It was still dark when either gently or noisily the pilots of Fighter Command and the Boston and Blenheim crews at Ford and Thrux-ton were awoken. Whether in officers' or sergeants' messes, in Nis-sen or prefabricated huts, in airmen's barrack blocks or even in tents, all greeted the new day wearily or excitedly, cursing or stoically, boisterously or quietly. They washed, they shaved (most of them), dressed in their usual uniformed attire of battledress or old best blues, pullovers or roll-neck sweaters, silk scarves or collarless shirts, then in the gloom of the blackout stumbled to their various dining places for breakfast. At West Mailing, 610 Squadron sat down to egg and chips, 'in the wee sma' hours'. Other squadron pilots too had a special treat of a real egg, with fried bread, toast and preserves, thick chunks of bread and margarine and of course mugs of tea.
With breakfast over they made their way either by cars, in trucks, on bicycles or if not too far they even walked, to their crew rooms and flight huts to don flying gear. Soft leather flying helmets, gloves, goggles, Mae West life preservers, flying boots or leg guards. Hands fumbled to see if their lucky charm was in a pocket, or their favourite scarf tied securely. Some looked neat and tidy, others scruffy with oil stained, creaseless and well worn trousers stuffed into socks and flying boots. An occasional knife was stuffed into a boot or leg garter. Whatever was the norm, whatever was comfortable, functional, the participants prepared for action.
Then to the dispersal areas. It was still dark. Mechanics and ground crews fussed about the aeroplanes which stood ready in the gloom. It was cold. In some places, at Lympne and Tangmere among others on the south coast, there was a thick ground haze. Further inland it was clear. At Redhill 611 Squadron recorded that the stars were still shining.
At Friston 253 Squadron were at readiness by 3 am, 610 at West Mailing too were ready by 3 o'clock. 222 Squadron at Biggin Hill reported a readiness state by 3.15 am. At Tangmere the pilots were called at 3 am, breakfast was at 3.15 and everyone was at readiness by 4 o'clock. 175 at Warmwell were up at 3 am and at readiness by their Hurricanes by 4. The North Weald squadrons too reported readiness by 4 am.
On the morning of the Dieppe Raid we were all up before dawn and having had breakfast were at dispersal by first light.
Wing Commander Michael Pedley, OC 131 Squadron.
A very early start up, well before dawn.
Pilot Officer Frank Mitchell, 87 Squadron
Eighty-one Squadron at Fairlop were at readiness by 4.20 and took off twenty-two minutes later, in the dark.
However, it was to be the Bostons and Blenheims which would open the RAF's battle on this day. At Thruxton and at Ford engines were running by 4.15 am. Their smoke screens must shield the landing craft from enemy guns as they approached the beaches of Dieppe. The crews clambered aboard their light bombers, checked instruments, wireless, guns etc and made ready.
Six Blenheim pilots of 13 Squadron, led by Flight Lieutenant E. L. Beverley, opened up their throttles and took off from Thruxton at 4.15 am, each aircraft carrying 100 pound phosphorous bombs. At 4.17 ten Bostons from 226 Squadron began to leave the ground, all being airborne by 4.56, led by Wing Commander Wilfred Edward Surplice DFC. In the air these ten were joined by two Bostons from 88 Squadron and two from 107 Squadron from Ford. Wing Commander Surplice was a pre-war pilot who had previously served in India. He had won his DFC during operations in Wazuristan in 1938 with 5 Squadron and later he commanded 20 Squadron. Dieppe was to be his 13th operation with 226 Squadron which he now commanded. Leigh-Mallory had put Squadron Leader Peter J. B. Reynolds RAFVR of 11 Group HQ in charge of all smoke-screening sorties for Dieppe. He had drawn up precise plans and briefed the crews whose job it would be to lay the smoke. Naturally he wanted to be sure his plans would work out so he flew as a passenger in the Wing Commander's Boston on this first sortie. The crews on this first operation were:
| 13 Squadron: | FL E. L. Beverley | Z6089 | OO-F |
| PO D. L. Rogan | Z5811 | OO-P | |
| PO C. L. Woodland | V5380 | ||
| FL J. H. M. Shaw | Z5882 | ||
| PO C. A. H. Black | Z6558 | ||
| PO A. Jickling | N3545 | ||
| 226 Squadron: | WC W. E. Surplice | Z2281 | MQ-B |
| FO R. A. Marks | AL736 | MQ-P | |
| PO B. R. Miles | Z2234 | MQ-X | |
| Sgt M. A. H. Dermot | AL688 | MQ-Y | |
| PO R. J. Corrigan | AL710 | MQ-Z | |
| PO J. P. L. O'Malley | L743 | MQ-K | |
| Sgt R. Parsons | Z2264 | MQ-F | |
| SL G. R. Magill | Z2295 | MQ-A | |
| FO D. T. Smith | Z2258 | MQ-H | |
| FL R. A. Yates-Earl | L704 | MQ-W | |
| 88 Squadron: | Sgt Savage | AL736 | RH-P |
| FS Attenborough | Z2217 | RH-G | |
| 107 Squadron: | Sgt R. C. Grant | L708 | OM-M |
| Sgt G. E. Nicholls | OM-J |
At 4.25 am, four Blenheim IVs of 614 Squadron from Thruxton began to lift off led by Wing Commander H. C. Sutton, but aircraft R3758 piloted by Pilot Officer P. H. C. Hanbury hit a car on the runway and failed to get airborne. Sutton (in V5534), Flight Lieutenant P. G. Roberts (V6002) and Flight Lieutenant J. E. Scott (V5626) nosed up into the darkness.
