Australians in the Battle of Britain. 15 October 1940. Peter Moore

Australians in the Battle of Britain. 15 October 1940. Peter Moore

Peter Moore, who was in the final stages of a brief posting to 245 Squadron at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for operational experience on Hurricanes, flew operationally for the first time on 13 October, 1940.

He and another two pilots carried out a dawn patrol, where nothing was reported and then, at 3.25 p.m. he was scrambled for an enemy interception. Again, they did not encounter the enemy.

Peter’s final operational sortie with 245 Squadron was on 15 October. At 6.00 p.m. he took off with Pilot Officer McGlashan leading the section of three Hurricanes. Again, no sign of the enemy.

 

From there Peter disappeared from 245 Squadron’s records but—despite what it says on his service records, and the RAF has acknowledged a discrepancy—it seems he made the long trek from Northern Ireland to RAF Kenley, one of the key sector stations in 11 Group charged with the defence of London and the south east.

Flash forward to 15 October 2010, to the afternoon tea lounge at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, where I met Peter’s nephew who ‘introduced’ me to his uncle’s life and flying career.