A Very Unusual Air War
Page 9
28 February: This was, in fact, intended to provide cover to what was called a ‘biting’ operation returning from Le Havre. As part of the circus, shortly after take-off my hood jammed in the half open position and I was obliged to return to base. When the fault had been corrected it was too late to catch the other boys.
An Important Advancement in My Career
I was confirmed as the senior NCO pilot in ‘A’ Flight so no more flying as arse-end Charlie. I would continue as a sub-section leader but, more important, I could now deputise for a flight commander and lead a flight. Also, orders to the pilots of ‘A’ Flight were passed through me.
Summary for:- February 1942 Spitfire 4–25
Unit:- 602 Squadron Magister 5–20
Date:- 1/3/42
Signature:- H.L. Thorne
Total time on Spitfire 200 hours 45minutes
Operational hours to date 69 hours 40 minutes
John B. Niven P/O pp F/Lt B.P. Finucane S/Ldr
For O/C. A Flight O/C 602 Squadron
[A written note]
LINK TRAINER FOR MONTH F.V. Beamish G/Cpt.
C/O of RAF Station Kenley
This was a sharp reminder from the station commander. Link trainer or else! This was a dig from the boss; however, there was no entry to add for the Link trainer as I, in common with the other pilots, had not done any. There was no Link at Redhill and we could not be bothered to go back to Kenley – although we did go for sessions in the UVR room!
Len Thorne giving instruction in aero engines to a member of Southwark ATC in February 1942.
Southwark ATC listening to a lecture on combat manoeuvres given by Len Thorne on the same occasion.
F/Lt Roy ‘Lulu’ Lane, F/Lt Turley-George and F/Lt Desmond O’Connor. F/Lts Lane and Turley-George volunteered to be catapulted off merchant ships. This was considered to be a suicide job but both survived. Dessie O’Connor was killed in March 1942.
602 Squadron, March 1942. Sgt Paul Green, Sgt Sanderson (RAAF), S/Ldr Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane.
YEAR 1940 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
March 1st Spitfire AD536 Self Cloud flying and formation –40
Spitfire AD536 Self Cloud flying and formation 1–00
3rd Spitfire AD536 Self Sweep to Le Touquet and Calais 1–45
5th Spitfire AD536 Self Redhill to Kenley –20
8th Spitfire AD536 Self Sweep to Le Touquet area 1–20
Spitfire W3638 Self Bomber escort to Abbeville 1–25
9th Spitfire AD536 Self Air test 1–10
12th Spitfire P8799 Self Convoy patrol 1–50
13th Spitfire W3898 Self Drogue towing –45
Spitfire W3756 Self Practice formation –45
Spitfire P8799 Self Cricus to Hazebrouke 1–45
14th Spitfire AB794 Self Circus to Le Havre 1–30
19th Spitfire P8799 Self Formation and weaving practice 1–05
26th Spitfire BM186 Self Air test and aerobatics –45
27th Spitfire B7186 Self Beat up Deal golf course 1–20
Spitfire P8799 Self Beat up Deal golf course 1–05
Spitfire P8799 Self Fighter sweep –30
28th Spitfire BM142 Self Cine gun and formation 1–00
Spitfire BM187 Self Fighter sweep 1–35
Spitfire BM187 Self Channel search for Group Captain F.V. Beamish 1–10
29th Spitfire BM156 Self At first light we resumed the search for the Group Captain 2–00
Spitfire BM142 Self To Duxford –45
Spitfire BM142 Self Army co-op beat up 1–20
Spitfire BM142 Self Return to Kenley –40
31st GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 373 hours 35 minutes 3–30 8–25
55–25 306–15 7–40
3 March: Although this was a very shallow penetration into enemy territory we remained in the area for some time, receiving a pretty fierce reception from flak, particularly from the Calais area, but no opposition from fighters. I was pleased that, two days later, we returned to the comforts of Kenley.