Five minutes later 88 Squadron sent off six more Bostons led by its CO Wing Commander J. E. Pelly-Fry, their task to bomb the Rommel gun positions situated behind Blue Beach at Puys. Each Boston carried three 500 lb bombs plus ninety-six 40 lb bombs. The pilots were:
| WC J. E. Pelly-Fry | W8297 | RH-A |
| PO Grundy | RH-D | |
| FS New | RH-C | |
| PO Campbell | RH-K | |
| SL R. G. England | RH-B | |
| PO Abbott | RH-E |
Also at Ford two Boston Intruders of 605 Squadron took-offled by New Zealander Squadron Leader K. R. Sutton DFC, the second aircraft piloted by Flight Lieutenant M. G. Olley. In the air they were joined by one Boston from 418 Squadron piloted by a Canadian, Sergeant W. L. Buchanan. Their task was to bomb gun positions at dawn.
Thus by five o'clock 32 twin-engined light bombers of 2 Group, Air Cooperation Command and Fighter Command were on their way in the morning gloom.
Two fighter squadrons were tasked to give air cover to these first bomber attacks. 65 Squadron from Eastchurch, led by Squadron Leader D. A. P. McMullen DFC and two bars (AB902 YT-N), left the ground at 4.20 am, and 111 Squadron from Kenley took off at 4.15 led by Squadron Leader P. R. W. Wickham DFC (EP166 JU-N). McMullen had fought in the Battle of Britain and Pete Wickham, a former Cranwell cadet, had seen considerable action in the Middle East and Greece before returning to England. 111 Squadron recorded that the stars were shining but that it was hazy and there was no horizon. They flew out across the Channel arriving over Dieppe at 4.40, 65 arriving five minutes later. Not far behind them came the bombers. On that August morning pre-dawn twilight began at 4.28 to 5.14 am. Sunrise was expected at 5.50.
On the still dark water below the boats were making for the shore. At exactly 5.10 the destroyers Slazak and Albrighton led the other destroyers in to open the Naval bombardment of the beaches, to add their fire power to the bombs of the Bostons that were fast approaching.
We took off at 4.15 am. I was leading the first vie of three, consisting of Dave Rogan, an American, and Pilot Officer Woodland, and the best man at my wedding in March of that year,John Shaw, led the second vie. The take-off was in the dark, but the dawn began to break as we were over the sea. We flew low to avoid the radar cover and my recollection is that our route took us just to the north of the ships of the attacking force. The white cliffs to the north east of Dieppe stood out clearly in the morning light and we pulled up to our aiming point — a small bay well to the south-west along the line of the cliff face where the gun emplacements were and went into line astern to lay our smoke as low as we could fly. There was little or no AA fire until we had finished our smoke laying but then we were over the port itself and there we encountered a considerable amount of flak. We then turned seaward and had to pass low over the attacking fleet. They were understandably somewhat trigger happy and the silhouette of a Blenheim being not noticeably different from a Ju 88 they let us have all they had got just in case.
Bristol Blenheims of 13 Squadron in 1942. (E. Beverley)
Flight Lieutenants Eric Beverley and John Shaw, 13 Squadron. Beverley was the first pilot to take off for Dieppe on 19 August. (E. Beverley)
Squadron Leader le Roy Du Vivier, the Belgian CO of 43 Squadron. He was the first Hurricane pilot over Dieppe. (R. C. Bowyer)
Either as a result of the anti-aircraft fire from Dieppe or from the Royal Navy I suffered damage to my port engine and flying controls and lost all my hydraulics. This meant that the turret in which my rear gunner was could no longer be swivelled. Despite this Sergeant Hooker kept a very sharp lookout for any rear attack from German fighters on the way home. By this time the six aircraft had got separated and as planned we made our own way home. We all made it safely except Woodland. I recall that because I could not operate my flaps or wheels I had to make a belly landing. Flying Officer Shaw was later to be killed in North Africa.
