WWII Aces, Pilot Aces in WWII Options

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How about a new topic on WWII’s aces? Here we can discuss some of the bravest, most admired pilots of WWII. Hopefully, Colonel, you will join in to share your experiences!

Let me start with Maj. Robert Stanford Tuck of the RAF.

Robert Stanford Tuck was the ideal example of a RAF pilot in the period during the Battle of Britain. He was tall, handsome and fearless, the product of Fighter Command in piece time. Tuck was an excellent sportsman, great shooter and passionate sword player. Here’s his own written introduction, which I got from the RST home page. What he doesn’t mention is, that after he was taken prisoner in January, 1942, he was invited to have diner with German ace Adolf Galland, before he was sent to a prison camp.

Intro by Robert Stanford-Tuck

At the age of 19 I accepted a short - servicecommission in the Royal Air Force in September, 1935, after having had two years at sea as a cadet. I was bored and wanted to fly. After training at No. 3 F.T.S. at Grantham, flying the Avro Tutor, Hawker Hart, Hawker Fury and the Bristol Bulldog, I was glad to pass out with the highest rating available "exceptional" in my log-book.

In July 1936, I was posted to my first Fighter Squadron, No. 65(F) at Hornchurch where I flew Hawker Demons, wich were replaced by Gloster Gauntletts, then Gladiators, and finally Spitfires, which we received in late 1938, being one of the first Squadrons to be equipped with this revolutionary aircraft.
Consequently, by the outbreak of war I had flown several hundred hours on Spitfires and was thoroughly familiar and confident in it. A tremendous advantage later when going into combat.

On the 16th May 1940, I was instructed on a top secret order to fly to Hendon with two other Spitfires. We were to act as fighter escort to an un-armed twin-engined Flamingo, carrying Winston Churchill and a small staff to Le Bourget, for his final attempt to prevail on the French to hold out a little longer.
Churchill realised the evacuation of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk was imminent. After the retum flight to Hendon the next day, Winston thanked us for our escort, but from his expression he left us in no doubt that he had been unsuccessful.

My first aerial combat took place over Dunkirk on 23 May 1940, as a flight commander in 92 (F) Squadron. I couldn't have got off to a better start when I destroyed an Me 109; later the same day I shot down two further enemy aircraft, both Me 11O's.

I continued to serve with No. 92 Squadron on Spitfires, commanding one of the Flights throughout the Dunkirk battles, the large air battles which followed over the Channel in the build up to the Battle of Britain.
I was still with 92, during the first half of the Battle of Britain, when I was posted to take over command of No. 257 Hurricane Squadron, which up until this time had suffered heavy casualties. I commanded this squadron until half way through 1941, when I was given command of the Fighter Wing at Duxford.

I spent October 1941 in the U.S.A. lecturing on air combat, and flying all the American fighters as part of an Air Ministry assessment for the Lend-Lease programme. I returned to the U.K. to take command of the Biggin Hill wing of four Spitfire Squadrons. My air combat career finished when I was shot down by ground fire during a low level attack over Northem France, in January 1942 and was taken prisoner by the Germans. I was credited with 29 air victories.

However, in 1978, the Aircraft Recovery Group excavated the remains of an Me 109 22 ft deep in the marshes, (sadly still containing the remains of the pilot, Lt. Wemer Knittle), and subsequently, after considerable research at the M.0.D., it was decided that it was an aircraft I had shot down, but had only claimed as "probable" at the time. It was duly accredited to me, bringing my total to 30.

I spent the next three years as a P.O.W., but managed to escape in January, 1945, and made my way via Poland to meet up with the advancing Russian Army. Back in England by April 1945, I completed a refresher course on Harvards at Digby before flying Vampires and Meteors at Tangmere and West Raynham.
In 1946 I became Station Commander at Coltishall, and after a spell in Singapore, retired from the R.A.F. in 1949.

Robert Stanford Tuck died on May 5th, at the age of 70.

Mark

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Air Vice Marshal James "Johnnie" Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC*, Legion d'Honneur(France), Legion of Merit(USA), DFC(USA), Air Medal(USA), Order of Leopold(Belgium), Croix de Guerre(Belgium), DL.

During his wartime flying, Johnson flew Spitfires, Marks I, II, V, IX and XIV. In the early months of 1943, Johnson led his 144 Canadian Wing on more than 140 sorties over northwest Europe, often escorting Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force. He scored a total of 38 victories, making him officially the top-scoring Allied fighter ace of the war in Europe.

James Edgar Johnson was born on March 9th, 1915 at Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, United Kingdom. He trained as a civilian engineer and was rejected by the Auxiliary Air Force and the RAF Volunteer Reserve before the war. He eventually joined the Territorial Army, but when war broke out was soon called to the RAFVR to begin flying training. "Johnnie" Johnson joined No.19 Squadron RAF at the end of August 1940. He arrived at a unit that had no time to train new pilots and he was therefore soon moved to no. 616 Squadron. Here, an old rugby injury, a broken collarbone with attendant trapped nerves, led to his hospitalization and so he missed the Battle of Britain. He re-joined no. 616 Squadron in December and frequently flew in Douglas Bader's section within the Tangmere Wing, where he learned a great deal about air combat and leadership from the flamboyant legless ace.

