So it Began.....Their Finest Hour

Sunday 6 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline
6th October 1940


Civilian and Friendly Fire Incidents
In a tragic case of mistaken identity, a Hampden of No. 106 Squadron (L4100) was attacked just after midday during a cross-country flight by Hurricanes of No. 17 Squadron, flown by Pilot Officer Jack Ross (P3894) and Sergeant George Steward (P3027). Although the aircraft was not destroyed and landed safely at Stradishall, its navigator, Sergeant K.S. Powers, was killed in the attack. The incident deeply disturbed the 106 Squadron commanding officer, who reportedly visited No. 17 Squadron with photographs of Hampdens to prevent future misidentification.

 

SERGEANT KENNETH SIDNEY POWERS
Service Number: 742000
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

106 Sqdn.

Date of Death
Died 06 October 1940

Age 20 years old

Buried or commemorated at
STRADISHALL (ST. MARGARET) CHURCHYARD

• Country of Service United Kingdom
• Additional Info Son of Capt. Sidney Jesse Powers and Mabel Rose Powers, of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
• Personal Inscription CALLED TO HIGHER SERVICE
  https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2015/252/151974728_1441919938.jpg

 

God Bless His Brave Young Soul R.I.P.

God Bless His Brave Young Soul What a Tragedy ! R.I.P.

 

Saturday 12 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline
12th October1940
A tragic incident involving a new type of explosive-incendiary bomb occurred when a civilian was killed attempting to extinguish the device with sand. In the transport network, an unrelated accident at Wembley LMS Station derailed a Rugby-to-London express train, causing multiple casualties.
Accident at Wembley on 12th October 1940 :: The Railways Archive

 

19th October 1940
Saturday 19 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline


FLYING OFFICER GEORGE FELLOWS McAVITY
Service Number: C/1323
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Canadian Air Force

3 Sqdn.

Date of Death
Died 19 October 1940

Age 29 years old

Buried or commemorated at
OLRIG NEW CEMETERY

Sec. A. Grave 109.

• Country of Service Canadian
• Additional Info Son of Allan G. McAvity, and of Amy Fellows McAvity, of Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada; husband of Frances B. McAvity.
• Personal Inscription YOURS HAS THE SUFFERING BEEN, THE MEMORY SHALL BE OURS. LONGFELLOW
• 
  George Fellows McAvity (1911-1940) - Find a Grave...
  

 

19th October 1940
Saturday 19 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline
Civilian and Strategic Impact
Rail services in and out of London were disrupted following bomb damage to lines and signalling equipment, particularly around the docklands. Fires across the capital caused significant material damage but comparatively few casualties, thanks in part to improved civil defence coordination. Still, the psychological strain on the population remained acute, as did the mounting physical toll: 1,567 civilians had been killed in bombing across the past week alone.

Evacuation efforts continued, with thousands of children, mothers, and vulnerable civilians leaving London each day under the government’s ongoing “trickle” scheme. Some 10,000 Londoners had taken up residence in the Chislehurst caves, where conditions, though spartan, offered relative safety from the nightly raids.

 

Sunday 27 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline
27th October 1940
German Losses:
Airmen: 11 | Aircraft: 16

British Losses:
Airmen: 6 | Aircraft: 14

Hurricane L1963, No. 43 Squadron
Sgt. L.V. Toogood killed. Crashed vertically from height during high-altitude aerobatics. Cause unknown but probably oxygen failure.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Toogood.htm

Spitfire P7539, No. 66 Squadron
P/O J.R. Mather killed. Crashed and burned out at Half Moon Lane, Hildenborough north-west of Tonbridge. Cause unknown but possible anoxia victim.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MatherJR.htm

Spitfire P7526, No. 74 Squadron
Sgt. J.A. Scott killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s over Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ScottJA.htm

Hurricane P3168, No. 145 Squadron
P/O A.I.R.G. Jottard missing. Shot down by Bf 109 five miles south-east of the Isle of Wight.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Jottard.htm

Spitfire P7439, No. 603 Squadron
F/O C.W. Goldsmith died 28/10/40. Shot down by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GoldsmithCW.htm

Spitfire P7365, No. 603 Squadron
P/O R.B. Dewey killed. Shot down in a surprise attack by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Dewey.htm

 

Tuesday 29 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline

29th October 1940
At the same time, Italian Air Corps aircraft made a rare daylight sortie, with 15 BR.20 bombers escorted by 39 CR.42 biplanes and 34 G.50 fighters attacking Ramsgate. The aircraft were met with confusion rather than fear, and RAF fighters inflicted losses that prompted the Italians to transition to night operations in the coming weeks. A related bombing on the Royal Marines Barracks at Deal killed 8 personnel and wounded 12, likely from a stray Italian bomber, as later civilian accounts suggest.

 

31st October 1940

Thursday 31 October 1940 | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline


Significance of the Day
Though unknown to the pilots and radar operators at the time, 31 October 1940 would later be designated as the official end date of the Battle of Britain. This turning point was not marked by a climactic final battle, but rather by the quiet of a largely uneventful day. The lull was a symbol of German failure to achieve air superiority – Hitler’s precondition for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain.

The RAF had not only survived the onslaught of Luftflotten 2, 3, and 5, it had emerged operationally intact. Fighter Command’s ability to withstand sustained attack from a larger, seasoned force – and to recover from early setbacks – was due not only to the bravery of the 2,935 pilots who flew in combat, but to the entire infrastructure that supported them: the radar operators, ground crews, controllers, fitters, and commanders who coordinated the nation’s aerial defence.

It was a victory of skill, courage, and resilience – gained in home skies against great odds.

 

Roll of Honour | The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline

ROLL OF HONOUR
‘The Few’ refers to the 2,927 pilots and aircrew who are officially recognised as having taken part in the Battle of Britain between 10 July and 31 October 1940. Of these, 2,353 were from the United Kingdom, while 574 came from overseas, representing countries across the Commonwealth and Allied nations, including Poland, New Zealand, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, France, Ireland, and the United States.

To be counted among ‘The Few’, each individual flew at least one authorised operational sortie with a recognised unit of the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm during the official battle period. These sorties were part of Britain’s sustained defence against the Luftwaffe’s attempt to achieve air superiority ahead of a planned invasion.

Tragically, 544 of these airmen were killed during the battle itself, and their names are often marked with an asterisk in official rolls of honour. A further 791 were killed in action or died in the course of their service before the end of the war, and these losses are also solemnly recorded.

Today, ‘The Few’ are remembered not only for their role in a defining moment of the Second World War but as a symbol of collective courage, sacrifice, and international cooperation in the face of overwhelming odds.