by Nick Thomas
Meanwhile, Pilot Officer Grice had become detached and formed up with another squadron, destroying a Bf 110 ‘unconfirmed’:
‘I had been with the squadron (253 Squadron) about ten seconds when between six and nine Me 110s appeared and a general dogfight ensued. I fired two short bursts [firing 1,067 rounds] at one Me 110 and the last I saw of it, it was diving straight for the ground. I noticed bits flying from the enemy but I was unable to follow it down below 1,500ft as I had another Me 110 on my tail following me down.’
(signed) Grice.
‘My personal opinion is that the Me 110 is not as manoeuvrable as a Hurricane.’
After spending all day in France, the squadron returned from operations, Brothers recalling the routine, how they: ‘then came out at Le Havre and back across the Channel, reaching Biggin Hill at 2130 or 2200 hours, having a meal and falling into bed. Then being called up in the morning and then you’d be off again. Very wearing.’
Unlike most of the other pilots Brothers didn’t turn-in straight away. He’d sit and discuss the day’s patrols with his ground crew. This became a fairly regular thing with him, ‘We wouldn’t have got off the ground but for them. They were all superb. And of course, their aircraft had to be the best in the squadron, naturally.’
Although draining, operating out of France did have its plus points, as Brothers explained, ‘I came back from France one evening and the flight sergeant said, “oh you’ve got this bloody French 90 Octane stuff [the RAF used 100 Octane]. Chuck it in the ditch.” I said, “Hang on, stick it in our cars.”’
In their cockpits well before dawn on 19 May, the squadron took off for Merville, France, at 0745 hours, landing for refuelling forty-five minutes later. Following an uneventful patrol between Lille and Valenciennes at noon, Brothers led the squadron into the air with orders to patrol Cambrai, Le Cateau, Baval and Bailnciennes. While flying over the Foret de Mormal, five miles east of Le Cateau, a formation of twenty-three Bf 109s and a number of higher flying Bf 110s was spotted escorting enemy bombers.
Leading the fighters into the attack, Brothers (flying N2588) engaged the Bf 109s at 14,000ft over Le Cateau, claiming one Bf 109 destroyed:
‘I saw Green Section engage Me 109s astern of me, so I turned and flew towards them. Three 109s flew over me in line astern, so I turned sharp left as they dived on my tail. They turned away [and] as I was turning a 109 flew across my sights. I gave him a short burst and he slowly turned on his back and dived, inverted, at about 45 degrees. I followed him down, but he gained speed and remained inverted. I looked round and saw another 109 on my tail. I turned steeply to the left and he opened fire with tracer ammunition. His shooting was hopeless and I saw his tracer pass behind me. I turned onto his tail, but as I was firing he dived into cloud and I lost him. I circled round, but all a/c appeared to have gone home, so after a few minutes I returned to Merville. The N W part of Cambrai was burning furiously.’
(signed) P.M. Brothers F/Lt.
Many years later Brothers remembered this, his first combat, ‘I thought, “Oh, those bloody de Havilland propeller oil specks all over the windscreen” but they grew bigger very rapidly. The Bf 109s were flying in the opposite direction and the formations were drawing close.’ The formations crossed, apparently without either firing. The Bf 109’s cannon had a greater range than the Hurricane’s 0.303 machine guns and so should have been able to open up earlier and at least get a short burst in even if caught off guard. Having missed their initial opportunity and lost the advantage, the Bf 109s turned and came down on the Hurricanes. ‘Our reactions were very slow, I remember seeing this thing whizz over my head, I could see the oil streaks on the fuselage. I thought, Good Lord, it’s the bloody enemy! I looked round to see where they’d gone and they were turning around to attack us. He dived on me, and I got on his tail. Shot him down.’
Searching the sky for another Bf 109 that might be out for revenge, Brothers found he was quite alone. He quickly got his bearings and headed for a friendly airfield.
And so Brothers had claimed his first victory, the Bf 109 flown by Feldwebel Heinz Pohland of I.(J)/LG 2. Unknown to Brothers his victim had bailed out and was taken as a PoW: ‘Taking on the enemy was a game to start off with, you didn’t wish to hurt anybody. You wanted to shoot an aircraft down.’
