Sniper of the Skies: The Story of George Frederick 'Screwball' Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM
Page 8
(signed) Fee S/L.’
Confirmation of this is given by Pilot Officer Van Endenburg, who reported:
‘we followed Red 1 who opened fire on [enemy] leader, but he rolled over and dived down. The second one rolled over and at that moment Red 1 (Squadron Leader Fee) gave him a long burst closing in. Red 1 pulled away because of the remaining Me 109s. I saw his second target diving down but in a queer dive. Two or three times he tried to pull up his aircraft. It seemed quite definite to me that he was in trouble, hit by Red 1, but I couldn’t watch him any longer.’
(signed) L.C.M. Endenburg P/O.’
During the same engagement, Sergeant Van Arkel damaged a Bf 109 and shared, with Flight Lieutenant Vykoukal, in the destruction of another, north-east of Le Havre. The combat was timed at 1530 hours:
‘Flying No. 2 to Flight Lieutenant Vykoukal, I fired at some 109Es which passed in front of us at 400 yards. I saw my bullets hit, but I did not see him go down or smoking. After that I fired at the rear one of two diving Fw 190s which Flight Lieutenant Vykoukal destroyed; he fired as soon as I stopped firing. I saw my bullets hitting the Fw 190.’
(signed) Sgt. J. van Arkel.’
Flight Lieutenant Vykoukal’s combat report read:
‘Just before we left [the] French Coast for home, I got separated with my No. 2 from the Squadron. Trying to rejoin my Squadron I saw two Fw 190s just about to attack us. I turned towards them and fired a short burst from about 500 yards on the leading aircraft, seeing no results; then I pulled away and went for England. Shortly after, three Fw 190s came down to attack, but I turned again towards them and fired one burst on the leading one, which was about 400 yards in front of one going down. While these two attacks were delivered, I lost sight completely of any Spitfires and came home followed by my No. 2 and two French pilots.
(signed) K. Vykoukal F/Lt.’
The destruction of this shared Fw 190 was confirmed by Sergeant J. van Arkel who reported:
‘I saw the Fw 190 on which he fired go down and hit the ground, and burst into flames.’
Wing Commander P.R. Walker commanded the Squadron on a fighter sweep between 1445 and 1620 hours. Pilot Officer J.J. Allen’s aircraft was badly damaged during the operation, but managed to make it back to base. Meanwhile, Sergeants Beurling and K.V.J. Schou patrolled at 1940 hours and again an hour later.
At 1355 hours on 5 May, Flight Lieutenant K. Vykoukal led the Squadron on a fighter sweep over the Bolougne area. Beurling (flying AR331) later recalled that Sergeant T.E. Jenkins1 (flying BL640 ‘D’) was killed as a result of a tangle with Fw 190s over St Omer.
Beurling (flying AR331) made two patrols on 9 May. The first, led by Flight Lieutenant K. Vykoukal, was a Squadron-strength fighter sweep as escort to Boston bombers. On the second mission, Squadron Leader Fee led an uneventful bomber escort at 1650 hours.
The following days saw occasional patrols and air-sea rescue sorties, but the Squadron was largely confined to formation and flying practice, with Beurling accruing a total of twelve hours – all solo practice flying.
Convoy escorts were made on the 20th and 21st, including a patrol made over St Catherine’s Point by Red Section’s Pilot Officer A.J. Watton and Sergeant Beurling (flying BL617).
It was on 21 May that the Squadron lost Flight Lieutenant K. Vykoukal to ground-fire. Together with Squadron Leader Fee, Vykoukal (flying BL998) had taken off on a dawn shipping reconnaissance between Dieppe and Le Harve at 0545 hours. The pair had gone down to strafe enemy vessels, one of which was protected by a flak ship.2
Meanwhile, two Spitfires from Red Section made a dawn patrol. A little later, at 0645 hours, Yellow Section’s Pilot Officer C.R. Jarred (flying AR331) and Sergeant Beurling (flying BL617), patrolled Selsey to Beachy Head, before landing back at base. This would be Beurling’s twentieth and last operational sortie with the Squadron.
During the afternoon, one of the pilots was informed of an impending overseas posting. The airman was recently married and soon to be a father for the first time. Beurling went to see Squadron Leader Fee and asked if he could take the posting instead. His request was granted.
