We are at Hornchurch on the morning of 23rd May 1940. 92 Squadron have just returned from patrolling over the French coast.
92 Squadron left Northolt earlier this morning to fly those patrols. At around 8.30 am they ran into a patrol of Bf 109s and claimed to have shot all six down. Unfortunately P/O Learmond was lost in this fight, seen to go down in flames close to Dunkirk. This news is about to be imparted to my subject F/O John Gillies by the Squadron Commander, Sqn.Ldr. Roger Bushell.
Gillies is sat in his Spitfire Mk 1, N3290, coded GR-U.
Things will get a lot worse for 92 Squadron later in the day. On a second patrol they will encounter a large number of Bf 110s of ZG 76. Three of the Spitfires will be shot down, Sqn. Ldr. Bushell and F/O Gillies will survive being taken PoW. Sgt. Klipsch will be killed. Flt.Lt. Green will be badly wounded but manage to return to Hornchurch, a thumb pressed on an artery in his thigh and with his oxygen turned up full to prevent himself from passing out. Many Spitfires will be badly shot up, with seven being deemed unserviceable. The squadron will claim (fantastically) seventeen Luftwaffe aircraft in this combat.
Gillies was probably shot down by Uffz. Huber of 6./ZG 76. He remained a PoW until the end of the war.
Bushell would be murdered by the Gestapo in March 1944. He had been a serial escaper and was the principal planner and leader of the break out from Stalag Luft III known as ‘The Great Escape.’
Steve
92 Squadron left Northolt earlier this morning to fly those patrols. At around 8.30 am they ran into a patrol of Bf 109s and claimed to have shot all six down. Unfortunately P/O Learmond was lost in this fight, seen to go down in flames close to Dunkirk. This news is about to be imparted to my subject F/O John Gillies by the Squadron Commander, Sqn.Ldr. Roger Bushell.
Gillies is sat in his Spitfire Mk 1, N3290, coded GR-U.
Things will get a lot worse for 92 Squadron later in the day. On a second patrol they will encounter a large number of Bf 110s of ZG 76. Three of the Spitfires will be shot down, Sqn. Ldr. Bushell and F/O Gillies will survive being taken PoW. Sgt. Klipsch will be killed. Flt.Lt. Green will be badly wounded but manage to return to Hornchurch, a thumb pressed on an artery in his thigh and with his oxygen turned up full to prevent himself from passing out. Many Spitfires will be badly shot up, with seven being deemed unserviceable. The squadron will claim (fantastically) seventeen Luftwaffe aircraft in this combat.
Gillies was probably shot down by Uffz. Huber of 6./ZG 76. He remained a PoW until the end of the war.
Bushell would be murdered by the Gestapo in March 1944. He had been a serial escaper and was the principal planner and leader of the break out from Stalag Luft III known as ‘The Great Escape.’
Steve
