Shot Down Over Dunkirk

Hi All,

In response to some interest, I'm posting a short excerpt from my book "Down to Earth". The book details the diverse career of SQNLDR K.B. McGlashan AFC, a WWII RAF fighter pilot who flew in most of the major engagements; Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day. He was also one of the first generation of night fighter pilots for the RAF when tactics were rudimentary to say the least.

If you'd like I can post some more snippets here from time to time. Here's a brief excerpt that I had at hand.

Cheers

Owen

"...As the battle developed beneath me, two fighters, Messerschmitt Bf109s, slipped by 3,000 feet below emerging ahead and to my right at a great rate of knots. They were obviously seeking out the tails of my leading sections and had positioned themselves in the classic six o’clock position. I flicked my gun switch to ‘live’ and readied to roll my machine over to initiate a diving attack on the diving fighters. A screech came over my ineffectual TR9D radio, filling my helmet with deafening, squawking static. I later learned it was Geoff Howitt warning me of the five 109s diving on us, attacking from our port quarter. Howitt broke hard left and crossed in front of me, yet I was still none the wiser. Amidst this melee, I was concentrating on my attack and had totally neglected to look behind. The first indication I had of anything going wrong was when the armour plate behind my head began ringing like an alarm clock. Before I could draw breath, bright red tracers started bombarding my cockpit, whistling between my legs and ravaging the panels of Perspex and fabric to my left. The incendiary-tipped tracers assist the pilot in seeing where his shots are landing and from my perspective I could see them landing very well. As my instrument panel began disintegrating before my eyes, my thoughts leapt suddenly to the vapour-rich petrol tank that sat just behind the instruments. Momentary horror turned to short relief when I recalled that the tank was self-sealing.

The attack had been lightning quick. I slammed the control stick forward and to the right, entering a downward roll and sending the world spinning around. The back of my legs stung as metal splinters spat from the maze of piping fragmenting beneath my feet. Engine coolant, oil and all variety of hot fluids showered me as the scent of smoke began to fill the air. Foolishly I had been flying with my goggles atop my helmet and now the mix of smoke and oils that were bringing down my aeroplane were also serving to partially blind me. My cockpit had become a scene of absolute chaos. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the attack abated. Gathering my thoughts, I pulled the aircraft out of the dive and assessed my situation; not good. Bleeding oil and coolant, I knew my Hurricane was done for and I began readying myself to bail out. With the threat of fire growing, I cut the engine, switched off the fuel and set about sliding back the hood. My vision was getting worse and I fumbled to get the canopy back. Three times I tried and three times it slid closed. In my enthusiasm to get out, I was failing to lock the canopy open and a sense of incarceration came across me. Being trapped in a fiery cockpit was the dread of every fighter pilot and for a moment I began to wonder if this is how my war was to end. A moment after that, the second attack started.

The left hand side of my canopy exploded again as the red tracer ravaged what remained of my aircraft’s port side. With the engine shutdown, I was literally powerless. Again I slammed the stick forward, though this time to the left. I combined inertia with gravity, accelerating my wounded machine downwards. I felt a wallop and then a trickling sensation down the back of my leg and thought that I’d copped a hit in the backside. [It turned out to be a direct hit on an Agfa cartridge in my pocket, allowing the film to unfurl in my trousers.] Headlong, vertical and hurtling towards Terra Firma, I had a moment of unexpected clarity and recalled banter at the bar that formed a consensus that 109s were poor at recovering from dives. With the earth looming large in the windscreen and absolutely nothing left to lose, I decided to apply this theory. At the last possible moment I hauled back on the control column with all of my remaining might. As the blood drained from my head, my world faded to ‘black and white’ and then just black........."

An excerpt from ’Down to Earth’. A Fighter Pilot’s Experiences of Surviving Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day. By Squadron Leader Kenneth Butterworth McGlashan AFC with Owen Zupp.

Grub Street Publishing 2007.

Cheers,

Owen
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that's great!!
thanks for sharing!!!

 

A very interesting excerpt, especially as the role of the RAF over Dunkirk is remains under-rated.....

 

Great read Nostalgair, Thanks for posting it

 

Thank you Nostalgair. Did you mention this story with local historians in the Dubkirk area? If not I can get you in touch wit a couple of them, they may have interesting info for you.

 

Looking forward to read more. Very interesting.
Thank you.

 

Hi Owen, great exerpts. Thank you for sharing and, along with Martin, the Air War over Dunkirk is a much long neglected subject. I am definately looking forward to reading more.

 

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback. As mentioned, I'll post some further snippets from time to time.

Skipper 67, the story is quite well known in the Dunkirk area as the aircraft was recovered and is now undergoing restoration, (see below). I'm am keen to be in contact with any local historians as well.