Johnson gained a half share in a Do17 in January 1941, but opened his scoring properly in June, destroying a Bf109. In 1941 Johnson was awarded the DFC and was promoted to Flight Commander. In July 1942 he took command of No.610 Squadron and led No.610 over Dieppe in August. In March 1943 he took command of the Canadian wing at Kenley. Johnson gained the respect of the Canadians and moulded the Kenley wing into a formidable fighting force. In June 1943 he was awarded a DSO. In September a Bar was added to the DSO. Johnson built his tally up mostly in 1943 and 1944, when the Luftwaffe was on the defensive and the Allies ruled the skies over North-West Europe.

Johnson surpassed the South African Malan's score in late 1944, becoming the RAF's top-scoring pilot. Malans' kills had all been scored in the dark days of 1940 to 1941. The status as the RAF's top-scoring pilot is disputed, with some claiming Finucane as the highest scorer. During his wartime flying, between September 1943 and March 1944 he rested in a Staff Appointment at HQ No.11 Group, before being posted to lead No.144 wing (another Canadian unit). On July 7th, 1944, Johnson received a second bar to his DSO and was promoted to Group Captain and appointed as Officer Commanding No.125 Wing on April 6th, 1945, he subsequently commanded No.124 Wing in Germany.

In 1947 he reverted to his substantive rank of Wing Commander and attended RCAF Staff College, which prepared him for a string of senior appointments, including command of RAF Wildenrath, Germany and RAF Cottesmore, UK, Senior Staff Officer at No.3 group and AOC Air Forces Middle East. From 1950 to 1951 he had an exchange tour with the USAF, where he flew reconnaissance missions in Douglas B-26 Invaders and fighter-bomber sorties in the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, winning the US Air medal and Legion of Merit in Korea though he did not score any kills.

Johnnie returned to England in 1952 to commander RAF Wildenrath, he was promoted group Captain in 1954 and served at the MOD until 1957. He was station commander, RAF Cottesmore between 1957-1960, and was awarded CBE in June 1960, having been promoted to Air Commodore by now. In 1963, he was appointed AOC Air Forces Middle East at Aden and promoted to Air Vice Marshal. In 1965 he was awarded another CBE.

Johnnie Jonhson retired from the RAF in March 1966, becoming Chief Executive of a housing trust, deputy Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, as well as a director of various companies and a prolific author.

James “Johnnie” Johnson died January 30th, 2001, at the age of 85.

Mark

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Guy Gibson

Guy Gibson, the son of a civil servant, was born on 12th August, 1918. Educated at St Edward's School in Oxford, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1936 and by the outbreak of the Second World War had become a bomber pilot with 83 Squadron.
Gibson won the Distinguished Flying Cross in July 1940 on Bomber Command's first raid of the war. After completing his first tour of duty he avoided the normal six-month rest from operations at a flying training establishment by obtaining a transfer to Fighter Command. In his new role as a night fighter he obtained four kills and won a bar to his DFC.
At the age of 23 Gibson was promoted to the rank of wing commander and in April 1942 was posted back to Bomber Command. Over the next eleven months he led 106 Squadron and flew 172 sorties before taking over the 617 Squadron.
In February, 1943, the Royal Air Force decided to plan an attack on the five hydroelectric dams on which the Ruhr industrial area depended. Barnes Wallis advised the Royal Air Force to use the new bouncing bomb he had been developing at the National Physics Laboratory in Teddington.
Gibson was selected to carry out the highly dangerous Dam busters Raid. The success of the operation involved precision bombing. The cylindrical bombs developed by Barnes had to be dropped from 60 feet to skip into the dam face and roll down it to explode at a depth that triggered a pressure fuse. The pilots had to judge the critical release point by using dual spotlights whose beams converged vertically at 60 feet.
On the night of 16th May, 1943, Gibson led 19 Avro Lancasters, each carrying one bomb. It took five attempts to breach the Moehne Dam. Gibson then led the three remaining Lancasters to attack the Eder Dam. Only 11 of Gibson's 19 bombers survived the mission.
Gibson was awarded the Vicoria Cross for his role in the Dam Busters mission. Sent on a lecture tour of the United States, he wrote the book, Enemy Coast Ahead and became prospective Conservative Party candidate for Macclesfield.
Gibson returned to duty in June 1944 when he was placed in charge of Bomber Group. On the 19th September, 1944, Gibson flew his De Havilland Mosquito as master bomber in a raid on Rheydt. He never arrived home and later it was discovered that Gibson and his navigator, James Warwick, had been killed when the plane crashed in the Netherlands.

