Fly Past

BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

November 2018 FLYPAST 23

another aircraft, but this time hostile.

It took just one short burst to send

the Defiant and its crew plunging

into the sea to their deaths. (The

Luftwaffe pilot claimed the Defiant

AA417 as a ‘Mustang’.)

On May 16, three machines were

despatched to Coltishall, three to

West Malling and two to Tangmere

to provide a Mandrel screen for

operations that night. Later that

evening, the three aircraft at

Coltishall and one at West Malling

were stood down. The four remaining

Defiants completed their sortie

without incident.

The date is significant. In the late

evening of May 16, the first of 19

specially equipped Avro Lancasters

took off to attack dams in Germany.

It is interesting to consider to what

extent, if at all, that 515 Squadron in

its own small way contributed to

the ultimate success of the

‘Dambuster’ raid.

MAYDAY

Flt Sgt Thomas Macaulay was

just 30 minutes into a flight from

Tangmere on May 21, 1943 when

he found himself in trouble and

radioed for help. A mayday call was

heard followed by a few sentences of

confused chatter. The pilot was heard

to say: “Going now, OK.”

Boats and aircraft steered to the last

known location of AA658, but there

was no sight of either the Defiant or

its crew. In the morning, a rescue

launch fished out a flying helmet

with the name ‘Wager’ written inside.

It was the name of the missing air

gunner, Sgt Geoffrey H Wager.

The squadron moved to Hunsdon,

Hertfordshire on May 31 and shortly

afterwards another crew became the

victim of a tragic accident. Flt Sgt

Frederick Steel was returning to

Hunsdon from Tangmere, in

company with another Defiant, when

the two became separated in fog.

News reached 515 that an aircraft

had crashed into hills near Beachy

Head; both Steel and gunner, Plt Off

Albert Gray DFM, had been killed.

On the night of June 25, contact

was also lost with AA572 flying from

Coltishall. Unfortunately, it

disappeared at about the same time

and in the same location as 500 or so

heavy bombers, on their way to

attack Gelsenkirchen, a popular ‘oil’

target, so no plot could be seen on

the Operations Room table. Sadly,

the Defiant and its crew were never

seen or heard from again.

An unusual incident occurred on

July 17. Lionel Andersen was up that

night and reported no sign of

Left

Wireless technician

groundcrew with

515 Squadron.

Gerry would later create one of the

most iconic TV series of all time,

Thunderbirds. Lionel Anderson’s first

operation coincided with 515’s first

Mandrel casualty. Sgt Frederick

Hawkins was on his way to South

Cerney, Gloucestershire. He took off

in the late afternoon, but had still not

arrived by 1700hrs, so was reported

missing. Hawkins had crashed and

been killed attempting to land at

Little Rissington.

Accidents were frequent and

disconcerting, but the biggest danger

came from German night fighters.

On February 25, 1943, Flt Sgt

Armstrong and his gunner Sgt Jordan

were engaged in a running battle

with a night fighter that attacked

from above and behind. Jordan fired

more than 400 rounds. The outcome

was unknown, but the Royal Navy

reported seeing an unidentified

aircraft falling into the sea.

Tragedy hit one of the more

experienced crews on the night of

April 3. Fg Off Harry Whitmill

and his air gunner Flt Sgt Hugh

‘Digsy’ Moule were guided into a

‘friendly’ barrage balloon and obliged

to take to their parachutes. Sadly,

Moule’s ’chute failed to deploy and

he was killed. Whitmill survived

despite leaving the Defiant at just

700ft (213m).

The run of bad luck continued on

April 11 when Plt Off Bartholomew

McKeon, with Fg Off Eric Ferguson

in the back, set off from Coltishall to

be guided to their patrol area. They

had the misfortune to be spotted by

Two other aircraft left shortly after
for Tangmere.
But a serious accident happened
just prior to their departure. One of
the groundcrew, an expert in radar,
was fitting a detonator to the secret
equipment when it exploded in his
hand, causing terrible injuries. The
first operation appeared jinxed
and poor weather meant it was
eventually scrubbed.
Later that same day another mission
was planned, involving eight
Defiants. This had a little more luck

• three set out from West Malling,
  three from Coltishall and two from
  Tangmere, all returning safely.

DAMS RAID
The pattern over the next few weeks
was set. Seven or eight Defiants were
consistently put into the sky every
night the weather allowed.
One of the pilots who joined 515
Squadron at this time was Lionel
Anderson, whose younger brother