Summary for August 1944

SUMMARY for AUGUST
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	12H15M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	9H45M
TOTAL WELLINGTON DAY	12H50M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	34H50M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	27H45M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	27H45M

Training on the new A/I Mk. X system saw an increase in day flying hours for Broody this month – up from 9:10 in July. Night Operational hours were also up by just over 7 hours, which equates to an additional 2 patrols this month.

Again, this month was, the most successful to date for the Squadron, with a total of seventeen enemy aircraft destroyed and four damaged.

The ORB reports that this tally is just one less than the previous best month (July 1944), and put 488(NZ) Squadron on top of the leader board for 85 Group.

Enemy aircraft were destroyed by the following pilots during the month.

F/Lt AE Brown – 4
F/Lt GE Jameson – 2
F/Lt  PFL Hall – 2
W/Cdr RC Haine – 1
W/O TGC Mackay – 1
W/O GS Patrick – 1
F/O AL Shaw – 1
F/Sgt TA Maclean – 1
F/Lt JAS Hall – 1
F/O OJ McCabe – 1
F/O RG Jeffs – 1
F/O DN Robinson – 1

(See entries 37 to 53 on the Squadron Victories page for more detail)

Summary for July 1944

SUMMARY for JULY
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	8H05M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	1H05M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	9H10M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	21H35M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	21H35M

As reflected in Broody’s flying hours for the month, Squadron activity increased in July after a lull in June on account of poor weather. In the early part of the month, many crews were forced to land at either Hurn or Ford on account of poor visibility at Zeals.

On 28/vii/44, the Squadron moved some 25 miles north to RAF Colerne. Aircrew were billeted in tented accommodation.

July also saw the Squadron’s longest period of “no activity” – it was not until 29/vii/44 that any success was recorded. In all, 7 enemy aircraft were destroyed by 488(NZ) Squadron in July:

Peter Hall & Dick Marriott  – 2 Kills

“Robbie” Robinson & Terry Clark – 1 Kill

Norman Crookes & Jamie Jameson – 4 Kills

 

 

 

Summary for June 1944

SUMMARY for JUNE
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	9H05M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	2H35M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	11H40M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	18H00M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	18H00M

Poor weather reduced the activity of the Squadron this month, although there was a slight increase in Night Flying hours for Broody compared to May.

The month was, however, the most successful to date for the Squadron, with a total of nine enemy aircraft destroyed as follows:

S/Ldr Bunting – 2
F/Lt Jameson – 2
F/Lt Hall P – 2
F/O Robinson – 1
P/O Vlotman – 1
P/O McCabe – 1

(See entries 21 to 29 on the Squadron Victories page for more detail)

Summary for May 1944

SUMMARY for MAY
TOTAL MAGISTER DAY	1H05M
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	10H10M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	4H00M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	15H15M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	11H05M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	7H40M

 

May 1944 was quiet for Broody and the Squadron as a whole, probably due in part to the 2 airfield moves undertaken during the month.

As we now know, this was the calm before the storm.

Summary for April 1944

SUMMARY for APRIL
TOTAL BEAUFIGHTER DAY	00H45M
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	16H40M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	2H35M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	20H00M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	26H40M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	26H40M

Another busy month for Broody, with 4 more Operational hours flown than in March.

The ORB summary for the month states:

“A quiet month with very little enemy activity in our Sector. The destruction of two Huns on the only night of a large scale raid reflect great credit on the Squadron, and the first success of an all New Zealand aircrew acted as a tonic to the Squadron.

Practices in formation flying have resulted in a high standard and the exercise ‘London’ proved our ability to cope in this unaccustomed role”

The victories referred to were a JU.88 apiece on 18/iv/44 for Johnny Hall (his 4th victory to date, putting him at the top of the Squadron’s leader board at the end of the month), and the all Kiwi crew of WO Rod Bourke and Fg Off Irwin Skudder. (See entries 17 & 18 on the Squadron Victories page)

Other interesting snippets from the ORB for the month include:

“The Squadron aircrew plus the Adjutant and M.O moved into tents today. Quite a Boy Scout air and a good deal of ‘scrounging’ apparent” (08/iv/44)

“B Flight visited Westcliffe Baths for a Dinghy Drill and a good time was had by all” (21/iv/44)

“We maintained a continuous patrol over a Walrus which was taxying in with an overload of rescued American aircrew” (22/iv/44)

The overloading of the Supermarine Walrus, a  single-engine amphibious biplane does not appear to be an unusual occurrence. An article from the Alton Evening Telegraph from 26/iv/44 tells this particular story.

“An RAF Walrus seaplane rescued eight survivors of a Flying Fortress which crashed in the North Sea but the Walrus was so overloaded it had to taxi 70 miles home — an all-night job in stormy waters which threatened to sink the plane—it was disclosed today. At the start of the long journey — just off an enemy-occupied coast – the British craft was under attack by a German Ju-88, but a couple of fighters from a Germany-bound air armada swooped down and drove the big Nazi plane away. The Fortress itself had been on a mercy trip scanning choppy seas for another crew reported forced down. Flames enveloped the cockpit of the big bomber, which crashed into a wave and quickly settled. Two gunners went down with the ship, but the pilot and 7 crewmen clambered into a dingy. For 12 hours the airmen wallowed in the seas, vainly signalling with flares to the planes rumbling overhead. It was almost dusk when the Walrus spotted the American airmen. The British plane came down and picked up all eight and began the long wet trip home. The men bailed with hats, boots and bare hands through the night to keep the plane from sinking. At dawn a British patrol boat came alongside and took the Americans aboard. They were treated for exposure and sunburn and sent back to their base.”

Summary for March 1944

SUMMARY for MARCH
TOTAL BEAUFIGHTER DAY	3H40M
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	12H55M
TOTAL OXFORD DAY	4H10M
TOTAL TIGER MOTH DAY	1H30M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	22H15M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	22H00M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	22H15M

March 1944 was Broody’s busiest month to date. By comparison, during January and February, he only flew a combined total of  14 hours and 50 minutes of Night Operations. Indeed, March was a good month for the Squadron as a whole. The ORB summarises the month thus:

“This has been the most successful month in the Squadron’s history – 6 enemy aircraft destroyed – 3 by S/L E.N.Bunting, DFC, 2 by F/Sgt Vlotman. C.J and one by F/L J.A.S.Hall – ‘B’ Flight in each instance.

This makes 16 destroyed, 1 Probable & 1 Damaged since our arrival at Bradwell Bay, a very satisfactory score indeed.

We had two unfortunate losses, the crash of F/Sgt Anderson and the unexplained loss of the F/O’s Wilson.

The Squadron spirit remains high and the many congratulatory messages show that our efforts are appreciated in high places.”

Summary for February1944

SUMMARY for FEBRUARY
TOTAL BEAUFIGHTER DAY	0H45M
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	5H50M
TOTAL DAY FLYING	6H35M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	8H25M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	8H25M

Summary for January 1944

SUMMARY for JANUARY
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	10H45M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	6H30M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	6H25M
TOTAL DAY OPERATIONS	35 M

January 1944 was a quiet month for Broody with only 7 hours of operational flying. The ORB records a generally quiet month for the whole squadron, but there are a few points of note.

On 2/1/44, W/Cdr R C Haine DFC took over command of the Squadron after W/Cdr Hamley left following a promotion to take command of 62 OTU.

On the same day, F/O Bergman & F/O Bishop intercepted and destroyed a Me 410. Bergman ended up having to land his aircraft (HK461) at Marston after several more chases following engine failure due to enemy action.

On 21/1/44, F/Lt Johnny Hall and his Navigator F/O Jock Cairns, flying aircraft HK380, scored the Squadron’s first “double” when they destroyed a Do 217 and a Ju88 on the same Patrol. As a result of this, they were ordered by “the Air Mashall Commanding Air Defence of Great Britain” to “proceed to the Air Ministry for Public Relations purposes“, where they were interviewed by the BBC and newspaper journalists.

Much to their embarrassment, the duo were photographed and described in a Sunday newspaper as “The Flying Tigers”. Leslie Hunt recalls in his book that much ribbing ensued, including being served plates of raw meat in the mess! Both men took this banter in good humour, with Jock “growling ferociously as he took our leg-pulling in good part.”

Johnny Cairns was broadcast on the nine o’clock news talking about night-fighting, which lead to more ribbing. Hunt recalls Hall’s retorts (which only served to increase the ferocity of the banter) which included “We don’t listen to the news – we make it!” and “Actually we could have got more than 2 Huns, but we knew our suppers were getting cold”

Flying Summary for December 1943

SUMMARY for DECEMBER
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	9H10M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	13H35M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	13H00M

Flying Summary for November 1943

 

SUMMARY for NOVEMBER
TOTAL MOSQUITO DAY	10H30M
TOTAL MOSQUITO NIGHT	18H00M
TOTAL NIGHT OPERATIONS	18H00M