Hurricane Squadron Ace: The Story of Battle of Britain Ace, Air Commodore Peter Brothers, CBE, DSO, DFC and Bar

by Nick Thomas

  Brothers had singled out a Do 17 which he shared with Pilot Officer Hedges and Sergeant Robinson:

  ‘The only way one could whip this squadron into shape was the sort of thing I would do when we got mixed up with some German bombers and I set the chaps port engine on fire, and he followed me in and finished it off.

  ‘What did it matter, I mean you gave away bits of your own score, but it built up the morale of the chaps you were leading.’

  Brothers then made a second attack, claiming a Do 215 (Ju 88) destroyed, firing all but forty rounds in several four second bursts. His combat report expands on both combats:

  ‘At 1200 hours I was leading Blue Section 257 Squadron in line astern with 504 Squadron when I sighted a square formation (approximately five lines of five aircraft) of Do 17s and 215s. The rest of 257 Squadron were in line astern of my section. I attacked the enemy formation from the starboard side doing a quarter attack, developing into astern. I ordered my section to concentrate their fire on one Do 17. We succeeded in setting the rear of the fuselage and port engine on fire. During the attack the enemy concentrated their fire on me. Their fire was heavy but unsuccessful as only one bullet hit the aircraft, passing through the port ammunition tank and nearly severing the port aileron control cable. I broke away downwards and attacked a lone Do 215 [Ju 88]. Crew bailed out, and it crashed about two miles south of Sevenoaks. During the attack the strain proved too much for the weakened aileron cable, which snapped. As the aircraft was just manageable on the starboard aileron I managed to reach Biggin Hill and landed, and have it repaired.’

  (signed) P.M. Brothers F/Lt Blue Section.

  Brothers recalled these types of attacks and this incident in particular:

  ‘One thing I remember was the density of the rear-gunners’ fire. They’d put up a sort of a barrage that you had to go through if you wanted to get in close – to about fifty or a hundred yards, which was vital. The aim was to get that rear-gunner out of the way. There was nothing you could do to avoid it – you’d collect a few holes and just hope for the best – I was hit once in those early operations. I got shot up and the controls were broke, shot away. I was halfway out of the cockpit before I realized the aircraft was still controllable, and climbed in again.’

  The Do 17 (No. 3322) that Brothers shot down was piloted by Wilhelm Raab of 9./KG 76. The former enemies met on 31 July 1981, Brothers noting the meeting in his logbook against the original combat, later commenting:

  ‘His unit lost most of its aircraft on that low-level raid. The Germans threw everything they had at us. We did three sorties that day, all around midday, one of them was fifty minutes long, one was an hour, and the other was an hour and a bit. I got a 109 and a Do 17 at high-level. The Germans lost seventy-five aircraft that day; they never came again in such numbers.’

  It later transpired that Raab’s aircraft had initially been attacked by Sergeant Tyler of No. 46 Squadron, then by No. 229 Squadron’s Flight Lieutenant Rimmer: ‘I led Blue Section in a head-on attack. Picking out a straggler I gave a three second burst at 200 to 100 yds, followed by two quarter attacks of three seconds at 200 yds closing to 50 yds. E/A went into cloud and I followed him down, and saw him engaged by four Spitfires and three Hurricanes before he crashed on West Malling Aerodrome.’ Two of the Hurricanes were those flown by Flight Lieutenant Brothers and Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Pilot Officer Mortimer of No. 257 Squadron.

  Having dived for cloud, the limping bomber was then hit by Flight Lieutenant Powell-Sheddon and Pilot Officer Tamblyn of No. 242 Squadron. Meanwhile, Squadron Leader Lane, of No. 19 Squadron, also got a burst in at close range. As he pulled away the crippled bomber was attacked by further fighters, including Flight Lieutenant Villa of No. 72 Squadron, Pilot Officer Turner of No. 242 Squadron and Sergeant Wright of No. 605 Squadron. Finally the crew bailed out before their stricken Dornier crashed near houses at Underriver, south of Sevenoaks, Kent, at about 1220 hours. Of the crew, remarkably only one was killed, while three, including Feldwebel Raab, were captured.

  Pilot Officer Hedges (Blue 2) and Sergeant Robinson (Blue 3) of course also claimed the Do 17 as probably destroyed (shared):

  ‘Flying as Blue 3 with Flight Lieutenant Brothers as leader, we attacked twenty to twenty-five bombers from beam, and got a four second burst in at 250 yards range. There was considerable return crossfire from the bombers and the one at which I fired caught fire at the rear.’