Flight Lieutenant Eric Beverley, 13 Squadron.
Thirteen Squadron's Blenheim IVs had been given the task of blinding two well positioned anti-aircraft batteries commanding the cliffs on the left side of Dieppe - the east headland, code-named 'Bismarck' by the Allied planners. The pilots had had difficulty in forming up in the dark and so the Blenheim pilots made individual approaches, all made successful drops to landward, the resulting smoke effectively screening the two hostile batteries. Five of the Blenheims flew back from the attack but Pilot Officer Woodland's machine was presumed hit by anti-aircraft fire for it failed to return. 24 year old Cecil Woodland, from Hampshire with his crew, Sergeants Henry Neville RAAF (25) from Australia and Austin Boyd(32) from Belfast were posted as missing. The RAF's first casualties of Operation Jubilee had occurred.1
Wing Commander L. A. Lynn DFC (Z2286) and Flight Lieutenant R. Maclachlan (AL266) of 107 Squadron joined up with the three machines of 605 and 418 Squadrons over the Channel. Squadron Leader Sutton and Flight Lieutenant Olley of 605 formated without difficulty but the Boston of 418 Squadron was having some trouble. It continued to fly on for some time but Sergeant Buchanan was unable to raise the aeroplane' Wing Wing Commander L. A. Lynn DFC (Z2286) and Flight Lieutenant R. Maclachlan (AL266) of 107 Squadron joined up with the three machines of 605 and 418 Squadrons over the Channel. Squadron Leader Sutton and Flight Lieutenant Olley of 605 formated without difficulty but the Boston of 418 Squadron was having some trouble. It continued to fly on for some time but Sergeant Buchanan was unable to raise the aeroplane' undercarriage. He and his crew, Pilot Officer P. C. McGillicuddy and fellow Canadian Sergeant C. G. Scott deduced that the undercarriage locking pins had not been removed by the ground crew at Ford (their own ground crews were, of course, at Bradwell Bay). With his wheels hanging down Buchanan had little alternative than to abort the mission. Reluctantly he dropped out of formation and turned back for England.
The others carried on and 107's two Bostons dropped two 500 lb and sixteen 40 lb bombs on both Hitler and Goring batteries at one minute to 5 am. However, the light was still poor and the results of their effort could not be seen. Sutton and Olley of 605 also bombed these two positions, located behind the town, and observed a number of large explosions after the bombs had hit.
At nine minutes past 5 am the first of 226 Squadron's Bostons reached their target, the Bismarck strongpoint on the Eastern cliffs. Over the following 35 minutes their ten aircraft plus the two each from 107 and 88 Squadrons, dropped 156 hundred pound phosphorous smoke bombs. Return fire from the ground was heavy, and nine of the Bostons received hits. Below a wheatfield was also set on fire which added to the smoke screen which gradually drifted four to five miles out to sea.
Squadron Leader G. R. (Digger) Magill's Boston was one of those hit and his smoke bombs ignited, forcing him to jettison them a quarter of a mile east of Dieppe.
The equipment we had for screen laying was a bit Heath Robinson but effective enough. It did not, however, allow one to take evasive action while smoke was being discharged; if one did the aircraft itself filled with the thick choking stuff. This was quite a consideration when flying at point blank range right across the harbour defences. The so-called smoke bombs we carried as an alternative load were not too popular either. They were simple enough being largish 'biscuit tins' filled with a phosphorous compound which simply ignited and made masses of smoke when exposed to the air. A handy load to have in the bomb bay when there was a lot of flak about. I know, for the Navy put a few 20mm rounds into my aircraft as I approached the cliffs to the east of Dieppe on the first sortie of the morning. We found our-selves with a fine old fire going on underneath until we dumped the load as near as we could to the battery, our target, just over the cliff top.
Magill got back safely although his machine was damaged. Not for the first time did the crest on his Boston get them home. His usual crew was Pilot Officer Donald Walch, from Tasmania, as navigator, and 'Taffy' Gubbins, air gunner. (Gubbins was away on 19 August, his place being taken by Sergeant S. Praeger). The crest consisted of a kangaroo, a kiwi and a Welsh dragon on a boomerang, ensuring a return ticket, they hoped!1
The Bostons flown by Sergeants Parsons and Dermot were also among those hit, Parsons flying to West Mailing where he made a crash-landing (Category B damage), Dermot limping back to the same base on one engine and carrying a wounded gunner, Sergeant G. Bates. A couple of early Focke Wulf 190s appeared as 226 began to clear the coast, one attacking Wing Commander Surplice's machine. His gunner, Pilot Officer L. J. Longhurst got in a telling burst and the FW was last seen turning away with smoke pouring from its engine. Leonard Longhurst received the DFC for his part in the action, Surplice received the DSO while his navigator, a 33-year-old New Zealander, Pilot Officer Renton Rutherford, also received the DFC.