Mark

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Group Captain John Cunningham
Cunningham was born July 27th, 1917 in south Croydon, the son of an executive at the Dunlop tyre company. He was fascinated by birds and aircraft - interests which remained undimmed eight decades later. By the mid-1920s he was watching aircraft flying at Kenley aerodrome, making elastic-powered models, and, together with his father, pacing Croydon airport. At preparatory school in Sleaford, he made his first flight in an old biplane.
In 1935 Cunningham joined de Havilland as a three-year technical training apprentice. That year he also enrolled in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, learning to fly at Hendon, north London, with 604 County of Middlesex Squadron, going solo in 1936.
Cunningham was called up as a night fighter pilot in August 1939. The end of the Battle of Britain in autumn 1940 meant that the Luftwaffe focused on the Blitz, the night bombing of cities against which British air defences were hopelessly inadequate. The radar equipped night fighter was the key weapon; the first squadron to be equipped with such aircraft (albeit lumbering, obsolete converted Blenheim bombers) was 604.
For the first time in air combat, Cunningham, using interception radar, shot down a Junkers Ju88 bomber crossing the Sussex coast on the night of November 20th , 1940. Soon after, the squadron was re-equipped with the more effective Beaufighter. With Jimmy Rawnsley operating the radar, Cunningham shot down a clutch of bombers, including three Heinkels on one night.
Early in 1941 he was back at Hatfield to see another of de Havilland's wooden aircraft, the phenomenally fast prototype Mosquito. Until the advent of the Comet eight years later this was the plane most closely identified with Cunningham. In July 1942 Cunningham took over command of No 85 squadron, flying Mosquito NF11s.
Like the dam-busting bomber commander Guy Gibson, he had become a wartime media star. He was nicknamed "Cat's Eyes" - which he disliked - and his prowess at locating enemy planes in the dark was attributed to his consumption of carrots, launching a myth.
Cunningham observed later that it was the top secret radar on the Mosquito, rather than vegetables, that accounted for his success. But the name stuck - he was still "Cat's Eyes" to neighbours outside Harpenden half a century on.
By 1944 he had risen to group captain night operations, number 11 group, and he was again called to Hatfield to assess a new aircraft - smooth, fast, "it was," he observed, "an absolute revelation." The machine was the Vampire, de Havilland's first jet. At the end of the war, he made up his mind. In December 1945, the group captain, aged 28, rejoined the company at Hatfield.
His working life was to revolve around that factory. After the Comet disasters he tested later versions, crucially the Comet IV which, in 1957, inaugurated the first transatlantic jet service, ahead of the Boeing 707, for the British Overseas Airways Corporation. From 1962, he was test pilot on the first three-engined jet airliner, the Trident, and on the HS125 executive jet. By then de Havilland had been swallowed by the mergers that swept the British aviation industry.
In 1978 he became a British Aerospace executive director, and two years later he retired. By the 1990s de Havilland at Hatfield was rubble. Yet Cunningham's beloved Comet survives in the shape of the RAF's Nimrods, usually far out to sea; for, despite additional bulges and blisters, the maritime patrol aircraft is recognisably the Comet design that he flew more than half a century ago
Group Captain John Cunningham, test pilot, died July 21 2002.

Mark

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Arthur Aaron

Aaron was born 5 March 1922 in Leeds and educated at Gledhow National (Primary) School (1927-1932), at Roundhay School (1932-1939) and at Leeds School of Architecture (September 1939 to July 1941) where he studied a full-time diploma course in architecture, having won a scholarship. In March 1941, Aaron became one of 23 cadets who formed the Inaugural Flight of Leeds University Air Squadron.

Later that year the Aircrew Selection Board recommended him for pilot training in the RAFVR and in November 1941 he commenced his journey to the Number 1 British Flying Training School at Terrell, Texas, arriving December 1941. Aaron was awarded his pilot's wings in June 1942 prior to his return to the UK, and then postings followed to an initial bomber training unit on Wellington aircraft and on Stirling aircraft.

On 17 April 1943, his operational posting was to Number 218 "Gold Coast" Squadron, 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command at RAF Downham Market, Norfolk and later that month he was dropping anti-shipping sea mines near the Frisian Islands off the Dutch and German coasts. Over the next 3½ months he completed a further 18 operations, the majority of which were against heavily defended targets in Germany. These included Dortmund/Essen, the Ruhr and Hamburg. His aircraft was damaged on a few occasions by anti-aircraft fire and on one occasion was set on fire by an incendiary bomb dropped by a bomber flying above.

His 20th operational flight against Turin led to his death from injuries he received. Although not proven conclusively, it is now widely thought to have been a British bomber which fired upon his own, killing his navigator and mortally wounding Aaron. His jaw was broken and part of his face was torn away. He had also been hit in the lung and his right arm was useless. Despite his terrible injuries he managed to level the aircraft out at 3000ft., and then the Bomb Aimer took control until he rallied his failing strength enough to direct the difficult landing operation.With no navigator, only one fully functioning engine out of four and a cockpit with smashed windscreen and broken controls and instruments his other five crew flew the aircraft for 5 hours to land in north Africa at Bone, Algeria. Aaron insisted on taking the controls for the landing but after four unsuccessful attempts his Bomb Aimer took over to force-land the aircraft.

His exertions drained his energy, and nine hours after landing, Aaron died of his injuries in the station hospital on Friday, 13 August 1943. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bone, along with the navigator, his closest friend. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1943 and the Distinguished Flying Medal. Mr and Mrs Aaron presented the medals to the City of Leeds in 1947.

The Aaron Memorial Scholarship was launched in 1944 to support students in architectural studies at Leeds School of Architecture. The scholarship is still in existence in 2001. A commemorative plaque to Aaron was unveiled at the site of the former Downham Market airfield in 1983.

In March 2001, the Leeds Millennium statue was unveiled, dedicated to the past and future in the name of Arthur Aaron.

