FlyPast 03.2018

70 FLYPAST March 2018

1918 2018

AC Bell had a lucky escape, but a

fuel line had also been hit, requiring

Duke-Woolley to shut down an

engine before descending and

landing safely. Massenbach’s Heinkel

came down at Cley-next-the-Sea on

the north Norfolk coast – 23’s first

victory of the war.

COSTLY DEBUT

The drama for the squadron was

not over as, further south, its CO,

Sqn Ldr Joseph ‘Spike’ O’Brien, in

L8617 saw the Heinkel go down

and then spotted another – Fw Willi

Maier’s ‘5J+AM’. O’Brien opened

fire with his front guns along with

Cpl Little from the turret.

As they did so a Spitfire of 19

Squadron also attacked. Both fighters

collided with the bomber: Maier’s

crew baled out – as did the Spitfire

pilot. Manoeuvring after his attack,

O’Brien lost control of the Blenheim,

and only he managed to escape.

During the autumn other fighter

units began re-equipping with the

far more capable Beaufighter.

But 23 Squadron remained with

Blenheims on a new task – night-

intruding against Luftwaffe bomber

bases in France. After their inaugural

sortie on December 21, the first

success in the enemy’s backyard

came on January 2, 1941.

It was the beginning of a successful

career in the intruder role. Having

achieved several triumphs with its

tired old Blenheims, Havocs had

begun to replace them by April. Sgt

J B Raffels flew 23’s final Blenheim

intruder ‘op’ on May 6.

“Both fi ghters collided with the bomber: Maier’s crew baled out –

as did the Spitfi re pilot. Manoeuvring after his attack, O’Brien lost

control of the Blenheim, and only he managed to escape from it”

Above

Wearing the unit’s

wartime code ‘YP’, a

23 Squadron Blenheim

If outside a hangar at

Wittering in January

1940. 23 SQN RECORDS

Below

A 23 Squadron

Blenheim If awaiting its

next night sortie.

23 SQN RECORDS