Hurricane Squadron Ace: The Story of Battle of Britain Ace, Air Commodore Peter Brothers, CBE, DSO, DFC and Bar

by Nick Thomas

  In a later flight strength patrol, No. 610 Squadron was flying five miles south of Hythe when they sighted seven Do 215s and their escort of Bf 109s. The enemy were engaged but without results. Peeling away after the combat, Pilot Officer C.O.J. Pegge encountered three Bf 109s, sending one down in a vertical dive emitting black smoke.

  During the afternoon, No. 32 Squadron’s Yellow and Red Sections flew alternate patrols over a convoy sailing west off Dungeness. While on their second patrol, Yellow Section was bounced by six Bf 109s.

  Pilot Officer Grice (Yellow 1) claimed one Bf 109 as probably destroyed:

  ‘At approximately 1550 hours I saw three enemy a/c approaching, so we turned towards them and made a head-on attack. I turned round to make a further attack when three more E/A arrived and made a pass at me; I therefore concentrated on these three and left P/O Smythe [Yellow 2] to deal with the others.

  I managed to split them up and attack an individual one from astern. I followed it down [from 3,000ft] to sea level firing occasional short bursts [all deflection shots], one of which must have hit it in the glycol tank as the E/A was streaming white smoke.’

  (signed) D. Hamilton Grice.

  Pilot Officer Smythe’s Hurricane (N2400) was shot up during the initial attack and made an emergency landing at Hawkinge.

  No. 32 Squadron made four scrambles and fighter patrols in the Hawkinge area on 9 July. During one of these operations Flight Lieutenant R.F.H. Clerke shared in the destruction of an He 111. Educated at Eton, he had flown with No. 32 Squadron since June 1938.

  Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant ‘Big Bill’ Smith led a flight of No. 610 Squadron’s Spitfires on a patrol between Dungeness and Cap Griz Nez, during which all of the pilots fired their guns in an inclusive battle, claiming one Do 215 damaged. Flight Lieutenant Smith had assumed command of No. 610 Squadron following the death of Squadron Leader Franks while on a patrol over Dunkirk.

  The battle of the convoys continued and at around 1000 hours on 10 July, Convoy Bread was sighted by a Do 17 reconnaissance aircraft as it sailed out of the Thames estuary and rounded North Foreland. This was one of eight convoys sailing down the east coast or through the Channel, Fighter Command being forced to fly standing patrols between Wick and Exeter.

  Six Spitfires of No. 74 Squadron were scrambled, engaging a formation of twenty-plus Bf 109s of I./JG 51, flying as escort to the reconnaissance aircraft, but still managing to kill two of the crew. One Bf 109 was damaged, but the Spitfires flown by Pilot Officer Freeborn and Sergeant Mould made force-landings when hit by return fire.

  A little after, a staffel of Bf 109s was plotted in the area of Dover, with nine of No. 610 Squadron’s Spitfires closing in fast. Flight Lieutenant A.T. Smith’s aircraft suffered damage to his port wing and crash-landed at Hawkinge, but the enemy were forced to retire.

  Following a long period at Readiness, No. 32 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight was scrambled and took up station over the convoy off Dungeness by 1315 hours, anticipating a raid picked up by radar. Not long into their patrol, twenty-six Do 17s of I./KG 2, escorted by around three Staffeln of Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 and two Staffeln of I./JG 3’s Bf 109s were sighted. Radioing for reinforcements, No. 32 Squadron’s Flying Officer Humpherson led the Hurricanes into the attack, where they were joined by fighters from Nos. 56, 74 and 111 Squadrons, bringing their number up to thirty-eight. The Spitfires immediately tackled the Bf 109s, No. 74 Squadron finding they had 1,000ft advantage.

  During the confusion of the air battle, which involved over a hundred aircraft, No. 111 Squadron’s Flying Officer Higgs was killed when his Hurricane lost a wing in a collision with a Do 17 during a head-on attack (then a tactic almost solely used by No. 111 Squadron, but later adopted by other squadrons on Park’s insistence). He was forced to bail out but his parachute failed to open properly. Flying Officer (36165) Thomas Peter Kingsland Higgs, RAF, was the son of Arthur Hilton and Alice Higgs. Higgs was buried at Noordwijk General Cemetery, Plot 1, Joint Grave 8. Thomas Higgs was 23-years-old and held a BA (Oxon) Merton College.

