KITS 08/2020

N3180, P/O Alan Christopher Deere (RNZAF), No. 54 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Essex, May 1940

BATTLE of FRANCE. No. 54 Squadron transitioned from the Gladiator onto the Spitfire Mk.I at the beginning of 1940. It was the only RAF squadron

that was equipped almost exclusively with Mk.I Spits that featured Rotol RMS 7 constant-speed propellers. Aircraft serialled N3180 was representative of the Spitfire sporting all upgrade features seen on the type. What is not certain is whether or not interior armor was carried, and the rearview

mirror was not, as was the case with the majority of Spitfires at the time. That came about as a reaction to the intense combat over Dunkirk. After

the German attack on Holland, Fighter Command squadrons were tasked with air cover for retreating Allied units. New Zealander Al Deere, who first

flew a Spitfire on March 6th, undertook Channel patrol missions after his return from a period of inactivity induced by health reasons. These missions

extended into offensive actions undertaken over the European mainland side of the Channel. He also took part in No. 54 Squadron’s air support of

retreating Allied units on May 16th. On May 23rd, Deere, along with other pilots, took part in the escort of a Miles Magister flown by F/Lt. James

Leathart, to pick up No. 74 Squadron CO Laurie White, who crash landed not far from Calais. It was during this mission that Deere shot down his first

two Bf 109s. The next day, he added another over Saint-Omer, and on May 26th, he dispatched a couple of Bf 110s over Gravelines. On the night of

the 26th of May, Operation Dynamo began the evacuation of Dunkirk. For FC, this meant several flights per day over the evacuation beaches and

also significant losses. On May 28th, Deere sustained damage from the defensive fire coming from a Do 17, and he had to belly in on a beach. He managed to hop an evacuation ship, cross the Channel to Dover while enduring the taunting of stressed and evacuated infantry, get to London by train,

and after a 19-hour anabasis, finally reaching Hornchurch. No. 54 Squadron took part in the Battle of Britain after the successful Dunkirk evacuation

and a short rest at Catterick. Al Deere is credited with seven confirmed kills during the Battle of Britain. Over the course of the Second World War, he

held several command positions, commanded No. 602 Squadron, later in 1942 No. 403 Squadron RCAF, commanded the Biggin Hill Wing, and also

the French 143rd Wing in May, 1944. In July, 1944, he became a member of the Staff of the 84th Group. His total tally is 22 kills (some sources cite

seventeen). He remained in the service until his retirement in 1967, with the rank of Air Commodore. In 1991, he published his memoirs called ‘Nine

Lives’. A holder of the Order of the British Empire and one of the most famous of all New Zealand and British pilots, he passed away September 22nd,

1995, at the age of 77.

P9443, F/Lt Douglas Bader, No. 222 Squadron, RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire / Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, early June 1940

DARKNESS HOUR. Bader’s P9443 is an example of the final Spitfire Mk.I configuration, including armored tanks, windscreen and seat. The aircraft still had not been equipped with

a rearview mirror or armored headrest. The legend that was Douglas Bader lost both legs in a crash in a Bristol Bulldog Mk.II during aerobatics training on December 14th, 1931. He returned

to the RAF after the outbreak of the Second World War, and after testing that confirmed his aerial abilities and conversion training, he was assigned to No. 19 Squadron in January, 1940.

While serving with this unit, he crashed in a Spitfire on landing, and pronounced that had he not lost both his legs earlier, he would have done so now. Prior to the beginning of the German

offensive of May 10th, 1940, he was transferred to No. 222 Squadron as a Flight Leader. During Operation Dynamo, No. 222 Squadron took part in providing air cover for the evacuation of

Dunkirk. Here, Bader got his first Bf 109 kill, and he damaged several other German aircraft. On June 28th, 1940, he was made CO of No. 242 Squadron, which was dominated by Canadian

personnel and was armed with the Hurricane Mk.I, with which he took part in the Battle of Britain. During the BoB, he was a big supporter of fighter operations involving large groups, the

Composite Wing, also known as the Big Wing, made up of up to five squadrons. In a test of his theory, he led the Duxford Wing, made up of five squadrons, No.s 242, 19, 310 (Czechoslovak),

302 (Polish) and 611. The results were not satisfactory. It was not possible to properly formate such a large number of aircraft. This caused Bader’s Wing to show up at the designated location late, and the utilization of such a concentration of assets was deemed disproportionately ineffective. As a result, the idea was fairly quietly dropped. During the Battle of Britain, Bader is

credited with eleven confirmed kills. On March 18th, 1941, he was named Wing Commander of the Tangmere Wing, made up of No. 145, 610 and 613 Squadrons. These units took part in

offensive operations in occupied France. At the time, he flew the Spitfire Mk.Va, coded DB, which yielded his somewhat pejorative call sign ‘Dogsbody’. On September 9th, 1941, Bader was

shot down in combat, west of Saint Omer, with a JG 26 Bf 109F, and taken prisoner. On bailing from his aircraft, he lost one of his prosthetic limbs, and a replacement was ensured for him by

Adolf Galland, with Hermann Goring’s approval. It was dropped off at Saint Omer on August 19th by a Bristol Blenheim in an operation dubbed Circus 81. Who actually shot down Bader is

not clear, and no German pilot ever took the credit. It has been speculated that there was a collision of two airplanes, or that this may have been a case of friendly fire. There is even

a version of events that implies that he was intentionally shot down by another Spitfire. It is interesting to note that his damaged prosthetic limb was recovered in a field, but his Spitfire was

never found. Bader was placed in the well known POW camp at Stalag Luft III in Sagan, and after several unsuccessful attempts at escape, he was transferred on August 18th, 1942, to Oflag

IV-C, located at Colditz castle in Saxony. There, he was released on April 15th, 1945, by advancing American troops. He left the RAF in July, 1946. Until his retirement in 1969, he worked for

the Shell company. He was politically active as a member of the House of Commons of the British Parliament. He was well known for his very conservative and even then, to say nothing of

today, controversial views. He authored a well known book, titled ‘Reach for the Sky’ that was made into a movie, where the role of Bader was played by Kenneth More. He passed away on

September 5th, 1982, suffering a heart attack after a dinner held in honor of Marshal Arthur Harris.

INFO Eduard - August 2020

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