task force AA fire. Looking
around at that point, only Hellcats seemed to be remaining in the sky. (LTJG
Vraciu might have added that having to work in closely due to his oil-streaked
windshield, he amazingly used only 360 rounds of ammunition that morning
to shoot down the six planes).

Fighter Squadron 16
A transfer was effected to Fighter Squadron 16, nicknamed the"Airedales,"
when it was discovered that my first operational unit, Fighter Squadron 6,
was being returned home in February 1944 after experiencing its second
carrier torpedoing. I felt keenly that there was still a job to be done by
requesting continued combat duty and I was not disappointed. The Pacific
war was warming up and all good fighter pilots naturally want to be where
the action is.
It is likewise natural for me to associate my most successful combat Hight
with the opportunity afforded us at the Marianas "Turkey Shoot" in June
1944, when I was able to down 6 enemy dive bombers on one Hight. Not
many fighter pilots get a-once-in-a-lifetime occasion like this.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

Throughout the war I Hew the Grumman F6F Hellcat, which was designed
to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero, the dominant plane early in the
Pacific war. The Hellcat gave us not only the speed, range and climb to
compete successfully against the Zero, but it could dictate the rules of combat.
It had a rugged dependability. a solid and stable gunnery platform, and
distinctly was more of a pussycat than a Hellcat in its carrier operations.
What better success could be attributed to the F6F than to acknowledge its
kill-to-Ioss ratio of nineteen to onc.

NAVY CROSS
DISTINGUISIIED FLYING CROSS with
two gold 'ar..
AIR MEDAL with three gold stars
Alcx Vraciu

BRIGADIER GENERAL

ROBERT L. SCOTT JR.,

USAF

I remember always being jealous of birds: they flew! My boyhood idols were
Billy Mitchell and Billy Bishop. My head was always in the clouds, but I
managed to be accepted at West Point in 1928-mainly to assuage my father's

disappointment that he had a flyer on his hands. In 1932, I transferred to the

Air Corps, where I finally won what I had been seeking for many years: my
wings. It was just the start. From the very first I was a time hog, racking up as
many hours as I could to build time.I figured that this was the only way to gain

an edge as a fighter pilot. In February 1934, the Army took over air mail
operations from the airlines, and that month alone I new some 200 hours
despite being officially "grounded" for being a hog. Then came a succession
of jobs. One of them was armament officer with the 78th Pursuit Squadron in
Panama for the 19th Composite Wing. At one stage I was charged with mis

using about a million rounds of ammunition. I had been shooting at everything

which moved. The Audubon Society would have hated me, but I became a

mighty good shot.

Back in the USA I was a flying instructor at Randolph Field, Texas, which
helped me put thousands of hours more in my book.Then, President Roosevelt
announced the Civilian Flying Training Plan and I was given the honor of
opening the Cal-Aero Academy in Ontario, Ca., the largest flying school in
the country. I made it from lieutenant to lieutenant colonel in one year. Then
came a shock: I was told that at age 33 I was too old to live my dream of
being a fighter pilot. I resorted to writing countless letters over the heads of

my superiors to Congressmen and Senators, to no avail.Rescue came when

an acquaintance made it possible for me to misrepresent the fact that I had

never flown a B-17-I hadn't, but I said I had 1,042 hours-and I was assigned
to a top secret mission. Named Acquila, its objective was the bombing of

Tokyo, 24 hours after General Doolittle's raid from the carrier Hornet.The

idea was to pinpoint the bombs on the fires Doolittle had started. It seemed

like a one-way mission but it was stopped in Karachi. By then I had proved
I could fly anything!

I was then transferred to flying Gooney Birds (C-47s) over the Hump into

China, supplying Chennault's American Volunteer Group-the Flying Tigers.

I met Chennault and finally convinced him to let me fly a P-40 Tomahawk.

That was in April 1942. By then I was unofficially attached to the Tigers,

flying between five and ten combat missions a day over Burma, often on

"guest missions" with the AVG. Finally, the Tigers were inducted into the

US Army Air Corps on July 4, 1942, and I became the commander of the

23rd Fighter Group of Chennault's China Air Task Force, in Kunming.

