by John Nichol
‘the destroyer’, 65
and tracer fire, 238
Messerschmitt Me262 aircraft, 347, 348, 364, 365
Messerschmitt Me323 transporter aircraft, attack on, 227–8
Messerschmitt, Willy, 17–18, 21, 101
Meteor aircraft, 379–80
Meteorological Flight, 16
Middle Wallop, 63–4, 74–5
Miles Magister aircraft, 37, 104, 125, 256
Miles Master aircraft, 45–7, 115
Miller, Glenn, 187
Mitchell, R. J., 15, 17–18, 20, 73, 143, 349
death of, 22
Mitsubishi Zero aircraft, 308
Mohr, Wilhelm, 173–4
Mölders, Werner, 52
Mollison, Jim, 237, 238
Monte Cassino, 295
Moreton Valence, 379
Morocco, 186, 187 (see also North Africa)
Mosquito aircraft, 331
Mount Farm, 118
Munich Agreement, 96
Mussolini, Benito, 138, 283
Mustang aircraft, 8, 331, 387, 397, 407
and German transporters, 227–8
Nakajima Ki-44 ‘Tojo’ aircraft, 309
Nakajima ‘Oscar’ aircraft, 308, 313–15
Nazi–Soviet Pact, 27
Nelson, Adm. Lord Horatio, 139
Nettuno temporary airfield, 295, 299, 300–5
and Farish’s landing, 300–1 (see also Farish Flt Lt Greggs ‘Spanner’)
Nissen huts, 387–8
Noordhuis, Hennie, 393–4, 395–7
Normandy landings, 324, 326–8
and Caen, 338
first day of (D-Day), 326–7
numbers of troops landed in, 327
preparation for, 324
North Africa, 138, 139, 184–230 (see also Afrika Korps; Algeria; Morocco; Rommel, Erwin; Tunisia)
in British imagination, 221
and 81 Squadron, 189, 189
and German reinforcements, 207
and hallucinating Spitfire pilot, 208
and horrifying Spitfire incident, 208–9
and Luftwaffe’s counter-attack, 210
and Luftwaffe’s latest planes, 185
and Luftwaffe’s reinforcement, 207
and major panzer–Allies tank battle, 211
and protection for Spitfires against dust, 190–1
and RAF’s pressure on Luftwaffe, 198
and Sicily, 272
Spitfire outclassed in, 217
and Thelepte evacuation, 213–14
and Thelepte return, 216
waterlogged airfields of, 221
North, Sgt, 280–1
Northolt, 232, 233, 341, 343
Norway, civilians bombed in, 38
Nuffield, Lord, 24–5, 55
Oesau, Maj. Walter, 101
‘Officer Humguffery’ ploy, 141 (see also Malta)
Ohio, 159, 160–1
Olympic Games, Berlin, 21
Omaha Beach, 324, 327
Operation Overlord, 284
Operation Pedestal, 159–60
Ophoven, 355
Oran, 56, 184, 188, 211
Ostend, 113
Ostermann, Max-Hellmuth, 88
Ottoman Empire, 138
P-39 Airacobra, 117, 120
P-40 Warhawk, 117
panzer divisions, 340
7th, 39
21st, 211
Allies’ major North Africa battle with, 211
assault on US lines by, 211, 214
The Paradine Case, 391
Paris, 247, 248
liberation of, 340
Park, Air Vice-Mshl Keith, 81, 85–6, 96
Pas-de-Calais, 88, 323, 327
Patton, Gen. George, 338
Pearl Harbor, 116
Peart, Sgt Alan, 163–5, 163, 170, 174–7, 179, 189–96 passim, 189, 207–9, 277–9, 287–94, 307, 308, 309–10, 311–19, 383–5
DFC awarded to, 383
greater caution exercised by, 208
and hallucinating Spitfire pilot, 208
homecoming and postwar life of, 384–7
and Japanese air attack, 313–17
and Me109s, encounter with, 193–5, 273
pilots categorised by, 200
posted to India with squadron, 309
and S-84s, 191–2
and Sicily leave, 282–3
and Spitfire’s turning ability, 194
tropical ailments suffered by, 384
Peart, Cuthbert, 385
Peart, John, 384
Peck, Betty, 336–7
Peck, Gregory, 391
Peck, Air Vice-Mshl Richard, 119–20
Phantom aircraft, 8, 407
Philip, Prince, 390
photo reconnaissance, 124, 326, 335, 341, 346, 349, 353, 360, 361
Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, 346–7
Pinckney, Philip, 165
