by John Nichol
Christie, Carol, 76–8
Churchill tanks, 171, 179, 219
Churchill, Winston:
Battle of Britain speech of, 56–7
and Beaverbrook’s appointment, 55
becomes PM, 38
bedroom-based work by, 377–8
on evacuations, 53
and France, 41
and Germany’s terms of surrender, 377
on Italy, 306
and Lympne, 19
and Malta, Roosevelt’s help sought over, 141, 148
and Malta, supplies to, 152
‘Never was so much owed’ speech of, 91
Stalin requests Spitfires from, 319
trench fighting by, 39
and US demands for Europe invasion, 186
warns of Nazis, 16
‘Circuses’, 96, 104, 107, 116, 169
Clyde, 152
Clyde, Billy, 130–1, 133
Colditz, 390
concentration camps:
Amersfoort, 372
Buchenwald, 372, 393
human remains found in, 372
Comley, Peter, 126
Coningsby, 8, 406
conscription, 92, 114
Cooper, Tony, 325
Coward, Noël, 19
Crook, Pilot Officer David, 65, 67
Curtis, Lettice, 122
Czechoslovakia, 23, 24
Lofthouse flees, 401
D-Day, 326–7 (see also Normandy landings)
Daily Express, 389
Daily Mail, 16
Daily Telegraph, 54
Dakota aircraft, 285, 292, 293–4, 308, 310
Dallas, Sgt Johnny, 376
Dan-Air, 378
Debden, 125–6
Deere, Al, 45–7, 118
Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 47
Denchfield, Sgt David, 96–101, 102, 103
Desert Air Force, 227
Dewoitine 520 aircraft, 185
Dieppe, 168–83 passim
Allied beachmaster at, 180
appalling losses at, 182
beginning of raid on, 171–2
dogfights over, 173
and enemy aircraft claimed by RAF, 182
first RAF casualties at, 169
naval officer praises RAF concerning, 182
plans for raid on, 168–70, 172
press see as great victory, 182
RAF’s attack on German defences around, 178–9
and RAF’s losses, 182 (see also Royal Air Force: losses suffered by)
RAF’s sorties over, 182
Spitfires unleashed by RAF at, 169
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 47, 182, 206, 277, 306, 383, 389
Distinguished Flying Medal, 200, 399, 400
Distinguished Service Order (DSO), 306, 389
Dornier aircraft, 60, 61, 68–9, 71, 181, 287
and battle over Italy, 288–92
and bombing from height, 71
and Buckingham Palace, 86–7, 134, 360
newer, speed of, 288
Doulton, Michael, 76–8
Dowding, Sir Hugh ‘Stuffy’, 39–40, 48, 50, 51, 61, 96, 103
Drem, 256
Drummond-Hay, Peter, 67
Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 339
Duke-Woolley, Myles, 179–80
Duncan Smith, Wilfrid, 103, 359–60, 389
Dundas, Hugh ‘Cocky’, 26, 38, 41–2, 60–1, 72–3, 93–6, 94, 102–3, 105–7, 220–3, 228, 230, 273, 284–6, 287, 343, 357–60, 375, 383, 389–90, 405–6
and crippled Spitfire, 359
DFC and DSO awarded to, 389
and enemy Me109 on Sicily, 274
and mission among French airmen, 221
Dundas, John, 94, 95, 358, 390
Dunkirk, 41–53, 273
last evacuees from, 53
and RAF, 43–5, 48, 99
‘Rhubarb’ op over, 108–9
Dunn, William, 405
Duxford, Imperial War Museum at, 4–5
Eagle Day, 64, 66, 74
Eagle, HMS, 140, 148, 153, 155, 399
Earhart, Amelia, 121
Edridge, Hilary, 81–3, 89–91, 89
Edwardes-Jones, Humphrey, 20–1
Edwards, Alan, 261
Egypt:
Hitler’s strategy for, 138
Rommel’s inroads into, 139
8th Army:
in North Africa, see North Africa
and RAF liaison in Italy, 294
Elizabeth, Princess (later Queen), 390
Ellis, Mary, 121, 122–3, 379–80
Eshott, 259
Eton College, German attacks on, 70–1
Fairchild aircraft, 129, 304
Fairey Battle aircraft, and defence of France, 40
Fairhurst, Tim, 361–2
