So it Began.....Their Finest Hour

66 Sqd, Coltishall
Spitfire N3182.
Crashed in sea three miles south of Orfordness, victim of return fire from He 111 engaged 5.20pm. P/O J.A.P Studd baled out and rescued by Aldeburgh lifeboat but failed to regain conciousness. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Hurricane
4 Spitfires (+ three more slightly damaged in bombing Bilbury)
1 Blenheim

3 in Combat - 3 in Accident/Bombing/Unknown

7/KG2
Do 17Z. Brought down in the sea off Yarmouth at 8.20pm after bombing attack on Honington aerodrome. Lt Lamb and three NCOs missing. Aircraft U5+DR lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 59
2 Ar 196
1 Me 109
3 Ju 88
1 Do 17
5 He 111

 

The RNLI Record of Service for Studd.

"August 19th - Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
During the evening a British pilot was seen to bale out from his aeroplane some three miles south of Orfordness. A NW breeze was blowing with a heavy swell. The No 2 lifeboat 'Lucy Lavers' was launched at 19:10 pm. She picked up the pilot, unconcious. Lifeboatmen and a coastguard, who was aboard as an armed guard, used artificial respiration, but were unable to revive him. The lifeboat returned at 21:00 pm. Dr Nora Acheson, the only doctor in town, also put off in a motor boat to the pilot's help.
Rewards: £21 11s 6d."

(Source: Supplement to Annual Reports of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution 1939-46)

 

Midshipman (A) PETER JOHN PATTERSON

H.M.S. Daedalus, Royal Navy
serving with 242 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 19
on 20 August 1940
Son of Horace John and Nellie Terry Patterson, of Southbourne, Hampshire.
Remembered with honour
LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL
Midshipman P.J.Patterson from the F.A.A. was flying Hurricane I (P2976) on patrol with No 242 Squadron on the 20th of August 1940. He dived vertically into the sea off Winterton at 13:45hrs. Patterson was reported missing, cause unknown.


Royal Naval Air Stations of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945 Contents Page

 

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day; but we must never forget that all the time, night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim their attacks, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power. On no part of the Royal Air Force does the weight of the war fall more heavily than on the daylight bombers, who will play an invaluable part in the case of invasion and whose unflinching zeal it has been necessary in the meanwhile on numerous occasions to restrain.

Churchill's speech 'The Few' August 20, 1940 House of Commons

 

20th August 1940

No Cat E Coastal Command Losses on this day.

The RNLI record of service for Patterson

"August 20th - Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Norfolk.
An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea five miles NE of Winterton. The lifeboat was launched at 13:54 and reached the position given at 15:10. There she saw and spoke to a naval trawler and a drifter. The master of the trawler said that he had seen the aeroplane come straight out of the clouds and dive into the sea where it 'exploded like a depth charge'. It was he who had sent the message which had called out the lifeboat. He was on the spot himself in ten minutes, but found no sign of the airmen, all he picked up was two oxygen bottles. The master of the drifter said he had been searching ever since the aeroplane fell, but he had only found small wreckage. Several trawlers and a sloop arrived, and they too searched but found nothing. The lifeboat then went towards Winterton, still keeping a good look out.
Rewards: £4 15s 6d."
(Source: Supplement to Annual Reports of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution 1939-46)

Ross

 

See: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/37121-so-began-their-finest-hour-11.html#post425487

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Spitfire
1 Hurricane
2 Blenheims

1 in Combat - 3 in Friendly Fire/Bombing/Unknown

9/KG3
Do 17Z-3. Shot down by fighters over Eastchurch. Crashed at Capel Hill Farm, Leysdown 4.15pm. Fw Rudiger killed, three NCOs believed captured. Aircraft 5K+FT a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 59
1 Me 110
1 Fw 200
3 Me 109
3 Do 17
1 He 111
2 Ju 88

 

21st August 1940

No.236 Sqn has two Blenheims destroyed on the ground when 3 Ju88s machinegun St Eval dispersals and hangars.

No.240 Sqn has a Stranraer sink at its moorings during gale.

Summary of Coastal Command Cat E losses for day.
3 non Op.