Within six months of that, I had notched up 13 confirmed victories, plus nine

probables (gun cameras had not yet arrived in China.)

later confirmed by US Inspectors with Chinese Warning Net, leading me to

a final tally of 22.

In 1943 I was ordered home: I was told that I was too valuable now to risk
being captured.I knew too much, they said.Back in the USA I was assigned

to the Army General Staff as Deputy for Operations, School of Applied

Tactics, a job which quickly turned into giving a series of speeches across
the country. Then I started finagaling to return to combat and to ChennauIt
in China. The way it was done was this: I managed to pursuade the Navy to

let me become responsible for delivering 100,000 High Velocity Aerial Rockets
it didn't want to China.Part of the deal was that I would get to use them and

I became a train-buster, flying P-51 Mustangs. At the end of the war I was

still putting hours in my book. I flew over the USS Missouri during the

Pilot Combat Report

Remembering that first victory ...Early on the morning of July 31, 1942, I
took off from Kunming Headquarters to fly to Kweilin, five hundred miles
across high mountains to the east.At first I was above solid cloud. Overhead
Lingling I was given an "alert": enemy 'planes tracking the Canton-Hengyang
railroad, close to my position.My trouble was, I was low on fuel. To engage
or not, that was the question. The answer came easy: if I got a Jap ship it
would justify the loss of mine if I ran out of fuel. Let's do it. It would be my
first.
I'll never forget the moment 1 first saw him. He was closing fast, a twin-engine
bomber. He never saw me, as I went through the gun-sight setting drill. But, it was
just like Gen. ChennauIt had said, "If you see a lone bomber "tooling" along fat,
dumb and happy look up in the sun and you'll see his escort!" Sure enough that is
exactly what happened. Just as 1 was about to fire, I saw two enemy fighters about
three thousand feet above. I nearly stopped aiming from the surprise of seeing them,
but still I went unnoticed by any of them.They were Zeros! But I didn't know enough
about combat to worry. My guns would neutralize theirs, I could hit the bomber and
be off into the clouds before the fighters came down. Anyway, by now I was shooting.
1 remember diving right down under his nose-and thinking he was one surprised
pilot. 1 pulled round in the tightest turn I have ever done, mushing down into the
clouds, hiding me from the fighters.I saw the bomber again and got ready for a full
denection shot. Now the Zeros were shooting at me. I maneuvered and got good
shots in on the fighters. I hurt one badly. Then I turned and attacked the bomber
again. 1 nearly rammed it. missing the radio antenna by inches. When I pulled up
again the Zeros were gone, and the bomber was spinning in names.
Then I remembered the fuel situation: EMPTY. I glided to a landing at
Lingling. I couldn't buzz the field because I expected the engine to stop at
any moment.It was an exciting few hours.We counted 17 holes in my ship,
and then we got word that the kill was confirmed. That noon I was so excited
I couldn't eat my lunch, I just sat there and relived the battle. But the big
surprise was that I had also got the fighter, something we found out a few
days later. I was very proud indeed.

Japanese surrender ceremonies.

Flying Tigers
There were many who thought the American Vol
unteer Group were unruly and undisciplined. To
these statements I always remarked that I wish we
had ten such undisciplined groups, for then we
would have destroyed some three to four thousand
enemy aircraft.

Notes on Aircraft flown in Combat

My first actual combat aircraft was to have been the B-17 Flying Fortress. I
was to have flown it against Tokyo on April 19, 1942, following the famous
Doolittle raid. Luckily for me the operation was cancelled. I then flew the
Curtiss P-40E Tomahawk with the Flying Tigers. Later I was in the North
American P-51 Mustang carrying out strafing runs. 1 flew a total of 388 combat
missions in both types, and a total of 964 hours. The P-40E was a heck of a
warbird. I managed to wear one out on combat duties.

SILVER STAR with two oak leaf cluslcfl<>

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS with two oak leaf cluslcfl\
AIR MEDALwilh five oak Icafcluslcf!.
Cil:uion. Chid of Staff, 1942
Order of Cloud Banner (Yum Whci)
Ten Slar Dragon Medal
Distinguished Flying CrOh (RAF)

Robcn L. Scon Jr.