Falaise, Count Henri de la, 36
Farish Flt Lt Greggs ‘Spanner’, 198–9, 200, 207, 210, 217–20, 217, 272, 274, 275, 277, 279–81, 295–305
arrest of, 304
court-martial faced by, 305–6
hospital questions to, 305
injury to, 295
Mark V unofficial solo flight by, 297–301, 305–6
and piano, 280–2
poor eyesight of, 199, 296
Severe Reprimand for, 306
Farlow, Ken, 1–2, 3
death of, 3
final visit to Spitfire by, 2–3
RAF joined by, 1
Yorkshire roots of, 1
Fell, Bill, 290–1
Fighter Command, 34, 39, 53, 55, 58, 61, 103, 173, 331
Fighter Control System, 39
flight, first, see Wright brothers
flying bombs, see V1 flying bombs
Focke-Wulf (Fw190) aircraft, 107, 112–13, 218, 242, 245
accidental Wales landing of, 166
British plan to steal one of, 165
‘Butcher Bird’ nickname of, 260
Charnock shoots down, 201, 203
and Dieppe, 169, 170, 173, 175, 176, 178, 181 (see also Dieppe)
and Flying Fortresses, 224
Spitfire IX’s better rate of climb than, 220, 223
Spitfire Mark Vs outclassed by, 260
Strawn’s attack on, 224
take-off advantage of, 207
Forgez, Emilie, 243, 254
Forgez, Monsieur, 243–5, 254
Fox Moth aircraft, 13–14, 111
France (see also Dunkirk; Vichy regime):
airfields gifted to Germany by, 60
and executions, 245
formal surrender of, 51, 185
Germans’ plans for invading, 36
Germans take over whole of, 187
and Paris liberation, 340
shocking devastation to, 350
French Foreign Legion, 186
French, Ken, 25–6, 259–63, 323, 324, 328–9, 338–40 374–5
death of, 375
Fritz X missile, 287, 294
Fury aircraft, 23
Galitzine, Prince Emanuel, 232, 233, 234–6, 234
Galland, Adolph, 88
Gare du Nord, 247
Gear, ‘Sexton’, 274–5, 296
Geneva Convention, 370
George Cross, 149
Germany:
air force of, see Luftwaffe
concentration camps of, 372 (see also prisoners of war)
and Dunkirk, see main entry
Eagle Day launched by, 64
flying bombs sent by, see V1 flying bombs
and full-scale retreat across Europe, 372
Malta attacked by, see Malta
and Messerschmitt, see main entry
and Nazi–Soviet Pact, 27
Red Army’s offensive against, 319
and Reich Chancellery, 381
and Russia, invasion of, 107
and secret weapons, 254, 287, 329–30
and terms of surrender, 377
UK declares war with, 28
Gestapo, 244, 248, 249
Gilbert, Sq. Ldr Humphry,
125–6
Goering, Air Mshl Hermann, 21, 24, 25, 80, 86, 88, 279
and Malta, 138
revenge attacks on UK promised by, 231
Goetz, Horst, 234, 236
Goodwood, 97, 104, 404
Gort, Fld Mshl Lord, 149
Gracie, Wing Cdr ‘Jumbo’, 143–4, 147, 149
Griffon engines, 330–1, 355, 356, 362
and Spitfire’s climbing ability, 331
Grislawski, Alfred, 320–1
Grosvenor, Lord Edward, 18, 19
Gulf War, first, 8
Haakon, King, 109
Hadler, Karl, 394, 395
Halifax aircraft, 4, 127
Halifax, Lord, 60
Hamble, 129, 326
Hamburg, 346, 361–2, 363–4
Handley Page aircraft, 63
Hawker aircraft, see Fury aircraft; Hector aircraft; Hurricane aircraft; Tempest aircraft
Hector aircraft, 48, 58
Heinkel aircraft, 8, 31–4, 61, 63
Henriquez, George ‘Bunny’, 240–1
death of, 355
Hippo Regius, 189
Hitchcock, Alfred, 391
Hitler, Adolf:
Churchill on, 56
and Churchill’s Battle of Britain speech, 56
and Czechoslovakia, 23
and Egypt, 138
and forces’ diversion from Russia, 283
and French North Africa surrender, 187
and Goering’s Blitz request, 86
and Horthy, 24
last stand of, 381
and Malta strategy, 230
and Poland, 24
