Hurricane Squadron Ace: The Story of Battle of Britain Ace, Air Commodore Peter Brothers, CBE, DSO, DFC and Bar
Page 29
‘I noticed two Fw 190s diving on my section from behind and above. I turned into the attacking aircraft and gave the nearest enemy aircraft a two second burst, which immediately dived. The second enemy aircraft had started a climbing turn to starboard, and I allowed deflection cannon strikes on his mainplanes, and he rolled onto his back with white smoke streaming out behind. I then noticed this enemy aircraft go into a steep dive.’
(signed) Sgt G. Gifford.
The squadron was continually attacked on their return leg, during which they lost Sergeant Smith (flying BM180), who Brothers had recommended for a commission. He was last seen by his No. 2 in a dogfight over the Channel, midway between Mardyck and Dover, at about 20,000ft. Another casualty was Sergeant Halliday (flying AA851), who was on his third operation. His Spitfire had been hit and caught fire and he bailed out near Deal – too low. Sergeant (400942) William James Smith, RAAF, son of Samuel William and Freda Constance Adelaide Smith, of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia. Smith, who was 24-years-old, is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 113. The wreckage of Smith’s Spitfire was discovered by a team led by Andy Saunders, on farmland near Cassel in November 2011 (while investigating what was thought to be another crash site). William James Smith was finally interned at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission section of Cassel Cemetery the following April. Sergeant (407426) Richard Arthur Halliday, RAAF, son of Richard Blair and Maggie Muriel Halliday, husband of Una Joyce Halliday, of Springton, South Australia. Halliday, who was 27-years-old, was buried in Aylesham Cemetery, Block O, Row, Grave 2.
At 1415 hours the squadron took off to act as a Diversionary Wing for Circus 171, a bombing raid on an oil depot at Bruges.
On 12 May, Brothers played host to AOC Air Vice-Marshal T.L. Leigh-Mallory. Following their meeting, Leigh-Mallory gave the pilots a talk on tactics before the pair travelled to Kenley to attend a party at the officer’s mess.
Two days later, Kenley Wing’s No. 602 Squadron, commanded by Squadron Leader ‘Paddy’ Finucane, DSO, DFC and Bar, was posted back to Redhill.
On 15 May, Brothers and Flight Lieutenant Watson travelled to No. 11 Group HQ where they were informed of the prospect of the squadron receiving an overseas posting. The Japanese were overrunning Burma and the Philippines, threatening Australia and New Zealand. Following talks between the Australian Parliamentary Minister, Dr H.V. Evatt, and Winston Churchill, it was agreed to deploy the Australian Nos. 452 and 457 Squadrons, along with No. 54 Squadron, to defend northern Australia.
Meanwhile, No. 457 Squadron flew three convoy escorts during the morning of 17 May, while Brothers led an air-sea rescue patrol, in the wake of the Kenley Wing’s Ramrod 33, which had included the Spitfires of Nos. 485, 402 (RCAF) and 602 Squadrons.
No. 602 Squadron’s ORB reveals that Flight Lieutenant Major was shot down and bailed out off Cap Griz Nez. Pilot Officer Dennehey dropped his dingy but Major was unable to reach it. Brothers explained, ‘We saw the high-speed launches picking up Major but he was already dead.’
Flight Lieutenant (33352) Peter Anthony Major, RAF, was the adopted son of John Lewis Major and Constance Theodora Major, of Eynsford, Kent. He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Block 21, Row B, Grave 15. He was 24-years-old.
On 18 May the squadron took off at 1055 hours as a part of a Kenley Wing Rodeo, led by Wing Commander Wells. Meanwhile, there was welcome news for the Wing; No. 485 Squadron’s Pilot Officer L.P. Griffiths was awarded the DFC, while Flight Sergeant Robson (NZ 403990) was awarded the DFM.
On the following day, Nos. 457 and 602 Squadrons flew on a Kenley Wing Rodeo, which passed off without incident.
Meanwhile, a signal was received announcing the award of the DFC, on Brothers’ recommendations, to Flight Lieutenant H.L. North and Acting Flight Lieutenant P.H. Watson. The news coincided with a visit from Mr WJ. Barr of the Australian Newspaper Service who interviewed Watson and some of the pilots and ground staff.