Mark

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Squadron Leader M.T. St. John “Pat” Pattle, DFC & Bar

Marmaduke Thomas St. John Pattle was born on July 23rd, 1914, in Butterworth, Cape Province, South Africa. He matriculated from Grahamstown in 1931, having already applied to join the South African Air Force, but it was not until March 1933 that he was interviewed, only to be rejected. He took a job as a salesman for a month or two and later in the year went into the assay office at the Sheba Gold Mine at Barberton. In January 1936, Tom Pattle became a cadet in the Special Service Battalion which had been formed in South Africa. By April, 1936 he too was on his way to England to join the RAF. He arrived at RAF Station Prestwick in Scotland on June 29th, 1936, and promptly became "Pat" Pattle”.

Early in September 1936 he was posted to No. 10 Flying Training School at Ternhill, Shropshire, in England. After Armament Training Camp at Penrhos in Wales his instructor reported: "Pattle was a phenomenally good shot. Most of the trainees were very indifferent performers and the air men stationed on the range had very little to do in the way of patching holes in the air-to-ground front-gun targets; but Pattle was the exception and the airmen used to pretend to curse whenever he was on a detail, because he used to cut the target to shreds as he got such a high percentage of hits with the bursts he fired. Quite apart from his skill as a marksman he was also a well-above-average pilot". This fact was borne out by his assessment -- "Exceptional", and he was posted to No.80 (Fighter) Squadron.

Originally formed on 1st August, 1917, the Squadron had been disbanded in Egypt on February 1st, 1920. On March 8th, 1937, it had been re-formed with Gloster Gauntlet 2s, and by May began to re-equip with the Gloster Gladiator which at that time was the newest and fastest fighter (although it was a biplane) in the RAF, with a maximum speed of just over 250 mph. Pat Pattle flew Gladiator K7913 on May 1937, and the Squadron moved to Debden in Essex in June, Pat becoming Adjutant in October. By April 1938 he was on his way to Egypt with the Squadron which had been presented with its badge, a gold bell in a white circle with a thin blue edging (Major Bell had been the Commanding Officer in 1918).

The beginning of World War II on September 3rd, 1939 found Pattle at Helwan in Egypt. No.80 Squadron had one Hurricane which he flew from time to time, but mostly his flying was confined to one of the 22 Gladiators. It was not until June 1940, when Italy entered the war on the side of Germany that Pat first flew to intercept a suspected enemy aircraft. Like Sailor Malan's first sortie in search of the enemy it proved abortive, the "enemy aircraft" being an Egyptian civil airliner.
No. 80 Squadron received 6 more Hurricanes and Pat became deputy Flight Commander of "A" Flight (the Hurricane Flight) for a time. Two others in the Flight (Flying Officers John Lapsley and Peter Wykeham-Barnes) later became Air Marshals. Pat returned to his Gladiator flight before joining No.33 Squadron in a Hurricane for a detachment to Mersa Matruh, and eventually returned to assume command of "B" Flight's 8 Gladiators at Sidi el Barrani, 60 miles from the Libyan border. On August 4th, 1940, in his first action, fighting against 27 Italian aircraft, with only three other Gladiators, he shot down two (one Fiat CR42, one Breda Ba 65) but was himself shot down, and walked back to the Egyptian border to be picked up by the British Army. He and Peter Wykeham-Barnes were the first members of the "Late Arrivals Club", which was founded much later in Cairo. The members of this Club used to receive a badge depicting winged flying boots and a certificate saying 'This airman when obliged to abandon his aircraft on the ground or in the air as the result of unfriendly action by the enemy, succeeded in returning to his Squadron on foot or by other means long after his estimated time of arrival. It's never too late to come back". Pat, on that occasion, was over 48 hours late.

On the 8th August, 1940, the Squadron shot down nine confirmed and six damaged (Pat getting two Fiat CR 42s) for the loss of two Gladiators. On 15th September, as Sailor Malan was leading his Squadron in the Battle of Britain over South-East England, so Pat Pattle led "B" Flight against the Italians over Libya and damaged a Savoia SM 79.
No.80 Squadron was by then at Sidi Haneish and "B" Flight was detached to Bir Kenayis in October, getting Mk 2 Gladiators by November, and moving to Abu Suweir en route to Greece on 9th November 1940, arriving at Eleusis, 15 miles from Athens on the 18th. They made their first Greek sortie from Trikkala on 19th, shooting down nine confirmed and two possibles, of which Pat got two CR 42s.
Torrential rain kept them grounded until 25th November but thereafter they continued to shoot down Italians almost at will, and Pat took command of the Squadron at Yiannina, the CO being still at Trikkala. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and with his score at 11 confirmed, plus a share in two, held the Middle East record at that time. The official citation read: "In all his engagements he has been absolutely fearless and undeterred by superior numbers of the enemy.''

