A Very Unusual Air War

by Gill Griffin

  22 July: We patrolled mid-channel to cover return of Blenheims. No engagement. The Spitfire carried only 90 gallons of fuel, enough, with care, for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes flying at maximum economical throttle settings. In combat, this time could be reduced to little more than an hour. It will be appreciated that, on operations like this, we were running it a bit close.

  Having arrived at Kenley on July 10th we hardly had time to draw breath before being thrown in at the deep end. In the remaining 21 days of July we flew operations on 11 of them, as many as four flights on the 24th.

  We patrolled near the French coast, north of St. Valery; saw no sign of the enemy. Kenley, like other Fighter airfields, suffered badly in the Battle of Britain, many of the permanent buildings were destroyed, including the living quarters of both the Officers’ and Sergeants’ messes. In the latter the kitchen, dining room, lounge and bar area, after extensive repairs, were the only parts usable. Most of the staff, cooks and serving girls were members of the WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force). These girls, most of them youngsters like ourselves, looked after us pilots with great care and, although warned to avoid close relationships with pilots who might well be shot down and killed, inevitably some friendships, perhaps short-lived, developed. I had a particular friend up to the time of my marriage in September. Elsie, I often wonder what happened to you.

  The officers and NCOs of the Kenley squadrons were billeted in large private houses just outside the aerodrome boundaries, the former in Red House and the latter at ‘Hillhurst’. I slept in a large first-floor bedroom that I shared with four others.

  When I joined 602 squadron, the commanding officer was S/Ldr Meagher; he was then in poor health and had to leave for treatment. He was replaced by newly promoted Alan (Al) Deere, a New Zealander, who had joined the RAF some time before the outbreak of war. He was a fine man, a first class sportsman and athlete, the pre-war middleweight boxing champion and a keen rugby player. He was one of the Battle of Britain aces, credited with 19 confirmed victories. On operations he was a great leader, brave but not foolhardy; he never led us into a situation where we would be at an obvious disadvantage.

  One of the real heroes, we met many years later, after he retired from the RAF with the rank of Air Commodore. He was then living at Wendover, a few houses away from my company’s fellow director, Graham Luff. Knowing of my association with Al, Graham invited him to lunch with us in the boardroom at our group headquarters in Aylesbury. Although during my service with him I was still an NCO pilot, we remained friends until his death in 1990.

  24 July: Merston was one of the Tangmere satellites, right on the coast near Chichester used, in this instance, as a forward base.

  We escorted 18 Bristol Blenheims from Merston to Cherbourg. Arriving off the French coast we watched a gruppe of ME 109s climbing up behind us, but they did not engage our squadron (they knew I was there). On the return I saw an aircraft plunge into the sea north of the objective; the pilot had baled out. I landed back at Kenley.

  ‘To Tangmere’. The Cherbourg, Normandy coastal area was almost due south of the point where we left England. If returning at low altitude, the sea seemed to go on for ever and on occasions I started to get a bit worried in case I had set course too far south and missed England.

  27 July:

  I wonder where I went to show off my skill? Probably Slough.

  Summary for: July 1941 1 Spitfire 18hrs 15mins

  Unit: 602 Squadron 2 Magister 1hr. 55mins

  Date: 1/8/41

  Signature: H.L. Thorne

  J.D.Williams Flt Lt A.C. Deere S/Ldr

  O/C. A Flight O/C 602 Squadron

  GRAND TOTAL TO DATE.

  229 hours 00mins.