9 March: The rest of the Squadron did a sweep to Betune. My friend through most of my training time, particularly at Hullavington and Hawarden, Flight Sergeant Desmond (Dessie) O’Connor, failed to return and it was later confirmed that he was killed. Desmond was a quiet, likeable North-country lad and, although according to the author of Lions Rampant, the Squadron history, ‘he was not outstanding’ the gentleman should note that Dessie did the operations to the best of his ability and gave his life in the end. It was my first loss of a close friend and I missed him badly.
13 March: I am puzzled by this first entry as, to the best of my memory, no Spitfire was ever equipped with drogue-towing facilities. The entry should probably have read that we did air firing against a drogue target towed by another aircraft such as the Hawker Henley.
27 March: This was to test out, and give practice to, the ground defences against air attack (not the golfers). The starboard leg of my undercarriage folded up as I touched down for the landing but with full throttle I managed to get off again without any damage and went round again to make a safe landing.
On the return leg of the fighter sweep the air compressor of my aircraft failed, believed to be due to flak damage. I made an emergency landing at Kenley without flaps or brakes. Although I used the longer of the two runways, I finished up in the small, grassed area at the end of the runway, after ‘ground looping’ just short of the barbed wire barrier. There was surprisingly little damage to the Spitfire but I rescued the pitot head complete with its heater, which had been torn off and was just hanging on the electric wires. It lay in various places at home, among my bits of memorabilia, until around 2000 but found a more permanent resting place in the Wellesbourne Museum.
28 March: We swept south from the little fishing village of Hardelot to Le Tréport. Although we saw no enemy fighters, it was found after landing that Group Captain Beamish was missing. He and the Wing leader often joined in operations but rather as an independent pair; they obviously ran into trouble out of sight of the rest of us. He was seen by the Wing Commander to leave the French coast but soon afterwards disappeared, apparently into the Channel. After landing from the sweep we were immediately ordered off again to search the Channel area where he was believed to have gone in. We searched until it was too dark to have seen anything; in fact the last 45 minutes of this flight was entered in my logbook as night flying. Group Captain Beamish, although a strict disciplinarian, was always fair and was very popular with everyone at Kenley.
29 March: We continued to search for two hours until our fuel state was critical but sadly our efforts were in vain, the Group Captain was never found. Towards the end of the flight my electrical system went on the blink and I almost force-landed in a field when my petrol gauge read empty. At the last moment I realised that I was very close to Manston so I landed there without mishap.
The loss of Group Captain Beamish was particularly poignant to me as, a few days earlier, he had interviewed me and as a result would recommend that I be granted a commission.
Summary for:- March 1942 1 Spitfire 26–45
Unit:- 602 Squadron –45
Date:- 31/3/42
Signature H.L. Thorne
Signed James H. Lacey F/Lt B.S. Finucane S/Ldr
O/C A Flight 602 Sqdn O/C 602 Sqdn
Total time on Spitfire 227 hrs 30 mins
Operational hours to date 84 hrs 20 mins
YEAR 1940 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
April 13th Spitfire BM187 Self Local flying 1–05
14th Spitfire BM113 Self Fighter sweep to Fécamps at 19,000ft 1–45
Spitfire BM113 Self Fighter sweep 1–30
15th Spitfire BM113 Self Fighter sweep 1–20
16th Spitfire BM113 Self Fighter sweep
1–10
17th Spitfire BM113 Self Bomber escort 1–30
Magister R1915 Self LAC Crooks To Martlesham Heath 1–00
Magister R1915 Self Return to Kenley –45
25th Spitfire BM113 Self Escort to air sea rescue 1–35
Spitfire BM113 Self Bomber escort, landed at Lympne 1–40
Spitfire BM113 Self Returned from Lympne to Kenley –20
26th Spitfire BM113 Self Bomber escort 1–35
27th Spitfire BM142 Self Rodeo to St Omer 1–20
Spitfire BM141 Self Escorted bombers 1–5–
29th Spitfire BM142 Self Ramrod 30 to St Omer 1–25
Spitfire BM142 Self Escort cover 1–20
30th Spitfire BM142 Self Target support to Le Havre 1–30
Spitfire BM142 Self Rodeo over Cap Gris Nez 1–25
13 April: When I returned to duty after 14 days leave, the CO was kind enough to give me an easy day to celebrate my 22nd birthday.