Pisa, 367
Pohle, Haupt. Helmut, 30
Poland, Hitler’s intensions for, 24
Pollard, ‘Polly’, 103
Pontine Marshes, 300
Port Lympne, 18–19
Potsdam Conference, 381
Price, Dennis, 67
prisoners of war, 91, 180, 229, 230, 271, 339, 371, 372–3, 390, 393 (see also concentration camps)
Queen Elizabeth, 116, 259
Quill, Jeffrey, 15, 16–17, 79–80, 102, 165, 166, 167, 309, 331, 406
Air Force Cross awarded to, 16
first Spitfire flight of, 19–20
and Lindbergh, 25
Vickers joined by, 19
Rall, Haupt. Günther, 319, 320
‘Ramrods’, 96, 104, 107, 116, 169
Red Army, 319 (see also Russia)
Regia Aeronautica, 138
Reich Chancellery, 381
Resistance:
and retaliatory executions, 340
Spitfire pilots helped by, 244–53, 256
Rheine, 351
‘Rhubarbs’, 96, 104, 107, 108–9, 111–12, 116, 169, 182, 220, 319
Richardson, ‘Richy’, 303, 304
Riddle, Hugh, 40
Rivett, ‘Screw’, 301–2
Robertson, Connie, 197, 204, 206–7
Robertson, Robbie, 92–3, 107–11, 109, 113, 196–8, 202–7
crash-landing by, 205–6
Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 206
eye injury to, 205, 206
Roddis, Joe, 36–7, 61–2, 63–4, 74–5, 74, 255–7, 327, 372, 375–6, 402–4
death of, 404
Roetgerink, Hendrik, 395
Rolls-Royce engines, 2, 37, 355, 380 (see also Griffon engines; Merlin engine)
Rome Radio, 151
Rommel, Erwin, 39, 138, 139 (see also Afrika Korps; North Africa)
contracting desert forces of, 162
and thrust against Americans on western flank, 210
wounded, 328
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 141–2 (see also Malta)
Rose-Price, Arthur, 66–7
Royal Air Force (see also Spitfire aircraft; squadrons):
and after-action reports, 34
Berlin’s defences penetrated by, 86
and call for volunteers, 58
and demands of modern air warfare, 17
at Dieppe, see Dieppe
and Dunkirk, see Dunkirk
11 Group, 62, 66
Farlow joins, 1
Fighter Command, 34, 39, 53, 55, 58, 61, 103, 173, 331
and Fighter Control System, 39
and ‘finger four’ formation, 103
Fw190 captured by, 166
and Fw190, plan to steal, 165
high-altitude interception flight formed by, 232
liaison between US 8th Air Force and, 264
Lord’s Cricket Ground training centre of, 258
losing control of SE skies, 85
losses suffered by, 53, 62, 66, 76, 81, 91, 103, 112, 147–8, 151, 155, 162, 169, 182, 229
and Luftwaffe, intention to ‘wake up’, 98–1
00
and Luftwaffe North Africa counter-attack, 210
Martlesham test airfield of, 20
and mock dogfight, 51–2
and pressure on Luftwaffe, 198
Spitfire used as meteorological craft by, 405
squadrons of, see under squadrons
324 Wing, 220, 273, 285, 304, 375
and Vee formation, 62, 99, 102–3
Volunteer Reserve of, 86, 92
Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 240
ethos of, 19
and fate of Britain, 61
squadrons of, see under squadrons
Royal Navy, 30
and He111s, 31–3
Malta supply escort of, 159
Russia:
German divisions press down on, 186
German invasion of, 107
Hitler diverts forces from, 283
and looting from Hitler bunker, 381
Luftwaffe bomber force in, 231
at Potsdam Conference, 381
and Rall’s kills, 319
and Red Army’s offensive against Nazis, 319
Russian Revolution, 232
Rye, 99, 333
S.84 aircraft, 191–2
Salerno, 284, 286, 287–8, 291–4, 295
Sassoon, Sir Philip, 18
Schneider Trophy, 14–15, 17, 350
Scott, Allan, 13–14, 111–13, 122, 153–4, 153, 155–7, 158, 160, 161, 398–400
Distinguished Flying Medal for, 399
test-pilot role of, 399
Scott, Lena, 14
