20 September 1940.

20 September 1940 was a quiet day for our Australians. Ken Holland had a ‘Lazy day—made out intelligence reports on yesterday’s show’. He was released at 6.00 p.m. when he headed into Dorchester, about 5 miles south east of Warmwell to see ‘Sergeant Madden’, a 1939 film starring Wallace Beery. Another late night, for young Ken ensued, or should we say early morning with him turning in at 2.00 a.m.

At North Weald, Bill Millington and 249 Squadron carried out one squadron patrol but did not sight the enemy.

At nearby Stapleford Tawney, John Crossman, in Hurricane N2599, and 46 Squadron carried out a joint patrol of Chelmsford at 15,000 with 504 Squadron from 10.45 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Despite it being ‘an absolutely marvellous day’, ‘strangely enough we haven’t had a Jerry up all day near us’. But for once, other than his usual annoyance at ‘sitting down here waiting’, John was not too worried about the lack of aerial activity as he had something else to focus on.

 

 

‘A new aeroplane arrived in the flight today. So I grabbed it for myself. My last aeroplane was written off when I went on leave Wednesday. One of the chaps took it up and was shot down’.

This was Sergeant George William Jefferys who baled out and died when his parachute failed to open.

John ‘had my mechanics working on my new kite all day and generally getting things ship shape’.

No doubt he was looking forward to flying V6748 into battle.