14 April: We patrolled at 19 to 20,000 feet, entering France at Fécamps in a curve inland to exit near Le Tréport. I was flying Yellow 3 and our flight started to chase seven enemy fighters but before it was possible to get into range, we were recalled to rejoin the Wing. It seems that the seven ME 109s were decoys for another group which was waiting up sun; they were unlucky this time. We returned with no other incident.
On the second sweep we patrolled at 24,000 feet from Desvres to Sangatte. I saw a single FW 190 passing over Yellow Cection and called a warning. When we turned to engage, it dived away before we could get within range. I was then attacked by two 190s but easily out-turned them. I took a quick squirt at another enemy aircraft which appeared behind the Squadron but saw no hits. I had to break off sharply and go into a steep climbing turn to avoid a Spitfire that was diving to attack the same enemy aircraft. In doing so I became separated from the squadron so dived to the ‘deck’ and returned alone.
16 April: Shortly after crossing the French coast into enemy territory, my No.2, P/O Max Charlesworth, lost a gun panel and we were obliged to return to base.
17 April: We provided escort cover to 6 Hurribombers, flying at 23,000 feet to Marquise. There was 10/10th cloud over the Channel that extended some way inland. After the Hurri boys had bombed we saw them clear of the target area then patrolled inland in a sweep to port that took us out over Dunquerque. At our height at this point we met a Spitfire wing, more or less head on, so had to climb to 27,000 feet to get out of their way. We saw only two enemy aircraft, low down over the coast, so came home.
25 April: This was, without doubt, the worst day of my RAF career and possibly the worst day of my life until I lost Estelle in 1997. It is the one on which I should have died or at least have been shot down. This would almost certainly have happened if the German pilot had been less impatient to add to his score.
A regular visitor to the Kenley Wing and particularly to 602 Squadron was Group Captain Hugh Corner, a doctor based at RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) Farnborough. He was researching the effect of operational stress in fighter pilots. He was also a qualified pilot and had flown with 602 on a number of occasions in order to gain first-hand experience.
He arrived on the morning of the 25th and flew with us on the air sea rescue escort patrol. He afterwards complained that it did not give any real experience of operations involving meeting the enemy. Later that day we were briefed on a deep penetration into France to bomb railway marshalling yards near Lille. Group Captain Corner persuaded the Wing leader and Paddy, the Squadron Commander, to allow him to take part. Paddy said, ‘I will put you No.2 to Flight Sergeant Len Thorne; he is very experienced and you will be safe with him.’ I was flying Red 3 in the centre section and theoretically protected by Blue and Yellow sections to our right and left. Before reaching the target area we carried out attacks on a pair of enemy fighters, then on a four and lastly on a single machine, at which I got in a long burst but did not see any strikes. Then, almost out of ammunition, we headed for home.
As we approached the French coast, the Group Captain and I were attacked by two FW 190s that came in a high-speed dive from the left rear. I saw the first burst of tracer passing over and under my starboard wing and immediately pulled into a tight climbing turn to port, calling to my No. 2 to break with me. I believe he was hard hit in the first burst of fire and failed to turn with me. I rejoined him, calling on other members of the Squadron to help and Paddy called, ‘Close in on that Spitfire chaps and we will get him home.’ Red 4 appeared to be still under control although he continued to fly straight on, losing height slightly, with a little smoke but no fire coming from the Spitfire. After a time he levelled out and continued to fly on across the Channel and the smoke stopped when he was about midway across. At this point two more or possibly the same pair of 190s attacked me again but their fire appeared to be too high over both my wings. I again pulled hard round and gave them the slip and closed on Red 4 in time to see him go into the sea. The Group Captain had baled out at something like 700 feet but his parachute did not properly open. I was able to see him clearly surrounded by the spreading area of yellow dye but he appeared to be dead. I circled his position but, very short of fuel, I had to leave and made an emergency landing at Lymne.