Pat flew Hurricanes from Paramythia from mid-February 1941, and on the 28th with 19 Gladiators and eight other Hurricanes helped shoot down 27 confirmed and eight damaged (of which he personally accounted for five). This brought his successes to over 20, as well as many probables, and No. 80 Squadron's score to over 100. Pat however, was not concerned with scores: his concern was for the efficiency of his Flight and safety of his pilots. His superb leadership resulted in his promotion to Acting Squadron Leader on 12th March, 1941, to command No.33 Squadron at Larissa.
No.33 Squadron had been formed on 12th January 1916, disbanded on 13th June 1919 and reformed on 1st March 1929; it had served in India and Egypt since 1935. It was composed of a tough bunch of individualists and had already scored 91 victories in the Middle East. Pat's reputation and his capabilities as a pilot and a leader of men won them over. His views on air fighting stimulated them and gave them complete confidence in him as a pilot and as a leader. On 23rd March 1941 he led the Squadron for the first time, shooting down a G 50 confirmed, another probable, and destroying three on the ground. He was awarded a Bar to his DFc and was Station Commander at Larissa as well as being CO of No.33 Squadron.

On 6th April 1941 the Germans attacked Greece and Pat destroyed two Messerschmitt Bf 109s. On 7th he destroyed a CR 42 and on the 8th two Bf 109s on the ground. He continued to destroy enemy aircraft almost daily; Ju 88, Bf 110, Bf 109, He 111, Do 17 and SM 79; all fell to his superb gunnery and airmanship.
The Squadron fell back to Eleusis, and he probably destroyed many further aircraft during this period; his surviving comrades insist that he did, but due to the confusion and destruction of war it is not possible to prove this from RAF records. Pat was exceptionally fatigued by almost non-stop operational flying by this time; he was worn out, suffering from influenza and had a high temperature and had lost much weight. He could easily have gone sick; but he knew that this would have lowered the Squadron's morale; he was determined to fight to the end.
On the morning of the 19th April, 1941, he shared in the destruction of a Henschel 126 and shot down two Bf 109s. He was tired, mentally and physically, but he would never give in. The Medical Officer refused to let him fly again that day, allowing him to remain on standby only in the event of an air raid. Sure enough, there was a raid; Pat flew yet again, sick and tired as he was, and shot down a Ju 88.

On Sunday, 20th April 1941, Hitler's birthday, he still had a high temperature and was undoubtedly a very sick man. Despite this, he insisted on taking off to follow the remnants of Nos. 80 and 33 Squadrons to meet more than 100 enemy aircraft. With 15 other Hurricanes, which were the only fighters left in Greece, he swept into battle and was about 1,000 feet above a defensive circle of Bf 110s when he saw a single Hurricane climbing towards them, and then a single Bf 110 peel off from the circle to dive at the Hurricane. Pat swooped through the Bf 110s to protect the lone Hurricane's tail. He must have known that the 110s would follow him, but he pulled up under the first 110 which was firing into the Hurricane and shot it down in flames, thereby saving the life of Timber Woods (who after shooting down two 110s was himself shot down and killed later in the day). Pat pulled his Hurricane up and round and dived into a space between the 110s, shooting down another 110 in flames as he did so. He was last seen diving in flames, slumped forward across his instrument panel, and his aircraft fell into Eleusis bay.


Mark

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Group Captain A.G “Sailor” Malan, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar

Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, Cape Province, in 1910 and joined the Royal Air Force in England after some years as an officer in the Union Castle Line of the Mercantile Marine, from which service he derived his nickname "Sailor". His initial seafaring training he received at the South African Merchant Navy Academy "General Botha", and was thus one of the many famous "Botha Boys" produced by that fine training ground for quiet heroes.
His wife Lynda always called him John, and it was by this name that he was known to a few of his closest friends, but to his Squadron as a whole, and to the world, he was, and always will be, "Sailor".

He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant just before the war began, and at ten minutes to three on the morning of 4th September, 1939, fifteen hours after war had been declared he led Red Section of "A" Flight into the dawn sky. He was flying Spitfire K9864, and was ordered to patrol to intercept an enemy raid approaching the British coast from Holland. The "raid" was later identified as some friendly bombers returning to Britain and the frustrated "Sailor" landed just after four in the morning. However, 74 Squadron had been into the air with attacking intent for the first time since 1918; they were at war once again.

