Sniper of the Skies: The Story of George Frederick 'Screwball' Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM

by Nick Thomas

  Sergeant J.A. Mitchell

  Sergeant J.L. Mitchell

  KIA 13.2.42 with No. 411 Squadron

  Sergeant Oliver

  Sergeant C. Olmsted

  Sergeant O’Neil

  Sergeant D.L. Rawson

  Sergeant A.J. Schmitz

  * During a sweep on 27 April, Flight Command H.P. Duval’s Spitfire was hit by flak and collided with that of Squadron Leader C.N.S. Campbell. Duval was killed when his aircraft dived into the sea, but Campbell managed to parachute to safety. Following Campbell’s capture, the reins were taken by Squadron Leader Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere, DFC and Bar (later Air Commodore A.C. ‘Al’ Deere, DSO (15 July 1943), DFC (12 June 1940) and Bar (6 September 1940), DFC (US), Croix de Guerre (France), OBE (1 June 1945), ADC to the Queen (1962)).

  ** Possibly Derrick Albert Sandison Colvin DFC 11 May 1945 with No. 249 Squadron

  *** Pilot Officer Alexander Hamilton ‘Hammy’ or ‘Mac’ McDonald was the nephew of Roy Brown, credited with shooting down the ‘Red Baron’ in the Great War. He later became the Leader of the Liberal Party in Canada and was a Senator in the Canadian Parliament.

  **** Flight Lieutenant C. M. Magwood was awarded the DFC, London Gazette 18 May 1943:

  ‘Flight Lieutenant, Charles McLaughlin MAGWOOD (J5975) RCAF, No. 403 Squadron.

  ‘In April 1943, this officer was engaged in escorting a bomber force during an operational sortie. Much fighter opposition was encountered and, in the ensuing combat, Flight Lieutenant Magwood shot down two enemy aircraft. The previous day he engaged a Focke Wulf 190 from close range and his accurate fire caused the enemy aircraft to disintegrate in the air. Flight Lieutenant Magwood, who has completed fifty-one sorties, has invariably displayed great courage and devotion to duty.’

  1. Flight Sergeant (R/6119) Arthur Joseph Monserez, RCAF, was the son of Alphonse and Clotilda Monserez, of Waskatenau, Alberta, Canada. Monserez was buried at North Weald (St Andrews) Churchyard, Row 3, Grave 10.

  2. Pilot Officer (J/6959) John Nicholson Cawsey, RCAF, is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 100.

  3. Pilot Officer (J/7013) Douglas Spencer Aitken, RCAF, was the son of David and Elsie Marie Aitken; husband of Anne Leila Aitken, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.

  4. The intensity of the battle that lay ahead was exemplified by the events of 2 June 1942 when the Squadron lost six pilots (five of whom bailed-out to become POWs) on a Sweep to St Omer.

  5. Squadron Leader (C/825) John David Morrison, RCAF, was buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery, Plot 4, Row E, Grave 21.

  6. Flight Lieutenant (69442) Cyril Patrick Joseph Wood, DFC, RAFVR, was the son of Mr and Mrs G.W. Wood, of Cluddley, Shropshire. Wood is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 66.

  Chapter Four

  First ‘Kill’

  On 17 April 1942, Beurling was posted to No. 41 Squadron, flying Spitfire Mk Vbs out of Merston, where he was assigned to ‘A’ Flight. Here he was allowed to settle in for a couple of days, making a sector reconnaissance and got to know the general station layout, before his first operational sorties which came two days later.

  At 1835 hours on 19 April, No. 41 Squadron’s CO, Squadron Leader C.J. ‘Nobby’ Fee, led them off as a part of the Tangmere Wing on an uneventful fighter sweep over the French Coast. Meanwhile, Blue Section’s Pilot Officer C. R. Jarred and Sergeant Beurling (flying AB378) were scrambled at 1920 hours, to patrol base.

  Beurling later recalled how the Squadron’s Canadian CO, Squadron Leader C.J. Fee, had reverted from the rank of wing commander in order to command a front-line unit overseas. Although Beurling had transferred away from an RCAF Squadron, he nevertheless found himself among a small number of fellow Canadians:

  ‘I got along first rate with the other “Canucks” in the outfit; “Val” Valiquette from my own home town and “Bob” Middlemiss, who had hailed from another Montreal suburb.’

  At first, it seemed as though Beurling might settle in well with his new unit.