On 22 May, Beurling reported to the Embarkation Depot. Here, thirty-six pilots had been gathered ready to travel overseas, although none of them knew where their destination would be. On 23 May, the pilots were all issued with tropical kit and, three days later, they boarded a merchant vessel and set sail south, escorted by a destroyer and a corvette. Beurling quickly discovered that a part of the cargo included thirty-six crated Spitfires. A week later, on 2 June, the small convoy reached Gibraltar.
Nominal list of pilots who flew with No. 41 Squadron 17 April 1942–21 May 1942
Wing Commander Petrus Hendrik ‘Dutch’ Hugo, DFC and Bar, RAF
DSO (29.5.42), 2nd Bar to DFC (12.2.43), DFC (USA), 1944, Croix de Guerre (France)
Wing Commander P.R. Walker
Squadron Leader John Clarke ‘Knobby’ Fee, RAF
DFC (11.9.42), Bar to DFC (9.2.43)
Flight Lieutenant Karel Jan ‘Sudl’ Vykoukal
KIA 21.5.42
Pilot Officer John James ‘Johnny’ Allen, RAAF
(KIFA during low-level aerobatics at Breighton, Yorks., 20.6.42
Pilot Officer Arthur Allan ‘Pinky’ Glen, RAF
DFC (26.5.42), Bar to DFC (1943)
Pilot Officer Reginald Merrick ‘Reggie’ Hoare, RAF
(Shot down by flak and captured, 1.4.43, whilst attached to No. 91 Squadron)
Pilot Officer Colin Robert Jarred, RAF
KIFA 20.6.42
Pilot Officer Harold Crosbie Knight, RAF
KIA whilst serving with No. 137 Squadron, 21.5.44
Pilot Officer Thomas Rex Poynton, RAF
KIA, 23.4.43
Pilot Officer Thomas Adams Hume Slack, RAF
Pilot Officer Leendert Carel Marie van (Jnr.) ‘Kees’ Endenburg
Flight Sergeant Ronald Edward Green, RAF
DFC (1943)
Flight Sergeant Robert George ‘Bob’ Middlemiss, RAF
DFC (19.5.44), CD (1962)
Flight Sergeant Albert John Watton, RAF
DFC (30.3.45), Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air (1958)
Sergeant William Henry Appleton, RAF
Sergeant Cornelius ‘Dick’ Geesink, RAF
PoW November 1942
Sergeant Bernard Bryn Goodall
KIFA 15.9.42
Sergeant Thomas Edgar Jenkin, RAF
KIA 5.5.42
Sergeant John Anthony Hurst Pinney, RAF
Czech Military Cross (1946), KIA whilst serving with No. 313 (Czech) Squadron, 1.2.45
Sergeant Jan Van Arkel
Knight, Order of Orange Nassau (Netherlands, 1954)
Sergeant Kenneth Victor James Schou, RAF
Sergeant William Renton ‘Jock’ Wilson, RAF
KIA whilst serving with No. 1435 Squadron, Malta, 16.10.42
Sergeant William Andrew Wright, RAF
1. Sergeant (1380129) Thomas Edgar Jenkins, RAFVR, was the son of William J and Dorothy M. Jenkins, of Wendron, Cheshire. Jenkins was 20-years-old and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 86.
2 Flight Lieutenant (81902) Karel Jan Vykoukal, RAFVR, was a native of Czechoslovakia. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 66. He was 25-years-old.
Chapter Five
The Besieged Island
Malta had already held out against a concerted attack, which had raged throughout the previous year. The Axis Powers had bombed the island’s infrastructure, particularly targeting the harbour, airfields and storage facilities. Meanwhile, Malta-bound convoys had been ruthlessly hunted down and destroyed, placing the island under siege conditions. The Mediterranean Fleet had long since been forced to transfer its HQ to Alexandria, although the submarine flotilla remained as a vital lifeline.
It was against this backdrop that the Royal and Merchant Navies, Army and RAF, fought to keep the island in Maltese hands and under the British flag.
Through it all, the people of Malta endured the greatest hardships and the island would become the most bombed place in the war.
