Australia's Few. 25 August 1940

Ken  Holland ‘faffed’ until 5.30 p.m. on 25 August 1940 ‘then a RED’. ‘Squadron off and 40 Dornier 17s and Ju 88 and 50+ Me 110s and 109s stepped above them came over at 8000 and dropped about ten eggs’. A large formation of more than 300 aircraft had split into three when reaching the coast and each third sought out Dorset targets. Hornchurch, North Weald and Manston (twice) had been bombed the day before in Goering’s new offensive. It was now Warmwell’s turn while the other formation offshoots attacked Portland and Weymouth.

 As 152 Squadron scrambled to meet the enemy force, Ken rushed to the ‘shelter trench with the CO and troops.’ The sick quarters were destroyed, both hangars were damaged and telephone lines and teleprinter were out of commission. Ken was far from frightened and generally impressed by the airfield defence. ‘Light Bofors on the ‘drome were super and kept popping away—got one.’

 

As Ken counted the exploding ‘eggs’ and took note of the locations of ‘some time bombs’—delayed action bombs—152 Squadron engaged the enemy west of Portland. Sergeant Denis Robinson recalled that ‘the sky around me was filled with tracer fire in all directions and there were 109s everywhere. 152 broke formation and it was every man for himself’. Pilot Officer Eric ‘Boy’ Marrs remembered ‘dozens of escort fighters’. As instructed by Goering, the escorts clung to their bombers and, as the ‘engagement became a collection of dog fights’, Marrs and his compatriots ‘got mixed up with these without managing to attack the bombers at all. Other squadrons which arrived were a bit too late to prevent the bombing and the bombers were more or less unhindered in their work’.

The squadron ‘bag’ was respectable, with claims for two destroyed Me 109s, an Me 110 destroyed by Marrs and one probable Ju 88. But as far as Ken was concerned, ‘152 Squadron boobed’. Apart from what he considered a low tally, ‘we lost PO Wildblood, PO Hogg shot down’. It seems his opinion, without benefit of experience, was shared by his fellow squadron members. Boy Marrs reflected on the day’s efforts. ‘We lost two people that day and only had three confirmed and one unconfirmed ... I don’t suppose we ought to complain really, but it is always a blow when people don’t return’.

 Vale Wildblood and Hogg. Timothy Seddon Wildblood, a Cranwell graduate, had been a foundation member of 152 Squadron and since 27 February 1940 had notched up three destroyed and two shared victories. Ken and young Wildblood were the same age. Only five days separated their birthdays. Richard Malzard Hogg, who had been with the squadron since July, was also a Cranwell graduate. He had initially flown Blenheims with 145 Squadron and Gladiators with 263 Squadron in the ill-fated Norway campaign. Born on 2 July 1919, he was six months older than Ken.

 

 

152 Squadron, Warmwell: front row, l to r: SGT. ROBINSON, P/O. WILDBLOOD (vale), SQN. ADJUTANT, F/O. PETER O’BRIAN, F/L. BOITEL-GILL, SQN/LDR. PETER DEVITT, F/LT.THOMAS, P/O. ERIC MARRS, F/O. EDWARD HOGG, SQN. ENGINEER OFFICER F/O. DEVERELL, P/O. COX, SGT. KEN HOLLAND.