24 September 1940

Australians in the Battle of Britain.

After his early night sleeping in 152 Squadron’s dispersal, Ken Holland was hauled out of his cot for an early morning flap with Flight Lieutenant Thomas, as Blue Two. Soon after, he was in the air again as Blue Two when B Flight scrambled. Then, some time later, he was off again, for his third operational sortie of the day, this time on ‘yet another squadron scramble as Blue 2 to the CO’. This last was not a doddle. He had no oxygen and, after 20 minutes at 23,000 feet blacked out on a turn. He ‘woke up at 3000 doing 400 and pulled out gently!!’ He climbed to 14,000 feet then went home.

 

Ken

 

Over at Stapleford Tawney, there was more to life than just waiting at dispersal for the inevitable call to action, or, in the case of John Crossman and 46 Squadron on 24 September, a call to ‘intercept some Jerries’ which ‘turned out to be a squadron of Hurricanes’. Happily, there was plenty of opportunity for light relief, either a quick 24 hour pass to London, or an invitation to party hosted by a local. About 15 officers went and, recalled John, enjoyed the ‘whisky and gin flowing freely’. One of their complement (no names no pack drill) imbibed a little too heavily and was ‘drunk and very funny’. After they returned to the mess, the light-hearted party mood continued with ‘boys squirting fire extinguishers around’. But the merriment was rudely interrupted. Jerry might not have been out and about during the daylight hours but he made his presence felt when he ‘dropped a land mine at random and it fell in middle of aerodrome. Helluva row. Shook the place and broke a few windows in the mess’.

 

John relaxing at a more carefree time.