Australia's Few. 14 August 1940

When 234 Squadron arrived at Middle Wallop on 14 August 1940, they knew they had finally joined the war. The aerodrome had been bombed the day before by a lone Junkers Ju 88, the only one of its unit to locate the RAF station. Bombs fell near the village of Nether Wallop and 238 Squadron’s soon-to-be-vacated dispersal with, according to 238’s diarist, ‘no damage caused’. The other Ju 88s dropped their bombs on Andover. Half an hour after Pat Hughes arrived, Middle Wallop was targeted again, and this time with more success. 234 Squadron’s Bob Doe recalled that ‘we landed on the grass airfield, were put into a lorry, and half way up to the mess, they bombed the airfield. One of the hangars was hit and a WAAF was killed in a trench.’ According to Eugene ‘Red’ Tobin, an American pilot with 609 Squadron, also located at Middle Wallop, ‘it was carnage’ at dispersal. He saw ‘one overalled person with his foot and half a leg blown off, another had a great red patch on his chest with a load of mess hanging from it, another was rolling in agony with one of his arms missing’. One airman was wounded and three were killed, as were some civilians working on the station. Three Blenheims and several Spitfires were destroyed but, fortunately, 234 Squadron had landed away from their hangars so their Spits were safe.