Australia's Few. 15 September 1940

Sunday 15 September saw the Luftwaffe launch a concentrated attack against London: the goal was to bring the RAF to its knees. It was a long, arduous day for Fighter Command. 11 Group was totally committed, 12 Group’s Duxford Wing was involved and 10 Group squadrons were called to protect the south west.

Fighter Command was were pitted against the Luftwaffe in a series of battles and defensive actions that lasted from about 9.30 a.m. to dusk. One of those defenders was John Crossman.

John Crossman and 46 Squadron were ‘ordered off just before lunch’. It wasn’t long before they:

‘Ran into hundreds of Jerry kites at about 19,000 feet. Three of us were going round to do head on attacks on some Dornier Do 215s. I lost speed, spun down 6000 feet came out near 20 more Dos 215 escorted by about 60 Me 109s. Three of the 109s came after me. I evaded then come round did a stern attack on the 215s. Put all my shots into one of them, set his port engine on fire and saw him go down. Cleared off then to re-arm. Wasn’t going to stay round on my own with 60 MEs 109 around.’

Yet again, John was ‘scared stiff in action’. But again, he put his fear aside and was clear headed in his attack. It paid off. He was credited with a probable Dornier Do 215. But he had no chance to rest on his laurels. He was up in the air again: ‘We were sent up twice more today. I chased a 215 into the clouds and lost him, otherwise wasn’t able to get near anything. They ran too fast’.

 

 

Australia's Few. 11 September 1940

Back in Australia, Bill Millington’s family opened the 11 September 1940 edition of The Advertiser which had published a letter Bill had sent to his parents shortly after his first action: 

‘Something of the spirit of the RAF is shown in the letter Pilot-Officer Millington wrote to his parents before he had begun to establish his amazing record. It was written on July 8 from Australia House. “Things have improved a great deal recently as we are now fighting over our own territory or close to it,” he wrote. “This is a welcome change. In the last few days Jerry has been getting quite cheeky and sending aircraft over to our side of the Ditch. Slapping his ears back gives us the greatest of pleasure. It has now reached the stage when black crosses and swastikas make us see red and we welcome the opportunity to line a Hun plane up in the sight. Today the boys are absolutely fighting mad. Last night a Messerschmitt 109 shot down our squadron leader. Apart from being an ace pilot, he was a personal friend of each of the pilots and just one of the boys.”’

[This was Squadron Leader John Davies Clement Joslin, RAF 34158. He was found to have crashed at Chilberton Elms, Between Folkeston and Dover.]

The Advertiser then reported that ‘There is an interruption then in the letter, and it was continued at 5.30 pm just as though nothing had happened. “Called out just now, shortly after 3 pm—to be exact—to engage enemy aircraft near Dover. Results are still vague, but numbers of the enemy have been brought down in the sea and on land. Two of our aircraft are missing. One of the pilots landed in the ‘ditch’ by parachute and has been picked up. Unfortunately he was flying my machine, which is now in a watery grave. [This was Pilot Officer J.E.W. Wood] As I was supposed to be off for a few hours he took my plane. I happened to be close by, writing letters actually, dashed out, and took off in a spare which arrived a few days ago. Jerry is suffering colossal losses. We can’t expect to get away scot free, but when comrades go the will to win gets stronger, and we will go down fighting.”’

In the Scouting news of the same edition of The Advertiser, Scouter noted that, Bill a member of the Forestville Rover Crew, had had a 'share of excitement in England serving with the RAF.’ Scouter wrote that ‘all who knew him feel proud of his wonderful efforts, but regretted to learn that he is in hospital. We trust that he will soon be well again and back to his old form’.

And indeed he was. On 11 September, Bill rejoined 79 Squadron at Pembrey, South Wales and he was in for a much quieter time than recorded in that letter of 8 July. The squadron carried out various patrols over the next few days, but no action.

 

 

Dick Glyde was kicked out of the RAAF.

In March 1934, Dick Glyde was kicked out of air force training. It was a devastating blow but Dick was determined to fly.

 

 

Dick had joined RAAF Point Cook’s 15th course in January 1934, shortly before his twentieth birthday. It wasn’t long before he was in the air. He proved the fastest on his course, going solo after five hours of dual instruction

But Dick, who hailed from Perth, Western Australia, had little time to experience the joy of solo flight as he was discharged medically unfit for further service on 5 March 1934. His conduct and character up to that time had been ‘very good’ but a medical examination had detected a slightly crooked spine. When he was accepted at Point Cook, there had been subtle hint that completion of a cadetship was not guaranteed when he was advised that on arrival he would be a member of the Officers’ mess and required to give a £5 deposit to cover any debts in the event of leaving early. No one, however, really believed that they would be turfed out of training. But Dick had, and over something of which he had no knowledge; the defect had never been obvious and he had suffered no ill effects in a full sporting.

Dick was disappointed at being discharged from the RAAF but he did not simply accept the apparent inevitability of never flying again. He consulted a physician, carried out an exercise program recommended to rectify the slight curvature of his spine and within four months, the defect had been ‘completely remedied’. He got a job, saved for his passage to England was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force effective from 24 May 1937.