Australians in the Battle of Britain. 29 August 1940

As August drew to a close, the weather, for the time being, was in Fighter Command’s favour. Enemy activity was light with only occasional reconnaissance incursions along the east coast. There was ‘a flap’ at Warmwell ‘but the bandits turned back’ and then a quiet day for Ken at dispersal as, for the main part, Fighter Command, adopted the policy of leaving the reconnaissance aircraft to it. Ken didn’t mind. He was happy to play out his shift at dispersal and then head off for a swim at Lulworth Cove. John Crossman, however, was still itchy. ‘This place is awfully quiet and as yet we haven’t even heard of Jerries and from the look of things won’t’. Patience wasn’t one of John’s strong points.

The Germans certainly had given Acklington a wide berth. Des Sheen had not flown a patrol since the 24th and 72 Squadron generally had been very quiet since their activities of the 15th had sent the enemy packing. So, let’s skip forward twelve months in Des’s life.

On 29 August 1941, 72 Squadron was part of a circus escorting bombers to Hazebrouck marshalling yards in northern France. Des, who had been appointed 72’s CO on 28 March was leading his squadron. As they crossed the coast, 72 Squadron sighted a large number of Me 109s. Des determined that they were a serious threat to the squadron so he led his Spitfires into a fierce running battle, stretching into the middle of the channel. He claimed a damaged Me 109E six miles east of Hazebrouck, and the squadron claimed their own successes. Shortly after their return, the intelligence officer sat down and drafted a memo which praised Des’s ‘coolheadedness and tactics when the squadron was menaced and practically surrounded by at least three squadrons of enemy fighters over enemy occupied territory.’ He made other comments about Des’s leadership abilities and then concluded his memo with a recommendation:

‘We, the undersigned, pilots of his squadron on the occasion referred to, respectfully recommend that Squadron Leader Sheen be awarded a bar to his DFC for his conspicuous bravery, coolness and initiative in saving his squadron from suffering very heavy casualties and in inflicting them on the enemy’.

The recommendation was signed by the IO and eleven of Desmond’s men. It was accepted and gazetted on 21 October 1941, the second anniversary of his first combat and enemy success. Desmond eventually came to hear the story of his squadron-initiated Bar but had no idea at the time.