Ross

 

No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Hurricanes
2 Blenheims (+ 3 write offs from bombing at St Eval)
6 Spitfires

8 in Combat - 6 in Accident/Bombing

I/KG54
Ju 88A-1. Shot down by Sqd Ldr O'Brien and P/O Doe 234 Sqd in sortie over England. Crashed at Kings Sombourne 2.15pm and burned out. Oblt Birkenstock, Obergefr Freude, Uffz Schulze and Gefr Becker killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 Ju 88
2 Me 109
6 Do 17
1 He 111

 

WEATHER:

Cloud and winds continuing to come down from the north, much cooler and conditions expected top deteriorate during the day. Rain periods are expected in the south during the afternoon especially in coastal districts.
OPERATIONS IN DETAIL:

The weather, which was slowly getting worse from the previous day was expected to continue. Fighter Command knew that large scale operations would be out, but they were not stupid enough to acknowledge the fact that the Luftwaffe would not attempt the occasional mission to possibly airfields and/or industrial targets.
This was borne out just after midday when the days events started to unfold.

1300 hrs: A section of 242 Squadron led by S/L D.R.S.Bader was coming in to land at Coltishall just to the north of Norwich from a normal practice flight when Bader heard over the R/T that an enemy aircraft had been spotted near Yarmouth. The call was actually not for 242 Squadron, but for 66 Squadron also based at Coltishall. Bader could not resist the temptation, Yarmouth was only minutes away and he could be there within minutes.

He heard over the R/T a voice saying: "Rusty Red Leader calling. Rusty Red section airborne."
And then the controller: "Hallo, Rusty Red Leader. Bandit angels seven over Yarmouth. Vector one-one-zero." *

Yarmouth lay fifteen miles to the south-east and Rusty was the call sign of Rupert Leigh's 66 Squadron. As soon as it had registered, Bader's throttle was wide open and he streaked for Yarmouth.

He came to the coast north of the town but saw nothing else in the air. Rusty section had not arrived yet. A layer of strato-cumulus cloud covered the sky at about 8,000 feet. Might be something above that! He lifted his nose and bored into the cloud; twenty seconds later he lifted out of the grey foam into brilliant sunshine and there unbelievably in front of his eyes flew a Dornier 17 with a glistening pale-blue belly. She was about 700 feet above, going from left to right only a couple of hundred yards in front. As he wheeled up, the Dornier spotted him and dived for the cloud, but Bader was between the cloud and the enemy.

Closing fast, he fired, seeing the tracer flick out. The rear gunner was firing. He was straight behind now and something came suddenly away from the Dornier like a little chain with weights on, ** and then it had whipped past under him. He had his thumb on the button in a long burst when the Dornier slid into the cloud and he followed, still hosing bullets into the greyness.
S/L Douglas Bader lost the aircraft in the cloud, he stayed just under the cloud base twisting and turning, but the Dornier eluded him. Bader returned to base exceptionally annoyed and in a state of rage.

source from Paul Brickhill Reach For The Sky Collins 1954 p199 /The Battle of Britain Historical Society
August 19th - August 24th 1940

 

54 Sqd, Hornchurch
Spitfire R6708.
Shot down in combat with enemy fighters 1.15pm. Crashed into the Channel off Deal. Sgt G.R. Collett killed. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Hurricanes
1 Blenheim
8 Spitfires

9 in Combat - 3 in Accident/Bombing

8/KG30
Ju 88A-1. Missing following combat mission over southern England. Hptmn Mainwald and two NCO's missing. One NCO wounded. Aircraft write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 He 59
3 Ju 88
1 Me 109
1 Me 110
1 Do 17

 

22 August 1940

No main force Cat E losses for Coastal Command on this day.

Ross

 

Weather: Cloudy and squally.
Day: Shipping reconnaissance and attacks on two Channel convoys.
Night: Increased activity particularly in the Midlands, north and west. Some minelaying.
The Battle of Britain - Home Page

 

WEATHER:

Bright intervals were expected with the possibility of showers over most of Britain. Cloud and overcast could persist over the Channel and the south coast.
OPERATIONS IN DETAIL:

The typical English summer was behaving in its usual unpredictable way which again meant that any major assault was out of the question. Overnight, the Luftwaffe targeted Filton again and up to sixteen tons of high explosive fell on the airfield causing some damage, but although hangars and machine shops were hit it was not enough to put them out of action. An occasional German patrol aircraft was detected off the coast, but Fighter Command was not going to waste time on these, and those enemy aircraft that did cross the coast and penetrate inland managed to avoid interception in the low cloud cover.
The afternoon was still clear of any enemy activity due to the inclement weather. A few single aircraft managed to cross the coast, but they stayed very close to the cloud base and they done little or no damage. Again, with combat operations virtually non existent, Attention was given to the repair of airfields and tele communications.
August 19th - August 24th 1940

 

23rd August 1940

No.224 Sqn has a Hudson crash at Leuchars during pilot conversion training. Both crew killed
P/O A T Harrison
P/O B D Clarkson