The bombing campaign had once again intensified in April 1942, while at the same time, Rommel’s Afrika Korps had made major advances in the North Africa campaign during the spring of 1942 and was on the verge of a final push on Cairo and Alexandria. However, they were over-stretched logistically and were in desperate need of re-supplying. Malta held the key. Its bombers were providing an effective force against troop and supply vessels, while its submarine flotilla continued to take a heavy toll on enemy shipping. If the Axis powers could capture the island, then they would finally control the Mediterranean, leading to the inevitable fall of North Africa.
With the pressure mounting on the Spitfire Squadrons during a return of the blitz, an attempt was made to bolster the RAF’s fighter defences. To this end Spitfires were flown in off Gibraltar-based carriers, but within minutes of the first Spitfires touching down however, enemy bombers arrived overhead.
Following this disaster, a further reinforcement of sixty-one Spitfires and pilots from the decks of HMS Wasp and HMS Eagle was planned for 9 May. This time, the ground preparations were coordinated by Wing Commander E.J. Gracie, DFC, who had led an earlier wave. Each member of the ground staff, which included Army personnel, had thoroughly rehearsed their role.
Malta’s Spitfires flew patrols to escort the new pilots in, before mounting standing patrols over the airfields. Meanwhile, each arriving Spitfire was met on touch-down and directed by a runner to a dispersal pen, where oil, 100 octane fuel, glycol and ammunition were stored, ready for an immediate turn-round. Every pen had a battery of petrol tins, allowing refuelling to be carried out by hand, in order to overcome the shortage of bowsers. As soon as the service was completed, one of the Malta Squadron pilots would take the new aircraft into action – in some cases, the newly arrived pilots remained at the controls, ready to go straight into combat if called upon.
Gracie’s plan worked and the ground-staff did a magnificent job in turning around the fighters. It was recorded that one Squadron had six Spitfires of their replacement aircraft back in the air within nine minutes of their landing on the island; when the enemy bombers arrived overhead they were met by the very fighters they had been sent to bomb.
More Spitfires landed on the island on 18 May. This was the turning point in the struggle for air superiority and, for much of the rest of the month, the enemy restricted itself to small bombing raids escorted by fighters, while fighter sweeps became the norm.
On 3 June, Operation Style saw thirty-two Spitfires take off from HMS Eagle, heading for Malta. One flight was led by No. 249 Squadron’s Pilot Officer J.A. Plagis, while two other Malta veterans had also been flown out as flight leaders. The enemy had followed the Spitfire’s progress and they were intercepted by a dozen Bf 109s from II./JG 53. Despite cover provided by Nos. 249 and 601 Squadrons, four Spitfires were shot down. Two crashed near Gozo and another two off Pantelleria. One of the pilots was seen in the water by No. 249 Squadron’s Flying Officer W.R. Daddo-Langlois, who circled for an hour, but no rescue launch came.1
One of the reinforcement pilots later explained that the Bf 109s were sighted flying above, before positioning themselves ready to dive in for the attack. He recalled Flight Sergeant Tom Beaumont giving a warning:
‘I had one or two on my tail and they followed me right down to the sea. I remember zig-zagging madly across the water.’
By the time the pilot could shake off the enemy, he was alone. He steered on a rough heading and eventually located the island.
Of the pilots who landed on Malta on 3 June, Pilot Officer F.E. Jones, Warrant Officer C.B. Ramsay and Flight Sergeant R.G. Middlemiss, RCAF (formerly of No. 41 Squadron), joined No. 249 Squadron. Meanwhile, No. 249 Squadron’s Pilot Officer J.A. Plagis and Flight Lieutenant Ronnie West were posted away to No. 185 Squadron, as flight commanders.
While the operation had been a success, further aircraft and pilots were still needed on the besieged island and it was against this backdrop that Beurling was sent to fly Spitfires, in defence of Malta.
Beurling’s new posting began on 7 June. That morning the thirty-two pilots destined to take off from the carrier HMS Eagle, as a part of Operation Salient, were warned to get their kit together, ready to board her. They did not know it, but they would sail on the following morning:
‘That day everybody had a last fling ashore, a last square meal a last fill of fresh fruit.’
Beurling sent a cable home, his first for some time: ‘Have arrived safely in Gibraltar. Writing soon. Love.’
