234
Squadron were having a busy time of it on 26 August 1940. At about 5.00 in the evening, five miles south of
the Isle of Wight, while on a squadron scramble to patrol Portsmouth, Pat, as
Cressy Leader:
‘Intercepted
eight Me 109s at 16,000 feet followed by 30 Me 109s 2000 feet above and three
miles behind. My section formed astern and attacked the leading eight, who
immediately split up into sections of two aircraft each. I attacked the leading
two aircraft and fired a burst of five seconds as the rear one which caught
fire and dropped vertically. The second aircraft had climbed and was shooting
from above but on turning he dived away but was caught by a long burst from
dead astern when he pulled out. This aircraft caught fire but stayed in the air
for several minutes.’
Pat was not the
only one to bring home the honours for 234 Squadron. Pilot officers Bob Doe,
Horton and Mortimer Rose as well as Sergeant Hornby each claimed 109s
destroyed. As their squadron historian noted, they ‘brought the memorable month
of August to a fitting end by shooting down six more Me 109s’.
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