Brothers wasn’t the only victor in this encounter with the enemy. Flight Lieutenant Crossley (flying N2461) claimed one Bf 109 destroyed, firing only 100 rounds:
‘Fired a full deflection shot as Me 109 flew across my bows from right to left. I followed him round and saw him turn slowly on his back and dive to earth.’
(signed) M. Crossley ‘A’ Flight.
Red 2, Pilot Officer ‘Polly’ Flinders (flying N2463), claimed one Bf 109 destroyed, firing 400 rounds at 200 yards:
‘I turned immediately to starboard and climbed and saw an Me 109 on my starboard side. I positioned myself on his tail and, as he came out of the turn, opened fire. After about three seconds he turned slowly onto his back and dived inverted at an angle of about 60 degrees. I saw one machine which I believed to be a Hurricane in flames and the pilot descending by parachute.’
(signed) P/O Flinders.
Pilot Officer Grice (flying N2459) attacked the same formation, claiming two Bf 109s (one unconfirmed):
‘I fired two bursts of about two seconds at the first 109 using from full to three-quarters deflection. The machine burst into flames. The second Me 109 [was] attacked from dead astern on a steep climb at range of approximately 300 yards. On opening fire, streams of white vapour appeared from the enemy – petrol possibly. At the end of the burst (six seconds) the 109 flick-rolled upwards and then started spinning. I watched it spinning for 5 to 6,000ft but did not see it go in.’
(signed) D. Hamilton Grice P/O.
Blue 2, Sergeant Turner (flying N2657), claimed one Bf 109 as destroyed east of Forest de Marmal, firing eighty rounds during a three second burst at 100 yards, making a, ‘Dead astern attack after 109 had overshot. Enemy used tracer. Black smoke seen and pieces seen flying off. No parachute seen. Impression gathered the Me 109 was faster, but shooting poor.’
Meanwhile, Green Leader, Sergeant J.W. White (flying N2582), engaged a lone Do 17 which he destroyed, firing all fifteen seconds of ammunition at 200 yards. He noted that there was:
‘No rearguard action from enemy, which had presumably just bombed Cambrai or town below on fire. Tail unit of E/A broke off and it went down in smoking spiral.’
(signed) Sgt White.
‘B’ Flight’s Sergeant G.L. North was credited with probably destroying the Bf 109 which was lining-up to shoot at Pilot Officer Milner, who had taken to his parachute:
‘The Me 109 approached from astern. I turned and attacked, firing three times [at 350 yards]. When last seen E/A was travelling eastwards vertically at an estimated speed of 400 mph and it did not apparently pull out.’
(signed) Sgt G.L. North.
Pilot Officer Daw (flying N2527) destroyed a Bf 110, his combat report having since been lost.
Meanwhile, ‘B’ Flight’s Pilot Officer Eckford (flying N2409) engaged a formation of twelve Bf 109s and Do 215s, claiming one Bf 109 as doubtful. He also saw a Hurricane go down: ‘We were attacked from behind and above by a Hurricane diving vertically in flames and a parachute above it. An Me 109 turned towards me and I fired for three or four seconds head on. His tracer missed up to the right. He passed on my starboard side and continued diving.
‘I had to shake off another Me 109 which was on my tail and spun out of a turn, losing the other aircraft.’
Alan Francis ‘Shag’ Eckford and Victor George ‘Jack’ Daw joined the RAF on short service commissions in November 1938 and on completion of their flying training at No. 9 FTS, Hullavington, followed by a period at Air Observer School, Manby, were posted to No. 32 Squadron on 5 September 1939. Both would become fighter aces.
Short of fuel following the combat, the Hurricanes landed at various aerodromes in France. Once on th
e ground Brothers and the other pilots discovered that there was no one available to help with the refuelling process or take-offs, ‘the only way to get the Hurricanes started was to have a chap each side winding the handles, so I’d get into mine and we’d get mine started and then leave it ticking over. Then I’d jump out and wind somebody else’s until we’d got them all going. It was pretty ghastly and the French, I’m afraid, were totally demoralized by this time.’
