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. 14 September 1940

46 Squadron was ordered to rendezvous with 504 Squadron and proceed to Maidstone. John, newly allocated to B Flight, was one of the eleven who took off at 18.00 p.m. and before long, was ‘in action for first time today.’

Near Biggin Hill, a formation of Me 109s was sighted heading west.

‘We attacked a formation of about 60 ME 109s at 20,000. I got one decent burst into a 109 but was unable to see if I got him as had to get out of the way of a few more. Jerries turned tail and we came home.’
 
Despite being so anxious for so long to get into combat, this first experience was not an easy one for John. He confessed that he ‘was scared sick and panicky’. There is a true courage in admitting your own failings; fear especially is one that has to be acknowledged in order to break through it. John did not flinch from the most basic of human frailties and accepted his fear. ‘I can honestly say I’ve never had the wind up more in my life. Worst part was just before we attacked.’  

 

 

Australia's Few. 13 September 1940

Ken Holland was burning the candle at both ends. After turning in at 1.00 a.m. he was back at 152 Squadron's dispersal at 5.00 a.m. on 13 September 1940. He hit upon a scheme (other than getting home early) to catch as much sleep as possible: ‘Think I will take to sleeping in the dispersal hut – it means getting an almost uninterrupted sleep instead of sleeping and waking by numbers as it were’. 

 

It was another day of ‘minor flaps’. Ken scrambled  as Green 2 for a patrol over Portland but it was of such little import  it was not recorded in the 152 Squadron ORB. After he was released he was off to Weymouth again to visit friends for a chat and some drinks at nearby pub. He must have been tired as he made an early night of it, turning in at midnight!

 

 

Australia's Few. 12 September 1940

John Crossman’s slumber at Acklington on 11/12 September was disturbed when he was woken up at 1.00 a.m. and told to report to 46 Squadron at North Weald that afternoon. He may be leaving 32 Squadron but he would soon have a better chance of seeing some action. He left Acklington at 10.00 a.m. but didn’t arrive in London until 7.00 that evening because:

‘There was a raid on and it took some time to get a train to Epping. All the way out, bombs were falling around and the Ack Ack and search lights were in action. Was bringing down a Belgian P/O with me who is also posted to No. 46 Squadron. He has little English. [This was Pilot Officer E.G.A. Seghers who would be killed 26 July 1944] We finally got to North Weald just before midnight to find 46 Squadron is at Stapleford eight miles away. We were not particularly impressed.’

John and Seghers then ‘had an awful job getting transport to Stapleford but finally arrived at 11.30 a.m.’ on 13 September.

 

 

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.

 

 

Australia's Few. 10 September 1940

Des Sheen was also still in hospital on 10 September and to help while away the hours started a letter to his family. ‘I am full of very tiny pieces of shrapnel which of course can’t be got out but that’s all except for a little stiffness here and there’. He was impressed by the attitude of the British, after all, his parents had both been born in England. ‘London has been pretty heavily bombed as you doubtless know by now. The poor old East End seems to have caught a packet but the amazing thing is the reaction of the people. It’s not fear but anger and determination. As the chap who picked me up said “never mind. We’ll get you another Spitfire”. They really are unbeatable.’

 

 

One of Des's Spitfires. He had quite a few in his time!

Australia's Few. 9 September 1940

After Des Sheen’s second bale-out on 5 September, he was initially taken to a ‘wizard hospital’, a private mansion which had been converted, and which already housed two others from 72 Squadron. As London was blitzed, Des, in his hospital bed, had been witness to:

‘lots of scrapping lately and to see the size of the Jerry formations from the ground even has been unbelievable...hundreds in each. Have also seen quite a few go down as some of the fighters were right over our head and one Jerry jettisoned his bombs which fell about 50 yards from our hospital Up till when we left they were still unexploded’.

Despite the aerial shows, he had a ‘grand time’ for a few days but on 9 September were moved to an ‘awful’ hospital just outside London where he had even more of a grandstand view of the blitz:

‘We get it every night now too and last night heard nothing but machines, bombers and AA fire all night. I think the invasion is about to start but luckily after an incredible spell of too perfect weather clouds and rain have started to appear.’

It is interesting to speculate if Desmond’s experiences of air raids while he was hospitalised inspired his father to develop in 1942 a new, inexpensive type of air raid shelter, especially designed to provide safer and more comfortable protection for hospital patients. He considered it ‘ridiculous to think of putting people who are seriously ill in open trenches’.

 

A later life photo of Des and his parents