  As the newcomer to the Squadron, however, Beurling once again found himself being put in the ‘Tail-end-Charlie’ role, the most dangerous position within the Squadron’s formation. This was despite the fact that he had twenty-seven operational sorties under his belt flying with No. 403 Squadron.

  During the afternoon of 24 April, Beurling (flying AB331) took part in an uneventful bomber escort, missing the fighter sweep flown later the same day. Beurling later made a series of base patrols on 25th and 26th April (flying AR394).

  Squadron Leader Fee led the Squadron, including Beurling (flying AR331), on a fighter sweep at 1340 hours on 26 April, flying a close escort to bombers targeting Le Havre. But Beurling was then rested until the 28th, when he flew two sorties, consisting of a Squadron strength fighter sweep at 1405 hours (flying W3383) and, following a debriefing and a meal, a further patrol at 1940 hours (flying BL998).

  Only routine patrols were made on 29 April and the following morning, while Beurling also missed out on a bomber escort to Le Havre.

  Meanwhile, taking off at 1210 hours, Pink Section’s Pilot Officer H.A. Knight and Sergeant Beurling (flying W3383) flew on a routine patrol. Beurling (flying AB378) was later detailed on a fighter sweep at 1450 hours, escorting bombers to Ambleteuse. Landing back at base at 1615 hours, Beurling found his name was on the roster for a third operation. He sat around at dispersal and was airborne again at 1940 hours, for what turned out to be a routine patrol over Shoreham.

  Beurling flew on the Squadron’s second operation on 1 May; a fighter sweep as a part of Rodeo 9 to Hardelot, flown between 1305 and 1435 hours. While flying in the ‘Tail End Charlie’ position over Calais at 24,000ft, Beurling (flying W3383) reported seeing five Focke-Wulfs of II./JG 26 making a diving attack. Their intention was clearly to jump the section and cut Beurling off from the rest of the formation:

  ‘The first burst put cannon shells through both my wings. I did a quick flick and headed up into the sun.’

  The Bf 109s lifted their noses to follow, but were flying too fast and, as Beurling pulled up sharply, they flew past, unable to react quickly enough and momentarily unsighted by the sun. Beurling, ‘took a bead on the one in the middle. By then he must have been about 300 yards away.’ He fired a short but fatal burst.

  Beurling’s own aircraft had suffered a number of hits in the initial attack, which put half of his guns out of action. He made for base, having seen off the remaining Bf 109 which raced in the opposite direction:

  ‘By the look of it the starboard wing was going to fall off any minute; boy did those White Cliffs of Dover ever look good!’

  Beurling was concerned as to the extent of the damage and radioed ahead, requesting for the crash-team to be alerted:

  ‘I was positive the Huns had messed up my landing gear.’

  However, George’s fears were ill-founded, although his engine was streaming coolant:

  ‘as I stopped rolling, bits and pieces started to fall off and glycol flowed out in a torrent.’

  Beurling later acknowledged that another few minutes in the air and his engine would have seized, forcing him to bail-out. Despite the damage to his own aircraft, Beurling had managed to bring it back safely and could be fairly content:

  ‘Oh well, I’d copped my first Jerry! That was something.’

  Shortly after landing, Beurling reported to the Intelligence Officer and related the events as they had unfolded. His combat report read:

  ‘E/A were reported by their vapour trails at nine o’clock. I was Whaler Blue 4, saw an Fw 190 diving on Blue 3. I pulled my nose up and fired at e/a on the starboard side and Blue 3 could see one on the port side. I was then hit by cannon and machine gun fire from five or six Fw 190s attacking from above and behind. I turned into the sun as evasive action. The Fw 190s passed overhead heading into the sun also, gradually opening out as they did so. I adjusted my sights on the middle one. Although he appeared to jump momentarily and shudder, still nothing happened. My last bit of fire seemed
to get his petrol tank as his wing started breaking up; also the fuselage breaking between the cockpit and the tail unit. I waited for signs of the pilot bailing out but there was none. (signed) G.F. Beurling Sgt.’

  A viewing of Beurling’s gun camera footage revealed at least two hits on the enemy aircraft and he was officially credited with a confirmed destroyed. Post war research has suggested that his victim might have been Feldwebel Adolf Glunz of. IV./JG 26, who was an experienced fighter pilot with fourteen ‘kills’. However, Glunz made it back to base in his damaged Focke-Wulf 190.