No 88 Squadron had a similar experience to 13 Squadron, being unable to form up properly in the darkness. The six Bostons flew over the target individually at 5,500 feet but their results were poor. Nothing was seen on or around the target and some of the bombs failed to release. At de-briefing only three of the six crews actually claimed to have bombed the gun positions.
'The general plan was that the bombers would attack at first light (gun positions, radar posts, fuel dumps etc) what time the innumerable small landing craft were chugging away to Dieppe. Squadron Leader Dickie England — a superlative figure — and I were first away; it was a take off in darkness, the idea being that we would arrive on our respective targets (of which mine was a gun battery position just east of the town) just as dawn was breaking.
'No such luck. The met. men had miscalculated that cloud would be over Dieppe, the result being that we became - or tried to become - night bombers. Normally not our scene, as they say now; one result was that I was pretty quickly picked up by a radar-operated searchlight with a very bright blue light. A bit off-putting, as the Master Searchlight gave the rest an easy target. However, my crew and I, Pilot Officer Jock Cairns navigator and Sergeant "Buster" Evans, gunner, got out of that spider's web and got on with our attack. I'm told we hit it.'
Wing Commander James Pelly-Fry, OC 88 Squadron
'The main point from my view was, that it was meant to be a dawn attack on the target, which would have enabled the crews to identify the target immediately and eliminate any fears of collision with any other aircraft attacking; as it was, when we arrived in the target area it was dark — very dark! Most of the crews had only been used to daylight missions — I, possibly being the only exception — having previously done a tour of night bombing operations!
'The aircraft on this sortie approached the target too close together under the visibility conditions then existing - at least I thought so! — as they were all at the same, or approximately the same, altitude for bombing. My skipper asked me if I could see the target, and I affirmed that I was pretty sure I could, and gave him an alteration to port to bring me on to the bombing run for the battery which was my target. At that precise moment of starting the run, the battery 'opened up'. This of course made it easier to see the target, which was now showing itself against the darkness. Also, at this point, I heard over the R/T, someone from one of the other attacking aircraft, yell — "Let's get to hell out of here, it's bloody dangerous!" (Too many aircraft in the same small area, at the same time which meant near misses.)
'On our bombing run, searchlights came into operation, at the same time as the batteries opened fire, and when we were about ten seconds from dropping point, we were picked up by what would be we assumed, was the master searchlight - possibly radar controlled — as it just came straight up at us and held us without any searching, and then we were coned by several others - most uncomfortable!, I can assure you.
'Pelly-Fry uttered a few well known expletives and held the course until I'd dropped the bombs on estimated time elapse in seconds — as I was then being dazzled, but was heading straight for the target and experiencing no drift — a matter of about ten seconds.
I asked 'Buster' if he saw the bombs hit, and he said that they straddled the target area as far as he could see, and in fact several searchlights were extinguished as well. At about this time Buster reported enemy fighters and if I remember rightly the skipper put the nose down and we dived away but I'm afraid you'll have to refer to those two for that action - that was their show.'
Flight Lieutenant Jock Cairns, 88 Squadron
Jock Cairns was Pelly-Fry's bomb-aimer/navigator; C. A. (Buster) Evans, another multi-tour man, who like Cairns ended the war with both the DFC and DFM, was Pelly-Fry's wireless operator/ air gunner.
Another feature . . . was seeing the tracer bullets, coming from the Dieppe coastline, literally bouncing on the sea; and all in that very first light when I was returning back to Ford and flying low past the landing craft going in for the assault. (A 'one-way' traffic system was laid on for the bombers; we flew in, as I remember, with the boats on our left and returned on the other side of the Armada). The up-turned faces of our troops reminded me for some reason of a Daily Express Giles cartoon - 'little' men with snub noses and round faces, I was thankful to be an airman.
Wing Commander James Pelly-Fry, OC 88 Squadron
The two 107 Squadron Bostons flying with 226 Squadron, each carrying twelve 100 lb bombs, made their runs at 5.16 am from a height of 50 feet. They flew in at medium speed, across the cliffs east of Dieppe to blind the Rommel battery. They too met intense and accurate return fire from light flak guns and small arms fire. Sergeant R. C. Grant led them in and the second machine piloted by Sergeant G. E. Nicholls was hit and holed in many places; Sergeant R. J. Hathaway, the observer, received slight facial injuries from broken and flying perspex.
