Australians in the Battle of Britain. 13 August 1940

Goering decided to launch Adlerangriff on 13 August but the early morning was foggy and thick cloud covered the English Channel. The meteorologists, however, predicted it would clear by the afternoon. Goering decided to postpone operations until 2.00 p.m. Unfortunately the order to defer take-off did not reach all of his forces.

At Exeter, Dick Glyde and 87 Squadron’s B Flight were on dawn readiness. Fighter Command picked up a number of plots and dispatched squadrons to intercept. One formation was heading towards Littlehampton so, between 6.30 a.m. and 6.40 a.m., 601 Squadron from Tangmere and 213 Squadron from Exeter were sent to reinforce the defences of the broad area between Littlehampton and Portland. B Flight were ordered to assist 601 and 213. They were vectored to the Selsey Bill–Portsmouth area.

The main battle bypassed Blue Section. Squadron Leader Dewar, who was Blue Leader, Dick and Pilot Officer Jay had been in the air for about fifty minutes when they sighted a lone Junkers Ju 88 flying east about twenty miles south of Bognor–Selsey Bill. Dewar ordered Dick and Jay into line astern for the attack. The Junkers climbed into the cloud, but Dewar, Dick and Jay followed it. They saw it plunge, and they dived with it. The enemy aircraft came out of the cloud and Dewar was so close he had to break away; Dick and Jay also broke away, Dick to the right and Jay to the left. Dick and Jay attacked from astern and Dewar from quarter and above. The Ju 88’s starboard engine stopped and, about 30 seconds later, Dick, Dewar and Jay watched it plummet into the sea. Dewar saw one of its crew bale out but saw no one else leave the aircraft as it began to sink. As they left the area, only the tail was visible. Blue Section had successfully accounted for another enemy aircraft. Dick’s score was now 3¼ plus another 1/3 destroyed, 1/3 probably destroyed and 1 damaged.

Dick, Dewar and Jay formed up to return to base. Dick was in the rear. Jay looked behind and noticed white vapour pouring out of Dick’s aircraft: the Ju 88 had hit the glycol tank. When Jay and Dewar looked again, Dick had gone. He had plunged into the water off Selsey Bill.

Richard Lindsay Glyde, known as Dick to his family from an early age and Dickie to his squadron friends, was the fifth Australian to die in the Battle of Britain.