So it Began.....Their Finest Hour

14th October 1940
605 Sqd, Croydon
Hurricane P3107.
Flew into the Inner Artillery Zone during routine patrol and believed collied with balloon cable but possible victim of AA defences. Crashed in Tennison Road, South Norwood 12.50pm. F/O R. Hope killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 Hurricanes
2 Spitfires

0 in Combat - 8 Friendly Fire/Accident/Unknown

7/JG2
Me 109E-7 (0720). Believed crashed and burned out at Sway, Hampshire during high altitude over the Channel off Selsey Bill. Exact cause uncertain. Obergefr Lux missing. Aircraft 12+ lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 115
2 Ju 88
3 Me 109
3 Do 17
1 Fw 44

 

15th October 1940
501 Sqd, Kenley
Hurricane V6722.
Crashed at Postern Gate Farm, Godstone following action with 109s over Redhill 8.15am. Sgt S.A. Fenemore killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Blenheims
9 Spitfires
21 Hurricanes

22 in Combat - 10 MF/Low Fuel/Accident/Unknown

NJG1
Me 110D (3620). Shot down by return fire from RAF bomber engaged at night and crashed near Gardelegen. Lt Mangersdorf and one NCO killed. Aircraft A9+FK a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Ju 88
16 Me 109
2 Me 110
1 Fw 58
2 Do 17
4 He 111

 

16th October 1940
65 Sqd, Turnhouse
Spitfire R6714.
Crashed following flying accident over Gateside 4.00pm. Sgt I. Pearson killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

5 Hurricanes
1 Spitfire
1 Blenheim
1 Defiant

1 in Combat - 7 MF/Accident

Stab II/KG30
Ju 88A-5 (0317).
Crashed with full bomb load near Bishop's Stortford Church 7.50pm and exploded. Hptmn Hass (Gruppe Kommandeur), Fw Suhr, Fw Kessels and Kriegsberichter Penfold all killed. Aircraft 4D+DM a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

5 Do 17
3 Me 110
1 Ju 52
8 Ju 88
5 He 111

 

18th October 1940
302 Sqd, Northolt
Hurricane P3931.
Crashed at Kempton Park Race Course returning from a routine patrol in deteriorating weather conditions 4.10pm. F/O P.E.G Carter baled out at 50ft and killed. Aircraft WX-X a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

9 Hurricanes
3 Spitfires

0 in Combat - 12 MF/Accident/Poor Visibility

Note: 302 Sqd lost 5 Hurricanes due to bad weather. 4 pilots killed.

II/KG51
Ju 88A-1 (7160). Failed to return from bombing attack on London area. Four NCOs killed. Aircraft 9K+EC a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

14 Ju 88
3 Me 109
2 Me 110
3 He 111
2 Do 17

 

20th October 1940
74 Sqd, Biggin Hill
Spitfire II P7370.
Shot down at Coxheath in combat with enemy fighters over Maidstone 2.55pm. Sgt T.B. Kirk baled out severely wounded and admitted to Preston Hall Hospital Maidstone. Died of wounds 22/7/41. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Hurricanes
7 Spitfires
2 Blenheims

10 in Combat - 2 Unknown

3/LG2
Me 109E-7 (2059). Shot down by F/O Mungo-Park 74 Sqd during fighter bomber attack on London. Crashed on Chapel Farm, Lenham Heath 2.00pm. Uffz Mairl baled out but parachute caught fire. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

7 Ju 88
1 Ju W 34
9 Me 109
1 Me 110
4 He 111

 

Pilot Officer MAURICE SIMON HENRI CHARLES BUCHIN

81626, 213 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died
on 15 August 1940

Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

P/O Maurice S.H.C.Buchin a Belgian was posted to No 213 Squadron on the 25th of July 1940. Maurice Buchin and P.J.Philipart were on patrol over Portland on the 11th of August 1940 and each of them shot down a Junkers Ju 88. Maurice Buchin was the first Belgian to be killed in the Battle of Britain when his Hurricane I (V7227) was shot down over Portland on the 15th of August 1940 at 17:45hrs.
Br-pilots
This is wrong, Buchin was shot dead 19 (Philippart archives)

 

21st October 1940
Weather: Mainly cloudy with fog and intermittent rain. Poor visibility.
Day: Sporadic raids on London, Liverpool and the West Country.
Night: London, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Birmingham and Liverpool bombed.
Enemy action by day

Enemy activity was on a small scale. During the morning and early afternoon a series of raids, mostly of single aircraft, approached the London area. A few raids were also plotted to the Midlands and Liverpool. Many of our aerodromes were unserviceable early owing to weather conditions, but fighters were able to take off from Kenley, Biggin Hill, Tangmere and Speke after 1100 hours. Low clouds made interception difficult.

Our fighters destroyed one enemy, plus three damaged. Harwich AA destroyed one. We suffered no loss.

South East

From 0700 to 1100 hours about eight single aircraft entered the triangle North Foreland - Hornchurch - Beachy Head, the majority flying to the Estuary. One crossed South and West London.

Between 1100 and 1400 hours activity increased, approximately 60 raiders flying from between Calais and Le Havre northwards to London, a few continuing on to Bedford, Northampton, Duxford and Cambridge.

After 1500 hours activity decreased and only a few raids were plotted in the Straits. Two flew to the Kenley-Biggin Hill districts.

South and West

In the morning two raids entered the Liverpool area, one of which flew on to Blackburn and returned over Derby. Several single aircraft entered the Midlands.

In the afternoon one enemy aircraft flew over Portsmouth to Gloucester then turned South and was destroyed near Old Sarum.

Later on occasional raid was plotted in the Bristol Channel-South Wales area.
The Battle of Britain - Home Page

 

Wybertus,

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Can you provide more information to the forum?

Regards
Tom

 

This is wrong, Buchin was shot dead 19 (Philippart archives)

hello Wybertus

link below to contact if the information is incorrect.

Br-pilots

regards
Clive

 

22nd October 1940
257 Sqd, North Weald
Hurricane V6851.
Shot down in combat with 109s over Folkstone. Crashed and burned out at Moat Farm, Shadoxhurst 4.50pm. Sgt R.H.B Fraser killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 Hurricanes
2 Spitfires

6 in Combat - 1 MF

2/JG26
Me 109E-4 (1124). shot down by F/O Coke of 257 Sqd in combat over the Channel 4.30pm. Broke up in mid-air, bulk of aircraft crashed in the sea off Littlestone Golf Links. Uffz Arp killed. Aircraft 10+ lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Do 17
7 Me 109
1 Ju 52
4 He 111
5 Ju 88
1 Fw 200

 

24th October 1940

87 Sqd, Exeter
Hurricane P3404.
Collided with P/O Cock during routine patrol. Crashed and burned out. P/O D.T. Jay baled out but believed to have hit the tailplane as he did not pull his ripcord and killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 Hurricane
1 Defiant

0 in Combat - 7 Accident/MF/Collision

8/JG27
Me 109E-4 (1558). Suffered engine failure during combat mission and crashed off Cap Gris-Nez. Uffz Linke missing. Aircraft 2+ lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Hs 126
1 Do 215
3 He 111
4 Me 109
3 Ju 88
1 Ju 87
3 Do 17

 

25th October 1940

Spitfire P7350 (Mk IIa)
P/O L.Martel 25/10/1940
Spitfire damaged,pilot injured.



P7350 is the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world and the only Spitfire still flying today to have actually fought in the Battle of Britain. She is believed to be the 14th aircraft of 11,989 built at the Castle Bromwich ‘shadow’ factory, Birmingham. Entering service in the August of 1940, she flew in the Battle of Britain serving with 266 Squadron and 603 (City of Edinburgh) AuxAF Squadron. Whilst serving with the latter at Hornchurch, on or about 25 October 1940, she was involved in a combat with Bf 109s and forced to crash land. She was quickly repaired at No 1 Civilian Repair Unit, Cowley, and flew again on 15 November, only 3 weeks after the crash landing; repaired bullet holes can still be seen on her port wing. She subsequently served operationally with 616 and 64 Squadrons. After April 1942 she was relegated to support duties serving with the Central Gunnery School and 57 OTU and ending her operational career with 19 MU. During the War, ‘P7’ suffered three ‘Cat B’ flying accidents (at Tangmere, Hornchurch and Sutton Bridge)

Welcome to the BBMF - Spitfire P7350 (Mk IIa)

 

26th October 1940

October 26th Saturday
229 Sqd, Northolt
Hurricane W6669.
Shot down by 109s whilst attacking He 59 moored off the French coast 11.30am. Crashed in sea. F/O G.M. Simpson missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Blenheims
7 Hurricanes
3 Spitfires

5 in Combat - 7 Accident/MF/Unknown

Seenotflugkdo. 3
He 59 (1984). Shot down by Sgt Ommaney of 229 Sqd whilst engaged on air sea rescue mission over the Channel off Boulogne 11.00am. Lt Wilke, Uffz Backmaier and Gefr Michels killed. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 59
1 He 115
4 Ju 88
9 Me 109
2 Me 110
7 He 111

 

27th October 1940
66 Sqd, Gravesend
Spitfire II P7539.
Crashed and burned out at Half Moon Lane, Hidenborough north west of Tonbridge 8.30am. Cause unknown but possible anoxia victim. P/O J.R. Mather killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

7 Hurricanes
10 Spitfires

12 in Combat - 5 Accident/MF/Out of Fuel

7/KG3
Do 17Z. Returned to base damaged in fighter attack during mission over England. Fw Passler Killed. Aircraft repairable.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Hs 126
1 Fi 156
7 Ju 88
13 Me 109
1 Me 110
3 He 111
4 Do 17

 

28th October 1940

No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Spitfires

0 in Combat - 2 Accident/MF

4/JG51
Me 109E-4 (1420). Shot down in combat with RAF fighters over south coast 2.00pm. Believed crashed in sea. Fw Dieterjohn killed. Aircraft 10+ lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Do 24
3 Do 17
3 Me 110
3 He 111
5 Ju 88
5 Me 109

 

29th October 1940

257 Sqd, North Weald
Hurricane V6852. Caught taking off during low level attack on base by 109s of II(S)/LG2 4.40pm. Crashed and burned out. Sgt A.G. Girdwood killed. Aircraft a write off

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

19 Hurricanes
7 Spitfires
1 Blenheim

8 in Combat - 19 Accident/MF/Out of Fuel/Collisions

Note: 6 aircraft collide on this day

III/JG2
Me 109E-4 (3657). Shot down by AA fire during sortie over the Isle of Wight. Crashed in sea. Oblt Wolf (Gruppe Adjutant) killed. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Do 17
5 Ju 88
1 Ar 196
2 He 115
18 Me 109
2 He 111
2 Me 110

 

30th October 1940
222 Sqd, Hornchurch
Spitfire N3119.
Wing shot off during combat with 109s. Crashed and burned out on Upper Wilting Farm. Crowhurst 12.11pm. P/O A.E. Davies killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 Hurricanes
9 Spitfires
1 Blenheim
1 Beaufighter

11 in Combat - 6 Accident/MF/Out of Fuel

3(H)/14
Hs 126 (4008). Crashed at Pierre during operational sortie. Cause unknown. Oblt Obenhuber and Fw Hartmann both killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Hs 126
2 Do 17
1 Ju 87
10 Me 109
1 He 111
2 Ju 88

 

31st October 1940
No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Hurricanes

0 in Combat - 2 Accident/MF

No Fatal Luftwaffe Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Hs 126
1 Ju 52
2 Ju 88
2 Do 17

 

The Battle of Britain:


10th July 1940 - 31st October 1940

 

The Battle of Britain:


10th July 1940 - 31st October 1940


"What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour."
Winston Churchill