  Beurling recalled the events immediately on landing: ‘Squadron Leader Fee was on the field when I came in and he shook my hand and said: “Nice going, Beurling!”’

  The Squadron made two other claims during the same operation; Flight-Sergeant R.E. Green (AB378) of Yellow Section was credited with one ‘probable’, while a second combat form, now lost, was completed by a third pilot.

  Despite praise from his CO, in the sergeant’s mess, some of the other pilots were vocal in their criticism of Beurling for breaking formation and leaving their tail vulnerable:

  ‘a couple of the guys actually had the nerve to suggest that I’d got into trouble because I’d broken formation.’ Even years later, Beurling was adamant that, ‘Six of us broke formation together – five Jerries and I.’

  No doubt the disquiet that Beurling referred to was further fueled, once the mess became aware, that his exploits had been reported in an official RAF communiqué, which was picked up by the press. The following comes from the family scrapbook:

  ‘LONDON, May 1, 1942 – (AP) – Hundreds of British planes swung across the Channel at late twilight today in what coast observers called one of the war’s greatest single thrusts against the Nazi-held Continental coast. Resumption of the massive British attacks followed a weather-enforced overnight break in the nine-day-old, round-the-clock offensive and came on the heels of neutral dispatches from Germany, which some London quarters interpreted as hints that the Nazis are more than willing to call off their aerial duel with Britain now, but which brought only an expression of scorn from an authoritative source here.

  ‘The grey cliffs of Northern France were clearly visible to watchers on this side as the late day raiders, flying at altitudes between 20,000 and 30,000 feet, filled the sky between Calais and Dungeness.

  ‘The RAF fighter formations began their offensive early in the evening and at one time observers at a Southeast English coast town said the RAF was, “all over the Channel in an almost solid bank from 20,000 feet down to about 5,000.” Anti-aircraft shell bursts could be seen over the Calais and Boulogne areas.

  ‘One of the dogfights resulted in a victory for a Montreal Spitfire pilot, Sergeant George Beurling, who blasted a Nazi Focke-Wulf 190 out of the sky with one short burst.

  ‘Beurling’s RAF Squadron, to which he was attached recently, engaged sixteen of the German machines on this sweep. Another Canadian, who was unnamed, was credited with damaging a second Fw190 over Le Havre.’

  Wing Commander Walker and Squadron Leader Fee led a Squadron-strength escort to bombers raiding the Marquise shell factory, taking off at 1835 hours. Beurling, however, was rested, as was the case the following day. He was back in the air again on 3 May, when, between 1055 and 1225 hours – he flew on a Squadron-strength sweep, escorting Bostons to Calais on Rodeo 3.

  Flying as ‘A’ Flight’s Red 4, Beurling (flying W3636) was once again acting as ‘Tail-end-Charlie’. As would so often be the case, he was the first to see the enemy: ‘I spotted a Squadron of Focke-Wulfs climbing up behind us.’ Beurling radioed to his CO, but the rest of the Squadron could only see the closer aircraft which were ‘friendly’. Beurling radioed again: ‘Aircraft climbing behind us are Focke-Wulf 190s.’

  By this time, the enemy had drawn closer and Squadron Leader Fee correctly identified them as Fw 190s, ordering the Squadron to ‘turn left and get around on their tails.’ Beurling could see that the Spitfires were going to be out manoeuvred and that as Red 4, on the outside of the turn, he’d, ‘be left carrying the baby again.’ As the Squadron began to arc around to face the enemy, Beurling peeled off and put his Spitfire into a dive. He selected as his target the lead Fw 190, which he hit with a deflection shot: ‘He promptly went over into a vertical dive and went down trailing black smoke, shedding bits and pieces as he went.’

  Beurling claimed the Fw 190 of I./JG 26 as probably destroyed, two to three miles off Cap Gris Nez. The engagement was timed at about noon:

  ‘I was Red 4 in my Section when E/A were reported near us; we orbited left climbing steeply. On turning I saw an Fw 190 attacking a Spitfire below me; believing it to be our Yellow Section, I half rolled on to him. He dived steeply towards the French coast. When within what I judged to be 300 to 350 yards. I opened fire with cannon and machine gun fire. There were pieces which appeared to fly off the starboard side of the fuselage. Then followed an explosion near the cockpit, a large orange flash; the E/A then dived vertically towards the coast. I orbited at 17,000ft and watched E/A continue to descend vertically. I then rejoined some friendly aircraft.

  (signed) G.F. Beurling Sgt.’

