92 FLYPAST June 2018
into the radio, but it was dead. I could
see that my Spitfire was spewing out
a white trail [but] couldn’t see the
attackers. I can only presume that
they came out of the sun and attacked
from below.”
The month ended with a Circus
to Pont à Vendin power station by
Blenheims of 18 and 139 Squadrons
covered by Wg Cdr ‘Sailor’ Malan’s
wing. These saw action with its
dynamic leader being credited with
his 29th success by claiming a Bf 109
west of Lille.
Pilots of 609 claimed three more
including one to the Belgian Plt OffVictor ‘Vicky’ Ortmans. The Bf 109
credited at 19:00 hours to Fg Off Jack
Charles of 54 Squadron was probably
the last of the momentous week since
the start of Barbarossa.
Winston Churchill’s dictum
was being executed in full
measure. This ‘push’ came
at significant cost and,
as later became apparent,
had little real effect on the
carnage of the Russian
Front.Victor ‘Vicky’ Ortmans. The Bf 109
credited at 19:00 hours to Fg Off Jack
Charles of 54 Squadron was probably
the last of the momentous week since
the start of Barbarossa.
Winston Churchill’s dictum
was being executed in full
measure. This ‘push’ came
at significant cost and,
as later became apparent,
had little real effect on the
carnage of the Russian
Front.“The 109 went down and crashed a few miles inland. Sped home at
sea level at terrifi c bat. Engine stopped just as I touched down on
’drome for lack of petrol!”Above
Messerschmitt Bf 109Fs
of II/JG 2, based in
Belgium. VIA JOHN WEALRight
No 74 Squadron’s CO,
Sqn Ldr John Mungo-
Park was killed during
the sweep on June 27.
VIA C F SHORESRight centre
On June 27 Plt Off
Cowley was posted
missing when Spitfi re
II P7813 of 19 Squadron
was shot down by
Bf 109s. AUTHOR’S
COLLECTIONBottom right
Fg Off Jack Charles
of 54 Squadron was
credited with a Bf 109
shot down on June 30.
VIA A P FERGUSSON1918 2018four 109s at something over 20,000ft
and went for the rear one. I must have
fired at least a couple of bursts as I
closed in and these resulted in some
flames coming out from it. It went
over and down vertically wrapped up
in flames.
“I looked for the rest of the squadron
and was about to join what I thought
was a formation of ‘Spits’ when I saw
streams of tracers coming past on the
left and hitting my wing. They must
have hit the glycol tank as having
managed to evade this unwelcome
intruder my engine failed, and I just
managed to glide back to crash land
on the Kent coast.”SEVERE BLOW
The heavy fighting on the 27th saw
74 Squadron suffer a severe blow
when it lost three pilots. Included
in the toll was its charismatic
23-year-old CO, Sqn Ldr John
Mungo-Park who was shot down
and killed in X4668. Pilots of 74
had engaged two formations of
Bf 109s led by Hptm Wilhelm
Balthasar, Geschwaderkommodore
of JG 2 and Hptm Rolf Pingel,
Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG 26.
Covering the formation as ‘tail-
end Charlie’ was Sgt Clive Hilkenwho described the fight: “At 2,500ft
over France our squadron became
separated on a weaving turn from the
others of the wing. Our CO applied
full throttle in an attempt to regain
his place in the formation but in the
process the rest of us found ourselves
spread over the sky up to two miles
behind the main formation. Now,
to weave and watch your tail meant
losing the formation. The only
way to catch up was to do
what our CO had done- full bore.
“I was attacked and
hit by cannon shells
from below and
on the starboard
side. I pulled
round to
port and
yelled