Australia's Few. 18 August 1940

This day brought the largest aerial confrontations of the Battle of Britain, with both sides suffering great losses. Indeed, both RAF and Luftwaffe combined lost more aircraft on the 18th that at any other time during the Battle. It was such an intense day that Alfred Price coined the phrase: The Hardest Day.

By this stage, Pat Hughes of 234 Squadron had gained a reputation as an aggressive and competent fighter pilot and, just after 15.00 p.m. on the 18th he increased his personal tally against the enemy when, during an encounter over the Isle of Wight. As Pat tells it:

As Blue 1 I was on patrol when about 20 Me 109s appeared above me in the sun. I climbed towards them and my section attacked individually. I fired a burst at one Me 109 with no effect. Then I found myself attacked by two Me 109s one of which fired at me at extreme range. I turned and set this a/c on fire but was immediately attacked by the second one so could not follow it down. He attacked and climbed away and then dived. I followed until he started to pull up and shot him with two bursts of 2 secs each. This pilot immediately jumped out and landed on the Isle of Wight and his a/c crashed there a few seconds later, on fire. When I had observed this crash I saw a second cloud of smoke and fire just off the Isle of Wight which appeared to be the first 109.

 

Pat was credited with the two destroyed Messerschmitts.