KITS 05/2023

Spitfire Vc Trop, BP975, F/Lt Denis Barnham, No. 601 Squadron, RAF Luqa, Malta, April - May 1942

After the outbreak of the war, Dennis Barnham

joined RAF in April 1941. Initially he served with

the No. 65 Squadron, in July he was ordered to

the No. 609 Squadron and on December 30 he

was transferred to the No. 154 Squadron. In April

1942 he was promoted and assigned to the No. 601

Squadron as a flight leader. At that time the unit

was preparing for the deployment to Malta. On

April 20, 1942, during the operation code-named

Calendar, he flew off the American aircraft carrier

USS Wasp (CV-7) for the island. During April and

May Barnham scored five aerial victories, all of

them flying Spitfire BP975. On board of USS Wasp

(CV-7), over its original desert camouflage his

Spitfire was painted in the US Navy Non Specular

Blue Gray used on the USS Wasp escort F4F

Wildcats. Denis Barnham was an artist as well

and he often painted and drew sketches. Some of

his drawings were included in the book One Man’s

Window (William Kimber, 1956) he wrote after the

war about his experiences from Malta.

Spitfire Vc Trop, BR126, P/O Jerrold A. Smith, No. 126 Squadron, USS Wasp (CV-7), May 1942

On May 9, 1942, after he took off in his Spitfire

BR126 X-3, the Canadian pilot, P/O Jerrold Alpine

“Jerry” Smith found out that his drop tank was

inoperable, and he was not able to reach the

airfield on Malta. He jettisoned his tank and

received order to bail out of his Spitfire. Instead,

Jerry inquired about the attempt to save the

aircraft by landing it on the aircraft carrier deck.

After the captain approved, he indeed tried to do

it. His first approach was too high and too fast

however his second attempt was successful, and

he safely landed his Spitfire mere six feet from

38

INFO Eduard

the end of the flight deck. He managed, as the first

in world, to land a Spitfire on the aircraft carrier

and without an arresting hook! For his deed

P/O “Jerry” Smith was unofficially awarded the

American Navy Wings from the flight deck officer

David McCampbell, the future most successful

USN fighter pilot who, as a LSO (Landing Signal

Officer) directed the whole operation. Jerry

ultimately made it to Malta couple of days later

on May 19 with another batch of Spitfires during

the Operation LB. In Malta, he met his brother

Rod at the No. 126 Squadron and on July 18 they

together shot down a Ju 88. On August 10, 1942, he

took off in the order to search for some targeted

minelayers. He was seen for the last time

pursuing a Ju 88 on the course towards Sicily.

Neither aircraft made it back to the home base.

His brother Rod was searching hours for him but

did not find any sign of neither the body nor his

Spitfire. Jerry’s name is engraved on the Malta’s

memorial. During the Malta fighting he scored

four individual kills and shared one.

May 2023