He was given command of 74 Squadron, with the rank of Acting Squadron Leader, at the height of the Battle of Britain on 8th August, 1940. Three days later the Squadron attacked and damaged or shot down 38 enemy aircraft. The day became, for ever, "Sailor's August the Eleventh". On 11th August 1940, 74 Squadron was operating from the forward base at Manston in Kent, and at twenty minutes past seven the order was received to intercept a hostile raid approaching Dover, and Sailor, leading for the first time since his promotion, slashed the 12 aircraft into a climb to 20,000 feet into the sun, and then turned down-sun towards Dover. Sailor later reported: "I climbed on an east north east course to 20,000 feet into the sun and then turned down-sun towards Dover. I ordered the Squadron to attack. Some of the enemy adopted the usual German fighter evasive tactics, i.e. quick half-roll and dive. On this occasion, as the air seemed clear of German aircraft above us, I followed one down and overtook him after he had dived 2,000 feet, opening fire during the dive at 200 yards range with deflection. He levelled out at about 12,000 feet, when I gave him two two-second bursts at 100 yards range. He was in a quick half-roll and dived towards the French coast. I closed again to 100 yards range and gave him another two or three two-second bursts, when he suddenly burst into flames and was obscured by heavy smoke. This was at 4,000 feet, one mile north west of Cap Gris Nez. I did not watch him go in, but flew back as fast as I could. I did not see the engagements of the rest of the Squadron. N.B. Normally I have strongly advised all pilots in the Squadron not to follow 109s on the half-roll and dive because in most cases we are outnumbered, and generally at least one layer of enemy fighters is some thousands of feet above. It was found that even at high altitudes there was no difficulty in overtaking E/A on diving apart from the physical strain imposed on the body when pulling out".
The second combat in which he fought on 11th August, he recorded thus: "I climbed on a north-easterly course to 24,000 feet and did a sweep to the right, approaching Dover from the sea. I saw a number of small groups of Me 109s in mid-Channel at about 24,000 feet, and as we approached most of them dived towards the French coast. I intercepted two Me 109s and dived on to their tails with Red Section. I delivered two two-second bursts at 150 yards, but as I was overshooting I went off and the remainder of the section continued the attack. I immediately climbed back towards the spot where Blue and Green Sections were waiting above and tried to attract their attention, but owing to R/T difficulties did not manage to get them to form up on me. I proceeded towards Dover by myself. I attacked two Me 109s at 25,000 feet about mid-Channel, delivered two two-second bursts with deflection at the rearmost one and saw my bullets entering the fuselage with about 15 degrees deflection. He immediately flicked off to the left, and I delivered two long bursts at the leading one. He poured out quite a quantity of white vapour. Eight Me 109s, which had previously escaped my attention, dived towards me and I climbed in right-hand spirals, and they made no attempt to follow me. I proceeded towards Dover on the climb and saw ten Me 109s at 27,000 feet in line astern with one straggler, which I tried to pick off, but was unable to close the range without being turned on to by the leader of the formation. I circled in a wide sweep with them for about ten minutes whilst I attempted to notify the remainder of the Squadron by R/T. This proved to be impossible owing to heavy atmospherics and in the end I gave up and returned to Manston".
The third combat of the day started at 1145 when 11 aircraft took off to patrol a convoy about 12 miles east of Clacton. About 40 Messerschmitt 110s were sighted approaching the convoy from the east in close formation, just below cloud base. They formed a defensive circle but the Squadron followed Johnny Freeborn in a dive into the middle of the circle. This attack was very successful and resulted in 11 E/A being destroyed and 5 damaged.

The Squadron, weary, sweaty and oily, took off for a fourth time just before two o'clock, with eight aircraft, to patrol Hawkinge at 15,000 feet, and subsequently north-east of Margate where enemy raids were reported. Sailor climbed through 10/10 cloud (thickest cloud -- it was measured in tenths from 1 to 10) with the eight Spitfires in two sections of four. On emerging from the cloud he spotted about 30 Junkers 87 aircraft in long lines of small vic formation, and about 15 Me 109s about 2,000 feet above and half a mile astern. He reported: "On sighting us, the bombers dived towards a gap in the clouds whilst the Me 109s closed their range with the bombers. I ordered Freeborn's Blue Section to attack the bombers whilst I attacked the fighters with Red Section. I closed the range with the fighters and attacked a Me 109 as he dived through a gap. I opened up at 30 degrees deflection at 200 yards and closed to 100 yards dead astern. After the third two-second burst he burst into flames and went into the sea approximately off Margate. I immediately climbed towards the cloud and then dived towards another group of four Me 109s and delivered 30 degree deflection bursts of about three seconds at about 200 yards. I saw no results. As my ammunition was now expended, I returned to Manston."
He said later, in one of his masterly understatements: "Thus ended a very successful morning of combat". For the first day of action under his command it was successful even by 74 Squadron standards.
He relinquished command only when promoted to Wing Commander on the 10th March, 1941, to become Wing Leader of the Fighter Wing in which 74 Squadron flew.

He was the outstanding fighter pilot of the 1939-45 war, and by the end of June, 1941, was the top scorer with 29 enemy aircraft destroyed, a record which he held for three years. But he was much more than an individual performer. He had assimilated, with others of that fine first batch of "expansion" pilots the fierce and fanatical "tiger spirit" handed down from the great days of Mannock, VC in World War I, and this spirit he inspired in others so that he carried the Squadron to great deeds with him.

Sailor's "Ten Rules for Air Fighting" are the classic tenets for successful air fighting for as long as there are manned fighters. They were pinned up in their shortened form in many crew rooms, and those who followed them often lived. This short version was as follows:

TEN OF MY RULES FOR AIR FIGHTING
1. Wait until you see the whites of his eyes. Fire short bursts of one to two seconds only when your sights are definitely "ON"
2. Whilst shooting think of nothing else, brace the whole of your body: have both hands on the stick: concentrate on your ring sight.
3. Always keep a sharp lookout. "Keep your finger out".
4. Height gives you the initiative.
5. Always turn and face the attack.
6. Make your decisions promptly. It is better to act quickly even though your tactics are not the best.
7. Never fly straight and level for more than 30 seconds in the combat area.
8. When diving to attack always leave a proportion of your formation above to act as a top guard.
9. INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE, and TEAM WORK are words that MEAN something in Air Fighting.
10. Go in quickly - Punch hard - Get out!

Sailor left the Royal Air Force and returned to South Africa in 1946. He died on 17th September, 1963, from Parkinson's disease.

