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Authors: Gill Griffin
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really feel that I was firing withthe 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 was 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.
21August : 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
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 was 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.
21August : 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
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