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

by Nick Thomas

  ‘I was flying No. 3 of Blue Section when we met twelve Me 109s at about 20,000ft [near Dover]. They were above us and attacked us. I was attacked by an Me 109 from head-on and above. I circled round on his tail and closing to 150 yards gave him two, two second bursts, he started to smoke from the engine, I followed him and gave him two more bursts, much black smoke came from the aircraft and he was diving.’

  Moments later Pniak’s Hurricane burst into flames:

  ‘The flames were so big, that I turned my plane on one side and jumped [over Folkestone]. I landed very fast because my parachute was not open and full of big holes. I landed three miles NW of Hawkinge, my ankle and knee were injured and I was taken to hospital.’

  Plt Off Pniak.

  Brothers made two more sorties, landing back at Biggin Hill at 1730 hours. Meanwhile, enemy shore-based guns had shelled Hawkinge.

  Scrambled to Ramsgate, No. 610 Squadron engaged the enemy. Sergeant Hamlyn claimed one Ju 88 and a Bf 109 as destroyed. Meanwhile, Sergeant N.S.J. Arnfield (flying R6686) bailed out following combat with JG 51 off Ramsgate at 0850 hours.

  The squadron patrolled at 1035 hours and engaged six Bf 109s, destroying three, Hamlyn claiming one along with a Ju 88. He fired two bursts at 250 yards, ‘Ju 88 astern and above attack aiming at port engine’ and, ‘Me 109 astern aiming at centre of fuselage’. Pilot Officer D.M. Gray was wounded (flying X4102 ‘K’) and shot down by a Bf 109 over Dover.

  A further interception was made between 1545 and 1645 hours, when the squadron sighted twenty Ju 88s in tight formation, with twenty Bf 109s providing an escort, 15–20 miles north of the Isle of Sheppey. The squadron claiming four Bf 109s destroyed, two by Sergeant Hamlyn, one each by Flight Lieutenant Norris and Sergeant Baker, while one Bf 109 was probably destroyed by Pilot Officer Pegge. Pilot Officer C. Merrick (flying L1037 ‘D’) was shot down, slightly wounded, following combat with a Bf 109, crash-landing at Fyfield. Meanwhile, Pilot Officer D.H. Hone (flying V 7318) was hit in the glycol tank by return fire from a Do 17, making a forced-landing near Meopham.

  During the day, Sergeant Ronald Fairfax ‘Ronnie’ Hamlyn had three times waited outside Station Commander Grice’s office, getting as far as standing before the Group Captain awaiting his pronouncement on an earlier landing incident. The young sergeant returned from his third and final scramble only to be told that instead of a fine he was being recommended for the DFM. The award was announced in the London Gazette, 13 September 1940:

  (580244) Sergeant Ronald Fairfax HAMLYN.

  ‘In August 1940, whilst on an offensive patrol, Sergeant Hamlyn attacked and destroyed one Junkers 88, and one Messerschmitt 109. A few hours later he engaged a Messerschmitt 109, chased it across the English Channel and finally shot it down over Calais, where it crashed in flames. Shortly afterwards he attacked and destroyed two further enemy aircraft, thus making a total of five in one day. Altogether this airman pilot has personally destroyed at least seven enemy aircraft. He has displayed great courage and good marksmanship.’

  Group Captain Grice flew over in the station’s Magister to assess the situation, but on his return was pursued by two Bf 109s. Diving down to treetop level, Grice twisted and turned, clipping greenery with his tailwheel, before the Messerschmitts finally gave up the chase.

  That night, raids were made against the capital, when bombs accidentally fell on a residential area. This was to prove a turning point in the Battle of Britain, with Winston Churchill ordering retaliatory raids on Berlin. Earlier the German Dictator had publicly vowed: ‘If they attack out cities, we will rub out their cities from the map.’ Hitler’s response to the Berlin raids would change the course of the battle and the war.

  But for the moment, at least, the pattern of raids continued. On 25 August, Brothers led ‘B’ Flight off from Hawkinge and was vectored to the Dover area, but the radar plot turned back. With the danger averted Brothers was ordered to pancake.