Mark

[appell8]

Mark, way to scramble when you hear the klaxon! First rate. y.o.s., Doug

[psumner]

Well done Mark! Excellent reading. I'd be interested in the Colonel's opinion of the "Ten Rules For Air Fighting".

Paul

[homefront41]

Nice going, Mark. I sure hope the Colonel canned some of his posts from this thread! Be a shame to lose them. BK

[VAT69]

Thank y'all for your support! Lucky for me I wrote all my posts in Word first, so I have some copies to put back here.

Y.o.s.

Mark

[VAT69]

Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere

Alan Deere, possibly the best known of all New Zealand fighter pilots, was born in Auckland on December 12th, 1917. He joined the RAF in October 1937 and was posted to 54 Squadron in September 1938. From the outbreak of war until mid-May 1940 the Squadron, based in England, carried out only defensive duties.

On May 23rd, 1940 Deere took part in a daring rescue operation. He and Pilot Officer Allen escorted their flight commander, James Leathart, to France where he was to land a Miles Master trainer and pick up the CO of 74 Squadron who had made a forced landing on the airfield at Calais-Marck. The pick-up was made, with Allen watching from 8000 feet and Deere circling at low level. An approaching formation of Bf 109's was spotted by Allen as the Master taxied out for take-off. As a strafing Bf 109 pulled out of its dive, presenting a perfect target, Deere fired a short burst and the aircraft stalled and then crashed into the sea. Deere, climbing to help Allen, crossed the path of two 109's, one of which turned towards him. Deere also turned, firing at the second one, which rolled over and dived away. Pursuing the first one, he caught up at treetop height and pursued him, firing off his remaining ammunition before the German headed for home.
Diving towards the coast Deere called up Allen and was relieved to hear him answer. In the interim the Master had taken off and headed for Hornchurch. In the action three Bf 109's had been shot down and three others severely damaged.

During four days - 23 to 29 May - Deere shot down three Bf 109's and three Bf 110's and in June was decorated with the DFC by the King at a special ceremony at Hornchurch. Leathart and Allen were decorated at the same time. During the Battle of Britain Deere destroyed seven more enemy fighters and one bomber and was awarded a Bar to the DFC. In December 1940 he was sent for a rest and in January 1941 became an Operations Room Controller. He returned to operations on 7 May 1941, joining 602 Squadron in Scotland as a Flight Commander.

On the 10th he was scrambled to investigate a Bf 110 flying westwards. He did not sight the enemy aircraft but after landing was told it had crashed near Glasgow. The pilot was later revealed to be Rudolf Hess.
Deere took command of 602 Squadron on August 1st, 1941 and on that day destroyed a Bf 109, his first victory for eleven months. When his second operational tour ended in January 1942 Deere went to the USA to lecture on fighter tactics but was restless for a return to operations. He achieved this in May 1942, when he took command of 403 Squadron, leading it until August before being posted to staff duties. During a temporary attachment to 611 Squadron in February 1943 Deere destroyed an FW 190. Some days later he was appointed Wing Leader at Biggin Hill. He flew 121 sorties during his six months' leadership and increased his personal score to twenty-two confirmed victories, ten probables and eighteen damaged.

Awarded the DSO, Deere also holds the Croix de Guerre and the DFC (US). He was awarded an OBE in May 1945 and retired from the RAF in December 1977, with the rank of Air Commodore. Deere wrote of his experiences and his many escapes from death in his classic book, 'Nine Lives', published in 1959.

Mark

[VAT69]

Wing Commander Roland P Beamont, CBE, DSO and bar, DFC and bar, DFC (USA), DL

Born on August 10th, 1920, Roland “Roly” Beamont joined No. 87. Squadron in France during November 1939. Returning to England on May 20th, 1940 (having destroyed a Do17 and a Me109) he went on to destroy a further three enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain. For this, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In June 1941 he was posted to No. 79 Squadron as a Flight Commander. In December 1941, he went to Hawker Aircraft Limited as a Service test pilot flying Hurricanes. On June 29th, 1942, he was posted as Flight Commander to Hawker Typhoon equipped No. 609 squadron at Duxford, and took command of the squadron in October. He returned to Hawker Aircraft during May 1943, to test fly the Tempest.

In February 1944, Wing Commander R.P. Beamont was tasked with forming the first Tempest Wing (No.150). The wing initially comprised of two Typhoon Squadrons which were transferred from Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), No’s 3 and 486 (New Zealand), which received their Tempests in March, and then flew to Ayr in Scotland for weapons training.
They moved to No. B60 airfield at Newchurch later in the month and were joined by No. 56 Squadron, which, because of a shortage of Tempests, exchanged their Hawker Typhoons temporarily for MK V Spitfires. Under the leadership of Wing Commander Beamont, the wing was tasked with providing air cover for the Normandy beachhead during the D-Day landings.
On June 8th, Beamont led No. 3 and No. 486 (NZ) squadrons on the third Tempest patrol over the beachhead area and during this sortie, the squadrons attacked five enemy Bf109G-6 fighters east of Rouen. Beamont shot down one, with two more being accounted for by No. 3 squadron pilots. These were the first enemy aircraft shot down by Hawker Tempests.
On June 18th, still at Newchurch, the Wing, because of the Tempest's high speed, was tasked with the interception of the V1 flying bombs (under the control of ADGB). It was to be a further three months (during which time No. 56 squadron received their Tempests) before the V1 threat was reduced enough to allow the Wing to return to operations over Europe, having the highest wing score of V1's destroyed, 632. No.'s 3, 486 (NZ) and 56 squadrons (still under the command of Wing Commander Beamont) flew to Belgium in September where they replaced the Mustang Mk III equipped squadrons of No.122 Wing. During his time with No's 150 and 122 Wings he destroyed one Bf109, one Fw190, one Ju88 on the ground and 32 V1 flying bombs. Soon after, Beaumont began testing Britain's first jet aircraft, the Gloster Meteor.
However, on October 12th, 1944, Beaumont was shot down by ground fire while flying a Hawker Tempest over France and spent the rest of the war in a German prison camp. In 1945 he returned to England.