Tho

LIEUTENANT GENERAL
DFC
My interest in flying began at an early age when barnstorming was in its prime
during the 1920s. This led to a lengthy but largely unsuccessful career as a
modeller including a rather large original design that was distinguished only by
its inability to fly. When war was declared, I applied for entry to the RCAP and
was accepted but because of the lack of training facilities, it was a year later
when I was called up on September 13, 1940. I trained on Tiger Moths and
Avro Ansons and then became a flying instructor at 31 EFTS - an RAF
elementary flying school near Calgary. After a year and a half I succeeded in
getting posted to a Hurricane squadron which was forming at Lethbridge and
which was subsequently moved to Boundary Bay near Vancouver.
In May, 1943, I was posted to 412 Squadron at Redhill, where flying Spitfire
V's, we were engaged on convoy patrols off the east coast, fighter sweeps and
bomber escorts over north-west Europe. The squadron was commanded by the
popular and capable George Keefer who had won his spurs in the desert
fighting. Our Vs were comletely out-classed by the enemy's FW 190, so we
were all delighted when we were re-equipped with the splendid Spitfire IX.
However, it was not until the Spring of 1944 that I shared in the destruction of
an enemy aeroplane. About noon on March 23, 1944, we were escorting
Maurauder bombers over France when, from 14,000 feet, I spotted a Ju 88
flying on the deck far below. Flight Lieutenant Barry Needham and I dove to
the attack, we both made passes at the Junkers and then I closed in and got some
return fire. The port engine of the Junkers burst into flames and as the pilot
made a wheels-up landing in a large field, four of the crew scrambled out.
Soon after D-Day we moved to Beny-sur-Mer, in Normandy, and on July 2,
when escorting some Mustangs we ran into a gaggle of enemy fighters. I got two
190s in quick succession and two more were destroyed by other Falcon pilots,
but we lost Bud Bowker, an able and experienced pilot with at least five
victories. Our operations during August were highlighted by the terrible
destruction we inflicted, by low-level strafing, on enemy columns of trucks, staff
cars, armoured cars, tanks and troop carriers as they fled from the Falaise
pocket. This constant, relentless hammering by hundreds of our fighter
bombers reached its climax on August 18, when from first light to nightfall our
Spitfires were almost continually over the road running eastward from F a1aise
and Argentan to the Seine.
At mid-day, fighter-reconnaissance pilots reported many roads jammed with
vehicles; Dean Dover and his wingman reported 1000-1500 vehicles, jammed
bumper to bumper, in a large wood near Argentan. Every serviceable Spitfire
was put into the air. No attempt was made to fly large formations. Two, four or
six Spitfrres would go out together, dive and fire until all our ammunition was
gone and then return for more. Throughout this long day Spitfrres and
Typhoons blasted the enemy and destroyed thousands of transports. In my
opinion August 18, 1944, ranks as one of the most important milestones in
World War Two.
Following Falaise we moved rapidly across France into Belgium and then
Holland. In September the Second British Army made its ill-fated dash for
Arnhem and the drama surrounding the bridge at Nijmegen unfolded. At this
time the Luftwaffe became extremely active in an attempt to destroy the bridge.
Our squadron happened to be very lucky during this period when, during a three
day stretch, we encountered German fighters on every sortie. I was personally
able to shoot down eight German fighters during this period.
After Arnhem our fighter bombers attacked a great variety of targets including
bridges, junctions, railways, trains (both freight and passenger) transports,
armoured cars, barges, tugs and radar stations. On October 17, I strafed a train
at Dorsten and on my way home saw an aircraft below diving, I lost the enemy
in cloud but I continued down to ground level and saw two FW 190s which I
chased across the Ruhr. As one of them was about to land near Krefeld I closed
in and forced him to crash-land, the nose of the 190 gauging into the ground and
much smoke coming from the wreckage. Then I attacked the other which dove
into the ground and exploded. These victories brought my score to 15 of which
14, and one shared, were after D-Day and they marked the end of my frrst tour.
Following the short rest in Canada I returned to Europe in the Spring of 1945
and was delighted to command 402 Squadron in 126 Wing. We were based at
Rheine airfield in Germany but my second tour was short-lived for on April 14,
my aircraft was damaged, I had to bale out and became a POW.
I remained in the RCAP following the war and retired in September, 1972, in
the rank of Lieutenant General. I continued flying up to my retirement including
three years when I led the RCAP aerobatic team. Thus ended the most
interesting and exciting 32 years of my life.