View attachment 1182

The aircraft is quite a story in itself!

Cheers

Owen

 

Oh my, of course it is! I didn't realise these two stories were in fact dealing with one and same aircraft . I saw the restoration picture on one of your earlier threads. I think it's fascinating. I love wooden fuselages. .

 

Hi again,

In that case, here's a look at the woodwork from a slightly different perspective.

View attachment 1191

I really have to start that thread on the Hurricane.............

Cheers

Owen

 

Thanks Owen, this is art, not only the picture, but especially the fuselage. It's a real beauty.

 

Can you post more? I am researching Dunkrik for a counterfactual history paper i am writing...i would love to know your sources as well. Thanks!

 

Hi All,

The air war at Dunkirk is indeed sometimes overlooked. As he was waiting to be evacuated back to England, Kenneth was actually asked by some of the ground troops,"Where is the RAF?"

A comprehensive book on the subject is "Air Battle Dunkirk" by Norman Franks.

Cheers

Owen

 

Hi All,

Well it's been a while coming, but here's another excerpt from 'Down to Earth'. This passage sees Kenneth as a relatively new fighter pilot, yet to see action.

Cheers

Owen

…as the Squadron’s only “single engined” pilot, I was to be sent to Abbotsinch to collect the sole dual control Battle in the country. On its return, the aircraft would be used to convert our “”twin engined” pilots to its ways with a minimum of pain. Well, that was the plan anyway…

…having familiarised myself with the type, I readied to take my new steed to its new home. The weather surrounding the airfield was bleak and foggy as I lifted off and started into the climb. Previously unaware of their presence, I found myself flying through a section of tethered barrage balloons over Glasgow. Through sheer good fortune I escaped harm at the hands of the helium-filled defence system. A few years later I would witness the lethal potential of Barrage Balloons as they dotted the skies over Crewe. One of our own, a Shorts Stirling, flew into the cables, exploding into a fireball before falling to earth and killing the entire crew. I could only reflect about my earlier escape.

With the near-miss behind me, I set course for Leconfield. Passing Thornton Hill, I had no sooner settled in for the flight when my engine stopped, leaving things very quiet. This was particularly embarrassing as I was not at a great height at the time and confronted with extremely limited options. It had been a very hard winter and the small rolling foothills were snow coated with a deeply frozen core of soil beneath. Without further ado I chose a field ahead. My selected area was divided by a small track crossing it and terminated with a house and garage at the far end. Not ideal, but it would have to do. Setting my speed and lining up on the field, I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling. The Battle was the first aircraft I had flown with retractable undercarriage and the proximity of the ground without my wheels lowered was rather unnerving. My next action seemed logical at that moment, but with the benefit of hindsight and experience, it was a basic error. I lowered the undercarriage.

I impacted the frozen earth well into the chosen landing site and bounced high above the snow. Floating over the track that I had noted on approach, my eyes caught those of a woman pushing a pram with a baby in it. I touched down again and stuck this time. Surmounting the crest of the hill, I started down at a great rate before striking a hedge which served to shear off my main wheels. The aircraft fell to its belly with little loss in speed initially and was now effectively a Royal Air Force toboggan heading straight for the residence’s garage. I tried to gain some directional control by kicking the rudders, though this proved very ineffective other than to slew the aircraft slightly from side to side. Throughout, the Battle’s course remained true. As I contemplated whether I would stop in time, one of the double doors opened and a head protruded to take in proceedings. The head was then rapidly withdrawn and reappeared through a side door, at speed, with body firmly attached.


An excerpt from ’Down to Earth’. A Fighter Pilot’s Experiences of Surviving Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day. By Squadron Leader Kenneth Butterworth McGlashan AFC with Owen Zupp.

Grub Street Publishing 2007.

 

Thanks Owen, It's a pleasure to read your postings. I really appreciate the quality of the writing. You can almost imagine being attached to the chute in the freezing air.

 

Thanks Skipper.

I'll post another piece in a while if there's interest.

Cheers

Owen

 

Very nice!
Thanks Owen!

 

Please continue to post these, Owen! They are great!

 

and the French troops asked "where is the armée de l'air?" I have read in "Le Bar de l'Escadrille" which is a vintage book from 1941 that at one point their were just a few observer planes available (these were pratically unarmed) they neverthelss were ordered to Dunkerque to somewhat boost the morale of the troops but those who got intercepted were actually sacrificed because there was nothing they could do.

 

Hi All,

Well, I've ventured into the world of YouTube.

YouTube - Down to Earth. Dunkirk, D-Day and the Battle of Britain.

Now I've started, I'm hoping to post some clips of my airshow images. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers

Owen