No 614 Squadron led by Wing Commander H. C. Sutton, became separated in the dark as well. Being unable to lead a coordinated attack Sutton returned to base. Flight Lieutenant P. G. Roberts flew to Dieppe and successfully dropped his phosphorous bombs on target. Flight Lieutenant J. E. Scott took his Blenheim in, meeting heavy ground fire on the approach. His machine was hit in several places, Scott being wounded in both arms, and his left leg, and had his jaw lacerated - the gunfire appearing to come mainly from an armed ship. The aircraft's radio was knocked out and as he was leading the two-man attack, he carried on to the target with Roberts following. However, the damage to his machine also affected the bomb release gear, so despite his efforts he was unable to release his bombs.
Returning across the Channel he made for Friston as his star-board engine began to lose power. As he prepared to land he found that his hydraulics had been shot out, making his undercarriage and flaps useless. Scott made a belly landing, but the bombs ignited sending the Blenheim up in flames as they exploded. In addition to his wounds, Scott was badly burned but struggling free of the wreck he pulled his unconscious observer, Sergeant W.Johnson, clear. He then escaped by rolling down the Blenheim's burning wing. His air gunner, Flight Sergeant G. R. Gifkins died in the crash and Sergeant Johnson succumbed to his injuries 36 hours later. Scott was taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead where he recovered, and he received the DFC in September.
The first bombing attack on the German gun positions, com-bined with the first smoke screen attack ended, and the Bostons returned to England.
On the way back, enough light to see all those flat-bottomed landing craft making their way. Time, about 5 am or just after. Fascinating, (and I might say a bit unnerving in case we were mistaken for an enemy aircraft) to see all the faces peering up at us under those well-known flat tin hats. Poor chaps, they had no idea just how tough their reception was going to be.
Wing Commander James Pelly-Fry, OC 88 Squadron
This first attack had cost two Blenheims and a crew, plus at least nine Bostons damaged. Already the next offensive action was well under way. As the Bostons and Blenheims returned (one 418 Squadron Boston still struggling home with its undercarriage fixed down), the Hurricanes were coming out.
At 0430 things started to happen and by 0530 hours there was a constant drone of aircraft and before long explosions were heard from the direction of the French" Coast.
87 Squadron's Form 540
The Hawker Hurricanes of 43 Squadron at RAF Tangmere began to taxi away from their dispersal areas shortly after 4.15 am. Led by the Belgian Commanding Officer Squadron Leader D. A. R. G. LeRoy Du Vivier DFC, the pilots opened their throttles and were off the ground at 4.25, flying east.
At Shoreham 3 and 245 Squadrons were also taking to the air. In the pre-dawn one 3 Squadron machine piloted by Sergeant Arm-stong, taxied into a 245 machine piloted by Flight Sergeant C. G. Cummings and both had to stay behind. 43 Squadron arrived overhead, circling as 3 and 245 became airborne, then all three squadrons turned south. Du Vivier had been a pilot in the Belgian Air Force in 1940 but escaped to England and flew in the Battle of Britain with 43 and 229 Squadrons. He returned to 43 in 1941 as a flight commander, staying to take command in July 1942. 3 Squadron was led by Squadron Leader Alex Berry DFC who had been with the squadron since September 1940 starting out as a junior officer. 245 was led and commanded by Squadron Leader Henry Mould who had previously been with 87 Squadron.
Roy Du Vivier led them all out over the still dark waters of the Channel, 34 powerful, vibrating Hurricanes each having four 20mm cannons with which to attack the light gun-positions of theGermans situated on the beaches west of the harbour - the main landing beaches Red and White - onto which the Canadians were about to land.
Flying low they arrived off Dieppe just as it was beginning to get light. Flying in the leading Hurricane (BN230 FT-A) Du Vivier was the first fighter pilot over Dieppe that day. He led his pilots in twice, flying in line abreast and turning to port after each attack. All 43's pilots reported cannon hits on gun-posts, buildings and wireless masts etc, but seven Hurricanes were hit by return ground fire. The enemy had been thoroughly alerted after the bombers had done their work and were ready for them. Du Vivier got a cannon shell through his starboard wing but it failed to damage anything vital. Flight Sergeant H. (Hank) Wik, from Canada, failed to come out of his attack being seen to crash into a field beyond the town. Pilot Officer A. E. Snell was hit and radioed to the others that he was baling out. This he did safely, having hauled his shattered machine up to 2,000 feet and he was later rescued by a tank landing craft (LCT), spending the rest of the day manning a machine gun.