  (signed) P.T. Robinson.

  Meanwhile, Pilot Officer Mortimer (Yellow 1) claimed a Do 215 destroyed (shared with a ‘friendly fighter’):

  ‘At 1205 hours, 18,000ft, I found myself detached from my comrades and spotted [a lone] E/A heading south. I made an attack from behind and slightly above – three second burst – with no apparent effect. I was then joined by two Hurricanes and one Spitfire and we all made varied attacks on the enemy aircraft, which seemed to be losing height. At about 4,000ft two of the E/A’s crew bailed out. Eventually the enemy aircraft crashed and burst into flames. Exact position not known – possibly near Swaley.’

  (signed) Plt Off P.A. Mortimer.

  Yellow Section’s Pilot Officer North claimed one Do 215 damaged (shared with three Spitfires):

  ‘I was left slightly behind in the initial attack; I saw a straggling Do 215 being engaged by Spitfires, and after they had broken away, I attacked from the rear, opening fire at 350 yards, closing in to 200 yards giving five second bursts. Pieces fell from the E/A.’

  (signed) Plt Off Gerald North.

  Blue Section also had one success, when Pilot Officer A.C. Cochrane (Blue 1) shared in the destruction of a Do 17, firing a ten second burst at 250 yards:

  ‘I sighted a lone Do 17, 4,000ft below. I at once swooped down on it from its starboard beam. After six or seven bursts the E/A turned over and went down in a spin, one parachutist leaving the smoking Do 17. Just above the clouds the machine blew into bits.’

  (signed) Plt Off A.C. Cochrane.

  Pilot Officer Mortimer (Blue 2) claimed one He 111 destroyed, shared with Pilot Officer Cochrane:

  ‘I spotted an enemy aircraft [He 111] heading SE and losing height. I made a number of attacks and was joined eventually by P/O Cochrane (257 Sqdn) and a Spitfire. The enemy aircraft eventually landed [wheels down] on a mud bank on the east coast of Foulness Island, and four of the crew got out and were taken prisoner by Army personnel.’

  (signed) Plt Off P.A. Mortimer.

  These claims must be for different aircraft as PO Cochrane’s shared Do 17 blew up in mid-air, while PO Mortimer’s He 111 crash-landed.

  Meanwhile, Pilot Officer Capon’s Hurricane (Yellow 2) was damaged and he made a forced-landing at Croydon.

  Brothers had been forced to land at Biggin Hill to have his Hurricane repaired and was unable to fly on the squadron scramble which was made at about 1400 hours. Ordered to patrol between Hornchurch and Biggin Hill, thirty minutes into the patrol Nos. 257 and 249 Squadrons intercepted a formation of forty Do 17s, Do 217s and He 111s approaching the Biggin Hill area from the east. The enemy formation was slightly stepped up from 18,000ft, with escorting Bf 110s some 2,000ft above, circling the bomber formation, with several pairs of Bf 109s at various heights up to 30,000ft.

  As the Hurricanes approached the bombers from below, Tuck called out to his pilots, ‘Into line-abreast’.

  The Bf 109 escort had already seen their approach and screamed down through a narrow gap in the bomber’s formation, head-on into the Hurricanes, which maintained their course and headed for the bombers.

  Tuck was lining up a Ju 88 when an unseen Bf 109 shot at him. Reacting instantly, he pulled away in a tight climb, closely followed by his No. 2, Capon. Straight in front of them was a formation of Bf 110 fighter-bombers, which were making a slow wide turn. Tuck fired at one, which shuddered, falling away in flames. During the melee one of the Bf 110s put a bullet into his windscreen.

  The squadron’s initial attack broke up the bomber formation. Pulling away, Tuck then made a half roll on
to an He 111, when a Bf 109 flew through his gunsight long enough for him to get off a good burst as it turned and banked in front of him. The Bf 109 was badly hit and rolled away, going down trailing smoke.

  Meanwhile, Sergeant Robinson (Red 2) was attacked by two Bf 109s in line. Tuck peeled away to assist, forcing the enemy out of the attack after his first burst. Tuck now engaged a Bf 110 with a four second burst from above and on the starboard quarter; the enemy aircraft spiraled down in flames. Tuck was then attacked by two Bf 109s, getting a four second burst at each. One went into a steep spiral dive with pieces coming from it, Tuck claiming this as probably destroyed.

  After following Red Section into the main formation of bombers, Yellow Section made individual attacks.