Both awards were officially announced in the London Gazette of 5 June 1942. Flight Lieutenant H.L. North’s citation read:
‘This officer has commanded a flight since the squadron was formed. He has performed much valuable work both during the training of the squadron and on its operational activities. Displaying great courage and initiative, Flight Lieutenant North, who previously served with another unit and fought in the Battle of Britain, has destroyed at least five enemy aircraft.’
Pilot Officer P.H.W. Watson’s award announcement read:
‘This officer is a most capable leader who displays great coolness and courage in action. He has participated in over forty sorties and his inspiring example has proved a great source of encouragement to other members of his flight.’
The 21 May was another red-letter day, as Air Vice-Marshal McNamara, DFC, MC, accompanied by Dr H.V. Evatt, visited Redhill. Brothers recalled that: ‘Doctor Evatt came to visit my Aussie squadron at Kenley and he kicked me out of the briefing room because I wasn’t Australian, and told the chaps they were going home and they said they weren’t going home without their “Squaddie”.’
While Brothers appreciated their loyalty, he wasn’t keen on the simultaneous posting: ‘I thought Christ, I don’t want to go there. I’ll be stuck there for the rest of the war – there’s no future in it promotion-wise or anything else. I’d have been forgotten totally by the RAF. I’ve got to get out of this.
‘I went to see the Air Vice-Marshal Hugh “Dingbat” Saunders, the SASO of No. 11 Group, who said there was nothing he could do. He said, “Dr Evatt has just seen Winston Churchill and your name cropped up, and Churchill said he could think of no better person than an experienced Battle of Britain Ace to lead the battle for Australia.”’
Brothers knew that he couldn’t hope to gain an interview with Churchill, but perhaps he could persuade Dr Evatt that he should remain in England. Their meeting in his Hyde Park hotel didn’t go to plan and Brothers left feeling he had got nowhere, ‘I said, “I gather you are expecting me to go to Australia and I am not going.”
‘He said, “Rest assured dear boy, you will be awarded every possible decoration in Australia.”
‘I said, “My Aussie chaps can handle it on their own. They don’t need me.” It was like water off a duck’s back and I didn’t think I’d got anywhere.’
With their posting pending the squadron continued on ops. On 24 May the squadron flew with the Kenley Wing on Rodeo 48. The formation joined forces with the Biggin Hill and Tangmere Wings before heading for France. Wing Commander Wells damaged a Bf 109 off Griz Nez, (Wells would be awarded the DSO, London Gazette, 28 July 1942, for his work as Wing Leader) while No. 485 Squadron’s Flight Lieutenants Crawford-Compton and J.R.C. Kilain, both claimed an Fw 190 and Pilot Officer J.J. Palmer probably destroyed another.
During the following day Brothers was summoned to RAAF Overseas Headquarters where he learnt details of the coming move, briefing his men on 26 May.
Brothers pal, Group Captain Atcherley (flying BM235) was shot down during the day and was picked up out of the Channel, ‘Wishing to hear his story first hand, I rushed to the hospital.’
Brothers found his friend wandering around the wards, his arm in a sling, chatting. The Group Commander explained, ‘Well, Pete, knowing that a Spitfire was more than a match for a 109 I decided to patrol St Omer [one of the Luftwaffe’s fighter bases in France] at 20,000ft and knock them down as they came up.’
Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to take no notice of him. Atcherley continued, ‘Getting short of fuel, I set off home. Halfway across the Channel I suddenly saw some 109s behind me. There was a loud bang, the throttle lever, and a finger, left my hand, the cockpit filled with smoke and the aircraft went out of control.’
Having successfully bailed out, Group Captain Atcherley struggled to get into his dinghy, ‘Getting rid of my parachute, I tried to inflate my dinghy. The trouble with being a station commander is that you make everyone else do dinghy drill, but don’t do it yourself. Eventually I opened it and dragged m
yself in.’
Meanwhile, the squadron flew two uneventful Rodeos on 29 May, their last sorties in the European Theatre. Having been withdrawn from operations, Brothers recalled that on 30 May: ‘We packed up the aircraft, crated them, and I sent the chaps on leave, except for the ground crew, and I was sorting out admin. Forty-eight hours before the boat was due to sail from Liverpool I went home. All my kit had gone on the boat and I was due to report on the Monday morning.’
