15 September 1940. Battle of Britain Day

Sunday 15 September saw the Luftwaffe launch a concentrated attack against London: the goal was to bring the RAF to its knees. It was a long, arduous day for Fighter Command. 11 Group was totally committed, 12 Group’s Duxford Wing was involved and 10 Group squadrons were called to protect the south west. Approximately 1500 aircraft were pitted against the Luftwaffe in a series of battles and defensive actions that lasted from about 9.30 a.m. to dusk. Two of those 1500 were Australians, John Crossman and Ken Holland.

John Crossman and 46 Squadron was ‘ordered off just before lunch’. It wasn’t long before they:

‘Ran into hundreds of Jerry kites at about 19,000 feet. Three of us were going round to do head on attacks on some Dornier Do 215s. I lost speed, spun down 6000 feet came out near 20 more Dos 215 escorted by about 60 Me 109s. Three of the 109s came after me. I evaded then come round did a stern attack on the 215s. Put all my shots into one of them, set his port engine on fire and saw him go down. Cleared off then to re-arm. Wasn’t going to stay round on my own with 60 MEs 109 around.’

Yet again, John was ‘scared stiff in action’. But again, he put his fear aside and was clear headed in his attack. It paid off. He was credited with a probable Dornier Do 215. But he had no chance to rest on his laurels. He was up in the air again: ‘We were sent up twice more today. I chased a 215 into the clouds and lost him, otherwise wasn’t able to get near anything. They ran too fast’.

 

Ken Holland also had a successful day. 152 Squadron’s B Flight scrambled from Warmwell at 1.15p.m. Ken was Green 3. They sighted about 30 Heinkel 111s about seven miles from Portland at about 15,000 feet, heading north west. The Heinkels were flying in vics of three, stepped up in an irregular line astern and had no fighter escort. Potential sitting ducks. The enemy aircraft turned north east, and B Flight passed them on an opposite course and north west. Then the Heinkels turned south east after attacking Portland. Then 152 struck. Green section targeted a straggler. Green 1 made an astern attack concentrating his fire on the starboard engine. Closing from 300 to 200 yards, Ken then attacked with a 5 second burst from astern. He ‘shot all my rounds at one doing 3 attacks on it’. The Heinkel began to lose height as black smoke poured from the starboard engine. Green 1 fired again and Green 2 ‘also attacked it and it was going down’, with a great deal of smoke from the starboard engine. Ken ‘claimed a 1/3 probable’, for the cost of 2750 rounds.

B Flight was released at 19.50 p.m. that night and, after a celebratory drink in mess—as well as the probable, Green 2 was credited with another destroyed—Ken ‘had an early night in dispersal hut’.

Interestingly, although 152 Squadron’s fighter combat report notes Green section’s probable, it does not appear to have been officially acknowledged. Neither Ken, nor Green 1, Flight Lieutenant Peter O’Brian, nor Green 2 Pilot Officer Arthur Watson were credited with 1/3 shares of a probably Heinkel. (Watson, however, was granted his destroyed Heinkel.)