  No. 32 Squadron’s Flying Officer Humpherson led Green Section in an attack on a Do 17, which was hit and the rear turret silenced, Sergeant Pearce following the bomber to mid-Channel, by which time the Dornier had descended to 3,000ft. Having expended their ammunition the fighters returned to Biggin Hill.

  Flying Officer J.B.W. Humpherson claimed a Do 215 (actually a Do 17) destroyed, two miles east of Dungeness:

  ‘I saw a formation of about fifty Do 215s approaching the convoy from SE. Blue Section had now become separated from my section as we had just passed through a heavy rain cloud.

  ‘I put Green Section into line astern and carried out a No. 1 attack on a single E/A that had become separated from the rest of the formation. I opened fire at about 250 yards and then closed to about 50 yards, firing two bursts of about ten seconds duration. I encountered heavy fire from the rear gunners of the Dornier, but this ceased about three-quarters of the way through my attack.’

  (signed) Flg Off J. B. W. Humpherson.

  Sergeant Pearce (Green 3) followed up the initial attack:

  ‘Followed in No. 1 on attack on single bomber of section, so closed in again and expended ammunition in short bursts over period of two minutes [firing a three-second burst at 250 and 200 yards and three, three-second bursts at 150 yards; two guns experienced stoppages]. Rear fire encountered after first two bursts. E/A last seen over mid-channel at 3,000ft, gliding at 105–110 mph.

  ‘One bullet removed from the tip of my airscrew blade (wood – Rotol).’

  (signed) Sgt L Pearce.

  Meanwhile, No. 79 Squadron was also scrambled to defend the convoy, but was bounced by Bf 109s, with the loss of Pilot Officer J.E.R. Wood and Flying Officer E.W. Mitchell flying P3461.

  No. 64 Squadron’s Spitfires now pursued the Bf 110s back to France, destroying one near Calais. With their escort dispersed the bombers became easier to pick off, with three destroyed and more damaged.

  As a result of the engagement No. 56 Squadron’s Sergeant Whitehead claimed a Bf 110. One of their Hurricanes crash-landed at Manston, while another, from No. 32 Squadron, crash-landed at Lympne, a second at Hawkinge.

  The convoy escort continued with another flight strength patrol made between 1445 and 1610 hours, but no further enemy aircraft were encountered. Meanwhile, Pilot Officer W.H.C. Warner, of No. 610 Squadron, claimed a Bf 109 destroyed ‘doubtful’, during a flight strength patrol.

  During the day’s attacks some 150 bombs were dropped, but the fighters did their job and made the enemy rush their aim. Consequently, only one 700 ton vessel (the steamer Bill S) was lost.

  Operating out of Hawkinge, Brothers flew on the second of two scrambles made during the afternoon and early evening of 13 July, investigating an approaching raid which turned back. Ordered to pancake, he waited out the rest of the day until released.

  Throughout the battle many of the pilots went to the local pubs as soon as they were allowed off the station. They would try to wind-down with a drink and a game of darts, or a sing-song. The NCOs tended to frequent the Old Jail in Biggin Hill, while the officers drove further afield to the White Hart, run by Teddy and Cathy Preston: ‘Often we weren’t stood down until 2200 hours, which only gave us fifteen minutes to get to the pub for a quick pint. The Station CO [Group Captain Grice] rigged-up a tannoy on his car and as he approached the pub, one of his passengers would order six pints and a large gin. They served Page & Overton bitter straight from the barrel.’

  While Pete recalled the tannoy as being attached to Grice’s car, other accounts mention the tannoy as being on the ‘station bus’. It was Group Captain Grice who established the White Hart as the station’s pub, the second mess for his pilots during the height of the Battle of Britain. He was the first to chalk his name on the blackboard, the signing of which was thereafter reserved for special occasions. Among those who later added their names were: Pete Brothers, Tony Bartley, Mike Crossley, ‘Al’ Deere, ‘Grubby’ Grice
, Colin Gray, ‘Shag’ Eckford, ‘Sailor’ Malan, ‘Dickie’ Milne, ‘Jonnie’ Johnson, ‘Jamie’ Rankin and Jack ‘Bunny’ Rose.