and Russia, invasion of, 107
and Stalingrad, loss of, 226
and Sudetenland, 23
and Treaty of Versailles, 15
and Tunisia, 188
Hitt, Aircraftsman, 219–20
Holmes, Ray, 86–7, 134, 360–6, 360, 376–7, 381–2
Home Defence Force, 40
Hornchurch, 82, 167, 173
Horthy, Adm. Miklós, 23–4
Hudson aircraft, 385
Hughes, Tom, 274, 275–7, 296, 296
bails out, 276
Hunter aircraft, 8, 407
Hurricane aircraft, 2, 7, 20, 21, 30, 407
and defence of France, 40
dive-bomber conversions of, 172
and friendly fire, 29
and German morale, 87–8
‘Hurribombers’, at Dieppe, 172, 180
and Luftwaffe, over Malta, 151 (see also Malta)
and Me109 ‘F’, 139
and production difficulties, 61
protecting London, 86–7
Spitfire compared with, 258
Hutton, Len, 258
‘Identification Friend or Foe’ system, 285–6, 293
Imperial War Museum, RAF Duxford, 4–5
Imphal, 307, 310
India:
and Japan, 308, 309, 310, 318
squadron posted from Italy to, 309
Inverness, 256
Irish Republican Army (IRA), 25, 259
Italy (see also towns and regions):
American troops land in, 295
British pressure to invade, 284
and Farish’s Mark 5 solo flight, see Farish Flt Lt Greggs ‘Spanner’
and Fritz X missile, 287, 294
Germans retreat from, 7
Goering sends fighters and bombers to, 138
invasion date set for, 273
invasion of, 284
and mysterious bomb, warships hit by, 286–7
and seaborne landing behind German lines, 295
Sicily seen as springboard to conquest of, 272–3
sortie over, by 185 Squadron, 368–70
Spitfire–Dornier battle over, 288–92
surrender of, 284
and toppling of Mussolini, 283
Iwade, anti-aircraft battery outside, 69
Jablo propeller blades, 215
Japan:
and air battle over Burma, 313–17
and India, 308, 309, 310, 318
and Pearl Harbor, 116
and Singapore, 139
Johnson, Amy, 121, 237
Johnson, Johnnie, 104, 163, 174, 175, 176, 389, 390
Junkers aircraft, 30, 61, 63, 144, 158, 226–7
and bombing from height, 71, 231
Britain bombed by, 231–2
and Malta, 144, 161–2
Me109s provide top cover for, 320
and Soviet lines, 320
Spitfire’s high-altitude pursuit of, 233–6
Kasserine Pass, 214, 218, 219
Kearins, Terry, 114–15, 241–54, 251, 256, 327, 329
Kennedy, Joseph, 59
Kesselring, Gen. Fld Mshl Albert, 138, 139, 151, 155, 161, 294
Kingcome, Brian, 166–7, 359–60
King’s Messengers, 377, 381
Kittyhawk aircraft, 228, 407
Klein, Ziggy, 75
Knights Hospitaller, 138
Korean War, 405
Kreipe, Maj. Werner, 56
Kuban, 319
Spitfires lost over, 321
‘lacking moral fibre’ (LMF) label, 209
Lago airfield, 295, 303, 305
Lancaster aircraft, 4, 240, 241, 355
Lane, Brian, 47
Langley, 387, 388
Lawrence, Rosamond, 389
Lawrence, T. E., 19
Le Bas, Michael, 136–7, 142–4, 145–6, 150
Le Havre, 110, 261, 333
Le Kef, 218
Leach, Sidney, 43
Lean, David, 391–2
Leathart, Sq. Ldr James ‘Prof’, 45–7
Leggo, Dougie, 158
Leigh-Mallory, Air Vice-Mshl Trafford, 26–7, 96, 169, 170, 176
Lend-Lease, 321
Liberator aircraft, 262
Libya, 186
Life, 117
Lightning aircraft, 8, 407
Lindbergh, Charles, 25, 59
Lisieux, 339
Lloyd, Air Vice-Mshl Hugh, 145, 147
Lofthouse, Joy, 126, 127, 128, 323, 378–9, 398–9, 401–2
Czechoslovakia fled by, 401
Lofthouse (later MacDonald), Yvonne, 126–8, 379, 401–2
Lord’s Cricket Ground, 258
Low Countries, blitzkrieg on, 38
Lucas, Laddie, 145–6, 149, 157–8, 162
Luftwaffe, 7, 15–16, 21
blitzkrieg attacks by, 38–9
bomber force of, in Russia, 231