  Pilot Officer Hedges (Yellow 2) damaged an He 111:

  ‘I attacked an He 111 on the starboard quarter and maintained attack until astern and fired on by two Me 109s. Length of burst six seconds. White smoke appeared from the He’s port engine. No return fire. Enemy aircraft falling behind main formation.’

  (signed) Plt Off A.L Hedges.

  Also flying out of Martlesham Heath, No. 249 Squadron’s Pilot Officer K.T. Lofts’ Hurricane (V6566) was damaged in combat with He 111s at 1435 hours, crash-landing at West Malling.

  The day’s combats had been a resounding success and No. 257 Squadron had regained some of its fighting cohesion. That night there was a party, but the moral-boosting celebrations ended in mayhem when Tuck drove into the back of Pilot Officer Frizell’s car, seriously injuring both ‘Cocky’ Cochrane and Frizell. At a crucial time, two fighter pilots were taken out of the battle, Frizell not returning to operational flying until March 1942. Pilot Officer Arthur Charles ‘Cocky’ Cochrane had claimed a Do 17 on 8 August, adding a probable Do 17 on 18 August, a Do 215 on 7 September, adding a Do 17 and a half share of an He 111 on 15 September. He had been one of the squadron’s early success stories, but was now hospitalized by his own CO.

  Despite this setback Brothers later commented that, ‘15 September was one of the most important days of my life. It was the date that 257 became a squadron, and after that they never looked back.’

  The following day saw only routine defensive patrols and aborted scrambles. Meanwhile, Pilot Officers Pfeiffer and Pniak arrived on posting from No. 32 Squadron. Brothers knew both men well. ‘They were supremely brave and were determined to get to grips with the enemy; they had a habit of chattering over the airwaves, which Tuck tried to curb.’

  The Poles were often too keen and took what were considered unnecessary risks. ‘They often disobeyed orders and went after the enemy when they tried to make for home over the North Sea. On one occasion several Poles nearly ran out of fuel and had to land at a Coastal Command advanced/emergency airstrip.’

  The squadron flew to Debden on 17 September; from here Brothers (flying V6558) took off on a scramble but without making contact with the enemy. Meanwhile, a German High Command signal ordering the dispersal of the invasion fleet was intercepted – the battle had been won.

  The squadron was rested on 18 September. Meanwhile, No. 46 Squadron engaged the enemy over Chatham at 1230 hours. Sergeant (754867) George William Jefferys, RAFVR, was killed (flying V7442) when his parachute failed to open. Jefferys was the son of Samuel William and Henrietta Emily Jefferys, of Winterbourne, and was buried at Winterbourne Earls (St Michael) Churchyard, north of Church. Shot down during the same engagement, Sergeant C.A. Hurry was wounded and burnt, bailing out of his Hurricane (P3816), while Pilot Officer P.W. LeFevre (flying V 6554) bailed out wounded.

  Also engaged were the pilots of No. 249 Squadron, who lost Flying Officer Parnall, killed when his Hurricane (V6685) was shot down over Gravesend at 1325 hours. Denis Geach Parnell was buried at St Genesius churchyard, St Gennys, Cornwall. He was 25-years-old.

  On 19 September, No. 257 Squadron made a convoy patrol at 1320 hours, during which Flight Lieutenant Brothers’ Hurricane (V6558), which had only recently been delivered, suffered an engine failure: ‘We were miles out to sea circling these ships at about 3,000ft and suddenly I got twitchy.’ Sensing that there was something wrong, Brothers checked his controls but everything seemed to be responding; the aircraft was handling as it should have and the engine responded to extra throttle. By now he had set a heading towards the shore, ‘I got a few miles off and I thought “you’re just getting lily-livered Brothers”’. Turning back towards the convoy, he heard a bang: ‘the propeller stopped dead and oil poured over the windscreen. “I thought, Oh Christ! Bit low to bail out, think I can make the beach.”’ But then Brothers remembered that the beaches would most likely be mined against possible invasion. He would have to stretch his glide to clear the beach. ‘I took a deep breath and shoved the nose down and built up speed, and swept in a couple of feet over the beach and through a hedge and into a field.’ Removing the cowling to see what had happened, Brothers discovered that a connecting rod was sticking out of the side of the engine. ‘There must have been something that made me suspicious; the main bearing had gone and the con rod had broken. I suppose it could have been making high-pitched noises. Anyhow, Him above had been looking after me and I made it.’

  Brothers (flying V6604 ‘T’) made a section strength patrol over base during the following morning, later making a forty-five minute convoy patrol. Meanwhile, the squadron flew out to Debden where they remained at Readiness but were not scrambled. Spirits were high: ‘The general feeling was that we’d seen them off.’