  YEAR 1940 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger

  MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo

  August 2nd Spitfire P8791 Self Air test and cannon test at 34,000ft 1–10

  Spitfire P8791 Self Cannon test –40

  Spitfire P3638 Self Air test and cannon test at 35,100ft 1–05

  5th Spitfire P8423 Self Bomber escort 1–25

  7th Spitfire P8791 Self Operational sweep 1–35

  Spitfire P8799 Self Gun and air test –35

  Spitfire P8799 Self Gun test –40

  18th Spitfire P8787 Self Bomber escort 1–20

  19th Spitfire W3622 Self Bomber escort 1–35

  20th Spitfire W3407 Self Gun and air test –30

  21st Spitfire W3622 Self Bomber escort 1–25

  Spitfire W3622 Self Bomber escort 1–05

  24th Magister R1915 Self To Merston –30

  Magister R1915 Self To White Waltham –30

  25th Magister R1915 Self Return to base –50

  26th Spitfire W3756 Self Cannon test –40

  Spitfire W3622 Self Operational sweep –50

  27th Spitfire W3622 Self Bomber escort 1–15

  Magister R1915 Self Flip –10

  Magister R1915 Self To White Waltham –30

  28th Magister R1915 Self Return to base –30

  29th Spitfire W3622 Self Operational sweep 1–40

  30th Spitfire W3736 Self ‘Pansy’ squadron formation and aerobatics 1–35

  31st Spitfire W3622 Self Operational sweep 1–20

  3–30 7–40

  55–25 185–40 4–40

  2 August: The unbelievable thrill of making my first flight to over 30,000 feet, using oxygen from the ground upwards, taking a little over 10 minutes to reach that height. I could see the whole sweep of the south coast and most of London and fly over or through the fleecy white tops of billowing cumulus clouds, the best way to appreciate the aircraft’s speed.

  When 20mm cannons were first installed in Spitfires, stoppages caused frequent problems. We carried out regular tests particularly at high altitudes.

  7 August: My first taste of real action. I flew as Red 4, otherwise known as tail end Charlie or more rudely as arse-end Charlie, in the central leading section. My function was to weave backwards and forwards across the rear of the other three Spitfires in the section to give them maximum cover against attacks from above and behind.

  602 Sqdn were flying Bomber escort cover, slightly above and to starboard of six Blenheims. When we were about ten miles west of St. Omer, Red Section (that’s us) were attacked by four 109 Es. As they overtook us in their diving attack Wing Commander Johnnie Kent attacked the leading enemy fighter. He followed it down. I attacked the second 109, firing a short burst with guns and cannons, from dead astern and slightly below. The enemy aircraft turned on to its back and went down vertically leaving a thick trail of white smoke. I claimed it probably destroyed. Sergeant Jimmie Garden attacked the third ME 109 with a short burst and claimed it damaged. P/O Thornton failed to return but I have no memory as to whether he survived. He was flying as Red 2 and must have suffered severe damage in the initial burst of enemy fire, so his chances were not good. My victim was seen to crash and I was credited with 1 destroyed. My first kill.

  Looking back, it is difficult to believe that my combat that day was only the seventh time I had fired my guns. The earlier times were mostly air to ground, just to hear and experience what it felt like. It was the first time I had actually shot at another aircraft and it felt great, although I did not really feel that I was firing with the intention of killing the enemy pilot. At last I felt that I really was a fighter pilot, the culmination of all those months of training. The credit for my ‘kill’ should really go to Wingco. John Kent who put me in the right position; I only had to press the firing button.

  On one of the early August operations Al Deere’s Spitfire was severely damaged when he was attacked by a pair of 109s. Quite a number of strikes were in the engine area but surprisingly the coolant system escaped damage. Al’s story is told in his biography Nine Lives and this operation certainly saw him use up one of them.

  19 August: We escorted six Blenheims to attack a target in the St. Omer area. I w
as attacked by a single, very determined enemy fighter, which dived on me as I was crossing the French coast. It was only by taking evasive action in a series of tight turns that I managed to shake him off so I escaped without damage.

  I believe that this operation by six Blenheims to bomb an enemy-held airfield north-east of St. Omer, was when a new tin leg was dropped to replace the one damaged when Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Douglas Bader was shot down and captured. The Germans had offered free conduct but would have used it for propaganda purposes so the leg was dropped in the course of a normal operation. It was carefully packaged to avoid damage and was dropped by parachute from a fighter of Bader’s own 616 Squadron.

  21 August: Once again, we escorted six Blenheims to a target between St.Omer and Lille. I was attacked by a single ME 109, which fired a short burst from astern which caused minor damage to the elevators and rudder. In taking violent evasive action I lost the squadron formation and returned alone. The slight damage to the tail unit was discovered after I landed.