Flying Officer Paddy Turkington and Pilot Officer E. Trenchard-Smith both flew back with damaged Hurricanes to make creditable landings. Turkington's machine had both elevators badly damaged and partly missing, while Trenchard-Smith had the top of his rudder and tailplane missing. Afterwards, Trenchard-Smith an Australian, became known as 'Tail-less-Ted' for with most of his tail gone, the remnants of the rudder only hung to the rudder post by the bottom hinge and the control cable.
Top prize for getting his Hurricane back and down went to Flight Lieutenant F. W. Lister. Freddie Lister's Hurricane had its port wing shattered by ground fire, a four foot hole being blasted right through it. This also removed most of the aileron as well as blowing away the panels above the cannons. The outermost cannon was wrenched askew, damaging the front spar and buckling the wing's leading edge.
Lister had to experiment with the best way to fly the Hurricane on the way home, finding that 190 mph indicated airspeed was the minimum speed at which he could maintain level flight. By looking at his shattered wing he felt it would not be prudent to attempt to lower his flaps. Arriving back over Tangmere Lister made several high speed attempts to get down, those on the ground watching anxiously. Finally he hit the ground, his airspeed indicator registering 210 mph! The Hurricane careered across the airfield throwing up lumps of earth, shedding its radiator and air intake and shearing off the propeller blades. Freddie Lister climbed down from the cockpit totally unharmed although a trifle dazed. For this effort and because he went on to fly a further three missions that day, he was awarded the DFC.
Like 43 Squadron, Berry led his 3 Squadron in twice at the beaches, encountering heavy flak. Sergeant S. D. Banks, a Canadian, was hit and seen to be in difficulties, trying desperately to ditch on the sea. He failed to return and was in fact lost. Flight Lieutenant H. E. Tappin's machine had its starboard wing fuel tank shot through as well as other damage but he brought the Hurricane back to make a good landing. The squadron's pilots found it too dark and too smokey to be able to pick out individual machine-gun positions so made general strafing attacks against the beach and headland. They approached in vie formation, then sections went in in line astern to make their runs. They were able to take advantage of the smoke screen after each attack by flying out low, using the smoke as a defensive curtain behind them.
Dicky Mould, leading 245 Squadron (BN233), went in against the same beach targets, then strafed the hotels along the promenade. On the second run the pilots had to fly in individually through dense smoke and intense anti-aircraft fire. Pilot Officer James Barton, from New Zealand, failed to come out of the first attack and was killed. Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Bennette, aged 26 also failed to come out of the attack. Pilot Officer Alfred Scott, from Nottingham, was also hit and crashed, later being reported dead from wounds received.
Dicky Mould's Hurricane was badly shot-up and as he struggled back across the Channel he gave out a May-Day call, but reached the coast. With his engine about to quit he made a wheels-up landing on the beach at Littlehampton, ploughing through the shore defences and a minefield. Pilot Officer Chris L. Gotch force-landed at Friston shot through both legs. Pilot Officer I. L. Behel also flopped down at Friston to refuel, as his main tank had been holed. He flew back to Shoreham on the refuelled gravity tank. After 245's first sortie only one Hurricane (Flight Lieutenant D. H.H. Gathercole's BE497) remained serviceable and unhit.
Squadron Leader E. R. Thorn DFM and bar led 32 Squadron out from Friston at 4.45 am (in Z3581) and added their 48 cannons to the Hurricanes' attacks. Edward Thorn had flown over Dunkirk and during the Battle of Britain as a Defiant pilot, later operating at night. With more than a dozen victories he was the top-scoring Defiant man of the war. His men fared better on their attacks; all twelve Hurricanes got back although several machines sported bullet holes.
Also from Friston came 253 Squadron, with 12 Hurricanes led by Squadron Leader D. S. Yapp DFC (HL570), also briefed to attack ground defences and gun emplacements on Dieppe's west headland. Take-off came five minutes after 32 Squadron, 4.50, and they were over the target area at 5.15. Yapp was another 1940 veteran, joining 245 and then 253 as a junior officer. He later scored the only confirmed success by a Turbanlite Hurricane pilot, the operation at night when a Douglas Havoc would light up an enemy raider while a Hurricane pilot flying nearby would attempt to shoot down the German while in the Havoc's searchlight beam. He led his pilots in against houses along the front of Dieppe which attracted moderate return fire, but intense flak came up from the defences further westward. Flying officer H. D. Seal's machine was hit on the way out and was seen to hit the sea and sink immediately. However, Harry Seal survived, and his capture by the Germans was confirmed a few weeks later. Flight Sergeant J. C. Tate, an American flying with the RAF, had his aircraft shot up but he got it home, making a crash-landing as his starboard flap had been shot away. Tate sustained superficial injuries. Another 253 Squadron Hurricane returned with its propeller shot through and several others had varying degrees of damage.