  Brothers didn’t fly on the flight strength scramble made at 1900 hours. The squadron’s Hurricanes intercepted twelve Do 215s before being engaged by their escort of thirty-six Bf 109s south of Dover and heading for home. Squadron Leader Crossley (flying N2755) shot down a Do 215 in flames and sent a Bf 109 spinning into the sea. Meanwhile Pilot Officers J. Rose (flying V6547) and K.R. Gillam (N2433) were both shot down over the Channel off Dover. Pilot Officer (42053) Keith Reginald Gillman, RAF, was killed-in-action. He was the son of Richard Gordon and Gladys Annie Gillman, of River, Kent. Gillman, who was 19-years-old, is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 8.

  Gillman had served with the squadron since the beginning of May. His photograph, looking skywards wearing a ‘B’-Type flying helmet and goggles was used on RAF recruitment posters, becoming one of the iconic images of the Battle.

  The Hurricanes were still climbing when they engaged the enemy as Pilot Officer Rose later recalled: ‘Earlier we had seen [Bf] 109s, but they were way up and away, we just thought they looked like gnats. The trouble was, we didn’t have quite enough height to attack something while we were still climbing, obviously not the best way to do it. I suppose it allowed enough time for this chap to come and knock me down.’

  The Hurricane’s pursuit of the bombers had taken them out over the Channel and when Rose emerged from the cloud base on his parachute, he was surprised to find he was over water, ‘I came down in the Channel; they’d come around that morning while we were waiting at Readiness, with little packs of flourescin.’

  While some of the other pilots (presumably including Gillman) chose to wait to have the packs sewn onto their Mae Wests, Rose decided to do his there and then, while he awaited the next scramble, ‘So there was this long trail of flourescin in the water. Fortunately, one of our chaps spotted this slick in the late afternoon and got a boat out from Dover.’

  Before being shot down, Pilot Officer J. Rose had attacked a Do 215 at 14,000ft south-east of Dover, firing a three to six second burst at 300–200 yards. His combat report read:

  ‘No. 2 of Red Section attacked Do 215 at same time as Red 1 attacked another. First burst down fuselage from astern and second burst at port engine. Engine had begun smoking when self attacked by Me 109. Rudder control shot away, escaped by parachute and picked up by speed boat.

  ‘Dornier attacked by Red 1, also seen to be smoking badly before I broke away.’

  (signed) PO J. Rose.

  ‘B’ Flight’s Pilot Officer Barton (flying V6546) claimed one He 126 destroyed mid-Channel:

  ‘We sighted the He 126 near Dungeness. He sighted us at about the same time and went down on the water and made for France. Green 1 went in while I watched for the reported escort of 109s.

  ‘Green 1 broke away – I went in and gave a three second burst [at] between 300 and 200 yards, during which I saw tracers going into the He 126. There was no answering fire. I broke away quickly, as I thought that Green 1 had broken away because he had sighted the escort.’

  (signed) Barton.

  Flying as Yellow 1, Pilot Officer Proctor (flying N2921), claimed one Bf 109 destroyed, five miles south of Dover, firing 2,400 rounds:

  ‘I attacked the escort fighters with the rest of the section and the formation split up into several dogfights. One Me 109 settled on the tail of one of our a/c so I gave my first burst [four seconds at 250 yards closing to 50 yards, expending the rest of his ammunition at 150 yards] at fifteen degrees deflection from astern. The E/A dived and climbed up to a stall turn, but I followed all the while except when recovering from a spin. After my first burst the E/A dived straight down towards the French Coast and crashed in flames four miles south-east of Cap Griz Nez.’

  (signed) PO Proctor.

  This brought Proctor’s total to seven destroyed and one shared destroyed, having claimed five enemy aircraft while flying in France with No. 501 Squadron. Proctor was awarded the DFC, London Gazette, 18 March 1941, when he was credited with eleven ‘kills’.

  Also scrambled were the Spitfires of No. 610 Squadron, which intercepted
between six and a dozen Bf 109s of Major Adolf Galland’s JG 26 near Dover. The Spitfires climbed into the attack, claiming one Bf 109 destroyed, the pilot being picked up out of the Channel. Flying Officer F. T. Gardiner was slightly wounded and forced to bail out of K9931 ‘P’.

  No. 616 Squadron lost Sergeant Westmorland – killed. While Sergeant Wareing was taken as a PoW when he was shot down near Calais by Oberleutnant Kurt Ruppert, Kapitan of III./JG 26. Sergeant (741143) Thomas Emrys Westmorland, RAFVR, is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 200.