  In the operations of early and mid-1941 our objective was to draw the enemy into combat and to ‘show the flag’ to encourage the French and Belgians. I suppose that it was also felt necessary to prove to the Americans that not only had we not been defeated in 1940 but were also ready and willing to carry the fight to the Germans. The Bristol Blenheim twin-engine light bombers were comparatively slow and it was not easy for a Spitfire to maintain station. Initially, Hawker Hurricanes flew as close escort and escort cover. They had to stay close and so were more vulnerable to enemy attacks. As more and more Spitfires came off the production lines, losses from the earlier years were quickly replaced and many new squadrons were formed. The Hurricanes were phased out and Spitfires took over close escort duties in the daylight role. The Hurricanes continued to participate as fighter bombers and came to be known as Hurribombers. They were extensively used in the middle and far eastern theatres; for increased fire power they were armed with four 20mm cannons as well as the original four .303 machine guns and proved to be very effective. They were also the first replacements of the Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters of ‘Faith, Hope and Charity’ fame, which fought so gallantly over Malta and were more than a match for the Italian fighters.

  21 August: Escorted three Beaufighters to attack enemy minesweepers off Calais. No engagement.

  24 August: I managed to hitch a lift from White Waltham to Slough for a quick overnight visit to my eldest sister, Doris, and her family, to confirm arrangements for my wedding the following month.

  26 August: After the bombing, my section leader, who had been hit by flak, left the formation. I saw him clear of danger. I returned to escort the Blenheims as far as the French coast, then returned to base. They all returned safely.

  27 August: Escorted six Blenheims to bomb ‘Long Nez’ airfield in the Pas de Calais. No engagement. Then another chance for an overnight visit to the Climer family at Slough.

  29 August: Flew cover escort for six Blenheims to bomb Hazebrucke; we saw numerous vapour trails. Six ME 109s came down out of the sun to attack our centre (red) section. We took evasive action by turning sharply into the direction of the attack; they gave up the attack and dived away.

  30 August: An exercise intended mainly to boost the morale of the local population.

  31 August: Saw no sign of enemy activity, not even any flak, so no fun at all.

  Summary for: August 1941 Spitfire 20–15

  Unit: 602 Squadron Magister 3–00

  Date: 01/09/41

  Signature: H.L. Thorne

  S. Rose F/O For T.D.W. Flt/Comm A.C. Deere S/Ldr

  O/C A Flight O/C 602 Squadron

  YEAR 1940 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger

  MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo

  September 1st Spitfire W3638 Self Convoy patrol 1–35

  2nd Spitfire W3622 Self Operational sweep 1–25

  3rd Spitfire W3622 Self Local flying, formation –45

  7th Spitfire W3622 Self Formation to 31,000ft 1–20

  Spitfire W3622 Self Aerobatics –35

  10th Spitfire W3622 Self Formation practice, dog-fights and aerobatics 1–40

  11th Spitfire W3622 Self Rhubarb 1–40

  Spitfire W3622 Self Convoy patrol 1–20

  Spitfire W8791 Self Aerobatics 1–00

  22nd Spitfire P3796 Self Calibration tests –55

  27th Spitfire P3756 Self Operational circus 1–00

  28th Spitfire P8791 Self Practice formation 1–05

  3–30 7–40

  Total hours to date 55–25 200–00

  11 September: After the glorious autumn weather of 1940, 1941 reverted to form with dull, wet weather and operations were severely curtailed, particularly in the first two weeks. On the 11th it was worse than usual with low cloud and rain. It was decided that each of the Kenley squadrons would carry out a ‘Rhubarb’ at different times throughout the day. Rhubarbs were notoriously dangerous so volunteers were called for. A Rhubarb was a low-level offensive patrol by a pair of our fighters over enemy-held territory to attack targets of opportunity, particularly road and rail transport such as lorries and army vehicles. We were under strict orders not to attack airfields as they were always heavily defended by light and heavy flak. A number of Battle of Britain aces who tried it were shot down – hence the ban. They were known as Rhubarbs because of the effect on the bowels of eating too much of it, the operation having much the same effect.