We were airborne from Friston airfield before dawn with instructions to attack gun positions and any German troop movements. We were the third Hurricane squadron to cross the coast and witnessed a spectacular barrage of flak in the faint light. Flying Officer Seal, leading the third section of four, was hit and burst into flames. We were delighted to hear subsequently that he was a POW. This was a fairly inconclusive sortie - we fired all our ammunition at the flak batteries which were not the most desirable targets, and it was very difficult to observe results in the poor light of dawn. The abundant coloured varieties of tracer were a positive reminder to fly at tree-top height.
Flight Lieutenant John Ellacombe, 253 Squadron
The two bomb-carrying Hurricane squadrons, 174 and 175, took off from RAF Ford and RAF Warm well at 4.40 am. 174 was led by their new commanding officer Squadron Leader Emile Fayolle DFC, Free French, who had only been with his new command since 1 August. After his escape from France he had flown during the Battle of Britain. 175 was led and commanded by Squadron Leader John R. Pennington-Legh, a former torpedo pilot. He led eight Hurricanes out.
Fayolle, flying his first mission as 'boss' of 174, led his pilots away but because of the bad light they had to fly out in sections. Red 4 lost his section and returned to base. The others flew across the Channel, six crossing the French coast at Camps de Cesar, five at Mesnil-en-Caux. They made straight for their assigned target, the Hitler battery which, as the light improved, they could plainly see as a large white patch on a hilltop. Amid heavy flak they dive-bombed from 1,000/1,500 feet between 5.15 and 5.20 am. John Brooks remembers distinctly the apparent newness of the concrete which was very light in colour, and that the nearby trees had been cut down and cleared.
The pilots made individual attacks on the position dropping four 250 lb and eighteen 500 lb bombs. Staying low the Hurribomber pilots sped away and made, as planned, a quick strafing run against the nearby German airfield at St Aubin. After making his attack, Fayolle was seen to head out towards England, his Number 2, Pilot Officer Harry Davies, being unable to keep up with him.
Most of Pennington-Legh's pilots dived down from 3,000 feet to 800 feet against the Goring gun position, dropped their bombs but due to heavy smoke the results could not be observed. Flight Sergeant D. W. Westcott (BP705) dropped his two bombs on three buildings nearby but again did not see them hit. Sergeant R. McGarva (BE404) could not locate Goring in the smoke so let go his bombs - two 500 pounders, on a railway siding. Flight Lieutenant B. D. Murchie's target was the German Headquarters building at Arques. Leading his section in his Hurricane (BE489) Murchie, a Canadian, failed to locate it so flew back and let his bombs go at a gun position on the coast, ten miles north-east of Dieppe.
Flight Lieutenant D. G. Andrews, an Australian, (in BP295) dropped his bombs on Goring, seeing Pennington-Legh's bombs and his own explode on some huts or small houses by the guns. Flight Sergeant R. Clunie (BE687) and Sergeant T. E. Johnson (BE503) also bombed the guns while Pilot Officer A. C. N. Stewart (BE668) also detailed to bomb Arques, found the target but failed to see any results from his bombings. More fortuitously, however, all of 175 Squadron got home.
At 4.47 am, as planned, two Spitfire Vbs of 129 Squadron left Thorney Island and flew out towards Pointe D'Ailly. They were piloted by Flying Officer H. G. Jones and Sergeant R. L. Reeves, their specific target being the lighthouse situated at Pointe D'Ailly, just west of Varengeville. Below them Lieutenant-Colonel the Lord Lovat DSO MC was leading his 4th Commando towards shore at Orange Beach to attack the Hess battery — six 150mm guns. The lighthouse was known to be used as an observation post for this battery, and was protected by a flak tower.
Jones and Reeves made their landfall four miles west of the target, being greeted by alerted gunners who put up an intensive barrage of light flak. Harry Gwyn Jones, 27, from Llanelly, Carmarthen, was hit and his Spitfire crashed into the sea in flames. His was the first Spitfire loss of 19 August.
Sergeant Reeves carried on, strafed the gun position and lighthouse, his cannon shells producing flashes on the lighthouse glass, which shattered, causing gun flashes on the lantern. His objective complete, Sergeant Reeves turned for home.
While these Hurricane and Spitfire attacks were taking place, Sergeant W. L. Buchanan was still flying his 418 Squadron Boston back to England with his wheels hanging down due, as will be remembered, to the locking pins not having been removed. Enemy air activity had been virtually non-existent in these early opening rounds of the Dieppe operation but some time after 5 am at least two Focke Wulf 190 fighters had been sent out to investigate the activity over the Channel. Shortly before 5.45 these two FW190s found Buchanan's Boston some three miles off Shoreham.