  Meanwhile, No. 79 Squadron returned for a further brief posting to Biggin Hill between 25 August and 8 September. Flight Lieutenant Haysom was awarded the DFC for his role during his stint flying out of Biggin Hill, London Gazette, 29 April 1941:

  ‘Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey David Leybourne HAYSOM (39736), No. 79 Squadron.

  ‘This officer has been engaged on operational flying since the war began. He has displayed great keenness in his efforts to seek and engage the enemy, and has destroyed at least five of their aircraft.’

  Haysom was later awarded the DSO (London Gazette, 16 February 1943).

  No. 610 Squadron was scrambled on 26 August; intercepting eight bomb-carrying Bf 109s over Dover. They shot down one and claimed another probably destroyed, later attacking a formation of Do 215s and ‘bagging’ one. However, Flying Officer F.K. Webster (flying R6595 ‘O’) was killed while attempting a landing at Hawkinge following combat with Bf 109s over Folkestone. Flying Officer (82682) Frank Kinnersley Webster, RAFVR, was buried at Sandown – Shanklin (Sandown) Cemetery, Section E, Grave 40. Meanwhile, Sergeant P. Else (flying P9496 ‘L’) was forced to bail out seriously wounded following combat over Dover.

  With the pilots of No. 32 Squadron much in need of a rest they were temporarily moved to Acklington. The ORB records their secondment to No. 79 Squadron, thus allowing the majority of the ground staff and infrastructure to remain at their current location:

  ‘The under-mentioned officers and airmen attached to No. 79 Squadron, Acklington for flying duties:

  Squadron Leader Crossley *

  Pilot Officer Seghers *

  Flight Lieutenant Brothers

  Flying Officer Gardner *

  Flight Lieutenant Proctor *

  Sergeant Pilot Aslin

  Pilot Officer Crossman *

  Sergeant Pilot Bayley

  Pilot Officer Eckford

  Sergeant Pilot Henson

  Pilot Officer Flinders

  Sergeant Pilot Higgins

  Pilot Officer Rose *

  [Sergeant Pearce]

  ‘Flying Officer Sir R. Leighton, the Squadron Intelligence Officer, proceeded on attachment to No. 79 Squadron, Acklington.’ *

  (Those marked * ceased to be attached to No. 79 Squadron on 11 September 1940.)

  Meanwhile, No. 79 Squadron’s pilots were seconded the other way:

  ‘The undermentioned officers and airmen pilots of No. 79 Squadron attached to No. 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill:

  Squadron Leader Heyworth *

  Pilot Officer Noble

  Flight Lieutenant Clerke *

  Pilot Officer Parker

  Flight Lieutenant Haysom *

  Pilot Officer Peters *

  Pilot Officer Bryant-Fenn

  Pilot Officer Stones

  Pilot Officer Chapple *

  Pilot Officer Tracey *

  Pilot Officer Laycock *

  Pilot Officer Zatonski *

  Pilot Officer Mayhew *

  Flight Sergeant Pilot Brown

  Pilot Officer Millington

  Sergeant Pilot Bolton

  Pilot Officer Morris

  Sergeant Pilot Whitby *

  Pilot Officer Nelson-Edwards *

  Also posted but not included in the above list were:

  Flying Officer Clift *

  Flying Officer Parker *

  Sergeant Parr *

  (Those marked * ceased to be attached to No. 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill and returned to No. 79 Squadron at Acklington on 8 September 1940.)

  No. 79 Squadron was to operate out of Biggin Hill until 7 September.

  Brothers wrote in his logbook against the one hour fifty minute flight entry from Biggin Hill to Acklington, ‘Bye, Bye Biggin after four years.’

  Brothers recalled, ‘On 28 August we were pulled out of the line for a rest and to replace our losses and train them up. Our new base was in Northumberland.’

  Meanwhile, Brothers was granted seven day’s leave during which he headed north to be with Annette. No doubt during this quiet time he reflected on the squadron’s losses; ‘Of our pre-war pilots, some had been shot down and bailed out unhurt, or burnt, or wounded, or both, but none were killed.’

  As these men had fallen by the wayside, been posted to bolster other units, or completed their combat tours, new pilots had filtered through. Most had come straight from OTUs, some, like Gent, Pickering and Whitehouse, straight from No. 5 FTS, and had had to be turned away. The inexperience of these pilots trained under wartime conditions made them more vulnerable, as Brothers observed; ‘Our losses were the new boys who never had the time or opportunity, not only to learn or be taught the tricks of the trade, but also to know the performance advantages and limits of their aircraft and how to exploit them. Tragically, they paid the ultimate penalty for their inexperience.’