Once back at Biggin Hill the pilots reported to their Intelligence Officer, Flying Officer Leighton. Piecing together the narrative of the air battle it quickly became apparent that Flying Officer J.C. ‘Millie the Moocher’ Milner (flying N2462) had been shot down in flames during combat with Bf 109s of I./JG 2 near Le Cateau, but had made his escape by parachute.
Brothers recalled: ‘The first chap we lost was my great chum, Johnny Milner. (Milner was to remain a friend of the family until his death in 1968/9 and is remembered by Pete’s daughter Wendy as ‘a delightful man.’) He bailed out and became a PoW.
‘Nobody saw what happened [sic] and we just hoped for the best. It took about two months … we got a card from a Kriegsgefangenenlager, which read, “Sorry I left you the other day; I wasn’t looking! Wonder if you are still at the Bump. Do drop in and see me any time you’re round these parts – love to everybody and good luck. Millie.”
‘He was locked up for the rest of the war. He got out a couple of times.’
Recaptured, Milner was transferred to Stalag Luft III, from where he made further escape attempts, although he was not one of those who took part in the Great Escape: ‘He got out much earlier. He got himself to a German airfield and lay and watched it for a couple of days to check out the routine. He chose an aircraft but he couldn’t get it started – it was awaiting an engine change! I think he got out twice.’
Despite the loss of one Hurricane, the squadron’s haul led to a message from HQ No. 11 Group: ‘Air Officer Commanding sends hearty congratulations to No. 32 Squadron on their very good shooting yesterday and today.’
To which Squadron Leader Worrall replied, ‘32 Squadron thanks the AOC 11 Group for his very kind message. Our tails are up and will remain so.’
During the day Churchill had made a broadcast to the nation which set the tone of his leadership during the war years:
‘I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister in a solemn hour for the life of our Country, of our Empire, of our Allies, and, above all, of the cause of Freedom.
‘A tremendous battle is raging in France and Flanders. The Germans, by a remarkable combination of air bombing and heavily armoured tanks, have broken through the French defences north of the Maginot Line, and strong columns of their armoured vehicles are ravaging the open country.’
Churchill extolled the role of Fighter Command and their successes:
‘In the air – often at serious odds, often at odds hitherto thought overwhelming – we have been clawing down three, or four to one, of our enemies; and the relative balance of the British and German Air Forces is now considerably more favourable to us than at the beginning of the battle. In cutting down the German bombers, we are fighting our own battle as well as that of France. My confidence in our ability to fight it out to the finish with the German Air Force has been strengthened by the fierce encounters which have taken place and are taking place.’
But not hiding from the possibility that France might fall, leaving Great Britain and her Empire to fight alone, Churchill added:
‘Our task is not only to win the battle – but to win the war. After this battle in France abates its force, there will come the battle for our Island – for all that Britain is, and all that Britain means. That will be the struggle.’
During a meeting of the War Office that day, a number of subjects were discussed. These included the appointment of Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey, Flag Officer Commanding Dover (later Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay, KCB, KBE, MVO), who was to oversee the ‘possible but unlikely evacuation of a very large force in hazardous circumstances, via Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk’. The collapse of the Front would be so rapid that the plan came into almost immediate effect.
The squadron spent the following day at Manston, taking off at 1745 hours on a wing-strength bomber escort to Blenheims targeting Arras and Cambrai. Pilot Officer Daw destroyed a Bf 109, while Flight Lieutenant Humpherson damaged a Bf 109, Pilot Officer Grice claiming another. Meanwhile, Squadron Leader Worrall and his No. 2, Sergeant North, attacked a Henschel Hs 126 spotter aircraft of 3(H)/41 (8 Panzer Division) over Arras, killing the pilot, Oberleutnant Seppell.
‘B’ Flight’s Sergeant North (flying N2583) claimed the Hs 126 probably destroyed at 1825 hours:
‘Green One (Squadron Leader Worrall) dived to attack [firing 1,689 rounds but losing the enemy while trying to gain a better position]. After a few minutes Green One broke away and I engaged the E/A at an estimated height of 100ft. I fired and the enemy adopted evasive tactics, climbing and turning, displaying exceptional manoeuvrability. I engaged the enemy again at a height of about 50ft and from 100 yards got in a long burst. The rear gunner appeared then to have been silenced (he had been firing tracer), but then there was a loud explosion coming from the direction of the port tank [of Sgt North’s Hurricane]. The aircraft caught fire [hit by return fire from the Hs 126 of 3 (H)/41], my cockpit filling with acrid smoke. I put it down with the wheels in the up position in a ploughed field approximately ten miles S.E. of Arras, near Pelves.’