  Meanwhile, during the day, No. 610 Squadron lost Sergeant (741433) Patrick Ian Watson-Parker, RAFVR, who failed to return from a routine patrol. Watson-Parker was buried in Cudham (SS Peter and Paul) Churchyard, Orpington, Section NN, Grave 24.

  The Air Ministry had decided that it was important that the RAF should fly offensive patrols over the French coast; they were to prove costly in terms of both pilots and aircraft, as Brothers explained:

  ‘After Dunkirk we were flying these utterly stupid patrols in wing strength to demonstrate air superiority. We would be detailed to fly down the French coast, cross in at Calais and then fly down to Amiens, before turning around and coming back.’

  Given sufficient warning of the RAF’s flight path, the Luftwaffe at Merville and Abbeville would take off in readiness for their return leg, knowing that they would have the advantages of height, sun and fuel:

  ‘We were losing people unnecessarily, the Germans would just wait and watch you fly past and wait for you to come back. By then you were coming north and you had got the sun behind you, which was just how they wanted it. They would then simply climb up and jump us. This happened time and time again, and we were getting hammered for no reason at all.’

  Brothers recalled that in mid-July he and his fellow No. 32 Squadron pilots were sitting on the grass at Hawkinge awaiting the order to scramble when ‘Stuffy’ Dowding joined them, ‘By then I was getting rather tired and I duly told him what I thought of those bloody silly patrols. We did one the next day and then they were stopped.’

  At their dispersal point at Manston since dawn on 14 July, Brothers (flying 2921) led two section scrambles in the Dover area in quick succession. Despite following updated vectors based on data supplied by the Observer Corps spotters, they were unable to locate the enemy – another opportunity for combat gone begging. Tired and frustrated, Brothers gave the order to make for base. Between 1450 and 1615 hours Nos. 32 and 610 Squadrons were scrambled to defend a convoy under attack from Ju 87s between Eastborne and Dover. During the melee Pilot Officer P. Litchfield engaged a formation of three Bf 109s, destroying one and damaging a second.

  The action was witnessed by the BBC’s Charles Gardner, who gave a running commentary, following the Hurricanes and Spitfires in their dogged defence of the convoy against a concerted Stuka attack.

  The broadcast received a mixed response, accused of being reminiscent of an account of the Grand National or a Cup Final by a former pilot, the Reverend R.H. Hawkins (The Times, 17 July), while Mr C. Fisher’s views were perhaps more in tune with the nation, ‘To me it was inspiring, for I almost felt that I was sharing in it, and I rejoiced unfeignedly that so many of the enemy were shot down, and that the rest were put to ignominious flight.’ (The Times, 19 July.)

  During the day the Prime Minister spoke in the House of Commons weighing up recent developments in the early stages of the battle:

  ‘This has been a great week for the Royal Air Force, and for Fighter Command. They have shot down more than five to one of the German aircraft which have tried to molest our convoys in the Channel, or have ventured to cross the British coast line. These are, of course, only the preliminary encounters to the great air battles which lie ahead, we hope to improve upon them as the fighting becomes more widespread and comes more inland.’

  Despite Churchill’s optimism, Fighter Command was already under pressure, committed to the draining tactic of mounting standing patrols over the Channel Convoys.

  Meanwhile, No.141 Squadron’s HQ staff arrived at Biggin Hill, their Boulton Paul Defiants operating out of the satellite at West Malling. The squadron had their first contact with the enemy over the Channel on 19 July, when they lost six aircraft with four pilots and five air-gunners dead. Withdrawn to Prestwick, Scotland, they converted onto night-fighter duties.

  Brothers flew on a forty minute scramble on 15 July, taking off from Manston in the half-light, later joining an uneventful squadron strength fighter patrol of the Dover area, made between 0505 and 0640 hours – nothing was seen.

  But the battle was soon to intensify as, on 16 July 1940, Adolf Hitler issued his Directive for the Conduct of the War No. 16, for the invasion of England. The initial phases, which included the destruction of Fighter Command as an effective force, were to be completed by the middle of August. The invasion was codenamed Unternehmen Seelöwe (Operation Sealion).

  The document was intended only to be seen by his Commanders-in-Chief, but was forwarded by Reichsmarschall Goering to his Air Fleet Commanders, via the Enigma coding machines. The message was intercepted and later decoded at Bletchley Park:

  ‘As England, in spite of her hopeless military position, has so far shown herself unwilling to come to any compromise, I have decided to begin preparations for, and if necessary, to carry out the invasion of England.