The Squadron ORB noted on 31 May: ‘The squadron, from being one of the best fighting units in No. 11 Group, has been immobilized by a stroke of the pen and ordered overseas for other duties.’
By this time its pilots had been credited with five confirmed kills and another four ‘probables’, with seven more damaged.
Transferring to Kirton-in-Lindsey on 1 June, the squadron remained there for less than a month, surrendering their aircraft at Church Fenton on 16 June, two days before sailing for Australia on the Motor Vessel Stirling Castle. Also on-board were No. 452 Squadron RAAF and No. 54 Squadron, together they would form No. 1 Fighter Wing, or Churchill Wing.
But despite his fears, Brothers did not sail with them: ‘On the Sunday evening the phone rang. It was a chap from 11 Group saying Dr Evatt had just flown off to see Roosevelt; and as he’s out of the country I was to report to the HQ of 11 Group on the Monday. I did that and they told me I was taking over 602 Squadron.’
And so, in the south-west Pacific theatre of operations, No. 457 Squadron was to be led by Squadron Leader Ken E. James.
Quite how Pete avoided the move is not totally clear. There may be a hint in Brothers’ service record which shows that he was officially transferred away from the squadron on 4 June, receiving a posting to No. 11 Group, Uxbridge, before a week-long stint in the role of Acting Wing Commander (Flying) RAF Hornchurch, which began on 13 June. Wing Commander R.P.R. Powell, DFC, had been wounded in the neck and head by shell splinters on 2 June while leading the Wing on Circus 182. The Hornchurch Wing then consisted of No. 64 Squadron (Squadron Leader Wilfred G.G. Duncan-Smith, DFC and Bar), No. 81 Squadron (Squadron Leader Ronald ‘Rass’ Berry, DFC), No. 122 Squadron (Squadron Leader Leon Prevot) and No. 154 Squadron (Squadron Leader Donald C. Carlson). The Wing flew a number of operations, including Circus 192, under what would have been Brothers’ period in post.
In his autobiography, however, Group Captain Duncan-Smith, DFC, noted, ‘For the next three weeks I led the Wing until Paddy Finucane was posted from Biggin Hill to take over as Wing Leader.’
It makes more sense for Duncan-Smith to have been ‘made-up’ into the role of Acting Wing Commander (Flying), while the time span mentioned in his biography is correct, against Brothers’ posting which sat uncomfortably in the middle of the period between Wing Commander Powell’s injury and ‘Paddy’ Finucane’s appointment. Posting errors, even at such a high level, however, were not unheard of. One such example was the simultaneous posting of both Wing Commanders, E.H. Thomas, DFC, and R.H. Thomas, DSO, DFC, to the Hornchurch role, post-Dieppe. In Brothers’ instance the ‘posting’ certainly would have got the Air Ministry off the hook as regards flying in the face of the agreement between Churchill and Dr Evatt as to who would command 457 Squadron in the south-west Pacific theatre.
Nominal Roll of No. 457 Squadron Pilots 16 June 1941–31 May 1942:
Squadron Leader Peter Malam Brothers, DFC, RAF
Squadron Commander
Flight Lieutenant Allan Laird ‘Jake’ Edy, DFC, RAAF
‘B’ Flight Commander, KIA 5.12.41
Flight Lieutenant John Albert Axel Gibson, DFC, RAF
‘B’ Flight Commander
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth E. ‘Skeeter’ James