North evaded capture and made it back to England via Vimy, Merville and Calais, reporting for duty on 23 May.
Meanwhile, on 21 May, the squadron took off for Hawkinge at 0835 hours, refuelling before making two patrols of Abbeville, Fervent, Montreuil, Etaples, Lille, Seclin and Merville. A total of fifty-two sorties were flown, during which Pilot Officer Daw was credited with a Bf 109 destroyed.
Back at Biggin Hill, it was almost as if normality had resumed. Of their time flying out of French airfields Brothers said, ‘It all seemed rather pointless too, because we didn’t feel we were achieving very much. We had several engagements in France but not enough, I would have said, to justify our presence there. Occasionally you did bump into some Germans, whereas you wouldn’t have done if you’d been sitting at Biggin Hill, there’d been so much disorder and chaos beforehand, now we’re settled, we’re back at home and everything is organized here and we can just get on with it’.
On the following day Nos. 32 and 601 Squadrons flew a joint patrol at 1900 hours, attacking eight Bf 109s encountered over St Pol in two formations.
‘A’ Flight’s Flight Lieutenant M. Crossley claimed one Bf 109 destroyed, his combat report taking up the narrative:
‘I was leading a patrol of sixteen Hurricanes, bound for the Bethune – Arras patrol line, and had crossed the French coast at Calais. On approaching St. Omer I saw what I thought was a Spitfire high up to starboard, and said so. Almost immediately after, I saw five single engine a/c go past to port and below. I told Blue Section to go and investigate, but they didn’t hear, and the a/c appeared to become mixed up with our rear Flight (601). I then saw four larger a/c in echelon go past down to the right and turned to follow them, but lost sight of them on seeing a melee going on behind. I turned round preparing to join in, but immediately decided first to ascertain whether a further supply was coming up. I saw three more to the south flying around. I approached the back one who was doing a step L.H. turn, and opened fire. After a while he caught fire and blew up. The other two Me 109s were about to dive on me from the front, and I, not knowing how much ammunition was left, dived steeply and escaped.’
(signed) Flt Lt M. Crossley.
Also flying with Red Section was Pilot Officer Daw, who destroyed one Bf 109:
‘I sighted six enemy a/c which turned as if to attack us from behind, one section of the squadron turned and engaged these – a few minutes later another nine appeared out of the sun; which Red Section turned and attacked. I managed to get on the tail of one,
I gave three long bursts. Parts of the tail unit came off and he dived earthwards in large circles.’
(signed) P/O Daw.
Yellow Section’s Pilot Officer D. Hamilton Grice claimed one Bf 109 destroyed:
‘An Me 109 got on my tail and fired a burst of about one second which passed under my port wing. I turned and the enemy dived vertically, pulling out at ground level. Having followed it down I fired at 250 yards dead astern. The 109 immediately emitted white vapour from the wings and dense black smoke from the engine. I continued firing in short bursts until my ammunition was expended. The machine continued flying for a further minute and finally flew into the ground.’
(signed) D. Hamilton Grice.
While flying ten miles east of St Omer, ‘A’ Flight’s Sergeant Nowell witnessed the destruction of one of the Bf 109s, which had been previously damaged by the squadron:
‘…he just dived straight into the ground. I had not fired and presumed the enemy to have already been attacked.’
(signed) Sgt Nowell.
‘B’ Flight’s Pilot Officer Humpherson claimed one Bf 109 ‘inconclusive’:
‘In the general dogfight that ensued I attacked an Me 109 at a range of about 250 yards. After a burst of about ten seconds the enemy a/c rolled over onto its side, smoke coming from the starboard side. I was unable to watch the machine crash as I was forced to take violent evasive tactics.’
(signed) P/O Humpherson.
Flight Lieutenant R.V. Jeff (flying P2755) claimed one Bf 109 destroyed twenty miles north-west of St Pol: