BATTLE OF BRITAIN 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
combat a Spitfire reached far too
great a speed in a dive and when
examined later by Flt Sgt Goddard it
was found to have taken on inches of
extra dihedral on the mainplane. The
rivets had popped undone halfway
around the fuselage immediately in
front of the tail unit!
Total claims for this combat
amounted to eight destroyed, one
probable and three damaged.
MANNOCK’S MEN
The second combat of August 11
took place from 0950 to 1045hrs
and was for the most part a rerun
of the first scramble of the day.
Climbing out over Dover only Malan,
Freeborn and W/O E Mayne made
contact with the enemy, claiming one
destroyed and four damaged. The rest
of 74 had suffered radio problems
during the sortie and returned to base
with their ammunition bays still full.
The third session started at 1145hrs
when 11 aircraft took off to patrol
‘Convoy Booty’ about 12 miles east of
Clacton on the Essex coast. It wasn’t
long before 40 Bf 110s were spotted
approaching the vessels from the east
in tight formation.
On sighting the approaching
Spitfires, the Germans formed a
defensive circle. Freeborn led the
squadron down and dived into the
middle of the twin-engined fighters,
inflicting serious casualties. By the
time the dogfight had finished, 74
had claimed 11 destroyed and five
damaged.
While this combat proved to be 74’s
most successful of the day, it came at
a cost. Two aircrew were killed. Flying
R6757, Plt Off Don Cobden was a
well-liked New Zealander who before
the war was also a fine international
rugby player. Plt Off Denis Smith in
R6962 was an experienced former
transport pilot and had also fought in
the Spanish Civil War.
The fourth combat of the day started
at 1356 when eight aircraft took off to
patrol Hawkinge at 15,000ft. Around
30 Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stukas’ were sighted
passing through cloud at 8,000ft withabout 15 Bf 109s escorting them
2,000ft above.
When ordered, the Tigers pounced
and went for the fighters. A dogfight
ensued and, by the end, four of the
enemy were claimed as destroyed with
one damaged. All of 74 returned to
base safely.
By the close of the day’s fighting,
which soon became known as ‘Sailor’s
August 11th’, 74 Squadron had
claimed 23 destroyed, one probable
and 14 damaged. The day’s top-scorer
had been Plt Off Harbourne Stephen
with five ‘kills’ and three damaged.
A telegram arrived soon after
from the Chief of the Air Staff: “A
magnificent day’s fighting 74... This
is the way to keep the measure of
the ‘Boche’... Mannock started it,
you keep it up...” [Major Edward
Mannock, was flying with 74
Squadron for the majority of his 61
victories in World War One - ED.]
The squadron was not called into
action on August 12, which gave the
hard-worked ground crews more time
to patch up the Spitfires. At 0555hrs
the following day 74 was back on
patrol over Manston where they were
directed onto an incoming raid of45-plus aircraft. Once identified as
Do 17s in four sections all in line
astern, the Tigers went in and claimed
seven destroyed, six probables and one
damaged for no losses.RESTED AND RETURNED
On August 14 the squadron withdrew
north to Wittering, near Stamford,
for a rest. After a few days of not
flying everyone suffered a drop in
morale, even more so when theydiscovered they had missed some of
the fiercest fighting and heaviest raids
to date.
After a week at Wittering, 74
moved again to Kirton-in-Lindsey,
Lincolnshire. It was probably at
Kirton that Sailor wrote his first
draft of Ten Rules for Air Fighting. He
was teaching replacements that had
recently joined the squadron.
On September 3, one year to the day
since hostilities had begun and exactly
five years since 74 had reformed on
Malta, Malan and Freeborn went to
Buckingham Palace to receive their
decorations.
The squadron was on the move
again on September 9, this time
heading for Coltishall in preparation
for rejoining the front line and using
the time to hone air fighting tactics.
It was at the Norfolk airfield that 74
re-equipped with Spitfire IIs. The
new variant was essentially a Mk. I
with a 1,175hp (876kW) Rolls-Royce
Merlin XII.
The reintroduction to the battle
involved 74 flying down to Duxford
on a daily basis and forming part of
3 Wing with 19 and 611 Squadrons.
On September 11 at aroundAbove,
left to right
Formal portrait of Fg
Off W H Nelson of 74
Squadron in 1940.
WWW.2IMAGES.COMFlt Sgt Mould during
the Battle of Britain.
WWW.2IMAGES.COMBack row: Freeborn,
Draper, Franklin.
Front row: Mungo-
Park, Peter St John,
summer 1940. VIA
AUTHORJanuary 2018 FLYPAST 73