No.269 Sqn has a Hudson crash at Wick in similar circumstances. Both crew killed.
P/O S J Herring
S/L R H S McConnell DFC

Summary of Coastal Command Cat E losses for day:
2 non Op

Ross

 

No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

4 Hurricanes
2 Spifires

3 in Combat - 3 Unknown/Collision/Ran out of Fuel

Wettererkundungs Staffel 1/On.d.L.
He 111H-3. Shot down by fighters during sortie over the Orkneys. Three NCOs killed. Reg Rat, a Kr Knauf and one NCO both missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Ju W34 Hi
1 Ju 52
5 He 111
2 Me 109
2 Do 17
2 Ju 88
2 Me 110

 

Squadron Leader PHILIP ALGERNON HUNTER
D S O

32081, 264 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 27
on 24 August 1940
Son of Albert and Clare Hunter; husband of Eleanor Margaret Hunter (nee Christie), of Chesham, Buckinghamshire.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
S/L Phillip Algernon Hunter was leader of No 264 Squadron and he and his gunner shot down a total of 9 and 1 shared. On the 24th of August 1940 at 12:40hrs when he and his gunner (F.H.King) went missing after chasing a Ju 88 out to sea flying a Defiant (N1935).

Pilot Officer FREDERICK HARRY KING
D F M

43845, 264 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died
on 24 August 1940

Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
P/O Fredrick Harry King was in No 264 Squadron until the 24th of August 1940 at 12:40hrs when he and his pilot (Squadron Leader P.A.Hunter) went missing after chasing a Ju 88 out to sea flying a Defiant (N1935). He and his pilot shot down a total of 9 and 1 shared.


LIST-MENU

 

235 Sqd, Thorney Island
Blenheim T1804. Shot down by 1 Sqd (RCAF) Hurricanes and crashed into Bracklesham Bay 4.45pm. P/O D.N. Woodger missing, Sgt D.L. Wright killed. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

16 Hurricanes
11 Spitfire
4 Blenheims
7 Defiants

30 in Combat - 8 Unknown/Collision/Friendly Fire

Stab II/KG76
Ju 88. Shot down (believed by AA fire) during combat with RAF fighters over Manston. Major Moricke (Gruppe Kommandeur) and Oblt Schulte killed (washed ashore 6/9/40). Sonderfuehrer Wagner of Lw.Kr.Ber.Kp.4 also killed. One NCO missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Ar 196
2 He 115
9 Ju 88
3 Me 110
24 Me 109
1 Ar 66
1 Me 108
6 He 111

 

24 August 1940

No.235 Sqn had been transferred to Coastal Command on 27th Feb 1940 to provide the missing capability of long range fighter support which was not a pre war role envisaged for the Command.

The No.235 Sqn Blenheim had taken off to provide aerodrome fighter protection during an air raid when it was shot down by friendly fire.

No.53 Sqn had been transferred from Fighter Command on the 3rd July 1940 to assist in the recce role but had been retasked as a long range fighter squadron attacking port and invasion targets.

A No.53 Sqn Blenheim crashed at Dover on the return from a Hookos evening attack on port facilities. Three crew killed.
F/O S C Rochford
Sgt W Briggs
Sgt D Brook

Despite being withdrawn from service No.608 Sqn lost a Botha at Thornaby when an engine cut on take off to escort Convoy FN.60. Crew safe.

Summary for Coastal Command Cat E losses on this day:
3 on Ops

Ross

 

WEATHER:
Most of the cloud cleared by dawn and was expected to be clear skies and warmer in the south. Cloud was expected to persist in the north of England with many areas expecting continuing drizzle patches.

OPERATIONS IN GENERAL:

Since August 18th, things generally were relatively quiet, the lull of the last five days had allowed both sides to regroup and re-establish themselves. So far, all the Luftwaffe had been doing was to cause inconvenience to Fighter Command. The radar stations had been damaged, but in nearly all cases they were back in operation within 24 hours. Some airfields had been damaged, but again, the damage was not enough to make them non-operational. Both sides were losing both pilots and aircraft, and with the Battle of Britain now over two months old, the Luftwaffe had not yet achieved the advantage that it had hoped for, and Göring's plan that the Royal Air Force would be wiped out in two weeks were hopelessly dashed.

August 19th - August 24th 1940

 

Flying Officer STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER ROCHFORD

70584, 53 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 24
on 24 August 1940
Son of Joseph Patrick and Lena Blanche Rochford, of Little Berkhampstead.
Remembered with honour
HERTFORD CORPORATION CEMETERY