  On 21 September the squadron began a period of operating out of their temporary forward base at Castle Camps. Brothers made three sorties, one of which was an interception patrol (flying V6604 ‘T’), chasing a Do 17 which he reported ‘got away in cloud’.

  At 0920 hours on 23 September, No. 257 Squadron was scrambled to join Nos. 17 and 73 Squadrons, the formation being vectored over Rochford and Gravesend. The controller ordered them to climb to 20,000ft. At that moment fifteen Bf 109s and 110s were spotted with ten He 113s (actually, Bf 109s) flying above and behind. Two Bf 109s dived past No. 257 Squadron’s Hurricanes onto No. 73 Squadron, hitting them from astern and out of the sun.

  Tuck gave the command to break. He engaged a Bf 109 which fled towards the coast, crashing into the Channel ten miles north of Cap Griz Nez. His own aircraft was ‘slightly shot up’ as a result of the combat.

  Meanwhile, Sergeant Donald James Aslin’s aircraft (P2960) was shot down in flames by Bf 109s while over the Thames estuary, crashing at Grove near Eastchurch. Aslin, who had only been posted from No. 32 Squadron on the previous day, suffered burns before he was able to bail out, landing at the edge of Detling aerodrome. He became one of Archie McIndoe’s guinea pigs.

  Between 24 and 28 September Brothers flew on a number of scrambles and patrols, No. 275 Squadron largely operating in the company of Nos. 17 and 73 Squadrons. During one of these sorties, made on 28 September, the formation was jumped by Bf 109s as Brothers (flying V6802) recalled: ‘On 28 September we did two patrols – “Big Wing” with 73 and 17 Squadrons. We were flying in and out of cloud, when suddenly we were jumped by some 109s. I saw one going past, attacking 17 Squadron, who were below and in front of us, leading.’ Diving through the formation, the Bf 109s shot down a Hurricane before anyone had the time to respond, ‘Suddenly we realized that there were several of them about, and of course, the Wing broke and everybody got involved, but without any great success.’

  On 4 October Tuck, whose promotion to squadron leader had just come through, was scrambled to intercept a lone Ju 88 heading for the airfield. Making his initial contact at 1010 hours, Tuck made five attacks with bursts of approximately three seconds fired at 250 closing to 100 yards, killing most of the crew and claimed the Ju 88 destroyed:

  ‘I sighted one Ju 88 about 100 yards in front of me and about 200ft higher. I got in a good surprise attack from below and on the beam and, think I killed most of the crew. The enemy aircraft continued east, but in a steady dive. I expended the rest of my ammunition on it and
not one shot was fired at me. I then formatted on his starboard side and could see no sign of life inside it. I broke away from him at 500ft and the enemy aircraft continued on down, hit the water and exploded.’

  (signed) R.R. Stanford-Tuck.

  On 8 October, No. 257 Squadron transferred to North Weald, which was commanded by Group Captain Victor Beamish, DSO. Also operating out of the station were Nos. 46 and 249 Squadrons. The latter was commanded by John Grandy, one of the instructors at No. 9 FTS in 1936. Brothers recalled that their ‘local’ was The Thatched House, Epping, ten minute’s drive from the airfield.

  Beamish still regularly flew operationally and was in the habit of flying solo above or around the formation acting as a spotter, something which could make new pilots jittery.

  Group Captain Victor Beamish, had recently been awarded the DSO, London Gazette, 23 July 1940. His citation read:

  ‘Wing Commander Beamish took over command of an RAF station after two squadrons there had been intensively engaged in successful fighting operations over France for thirteen days and personally led them on many patrols against the enemy. In June 1940, during an offensive mission over France, six Messerschmitt 109s were destroyed, two of them by Group Captain Beamish himself, and twelve driven off. One day recently he assisted in the destruction of a Messerschmitt 110 while leading the escort to a convoy and three days later he shot down a Dornier 17. His outstanding leadership and high courage have inspired all those under his command with great energy and dash.’

  During October, Sir Hugh Dowding visited North Weald, spending time with Beamish and his senior commanders. No doubt Brothers was able to reacquaint himself with the man the command affectionately called ‘Stuffy’. Dowding was not only the head of Fighter Command, but had been the driving force behind the detection and command and control systems that had played such a key part in the Battle of Britain. He had foregone retirement to see the process through. He received scant recognition from the Air Ministry at the time and would soon be sidelined in favour of Leigh-Mallory.