Once aboard ship, Beurling joined the other sergeant pilots housed in a communal space, immediately below the flight deck. Above them, lined up in tightly packed rows on the small carrier, were their Spitfires. By now, Beurling and his fellow pilots had been informed of their posting – they were bound for the besieged island. Beurling fully understood Malta’s strategic importance:
‘just so long as the fighter pilots could hang on and keep knocking the Me 109s and the Macchis, and the Ju 88s into the sea, we still had a toehold in the Mediterranean.’
Beurling was assigned a Spitfire Mk Vc, (BR380). He spent much of the day checking her over, in preparation for the dangerous deck take-off and the 745 mile flight ahead:
‘That night we were briefed by a wing commander; we would take off in flights of eight and head due east.’
Flying in tight formation, the Spitfires would continue on the same course until they picked up the jut of the Tunisian coast. From there, they headed south by south-east, before swinging east again and crossing the Malta coastline.
Secrecy was imperative and radio silence had to be maintained at all times. The Spitfires would take off in flights, led by an experienced Malta pilot who would act as the flight commander and navigator. The pilots within his flight had to maintain a visual contact.
The enemy, meanwhile, were on the lookout for any build-up of activity which might herald a further air reinforcement. Striking at the Spitfires while they were en route could break up their formation. Once the new pilots lost touch with their flight commanders, then their chances of making Malta would be dramatically reduced. Meanwhile, due to the need to stash personal kit in the aircraft’s wings, only the Spitfire’s two cannons were loaded and not their machine guns. This reduction in fire-power, and the tight margin on fuel, meant that if they were engaged, they would need to take avoiding action and run – a protracted dogfight would most likely result in the loss of pilot and aircraft either to the enemy, or the Mediterranean.
During his briefing, the wing commander warned them:
‘Keep your eyes peeled for Jerries as you come home. The last time we came down this way the blighters lay in wait and shot down three or four Spitfires; every pilot killed just because he didn’t keep his eyes peeled!’
The one thing that the wing commander could say without fear of contradiction was:
‘and I can promise you plenty of fighting and a damned tough time.’
For Beurling, and most of the other pilots, this would be their first deck take-off; understandably, all listened intently to the wing commander’s instructions:
‘Open the throttle smoothly and quickly, and hold her on the brake until she starts to buck and the tail tries to come up. Then give her the works and let go. That’s all. Good night.’
Then came a briefing from a Fleet Air Arm pilot who reminded them that their Spitfires were not fitted with tail-hook arresting gear (used in conjunction with arresting wires laid across the carrier’s deck). If they experienced difficulties after take-off, then it was a case of ditching or bailing out as close as possible to one of the escort vessels, in the hope of being picked up.
By 0530 hours the following morning, the pilots had reported to their station, ready to take off into the unknown. They had already attended a final briefing and been given the latest meteorological report; there was little cloud, while visibility
would increase as they neared their new home-base. The pilots due to take off in the first few waves were already in their cockpits, going through their final checks.
HMS Eagle was lying about fifty miles off the coast of Algeria, with her nose facing into the wind. The plan was that as soon as the last Spitfire was airborne, she would turn about for Gibraltar with all speed; carriers were a prime target and HMS Eagle’s Captain knew he had to get back to relatively safe waters as soon as possible.
Taking off at two-minute intervals, the first flight of eight Spitfires began lifting-off at 0605 hours. Once airborne, the pilots carried out wide left-hand circuits over the carrier, allowing the flight to form up at 2,000ft before setting a course for Malta, behind their flight commander. Beurling watched nervously as each Spitfire made its short take-off, literally dropping off the edge of the carrier and disappearing from vision, before the welcome sight of its nose climbing above the deck horizon:
‘I went away with the third flight at 0630 hours.’
Thankfully the carrier convoy had maintained the element of surprise. Still, it must have been a nervous four-hour flight, at the end of which the Spitfires approached the besieged island:
‘Malta came into view at 0950 hours from 20,000ft.’
However, by the time the first of Beurling’s flight came in to land on the dry dirt airstrip at Takali at 1030 hours, enemy radar had alerted them to the Spitfires’ arrival and they were on the scene in numbers. After the long flight, the pilots were understandably tired and this made them vulnerable. The air cover, however, successfully kept the enemy fighters at bay.