Australians in the Battle of Britain. 29 July 1940.

At Middle Wallop, Stuart Walch sat down to write to his family. He had been busy on convoy patrols and had already notched up a number of successes over the last two weeks, including on 26 July the destruction of a 109 25 miles south of Portland. Not that he knew anything of it, but the 109 was that of 2/JG 27’s Fw Günther Bör who was killed that day. Now, he wanted to tell his family a little of those last few busy days, playing down the danger and commending the men in his flight for their actions, rather than his own: ‘Some of the combats I have been in have been rather wild while they lasted. So far I seem to have been in the show with my section only (not a terrific support against the odds we have met from time to time). Still, my boys are damn good and have proved themselves very reliable supporters, as you can imagine, ‘cause once we (the three of us) met thirty and got a couple. Once my flight (six of us), which I was leading, met eighty, and again when I was on my own I got mixed up with fifteen. You have got to work hard for a few hectic minutes on those occasions.’

Meanwhile, Des Sheen finally received the good news that he could return to 72 Squadron. Over the last few weeks with the newly renamed Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, he had carried out a number of reconnaissance flights over Germany and Holland but was now very happy to return to his old squadron which after a brief stint at Gravesend but was now back at Acklington.