According to Des Sheen, he was in the air on 3
September when ‘we attacked about 20 Me 110s and 20 bombers trying a low level
penetration near Dungeness ... I was flying top cover at the time but went down
to attack a Me 110 which was supposed to be escorting the bombers. I clobbered
the port engine and this aircraft turned inland. This was quite a good party’.
But most of the squadron were stood down on 3 September and 72 Squadron’s ORB records no
activity that day. Des’s recollection, however, does accord with the ORB’s 2
September report of a patrol where Do 17s and Me 110s were sighted five miles
south of Dungeness. ‘The enemy was attacked first from astern and later a beam
attack was made. Four Me 110s were damaged.’
If Des’s clobbered Messerschmitt was included in this
total, it was not acknowledged in the post war tally sheets. Des later admitted
that the details of this period were sketchy and his sense of timing was
confused. ‘So much has happened the last week ... It seems ages since we came
south but actually it’s only about five or six days ago. ... [We] have been
ever since flying darn nearly all day every day’.
These days might have been a bit hazy for Des Sheen
but there was one thing he remembered clearly. His promotion to Flight
Lieutenant, effective from 3 September, had come through. He had been expecting
it as he announced to his parents: ‘Have got my second stripe at last’!
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