With Paddy and the Wing leader, I had to face a court of enquiry into the loss of Group Captain Corner and was completely exonerated from blame. There was severe criticism of the two senior officers for giving way to the Group Captain and allowing him to fly on what was known to be a hazardous operation. After the horse had bolted the stable door was closed and orders were issued to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. At the court of enquiry the President’s comment was that I could not have avoided or prevented the tragedy. However, at the time and ever since, I have blamed myself and thought that I should have taken some action against the attacking German fighters.
My table tennis friend Sergeant Paul Green was also missing, later confirmed killed, on that fateful day. I was, indeed, extremely lucky to be the one that got away.
26 April: I was flying as Red 3 with one of the new boys as my No.2. We went in with the bombers, I believe they were the newly arrived Douglas Bostons, to Hazebroucke. As we left the French coast near Dunkirk, Red 1 (Paddy), attacked an enemy ME 109 which was in a climbing turn to starboard. I followed and as a result of maintaining a very steep turn, my speed dropped to 140mph. Although very near to stalling, I got a good burst into him. I claimed a ‘damaged’. I rejoined Red 1 who attacked a second enemy aircraft, causing it to start smoking and go into a very steep, almost vertical dive. I followed it straight and, from dead astern with the enemy machine dead in my sights, I hit him with a long burst of cannon fire. After catching fire it went straight into the sea. I claimed and was given a half destroyed. Reading Doug Stokes’ biography of Paddy some years later I learned that Paddy had withdrawn his claim so I was given one destroyed and one damaged.
27 April: On the first of the two operations above there was no engagement and no Huns were seen. The second was rather different. We escorted 12 Bostons on another deep penetration to Lille. Over the target the ME 109s appeared in force and went for the bombers. I managed to get a good burst at one of them. We faced repeated attacks all the way back to the coast. Only one bomber was lost, he dropped behind and force-landed in France.
29 April: This was another special day in my service career; we had patrolled from Calais to Dunkirk and back to Gravelines to cover the exit of a squadron of bombers from their bombing mission. Prior to taking off, King George VI had paid a visit to Kenley and I had the honour to be presented; after a brief conversation we shook hands and he wished me good luck. During the operation the King spent some time in the Operations room and actually spoke to us while we were over France. It was one of those episodes that one remembers forever.
Escort cover. We climbed to 27,000 feet from Hardelot to Cap Gris Nez; we saw many 109s but they did not attack our squadron and we could not engage.
30 April: I was flying Yellow
2, the first time I had flown as Paddy’s No.2, the position known today as wingman. It was a position of great trust. When flying as No.4 or No.2, I had never lost my flight or section leader. We orbited 2 miles off Le Havre and the enemy were there in force. Red 1 attacked a FW 190 that was heading inland but broke off and started to orbit to starboard but suddenly pulled into a very tight climbing turn. I saw tracer coming past my aircraft and realised I was under attack from below by two 190s and that only Paddy’s quick reaction had saved me from being hit. The second enemy machine overshot and I was able to give him a long burst with all armament. I had to dive almost vertically to get my sights on with considerable deflection. I saw strikes on the engine, the 190 went straight down, pouring black smoke and apparently out of control.
This was the biggest battle in which I had taken part, a forerunner of the Dieppe raid. I was very lucky not to be shot down and was certainly saved by Paddy’s quick evasive action. I claimed 1 probably destroyed. The Squadron score that day was 1 destroyed (by Paddy), 3 probables and 1 damaged. I myself could not confirm Paddy’s kill, being otherwise engaged, but Johnny Niven saw it crash.
Summary for:- April 1942 1 Spitfire 22–20
Unit:- 602 Squadron 2 Magister 1–45
Date:- 30/4/42
Signature :- H.L. Thorne
Signed Johnny B. Niven F/Lt Signed B.P. Finucane S/Ldr
O/C A Flight O/C 602 Squadron
Total time on Spitfire: 249–50 hours
Operational hours to date 105–45