After leaving the Royal Air Force in 1947, Beaumont joined English Electric and helped develop the Canberra jet bomber. Beaumont became the first British aviator to reach the speed of sound when he flew the P86 in California in 1948. In May 1949 Beaumont, flying a Canberra jet bomber, completed the first ever one-day double crossing of the Atlantic. Five years later he became the first man to fly the supersonic English Electric P1 Lightning.

After serving as Director of Flight operations for the Tornado test program he retired and became a respected author. Roland Beaumont died on November 19th, 2001.

Mark

[VAT69]

Flight Lieutenant PIERRE CLOSTERMANN (DSO & DFC*)

Pierre Henri Clostermann was born in Curibita, Brazil, on February 28th, 1921, as son of French parents. His father was a diplomat. He learned to fly in Brazil and started a career as a writer of aviation articles. He followed the events taking place in Europe. Pierre Clostermann was so upset that he decided to join the Free French Forces which gathered in England, thanks to General de Gaulle. After a few difficulties to get his French nationality recognised by the authorities, he got a commission with the pilot who became his friend for ever, Jacques Remlinger.

In 1942, he became a student pilot in the Royal Air Force school in Cranwell and moved to Rednal for a conversion course on Spitfire before getting posted to a Squadron based in Turnhouse where, under the orders of Commander Mouchotte, the Groupe "Alsace" is formed. The 341 Squadron "Alsace" is quickly posted to Biggin Hill in the south of London and receives Spitfire IX with a Rolls Royce 63 engine. Biggin Hill was reserved for the best RAF Squadrons. On September 28th , 1943, Clostermann left Biggin Hill and the Groupe "Alsace" with whom he got his first aerial victories. He joined the 602 "City of Glasgow" Squadron, of course composed of Scotsmen, but also New-Zealanders, Canadians, two Frenchmen, and a few British ones.
In January 1944, the 602 moved to the Orcades islands. After B17 escort missions, the task of the 602 was to avoid any attempt of bombardment and reconnaissance missions by the Luftwaffe. The group operated seven or eight Spitfire V and four Spitfire VIII, stratospheric, with an extended wing span, a Rolls Royce 67 engine with a double compressor, and semi-pressurised cockpit. In April 1944, flying Spitfire IX B, Pierre Clostermann and the "City of Glasgow", operating from the airfield of Detling, started dive-bombing the V1 sites. On May 4th , 1944, Squadron 125 moved from Detling to Ford, near Brighton, in view of preparing the Normandy Landing. On "D" Day, Clostermann had to wait until the afternoon to fly his first mission over Normandy.
On June 11th , 1944, Clostermann and Remlinger received the order, to be the first ones to land in France. Their first night is spent under the bombs dropped by Junkers 88 aircraft. Pierre Clostermann received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the hands of Sir Archibald Sinclair, the British Air Minister. Nervous and exhausted, he learns that he is withdrawn from active operations. On July 7th, he boards a tank carrier for England. He spends three months at Headquarters and, despite the authorities’ reticence; he decides to go back to active duty. He is posted to Aston-Down where he gets a quick conversion course on Typhoon and Tempest.

After 300 war missions, Clostermann starts again with Wing 122 where he takes the command of Flight A of Squadron 274 based in Volkel, Holland. The morale is very low because the losses are high in these early days of year 1945. Two types of missions were allocated to the Tempest : to neutralise the German fighters, and, especially, the jet fighters, and to stop the day activity of the German railway system from the Rhine to Berlin, by systematically attacking the locomotives. On March 30th , 1945, after an 8 days rest period, consecutive to a wound, Pierre Clostermann returns to Volkel where he takes the command on the Wing 122 number 3 Squadron. He soon accomplishes his dream of becoming the leader of Wing 122, one of the elite fighter units.

On August 27th , 1945, his request to be demobilised is accepted. Clostermann's final score in the Tempest is at least 12 destroyed, 6 shared and 2 probables. Add to it some 72 locomotives , 5 tanks , 1 submarine and 2 destroyers.

After the war, Pierre Clostermann was elected 8 times as a MP for de Gaulle’s party in the National Assembly, and he became the Director of Cessna aircraft for France. He wrote books related to WWII (Le Grande Cirque aka the Big Show) and the Algerian war, and one on fishing.

Mark

[Jiggersfromsp...]

Hey Mark,

Any information on a Yank named Billy Fiske who was killed during the Battle of Britain?
He was an Olympic bobsleder in the 30s.


Yowser !
Jiggersfromsphilly.