Letters From the Few: Unique Memories From the Battle of Britain by Dilip Sarkar

Author:Dilip Sarkar [Sarkar, Dilip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781526775894
Google: E_VUzQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1526775891
Published: 2020-08-15T17:28:43+00:00

An official German photograph showing the pilot and bombardier of an He 111 in flight.

Again, the He 111 attacked by Hancock is believed to have been that which came to grief at Lifstan Way. The Spitfire mentioned was no doubt one of the two 222 Squadron machines involved: Flying Officer Cutts and Sergeant Davis also claimed a He 111 ‘probable’ in that area.

1 Squadron’s Sergeant Clowes also claimed an He 111 that ‘emitted smoke and some flames’, reporting that on his second pass the bomber’s ‘perspex nose exploded’, although this too was the Lifstan Way raider. Another shared kill was the 5/KG 53 He 111 that crashed at Colne Engaine, near Halstead: this bomber was first attacked and damaged by 1 Squadron’s Pilot Officer Matthews before being finished off by 56 Squadron’s Flight Lieutenant Gracie (interestingly, the North Weald Sector Commander, that indomitable Irishman Wing Commander Victor Beamish, was flying with 56 Squadron and claimed an Me 110 ‘probable’ during this engagement). 1 Squadron’s CO, Squadron Leader Pemberton, attacked an Me 110 ‘in company with a Hurricane of LE squadron’, which was one of two 110s that crashed at Ponders End, to the east of Enfield. ‘LE’ were the code letters of Squadron Leader Bader’s 242 Squadron.

Romantic and exaggerated accounts of this action claim that 242 Squadron was ordered to patrol North Weald at 15,000 feet but instead climbed to 19,000 feet, Bader flying twenty miles west of his allotted position so as to have the sun behind him. Consequently, attacking from the sun, 242 Squadron executed the perfect bounce. The 242 Squadron combat report, however, offers a slightly different view: ‘Squadron 242 was ordered at 1623 hours from Duxford to patrol North Weald at 15,000 feet on a vector 190°, just north of North Weald. They received a vector of 340°. Three aircraft were noticed to the right of the formation, so the Squadron Leader detached Blue Section to investigate.’

These three aircraft were almost certainly some of the Blenheims reported by 1 Squadron, and the updated vector was in response to the enemy’s changing course. The Coltishall Intelligence Officer, Flight Lieutenant Maybaum, continued his report:

Green Leader then drew attention to a large enemy formation on their left so the rest of the Squadron turned and saw a vast number of aeroplanes flying in an easterly direction. These were recognised to be from 70–100 E/A, twin-engined and in tight formation, stepped up at 12,000 feet, after which there was a gap of 1,000 feet, then another swarm of twin-engined machines stepped up from about 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet.

The foregoing report indicates that Squadron Leader Bader actually complied with instructions, his own report confirming this, adding that ‘242 Squadron had the height advantage on the lower group and as it was obviously impossible to attack all the enemy it was decided to attack down sun on the lower group.’ Maybaum’s report continued:

Green Section were ordered to attack the top of the lower formation; Red and Yellow Sections were ordered into line astern.

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