DFC + Bar

On April 14, 1945, I was leading my squadron on an armed reconnaissance

north of Bremen. I spotted two trucks travelling down a dirt road and kicking up
a cloud of dust in the process. I commenced a strafmg attack and lined-up on the
rear vehicle. I noticed strikes from the four 20mm carmon and some flames.
Then I pulled through to the lead vehicle and commenced firing. However,just
as I was passing over the f1I'St truck, it exploded in a huge sheet of flame which
engulfed my aircraft.
Apparently it was a gasoline tanker. As I came through the conflagration, I saw
that my aircraft had turned jet black. I was able to climb to about 7000 feet but
noticed that the coolant temperature was going otT the clock. At that time the
Weser River was the demarcation line between the rival forces. I could see the
river in the distance and tried desperately to reach it. However my engine first
failed and then caught frre which sealed my fate. I was forced to bale out at
above 800 feet, five miles short of the river. After bouncing offthe tailplane on
the way out, I was soon apprehended by the German Army.

I was posted to 412 Squadron in July 1943 and flew

my first operational mission two weeks later. The
squadron was commanded by Squadron Leader
George Keefer and marmed by an excellent group of
experienced fighter pilots, including, a short time
later, George Buerling. I was thus able to learn my
craft from a talented group of teachers. I completed
my first tour with 412 and all of my aerial victories
were obtained with the squadron. When I finally left
the squadron, at the end of 1944, I was OC 'B'
Flight and had been awarded the DFC and Bar.

I flew Spitfires Vs, IXs, and XlVs, on operations and while I thoroughly
enjoyed all of them, and was very impressed with the power, speed and
frrepower of the XIV, I believe the IX was the nicest Spitfire of all.

GROUP CAPTAIN

The

DDY

OBE,DFC

Ijoined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940, and after training in Rhodesia
with many other young men from the Empire, I was posted to the Middle East
in the following year and took part in the great air-ground battles then raging
over the Western Desert. During my 16 months in the Desert I served with
several squadrons and flew Hurricanes, Tomahawks, Kittyhawks and Spitfires.
During this time I destroyed 15 enemy aeroplanes and shared in the destruction
of another, but in June 1942 I had a very close call.
I was a pilot of 260 Squadron, Kittyhawks, and with ten victories at this time
was a confident and experienced fighter pilot. The Eighth Army were retreating
from El Agheila to El Alamein; the enormous tank battle at Knightsbridge had
been fought and lost, and we were dive bombing and strafing Rommel's
advancing columns. I was leading my section of four Kittyhawks back to base at
3,000 feet when suddenly, without warning, I saw my wingman, about lOO
yards away, going down in flames with two Messerschmitt 109's on his tail. I
swung in behind the last 109, opened fire and hit him, but after a few rounds all
six machine guns jammed and I, the hunter, soon became the quarry.
On my left, a few miles away was the Mediterranean. Not far inland were three
escarpments about 150 feet high, running roughly parallel to the shore. I was
flying about twenty feet above the ground with my right hand wing tucked in as
far as safety permitted to the escarpment, with the leading 109 about 100 yards
behind me. His wingman was about the same distance away, on top of the
escarpment. Thus, the wingman could not get at me and the leader had to be
very careful of my slipstream. Under the circumstances I thought I was in the
safest possible position, but a continuous series of bangs and thumps made me
very much aware that I was being hit.
Suddenly the escarpment flattened out and there was I at low level, no guns, two
Messerschmitts on my tail and nothing but flat ground ahead. I was not afraid,
but bloody angry, and I broke to the left in a steep climb, turning, which seemed
to take both I 09's by surprise. Having gained a valuable few yards I then dived
back to the deck with the 109's following right behind to my airfield, and as I
crossed it at about ten feet, they fired their last bursts.
The C.O. was just getting out of his Kittyhawk when he saw me coming and a
line of bullets throwing up the dust across the landing strip and coming in his
direction, and I can see him now diving face first into the thick dust.
On landing, I was inspecting my Kitty, which was scarred by more than 120
bullet holes, when the C.O. sent for me and gave me a good dressing down for
bringing the Messerschmitts back to our airfield, but he never explained where I
should have led them!
After the great victory at El Alamein, which saw the turning of the tide, I
returned to Australia and in 1944/45 commanded 80 Squadron RAAF and
carried out many attack operations in New Guinea and Borneo.
I was discharged in 1945, but retained my links with the Service as the Citizens
Air Force Member of the Air Board, RAAF, and on retirement was appointed
Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty ueen Elizabeth 11. I am very proud that I was
the first Officer of the Citizens Air Force ever to hold these two appointments.

