Australia's Few. 30 August 1940

There was no operational flying for 79 Squadron on the 29th but 30 August 1940 saw the Luftwaffe return in force, with a total of 1345 sorties in a series of large scale attacks launched, for the first time, exclusively against south east targets. At about 10.30 a.m., a large formation was detected off France. As it moved closer to British waters it became apparent that Fighter Command would have to deal with three separate formations of Heinkel He 111s and their escorts. In addition to squadrons already patrolling the coastal airfields, nine more were despatched to airfields and key areas such as Dover and Maidstone. At 11.20 a.m. it was clear that Biggin Hill and Kenley were the main targets.

No. 253 Squadron was recalled from the Maidstone area and directed to Kenley and, at 11.30 a.m., eight aircraft from 79 Squadron were scrambled to patrol Biggin Hill. Green Section met thirty or more Heinkels and claimed a shared destroyed. Meanwhile, led by Teddy Morris, Blue Section faced eighteen He IIIs and thirty Me 110s and 109s. They attacked head on and ‘scattered [the] bomber formation’. Pilot Officer Paul Mayhew claimed one Heinkel destroyed. Pilot Officer Owen Tracey claimed one destroyed Heinkel; there was some suggestion that this Heinkel had been attacked by Spitfires but Tracey was confident of his victory. Teddy Morris chased the leader of the bomber formation then, ‘collided with a Heinkel III and both machines crashed but ... [he] baled out and reached home safely’. He was later credited with one ‘He 111 destroyed by collision’. Bill claimed a destroyed Heinkel and another probably destroyed by the more conventional method of turning his guns on them. While Teddy Morris slowly descended, unhurt, to land at Dorking, Bill flung himself into a hectic dogfight with a Messerschmitt Me 110. He damaged it and, ammunition exhausted, he retreated while under attack by 109s. He then executed a ‘hair-breadth escape’ and ‘limped back home with my machine badly shot up’. It had been ‘holed in 30 places’ and rendered unserviceable. Bill once again proved that he was a fighter pilot of high calibre. When he went on readiness that morning, he already had a personal bag of one destroyed Me 109 and three destroyed He 111s. He was almost an ace. By the time he limped back to Biggin Hill at about 12.15 p.m., he was an ace.