Friday 17 August 2012

Australians in the Battle of Britain. 18 August 1940

This day brought the largest aerial confrontations of the Battle of Britain, with both sides suffering great losses. Indeed, both RAF and Luftwaffe combined lost more aircraft on the 18th that at any other time during the Battle. It didn’t take long for this to be known as The Hardest Day.

Pat Hughes had already gained his reputation as an aggressive and competent fighter pilot and, just after 15.00 p.m. he increased his personal tally against the enemy when, during an encounter over the Isle of Wight. As Pat tells it:

As Blue 1 I was on patrol when about 20 Me 109s appeared above me in the sun. I climbed towards them and my section attacked individually. I fired a burst at one Me 109 with no effect. Then I found myself attacked by two Me 109s one of which fired at me at extreme range. I turned and set this a/c on fire but was immediately attacked by the second one so could not follow it down. He attacked and climbed away and then dived. I followed until he started to pull up and shot him with two bursts of 2 secs each. This pilot immediately jumped out and landed on the Isle of Wight and his a/c crashed there a few seconds later, on fire. When I had observed this crash I saw a second cloud of smoke and fire just off the Isle of Wight which appeared to be the first 109.

Pat was credited with the two destroyed Messerschmitts.

While Pat was experiencing Battle, John Crossman discovered a new terror. He was still at Sutton Bridge and had finally resumed his diary. He had been training hard and hadn’t had much sleep lately. Perhaps it had caught up with him during a strenuous session of aerobatics.

Blacked out and then fainted at 7000 feet. When came round just had enough height to pull out a few hundred feet up. Terrifying experience. Must have been doing over 500 in dive. When I came round was going straight for ground at helluva bat. I’ll see I get plenty of sleep in future. That’s the trouble. One experience like that’s enough. Was too close to ground for my liking when I came out.

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