and Cap Bon, 227
confines itself to occupied Europe, 237
and D-Day, 326
and Dieppe, see Dieppe
and Dunkirk, see Dunkirk
in France, RAF’s plan to ‘wake up’, 98–9
Goering’s boasts concerning, 24
Goering’s diatribe against, 279
High Altitude Bomber Detachment of, 231
and hit-and-run, 73 (see also Messerschmitt)
and London Blitz, see Blitz
losses suffered by, 53, 65, 91, 103, 162, 169, 182, 229
and Malta, see Malta
and Messerschmitt, see main entry
and North Africa, see North Africa
and Poland bombing, 27
probing attacks by, 60
reinforcement of, 207
and Sicily counter-attack, 277
Spitfire lessons learned by, 52
Spitfire threat feared by, 237
and Spitfire’s climbing ability, 331
transport flights per day by, 227
UK warns, over high-altitude fighting, 236
and vulnerable aircraft, 208
Lyneham, 123
Lysander aircraft, and defence of France, 40
Macchi aircraft, 150
MacDonald, Yvonne, see Lofthouse, Yvonne
McLean, Sir Robert, 17
McLean ‘Shanks’, 310
Madeleine, 392
Malan, Sailor, 118
Malayan conflict, 8
; Mallory, George, 26
Malta, 138–62
allegiance of, to UK, 139
British planes’ landings on, 144, 150
and call for Spitfires, 140
and Churchill’s requests to Roosevelt, 141, 148
early air defences of, 138–9
fierce aerial combat over, 151
food shortage on, 158–9
frequent dogfights over, 156, 158
fuel shortage on, 158
and George Cross, 149
Germans attack, 139–40
Goering told to take, 138
Great Siege of, 138
and inexperienced Spitfire pilots, 147
and lost Axis aircraft, 162
and lost British aircraft, 147–8, 155, 162
low crimes on, 147
Luftwaffe begins assault on, 150–1
Luftwaffe’s final bludgeoning attack on, 161
near-starvation on, 152
and ‘Officer Humguffery’ ploy, 141
and Operation Pedestal, 159–60
and RAF deaths, 162
seen as vital ‘aircraft carrier’, 139
starvation threat on, 159
strategic importance of, 138
supplies to, 152
Takali airfield on, 144, 145
troops suffer malnutrition on, 152
unfair fighting and murder over, 157–8
‘Malta Dog’, 152, 156, 159
The Man in Half Moon Street, 28
Manger, Ken, 44
Manston, 79–81
Maridor, Jean, 332–3
Martin, Mary, 402
Mary, Queen, 263
Mason, James, 391
Me109, see Messerschmitt Me109 aircraft
Medmenham, 346
Melsbroek, 351
Merlin engine:
development of, 17, 37
and fuel injection, 52
Griffon compared with, 362
improved tuning of, 102
sound of, 2, 5, 9
and Spitfire’s aircraft-carrier take-off, 137
and Spitfire’s climbing ability, 223, 232
supercharger of, 181
Messerschmitt Me109 aircraft (see also Luftwaffe):
Allies take, on Sicily, 274–6
Charnock shoots down, 201
climbing, diving power of, 71
deadly efficiency of, 18
and Dieppe, 170, 173, 175 (see also Dieppe)
in dogfights, 21, 50
‘E’, 139
‘F’, 101, 139
formidable adversary, 72
and fuel injection, 52
‘G’, 207, 216, 217, 218
goes into production, 21
and gunsights, 73
improvements to, 50
Junkers top-covered by, 320
and Malta, 139, 145, 156, 157, 162
manufacturing rate of, 23, 24–5, 29
mock dogfight involving, 51–2
and Nettuno, 301, 304–5
and North Africa, 193–5, 197–8, 201, 203–4, 205, 212, 216, 273
Peart’s North Africa encounter with, 193–5, 273
Russian Yaks defeated by, 319
shots through nose cone of, 156
Spitfire IX’s better rate of climb than, 220, 223
in Strawn letter, 216
Messerschmitt Me110, 44, 64, 80 (see also Luftwaffe)