  On this day Sergeant Osborne of B Flight and I were the suckers who volunteered. We took off mid-morning and wandered around the Pas de Calais for some time and, being at tree-top level, were never really sure of our exact position. Suddenly we found ourselves crossing the perimeter of Calais Marck, one of the main Luftwaffe fighter air bases in the area. We had no alternative but to carry on; it would have been fatal to attempt to turn back. So we streaked across the flying field heading for the far boundary, firing at a steam-roller which was working on the runway. Due to the bad weather and our low altitude, we caught the Germans literally with their pants down. Approaching the hangars we saw large numbers of the ground staff enjoying their mid-morning Kaffee und Kuchen at the German equivalent of the NAAFI wagon. As they streamed back towards their gun positions, we opened fire with guns and cannons and caught many of them as they ran.

  We saw many bodies thrown to right and left but whether they were hit or just trying to avoid our fire we did not wait to enquire; but it is almost certain that there must have been many casualties. As we roared over the hangars and boundary hedges, streams of ‘flaming onions’ were already looping over and round our aircraft. By the Grace of God and extreme good luck, plus the suddenness of our arrival and departure, neither Spitfire was hit and we escaped unscathed. Although we had not deliberately attacked the airfield, the C/O gave us both a severe telling off for our escapade.

  13 September: As far as Kenley was concerned, 13th September had been my stag night, which I celebrated by flying my Spitfire to Waddesdon, the village of my birth, to show off to family and friends my skill as a pilot. It was nearly my last flight as, in the course of my aerobatic display, I performed a slow roll at very low altitude over the village. While inverted I almost hit the old windmill that stood just south of the village. Luck was with me and I got away with it. Back at Kenley there was time for a few drinks with the boys, goodbye to Elsie and the girls, then down to Whiteleaf station in the evening and back to Waddesdon, this time by train, to begin a seven-day leave from the 14th to the 21st of the month.

  Estelle and I were married at Waddesdon Church by the vicar, the Rev. George Dixon, who had baptised and confirmed me many years before. We spent our wedding night at the farm. Then it was off by train for a short four-day honeymoon, spent in a small hotel at Paignton in Devonshire. Days were spent enjoying local beauty spots and strolling along the seafront, admiring the barbed wire defences that lined the beaches.

  On the 21
st it was back, first to the farm then, for Estelle, on to Slough, where she lived with Doris, my eldest sister and her family, until June of the following year. During that time she worked as a secretary in the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) office of the local police force. I, of course, travelled back to Kenley to resume my efforts in the defeat of Hitler and his Nazis.

  During my week’s leave the Squadron had run into trouble on several occasions and was badly mauled. Seven pilots were missing, together with their aircraft. Three of the five relatively new boys, with whom I had shared a bedroom, were among those lost. The Spitfire, Squadron letters LOA, which I regarded as ‘my’ Spitfire, was one of those lost. I always told my wife that by choosing that day for our marriage, she probably saved my life.

  On returning to the Squadron Al Deere must have thought that I would be worn out and in need of a rest as he gave me only light duties for the next few days. These included a day as duty officer, quite an honour, as I was still only a Sergeant. I flew on only one operation, that on the 27th, a trip that involved only fighters and was intended to tweak the Huns’ tails. It obviously failed as, without bombers, the Luftwaffe showed no interest and saved their petrol.

  During this month we had our first sighting of what we later learned was the Focke Wulf FW190. Sightings of a radial-engined machine had been reported as early as August but it was a well-kept German secret and we had no detailed knowledge of this machine. In the case of our squadron, in fact part of the Kenley Wing, our first sighting of the FW190 was when a large number of Spitfires, three or four Wings, made up of 12 or 16 squadrons, were involved in escorting a number of bombers. The FW190 appeared some distance in front of us flying at right angles to our particular Wing, travelling at very high speed. The pilot performed a series of quick rolls right and left. It was almost as if the Luftwaffe pilot was teasing us and metaphorically sticking up the proverbial two fingers, (he probably was), as there was no possibility of catching us. He ended the display with a perfectly executed climbing roll, immediately diving away at very high speed. Various attempts at identification were put forward; some said it was an early arrival of an American P47 Thunderbolt or even a Japanese Zero but after a few more sightings, it was found to be a new and very potent German fighter, something we learned to our cost over the ensuing year.