Scott, Peter, 182–3
Seafire aircraft, 8, 404
Selsey, 256
The Seventh Veil, 391
Sheen, Flying Officer Desmond, 32–3
Sherman tanks, 211
Sicily, 272–84, 294
and airmen’s piano sessions, 280–1
Allies’ assault on, 273–4
invasion date set for, 273
slips from Nazi control, 279
Singapore, loss of, 139, 309
Siskin aircraft, 16
Smith, Sgt Alan, 103–4
Smith, Joe, 99
Solent, 322
Sommer, Lt Erich, 234
Souk-el-Arba, 196, 198–9, 204, 207, 218
Souk-el-Khemis, 217–18, 220
Southampton, HMS, 30
Spain:
civil war in, 21, 23, 24, 29
and Messerschmitt, 21
Spezia, 370
Spink, Air Marshal Cliff, 8–9, 406–7
Spitfire Ace, 403
Spitfire aircraft (see also Royal Air Force; squadrons):
aircraft-carrier take-offs by, 136–7, 154 (see also Wasp, USS)
appearance of, 2, 7, 19, 53–4, 67, 219, 405, 407
in Arab–Israeli War, 405
and assault on Sicily’s air defences, 273
attack on Strawn’s, 224–5 (see also Strawn, Harry)
in Battle of Britain film, 398
and battle over Italy, 288–92
beer kegs carried by, 328
Bird’s final journey in, 9–11
Bird’s wartime experiences of, 6–7
blackouts induced by, 22, 41
British public impressed by, 22
and bubble-type canopy, 238
and change to Meteors, 380
Chindits joined by, 308, 310
and Churchill’s requests to Roosevelt, 141, 148 (see also Malta)
climb rate of, 220, 331, 356, 404
cone of bullets from, 50
cost of producing, 53
and defence of France, 40, 48
delivery-date problems of, 23
and desert conditions, protection against, 190–1
and Dieppe, see Dieppe
different ‘Marks’ of, in different theatres of war, 233
dogfight advantages of, 22, 44, 50, 73
dogfight training exercises with, 240
drop tank fitted to, 137, 143
elderly veterans given chance to fly in, 398
engines in, see Merlin engine
F10/35 specification for, 17
fabled status of, 7
Farlow’s final visit to see, 2–3
ferried to Russia, 319
final version of, 8
first Eastern Front appearance of, 319
first flight of, 4, 18
first war action of, 29
and friendly fire, 29–30
funeral fly-past by, 404
German Heinkel brought down by, 8
and German morale, 87–8
and German transporters, 227–8
Germans attempt to match agility of, 101
‘greatest flying machine ever built’, 357
and gunsights, 73, 98
handling of, 134
He111 aircraft’s action with, see Heinkel aircraft
and high-altitude low temperature, 233
and high-altitude pursuit of a Junker, 233–6
high-octane fuel for, 51–2
horrifying incident concerning, 208–9
Hurricane compared with, 258
improvements to and evolution of, 7–8, 50–1, 404
increased speed of, 20, 22, 404
and intelligence gathering, 124
and Jablo propeller blades, 215
Japanese air battle with, 313–17
K5054 prototype for, 15, 18, 21
in Korean War, 405
landing speed of, 297
lost over Russia, 321
Luftwaffe learns from, 52
and Luftwaffe, over Malta, 151 (see also Malta)
in Malaya, 405
Malta calls for, 140
Malta landings by, 144, 150
manufacturing rate of, 24–5, 29
Mark I, 7, 22, 37, 51, 99, 102, 240, 331, 349, 362, 404
Mark II, 50–1, 59, 134
Mark V, 102, 107, 117, 136, 137, 165, 173, 176, 181, 190, 207, 215, 217, 218, 231, 260, 297–301, 319
Mark VII, 233, 309, 341
Mark VIII, 308–9, 310, 311
Mark IX, 7, 166–7, 173, 176, 181, 218, 219–20, 223, 232–3, 238, 288, 295, 302, 308–9, 328, 357, 369
Mark XI, 335, 345–6, 347, 348, 349–50
Mark XII, 331–2
Mark XIV, 330–1, 355–6
Mark XIX, 362, 377
Mark 47, 8
and Me109 ‘F’, 72, 139, 145
Merlin engine in, see Merlin engine
