46 FLYPAST June 2018
WAR IN THE DESERT BRISTOL BLENHEIM
W
hen Italy declared war on
Britain on June 10, 1940
the commanding officer of
the RAF’s 211 Squadron, Sqn Ldr
John Judge, ordered that a party be
held to mark the occasion. Based at
El Daba, to the west of Alexandria
on the Mediterranean coast, 211
was one of six Bristol Blenheim
units based in Egypt.
There was in fact little cause for
elation. Across the western border
lay the Italian colony of Libya, and
the Regia Aeronautica significantly
outnumbered the RAF in Egypt.
During the day Sqn Ldr Gerald
‘Barney’ Keily’s 113 Squadron was
ordered forward to Ma’aten Bagush
further west along the coast into
the front line.
It was decided to adopt an
aggressive posture and attack Italian
positions and airfields, althougha shortage of aircraft meant
that the squadrons operated in
rotation. Formations of up to nine
Blenheims were dispatched, usually
at dawn and dusk. Targets included
enemy shipping in Tobruk harbour
and the airfields at El Gazala,
Derna and Sidi Barrani.
Blenheims opened the long
campaign in the desert on June 11
when 211 Squadron sent six on a
dawn armed reconnaissance over
the Libyan frontier.
Flying L8523, Flt Lt James
Gordon-Finlayson, known as ‘The
Bish’, was first off to cover the
Derna-Tobruk-Bardia area during
an uneventful 4½-hour sortie. Plt
Off Eric Bevington-Smith, tasked
with a recce of Giarabub and Fort
Capuzzo, had to force-land with
engine trouble.
Incredibly, these flights revealedthat the Italian aircraft were not
dispersed and showed little signs of
readiness.TARGET: EL ADEM
At 04:15 hours, Sqn Ldr John
Dallamore, 45 Squadron’s CO, led
eight Blenheims from Fuka against
El Adem airfield just south of
Tobruk. Most carried light bombs
and incendiaries but Fg Off Finch’s
L8466 held a pair of 250-pounders.
Two hours after take-off the
formation began dive attacks on
parked aircraft, adjacent hangars
and buildings.
Sgt Peter Bower, piloting L8476,
was seen coming off the target only
to crash in the sea off Tobruk. He,
Sgt Stan Fox and AC1 John Allison
were killed, becoming the first
British casualties of the desert war.
Shortly afterwards, L8519 cameWHEN WAR ERUPTED IN NORTH AFRICA, BLENHEIM CREWS WERE ENGAGED IN A BITTER STRUG GLE WITH ITALIAN FIGHTERS. ANDREW THOMAS DESCRIBES THE EARLY ENCOUNTERS
SEESAW WAR