  ‘This operation is dictated by the necessity to eliminate Great Britain as a base from which the war against Germany can be fought. If necessary the island will be occupied.

  ‘The English Air Force must be eliminated to such an extent that it will be incapable of putting up any substantial opposition to the invasion troops.’

  Meanwhile, Germany prepared twenty divisions across the Channel in readiness for the invasion of Britain. But all was dependent on the destruction of Fighter Command.

  At 1625 hours on 17 July Brothers led ‘B’ Flight on a scramble from Manston, following a vector onto Enemy Raid 54. On seeing the Hurricane’s approach the enemy aircraft dived for cloud cover, the fighters in hot pursuit. With no further trade, the controller issued the recall.

  At Readiness since dawn, Brothers (flying N2921 ‘L’) led an uneventful flight strength patrol of the Hawkinge area between 0735 and 0805 hours on 18 July; once again the raid turned away.

  It was during the morning that Biggin Hill lost its first pilot due to enemy action since the beginning of the battle. Scrambled to take on another plot which turned back, No. 610 Squadron’s Spitfires fell into the trap and were bounced by Bf 109s waiting high above in the sun. Green Leader, Pilot Officer (76461) Peter Litchfield, RAF (flying P9452 ‘T’), was shot down over the Channel by Hauptmannn Tietzen of II./JG 51. There was no parachute. Litchfield is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 9. He was 25-years-old. In a few hectic weeks Litchfield damaged or destroyed at least three enemy aircraft. With little time between ops, he had scratched his sortie times down on the inside of his silver cigarette case, which serves as a poignant reminder of an aspiring fighter ace.

  From mid-July Brothers largely flew N2921 which carried the letter code GZ – L. It was on this Hurricane that he had the Blue Peter flag painted on the port side of the cockpit. This aircraft was one of three Hurricanes which were delivered from No. 15 MU on 11 June to replace the same number of fighters lost on an operation to Le Treport three days earlier.

  Brothers didn’t waste any opportunity to increase his aircraft’s performance and fighting capability, making his own modifications, ‘I took the mirror off the top and bought myself a car [rear-view] mirror that was curved, and had that mounted inside the windscreen’. The mirror, which Brothers purchased over the counter at Halfords, not only gave him a better overall view, but by putting it inside the cockpit, he reduced the aircraft’s drag. Brothers had another trick up his sleeve, as he explained, ‘… and then when we were sitting on the ground, my rigger and I used to sit on the wing with some sandpaper. The Spitfire was all flush riveted and the Hurricane was pock riveted, so we’d file some of the pock off the top.’ They had to be careful not to weaken the rivet, just to flatten it a bit. Brothers said, ‘I reckon we got an extra seven miles an hour out of the aircraft. No one else bothered, but I thought it was worth doing and it gave me something to do on the ground.’

  On 19 July, Brothers (flying N2921) was ordered off and made a fifty minute patrol before landing at Manston to await furthe
r instructions. With the destruction of No. 141 Squadron over the Channel at the hands of a staffel of around ten Bf 109s of II./JG 2 (the Richthofen Geschwader), No. 32 Squadron was brought from Release to a state of Readiness.

  During the afternoon a large enemy formation was plotted heading for Dover. At 1530 hours No. 32 Squadron was scrambled to intercept Ju 87s dive-bombing the harbour. As they made their approach the pilots kept an eye out for the fighter escort, which they knew would be lurking somewhere above, ready to pounce. While making an adjustment to avoid flak, however, they were attacked by twelve Bf 109s.

  A total of thirty-five Spitfires and Hurricanes had met the raid, with Brothers destroying a Bf 109, his combat report having since been lost. Brothers later spoke of a raid on Dover and the events surrounding his debriefing between sorties, ‘After we returned from an operation, the intelligence officer would want all the details. We weren’t all that interested, it was over, finished. We could be scrambled in the middle of telling him something.’

  It was under these operational conditions during a raid on Dover that Brothers landed at the squadron’s forward base, ‘I’d shot down a Stuka and then gone into the airfield at Hawkinge to refuel and rearm. I didn’t even get out of the aircraft. They were rearming the aircraft and there was a chap standing on the wing in front of me, pumping fuel into the tank.

  ‘The battle was still going on up above and, as we watched, a Spitfire shot down a 109, and the pilot bailed out.’