The leading Focke Wulf attacked, its first burst raking the Boston's fuselage from end to end, shot the gunner's seat away from under him, set one engine on fire and the observer, Pilot Officer P. C. McGillicuddy, was hit and seriously wounded. The Boston, one engine blazing, dipped towards the sea, Buchanan struggling to keep control but to no avail. With one final effort he got the nose up and then tried to pancake on the sea but with his wheels down it was practically impossible. The Boston hit the sea and broke in half. Sergeant Clarence G. Scott, the Canadian gunner, was thrown free as the bomber broke up. As he broke to the surface he saw the front part of the Boston rolling over and over before sinking in a sheet of spray. Buchanan and the wounded observer floated to the surface dazed and helpless.
Scott swam to the pilot, inflated his life jacket and dinghy, then got the almost unconscious pilot into it. Scott then pulled McGillicuddy to the dinghy, also disentangling the observer's parachute shrouds from around his neck and got him too into the dinghy. Scott remained in the water clutching hold of the side of the dinghy for the next fifty minutes until an Air Sea Rescue launch, HSL 442 from Littlehampton, picked them up. For his courage and presence of mind, Sergeant Scott received an immediate Distinguished Flying Medal.
The sight of the Boston going down was seen by observers on the coast. Already two Spitfires of 131 Squadron had been scrambled to patrol base when presumed enemy aircraft had been picked up on the radar screens. Two more were scrambled at 6 o'clock to escort a Walrus of 277 Squadron on the Air Sea Rescue mission to pick up the crew of the downed Boston.
It was as the Boston crashed that Sergeant Reeves of 129 Squadron, returning from the attack on Pointe D'Ailly lighthouse, saw the two Focke Wulfs, above the sea. Reeves immediately attacked the enemy fighters but one turned at him, its fire hitting Reeves' cockpit. Reeves was injured by broken glass and perspex but managed a head-on burst at one 190 and saw it fall away from 1,000 feet with thick black smoke pouring from it. The other 190 flew off.
With his Spitfire damaged by flak from Pointe D'Ailly and now from the 190s he turned for home; but radioed that enemy fighters were off Shoreham, which resulted in Wing Commander Pedley, CO of 131 Squadron being scrambled with five of his pilots to patrol off Brighton, but by the time he arrived, (flying BM420 NX—A) the enemy machines had departed.
No 277 Squadron sent out a Walrus (X9526) with Flight Sergeant T. Fletcher (pilot) and Sergeant L. R. Healey. As well as the downed Boston they were also looking for the enemy fighter's pilot which was reported probably down in the sea following a collision with either a Spitfire or a Hurricane. Whether this was in fact the scrap between Reeves and his two 190s as seen from the English coast is not certain. There is also the mystery of Squadron Leader Fayolle, GO of 174 Squadron, last seen heading towards Brighton. It is highly possible that he too had become involved in the fight of Shoreham or may have been engaged by other marauding Focke Wulfs. Green 4 of his Squadron, Flight Sergeant W. H. Wetere (BP672), a Maori, saw a Hurricane and two Spitfires engaged off Worthing with a FW190 but later saw the same Hurricane over Littlehampton. In any event 25-year-old Fayolle failed to return and was listed as missing. After the war a street just off the front at Dieppe was named after him.
The Walrus crew, Fletcher and Healey, found the dinghy in which Buchanan and McGillicuddy were huddled while Scott was still clinging to the side in the water. They directed an ASR launch to the spot and the three men were picked up. Buchanan and Scott were both taken to the Royal West Sussex Hospital while McGillicuddy went to Littlehampton Cottage Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 7.15 am the following morning. Buchanan recovered but was later killed in action. Clarence Scott who had received a large cut over his right eye in the crash plus a badly sprained ankle recovered to receive his DFM.
The surviving Hurricanes had all returned by between 6 and 6.20 am. This first low strafing and bombing attack had cost the Hurricane squadrons eight aircraft plus nearly a further twenty damaged, four seriously. However, the first troops were now ashore although heavily engaged, many being pinned down on the beaches. Due to the heavy cross-fire from both the town and from the two headlands, the planned rush up the beach and into the town did not happen. Eventually, just after 7 am, the Casino was taken and later still a few groups made it into the town but in the main the raiders on Red and White beaches remained on these beaches.
1 Woodland, Neville and Boyd were all buried at Dieppe.
1 Don Walch, by 1944, was on Mosquito intruders and was taken prisoner when he and Wing Commander Bob Braham were shot down over Denmark shortly after D—Day.