  Although the Fw 190 was initially only allowed as probably destroyed, Beurling maintained that two or three weeks later it was upgraded. Apparently it was seen to hit the sea by a pilot while out on patrol escorting a rescue launch. This is supported by Beurling’s Distinguished Flying Medal citation which includes the Fw 190 in his official tally.

  Meanwhile, Sergeant R.E. Green claimed an Fw 190 damaged off Calais (at 1150 hours):

  ‘as Blue 3, [I] was flying with the Squadron off the French coast when three Fw 190s came from over Calais, round behind the Squadron. They were reported and the Squadron turned left. Most of the Fw 190s turned away into France after following us round half-a-circle, but one in particular, tried to get on the tail of my No. 2 (Sergeant Appleton). I told Blue Section to turn left and myself pulled round, and had the enemy aircraft in my sights. I gave it a two-second burst at 150–200 yards and it rolled onto its back and went down. I could not see any results but saw it waver a bit before going down out of sight.

  (signed) R.E. Green F/Sgt.’

  Another Fw 190 was damaged over Calais at noon by Sergeant W.R. Wilson:

  ‘I was flying as Red 2 in a Fighter Sweep over Calais and as we turned left on leaving the coast, with a view to making another run over Calais, I saw eight Fw 190s at our height of 27,000ft, approaching from our port bow (head-on), turning to get on to our tails. We turned round and succeeded in getting inside them. My No. 1, Squadron Leader Fee, attacked one, and I fired from the left side of Squadron Leader Fee while we were in a turn to the left. During these attacks a piece came off the enemy aircraft which I claimed as damaged.

  (signed) W.R. Wilson Sgt.’

  Sergeant Van Arkel probably destroyed an Fw 190 off Cap Blanc Nex, his combat report also timed at 1200 hours:

  ‘I saw an Fw 190 dive down from above and I followed it down, and attacked with cannons and machine gun. I got out of my dive at 3,000ft but the Fw 190 did not come out and the last I saw of him was that he was still diving.

  (signed) J. Arkel Sgt.’

  On landing, Beurling was admonished for attacking a target without permission. Sergeant Middlemiss’ recollection of the events were that:

  ‘He spotted some 109 at 2 o’clock high [and] reported to the Wing Commander, but [there was] nothing that we could see. The Wing Commander asked did he still have them in sight; “Yes Sir at 2 o’clock high, closing.”

  ‘[The wing commander said:] “There’s nothing there. Get off the radio!”’

  ‘And that was when, unbeknown to us, he peeled off!’ ‘We did our trip, came back and no Beurling, so we thought oh oh, just another one [gone], and suddenly over the aerodrome comes the Spitfire. And when he landed he said he’d shot down a 190 from some special angle – I think we all thought – “he’s a smart pilot trying to make a name for himself.”’
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br />   It was this feeling that prevailed throughout the mess, prompting Beurling to explain his actions to Squadron Leader Fee. While admitting that he had put his No. 3 in a difficult position, Beurling explained that he had been left in the exposed position before and, as a result, had nearly been shot down.

  While his CO might have been satisfied with Beurling’s explanation, the rest of the Squadron’s pilots were not so forgiving and he was ‘sent to Coventry’. Beurling would later claim that this extended to his name being omitted from the duty roster when it came to patrols and sweeps: ‘I was left at home on the ground. Day after day I grew more and more angry.’

  The Squadron was in action again later that day (3rd) when at 1605 hours they flew as escort to Hurri-bombers, before breaking off by flights to beat-up the target, described in the Squadron ORB simply as ‘an aerodrome.’ All of the pilots fired their guns, with Red Section’s Sergeant Wilson (flying BL514) destroying an enemy aircraft during the ground strafe.

  Airborne again at 0945 hours on 4 May, the Squadron was led by Wing Commander P.R. Walker escorting Bostons on a raid of Le Havre. Despite Beurling’s claim to have been left out of operations after the previous day’s events, he was found flying AR392. During the escort, Squadron Leader C.J. Fee damaged a Bf 109 over Le Havre:

  ‘Flying as leader of Red Section, 41 Squadron, I was ordered to attack a number of 109s over Le Havre flying at about 13,000ft. I dived down and fired a short burst at one which rolled over and went down – at about 450 yards. I then got line astern of a second one, opened fire at 450 yards closing to approximately 300 when he commenced to roll. I lowered my sights and fired just below his nose as he went over on his back and was certain I had hit him.