‘B’ Flight Commander
Flight Lieutenant Harold Leslie ‘Knockers’ North, DFC, RAF
‘A’ Flight Commander KIA 1.5.42
Flight Lieutenant Raymond Harold Charles Sly
‘B’ Flight Commander DoW Malta USS Wasp 9.5.42
Flying Officer Francis Bruce Beale, RAAF
KIA 28.5.43 Darwin area
Pilot Officer F.B. Beak, RAAF
Pilot Officer Douglas R. ‘Doug’ Edwards, RAAF
Pilot Officer John G. Gould, RAAF
Pilot Officer Brian Joseph Halse, RAAF
KIA 26.3.42
Pilot Officer F.D. Hamilton, RAAF
Pilot Officer Ian S. Mackenzie, RAAF
Pilot Officer Donald H. MacLean, RAAF
Pilot Officer H. Meadows
Pilot Officer John S. ‘Snapper’ Newton, RAAF
Pilot Officer A.P. Peacock, RAAF
Pilot Officer George G. Russell, RAAF
PoW 4.4.42
Pilot Officer Hartley V. Shearn
Temp ‘B’ Flight Commander, DFC 6.10.53 for Korea with No. 77 Sqn
Pilot Officer Warwick James Turner, RAAF,
D. flying accident 1.4.45 with No. 2 (F) OTU Australia
Pilot Officer Philip H. Watson, DFC, RAAF
Sergeant Robert E. Anderson, RAAF
Wd with No. 41 Sqn 18.12.44
Sergeant Dormer G. Andrews, RAAF
PoW with No. 127 Sqn 3.11.42
Sergeant Edwin R. Bassett, RAAF
D. flying accident
Sergeant Ronald H. Bevan, RAAF
Sergeant Allen Martin Blackburn, RAAF
D. flying accident 29.9.42
Sergeant Alfred Henry ‘Harry’ Blake, RAAF
KIA 28.5.43
Sergeant David l’Anson. Bloomfield, RAAF
KIA 28.3.42
Sergeant Robert K. Boyd, RAAF
Volunteered for service in the Far East
Sergeant Raymond Thomas Brewin, RAAF
KIA 29.11.41
Sergeant Arthur Bolwell Burgess, RAAF
KIA 4.4.42
Sergeant Thomas F. ‘Tommy’ Clark, RAAF
Wd. 28.6.43
Sergeant Creeswell, RAAF
Sergeant C. Cumaley, RAAF
Sergeant James George Edwards, RAAF
KIA 28.3.42
Sergeant Robert C. Ford, RAAF
Sergeant Bernard Macolm Geissmann, RAAF
KIA with No. 452 Sqn 6.11.41
Sergeant Gordon Lindsay Charles ‘Joe’ Gifford, RAAF
KIA 2.5.43
Sergeant Clifford Gumbley, RAAF
Sergeant Richard Arthur George Halliday, RAAF
KIA 9.5.42
Sergeant William S. Hardwick, RAAF
Sergeant Leslie J. Hart, RAAF
Sergeant Norman V. Hobbs, RAAF
PoW with No. 266 Wing, Java, March 1942
Sergeant John R. Jenkins, RAAF
Sergeant Robert J. Kenyon, RAAF
Sergeant Bruce Little, RAAF
Sergeant Russell McDonell, RAAF
KIA 8.3.42
Sergeant Frederick R. J. ‘Darky’ McDowell, RAAF
Sergeant Alexander C. McPherson, RAAF
Sergeant Ian S. Morse, RAAF
Sergeant Ormrod
Sergeant Marshall Edmund Parbery, RAAF
KIA 27.4.42
Sergeant Andrew Francis Peacock, RAAF
KIA 1.5.42
Sergeant Alexander J. Platen, RAAF
Sergeant Stuart W. Reilly, RAAF
Sergeant Norman Frederick Robinson, RAAF
KIA 6.7.43
Sergeant William J. Smith, RAAF
KIA 9.5.42
Sergeant Reginald Stevens, RAAF
DFC 17.7.43, Bar 12.9.43, CO of No. 3 Sqn RAAF
Sergeant (400740) Niel O. Thomas, RAAF
PoW as Plt Off with No. 127 Sqn 20.5.44
Sergeant Guy W. ‘Glop’ Underwood, RAF
PoW with No. 135 Sqn 26.2.42
Sergeant Rex W. Watson, RAAF
Sergeant Kevin J. Wyllie
PoW with No. 266 Wing Java, March 1942
Nominal Roll of pilots passing through No. 457 Squadron for pre-operational training:
Pilot Officer William Friend, RAAF
Pilot Officer Alfred Glendinning, RAAF
later Flt Lt, DFC 23 April 1943
Pilot Officer Kirkman
Pilot Officer William McG ‘Bill’ Lockwood, RCAF
PoW with No. 242 Sqn March 1942
Pilot Officer Peter William Lowe, RAF
KIA with No. 605 Sqn 15.2.42
Pilot Officer James I. McKay, RCAF
Pilot Officer Lockwood G. Munro, RAAF