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regular combat with the Luftwaffe and several

more enemy aircraft were shot down.

A large formation of Bf 110s and Hs 126s

attacking Calais on May 26 were tackled by 12

of 65’s Spitfires, which claimed six destroyed

and five as probable. On the debit side, K9912

YT-O, flown by Fg Off Ken Hart, was shot

down and seen to crash near Dunkirk; Fg Off

J Welford was also lost. The following day

over the Dunkirk beaches, two Do 17s, two Do

215s and a Ju 88 were claimed destroyed with

several more as probables.

The battles were taking their toll and 65

was reduced to just eight serviceable Spitfires

by the 28th. Nonetheless, during the day

another two Do 17s were claimed for the loss

another Spitfire.

Exhausted after the intensive action of

the previous weeks, the following day it

was withdrawn north to Kirton in Lindsey,

Lincolnshire, to rest and rebuild. Against

a loss of four Spitfires and two pilots, the

squadron had claimed in these early clashes

the satisfactory balance of 19 destroyed and

14 probables; five of the confirmed going to

Flt Sgt William Franklin, who became the

unit’s first ‘ace’.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

The rest was short-lived. Men and machines

were returned to Hornchurch in early June

from where defensive patrols and convoy

escorts were flown throughout the month,

during which three enemy aircraft were

destroyed, three others as probable and six

damaged – all for no loss.

July continued in a similar vein with

increasing Luftwaffe attacks on British coastal

shipping in what was the opening round of

what became the Battle of Britain. On July

7 a convoy off the south coast came under

attack for much of the day and during the

evening 64 and 65 Sqns were scrambled

to tackle Dornier 17s of KG 2, which were

attacking vessels.

No 65’s formation was, however, bounced

by the Bf 109s of JG 51 and three Spitfires

went down and their pilots killed. In return,

three 109s were claimed, two by Franklin,

who chased his first victim almost to France.

The following day Sqn Ldr Cooke in K9907

went missing over the Channel and was

replaced by Sqn Ldr H C Sawyer. He led

the squadron to Manston, Kent, where it was

in the forefront of the fighting in the coming

months.

Daily patrols and combats continued

throughout July; a particularly violent series

of clashes with Bf 109s coming on the 24th

over the Medway. The squadron claimed

four Dornier 17s damaged and three Bf 109s

damaged. While 65 escaped loss three

Spitfires of other squadrons were shot down

and one pilot killed.

August opened quietly but the lull proved

deceptive. In the late morning of the 8th

a sweep over Kent by Bf 109s of II and III/

JG 51 and III/JG 26 was engaged by the

Spitfires of 41, 64 and 65 Sqns. In a heavy

combat, 65 lost two pilots killed. August

12 was a better day, however, with claims

for three destroyed, five probables and four

damaged without loss.

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 31

Left: War clouds were looming in mid-1939

as pilots of 65 Sqn in this formation trained

for what they knew would be the inevitable

battles ahead.

Above: Sqn Ldr Humphrey Gilbert led 65 Sqn

from December 1941 to May 1942. Author’s

collection

Below: In the summer of 1943, 65 Sqn

received the much-improved Spitfire IX of

which MH358/ YT-Jas became the mount of

the OC, Sqn Ldr J A Storrar. J A Storrar

In early 1941, the unit began offensive operations over

France with Spitfire IIa P7665/YT-L becoming an early

casualty when it was lost on February 5 with Plt Off

Hill becoming a PoW. P H T Green Collection

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