  Meanwhile, still operating out of Biggin Hill, No. 610 Squadron intercepted about twenty Bf 109s approaching the coast between Dover – Deal. They claimed two Bf 109s destroyed, with one Bf 109 probably destroyed. Pilot Officer (81367) Kenneth Henry Cox, RAFVR, was killed as a result of a flying accident due to enemy action. Cox was the son of Henry and Beatrice Mary Cox, of King’s Heath, Birmingham. He is remembered at the Birmingham Municipal Crematorium, Panel 1. Cox was 24-years-old.

  On the following day No. 610 Squadron was scrambled at 1530 hours and engaged a formation of sixty Do 215s, Bf 110s and Bf 109s. With good positioning and well-timed passes they claimed a mixed ‘bag’ of one Bf 110 destroyed, two Bf 110s and two Do 215s ‘probably’ destroyed, with three Do 215s damaged. Sergeant (810081) Edward Manton, AAF, was lost. He was the son of Edward Frederick and Sarah Manton, of Bebington, Cheshire. Manton, who was 25-years-old, was buried at Hawkhurst Cemetery, Plot A, Row J, Grave 62.

  During a further patrol over Hawkinge they claimed one Bf 109 destroyed and a second damaged.

  On 31 August, No. 610 Squadron transferred from Biggin Hill and flew north to Acklington, their place being temporarily taken by No. 72 Squadron, who themselves transferred away on 1 September.

  Back with his squadron, Brothers flew two patrols on 3 September, the second an unsuccessful interception of a Do 17. This was followed by a brief rest from operations.

  On the following day Adolf Hitler made a speech at the Sportsplast signalling the beginning of the night bombing offensive against London and other principal cities. This terror campaign, waged against the ordinary citizens of Great Britain, would prove to be the Reich-Führer’s undoing:

  ‘If the British Air Force drops two, three or four thousand kilos of bombs, then we will now drop 150,000, 180,000, 230,000, 300,000 or 400,000 kilos, or more, in one night. If they declare that they will attack our cities on a large scale, we will erase theirs!

  ‘The English are wondering when the attack is going to begin. The English ask “Why doesn’t he come?” Be calm. Be calm. He’s coming. He’s coming.’

  Saturday, 7 September 1940, saw the beginning of a new phase of the Battle of Britain with the Luftwaffe’s daylight raids transferring their focus to London, while the bombers returned by night to attack the East End and the Docks, the all-clear not sounding until 0530 hours on 8 September, by which time some 300 tons of bombs had been dropped on the capital, resulting in around 2,000 deaths or serious injuries – this was the beginning of the London Blitz.

  Goering announced, on air, that he had personally taken charge of the aerial campaign, turning the Luftwaffe’s attention on the city.
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  During the following morning, Winston Churchill visited the East End of London to see for himself the damage caused by the first night of the Blitz. The raids would not end until 10 May 1941, with only a single night without air attacks. In all, 50,000 civilians were killed and many more injured. Reporting the heavy bombing of London during the night of the 7/8 September, the German radio announced: ‘For weeks the British people have been deluded into believing that the German raids on London had been repulsed. In reality no such raids took place. They did not begin until yesterday.’

  Meanwhile, on 9 September, Brothers made his last flight with No. 32 Squadron, writing the following note in his logbook: ‘Last flight in the Fighting 32nd Squadron: break up starts today. Aerobatics. Goodbye chaps after 4 years. Bye P2921, old faithful.’

  Pete Brothers added an extract from the Squadron’s Diary into his logbook:

  ‘It seems incredible to me

  To say goodbye to Peter B.

  He’s been with us for years and years

  He’s shared our laughs and shared our tears

  And now he’s gone – New friends to meet

  So long, old pal, we’ll miss you, Pete’

  A provisional list of No. 32 Squadron pilots who flew during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, 1940 (prior to 9 September 1940):

  Squadron Leader Robert Alexander Chignell

  Squadron CO, April 1940

  Squadron Leader Michael Nicholson Crossley, DSO, DFC

  Squadron CO, OBE 1.1.46

  Squadron Leader John Worrall, DFC

  Squadron CO, CB 1.1.63, MiD 8.6.44

  Flight Lieutenant Peter Malam Brothers, DFC

  DSO 3.11.44, Bar DFC 15.6.43, CBE, 1964