as meteorological craft, 405
ministry’s early order for, 21
mock dogfight involving, 51–2
naming of, 17
new propeller provides more speed for, 215
and North Africa, see North Africa
and nose-dive prevention during taxiing, 210
number of countries operating, 404–5
numbers built during 1936–46, 404
and Ohio defence, 160–1
and oxygen, 262
and Peart’s Me109 encounter, 193–5
precision engineering needed for, 55
and pressurised cockpit, 233, 309, 341
and production difficulties, 55, 61
propellers on, 2, 19, 20, 50–1, 215
Quill’s first flight in, 19–20
Quill’s record-breaking flight in, 24
at RAF Duxford, 5
and rearward sight, 309
and recruiting posters, 92, 96, 114
refurbished, ferried to Russia, 319
remains premier fighter, 120
restoration and showing of, 398
Robertson’s crash-landing in, 205–6
Roddis funeral fly-past by, 404
Rommel attacked by, 328
scrambling, 58
seen as bad for morale, 73
seen as world-class fighter, 51
sold off, broken up for scrap, 398
sound of, 2, 5, 9
Soviet 821st Fighter Regiment, 321
Soviets put best pilots into, 321
split peas used in developm
ent of, 21
Stalin’s request for, 319
Strawn’s magazine interview concerning, 229
309 Squadron’s batches of, 215, 223
‘top cover’ provided by, 46, 175, 215, 223
turning ability of, 194
upside-down flying by, 52, 111, 238
US fighters compared with, 118
US squadrons of, 117
and V1 flying bombs, 332, 336
various theatres of war involving, 404
veterans’ flights in, 398–402
in war’s aftermath, 398
wartime losses of, see under Royal Air Force
and Wasp, 142–3, 147, 148
Weymouth patrols by, 64–5
wingspan of, 142
withdrawn from frontline action in USSR, 321
and women, 121–35
Spitfire Fund, 53, 405
‘Spitfire Girls’, reunions by, 401
squadrons (see also Royal Air Force; Spitfire aircraft):
16 Squadron, 346, 349, 351
22 Squadron, 118
31st Fighter (US), 117
41 Squadron, 240
65 Squadron, 79, 125
66 Squadron, 260, 324, 338, 374
71 Squadron, 405
72 Squadron, 30–1, 33, 34, 196, 198, 207, 218, 274, 279
81 Squadron, 189, 189, 190, 207–8, 277, 278, 288, 309, 310, 386
91 Squadron, 333
93 Squadron, 30I, 303
124 Squadron, 111–12, 399
185 Squadron, 367–71
222 Squadron, 48, 81, 90, 380
232 Squadron, 179
234 Squadron, 36, 61, 63
242 Squadron, 208
309 Squadron, 116, 117, 168–9, 177, 178, 185, 211, 215, 223
331 Squadron, 173
332 Squadron, 173
485 Squadron, 255, 256, 327
504 Squadron, 86
541 Squadron, 360, 361, 377, 381
601 Squadron, 18, 19, 24, 40, 390
602 Squadron, 328
609 Squadron, 63, 65, 75
610 Squadron, 96, 105, 163, 164, 174, 175, 176 (see also Dieppe)
613 Squadron, 49
616 Squadron, 26, 42, 60, 102, 106
630 Squadron, 240
Eagle, 116
new grouping strategy for, 102
Stalin, Joseph, 169, 186, 319
Stalingrad, 226, 320
Stealth aircraft, 4
Steinhilper, Ulrich, 45, 73
Stormtroopers, 18, 23–4
Strawn, Harry, 115, 116–17, 120, 168, 169, 171, 177–8, 184, 186–8, 211–16, 223–6, 229
airborne attack on and injuries to, 224–6
German surgeon operates on, 225–6
new Spitfires praised by, 220
Strawn, Marjorie, see Asquith, Marjorie
Stuka aircraft, 42, 47, 63, 64–5, 76, 146, 149–50, 319
Ohio targeted by, 160–1
and precision attacks, 71
Sudetenland, 23, 92
Supermarine, 17, 19, 29, 55–6, 79, 88, 99, 101, 309
subcontracting by, 23
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), 346, 349
Tangmere, 77, 97, 102, 104, 181, 200, 322, 344