250 (Sudan) Squadron is my choice. It was my first

operational unit and commanded by Squadron
Leader E. J. Morris, DSO, from South Africa. He
was a very brave and fearless leader who gave every
encouragement to all his pilots, both in the air and on
the ground, and he commanded the unquestioned
loyalty and respect of the whole squadron. Thus, I
learned my skills in the company of fighter pilots
from all parts of the Empire - Australia, Canada,
South Africa and New Zealand.

DFC
Air Medal

t
On 12th May 1942, eight of our long-range Kittyhawks escorted five
Beaufighters to try and intercept Ju 52's carrying reinforcements and supplies
to Rommel, operating between Crete and Derna. Soon after reaching our patrol
line I saw a gaggle of Ju 52's approaching head-on. I made a complete circuit of
the enemy (3 engined transports on this occasion carrying troops), but without
seeing any fighter escort. Then followed a furious few minutes in which I
destroyed two Ju 52's and two Me l lO's and was myself hit by return fire.
When I left the fight only three enemy aircraft were still flying and I counted
nine aircraft burning on the sea below.

ft

39-45

OW

Hurricane I; Hurricane IIC; Tomahawk; Kittyhawk; Spitfire.

My favourite fighter was the Spitfire because after flying Tomahawks and
Kittyhawks it was a great thrill to fly a Spitfire and to see the enemy aeroplanes
below us for the first time. The Spitfire was steady, magnificent and
manoeuvrable, and was such a delight to fly.
Later on I flew most American fighters, and also a captured Me 109, but I am
convinced that there was never a sweeter aircraft to fly than the Spitfire.

(U.S.)
John

Waddy

Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the following people who have made it possible to compile and
publish the WWII Fighter Pilots Memoirs.
The Pilots
Foremost, I acknowledge the cooperation of the pilots who contributed their memoirs to
this series, each one of whom flew and fought with distinction in many different theatres
during WWII. Because of their natural modesty, most had to be cajoled into writing about
themselves, and because each memoir was written without prompting or aid from professional
author, journalist, historian or other individual with no experience of front-line air combat,
these personal recollections are all the more poignant. Their memoirs have been reproduced
completely un-edited, exactly as they were written by each pilot in 1982. I had the honour and
pleasure of knowing them all.
Group Captain, the late Sir Douglas Bader
Sir Douglas Bader whose enthusiasm for the concept encouraged so many other leading
fighter pilots to contribute to the series. Though he wrote the Introduction to the Battle
of Britain Pilots Memoirs, Sir Douglas sadly died before completing his own personal
contribution. The memory of this great fighter pilot and inspirational leader, and the tireless
work he did for the disable during his lifetime - for which he was knighted is perpetuated
through the Douglas Bader Foundation.
Air Vice Marshal, the late Johnnie Johnson
Johnnie was a valued friend for more than twenty years. A highly decorated Spitfire pilot who
flew almost continually throughout the war to become the Allies top-scoring fighter ace in
WWII. After retiring from the RAF Johnnie became a best-selling author, and I am grateful to
him for contributing the specially written account of RAF Fighter Command included in this
book.
David Bickers, Chairman of the Douglas Bader Foundation
David is Douglas Baders step-son-in-law and current chairman of the Foundation. I
acknowledge Davids help, together with that of the other good people at the Foundation, and
compliment them on the magnificent work they do for the disabled, in particular their work
with children. The Foundation website is:
www.douglasbaderfoundation.co.uk
And my thanks to the others..
Particular appreciation goes to Rhys Thomas of RT Design for his computer skills, Zed of
Image Centre, Bath, for helping put the book together, Universal Promotions Ltd who own the
copyright to all the individually written memoirs in the series, and the small design team at
www.arttofly.org whose idea it was to make this fascinating collection of memoirs available in
E-Publishing format.

Pat Barnard

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