Operation: Patrol

Date: 23rd October 1942 (Thursday)

Unit No: 185 Squadron

Type: Spitfire VB

Serial: EP685

Code: GL:?

Base: RAF Hal Far, Malta

Location: Dingli, Malta

Pilot: Flt Lt. Alec Ian Lindsay 83982 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

This is a rather special page. One of our leading researchers, Linda Ibrom - her parents were very good friends during the war with the mother of this pilot. Linda inherited her parents wartime album and as she had met Alec’s wife when she was a little girl she had tried to track his son down to re-unite him with all the photos that she had of his mother. after about a year of research and postings on various websites they finally met, Gordon Lindsay flew over from Australia and she managed to provide him with many letters about his mother helping him to understand her years in her earlier life.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 23rd October 1942 at 06:30 hrs eight (8) Spitfires from 185 Squadron were scrambled to engage about 35 Bf109s approached Malta in two swift raids, the first just after 06:30hrs. Bombs fell in St Paul's Bay and near Mosta and Mtarfa. Bofors gunners put up an intense barrage and claimed two low-level raiders shot down.

One confirmed victim was Uffz. Heribert Wagner from 5./JG 53 whose Bf109 G-2 Werk #10524 “Black 12 + -“ crashed near Mgarr killing the pilot.

Sgt. Ray Saunders flying Spitfire VBT EP467, on only his second operational flight with the squadron, shot down Obgfr. Rudolf Hagen from 4./JG 53, flying Bf109G-2 Werk #10479 “White 8 +-“, who baled out over the sea off Gozo and was picked up by a rescue craft from Malta. Flt Lt. Charney flying Spitfire VBT EP471 claimed a second damaged.

Note the suffix “T” denotes that the Spitfire was a Tropical version.

Fg Off. Lindsay's Spitfire was seen to dive from 20,000 feet, minus its tail unit, to crash into a field near Dingli killing the pilot. Initially it was assumed that he had been shot down by a Bf109 but later it was claimed that his was the second fighter claimed shot down by the Bofors batteries. (Ref 1. pp 632 to 633).

However, the Maltese ground observers whose reports were summarized in the “Malta War Diary” were witnesses to an air collision. They saw two aircraft going down almost simultaneously although not explicitly as a result of a collision, but a shared moment of destruction.

This, combined with Obgfr. Rudolf Hagen’s first-hand account, is why historians now consider it almost certain that the two aircraft damaged each other in that same head-on pass.

Alec Ian Lindsay was educated at Kings School, Bruton, Somerset and joined the RAFVR in approximately June 1939 as Airman U/T pilot (75445), doing his weekend flying at 6E and RFTS Sywell.

He married Marjorie ‘Micky’ Syrett on 29th June 1940 at St. Mary and St. Peter's Church, Montrose, Scotland. They had one son Gordon Robin Brierley Lindsay, born in November 1941 in Bedford.

Served in:

No. 6 EFTS - Sywell - No. 8 FTS - Montrose - No. 5 OTU - Aston Down - 64 Squadron - Kenley / Hornchurch - 72 Squadron - Biggin Hill - Battle of Britain - Joined at Croydon on 11th September 1940 as Pilot Officer, flying his first operation on 15th September 1940 (Battle of Britain day) with a patrol over Canterbury during which the Squadron claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed and two damaged. 222 Squadron - Coltishall - No. 58 OTU. - Grangemouth (Instructor) - Squadron - Hawkinge - MFSU. - Farnborough - MFSU. - Speke - SS. - Empire Franklin - SS. - Empire Gale - SS. - Empire Faith - No. 3 - Delivery flight - SS. - Empire Faith - 132 Squadron - 118 Squadron - 185 Squadron.

Training:

1st Instruction - 29th November 1939 - 1st Solo - 16th December 1939 - Qualified as a first day and night pilot - 15th May 1940 - Commissioned (London Gazette) Pilot Officer (83982) with effect from 27th July 1940 and seniority of 21st July 1940, promoted to Flying Officer 27th July 1941 and seniority of 21st July 1941, promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 27th July 1942 and seniority of 21st July 1942.

Active Service:

1st Scramble - 5th September 1940 - Shot down - 14th September 1940. This was his 1st engagement with enemy aircraft. He engaged the enemy 6 times during the following 6 days, all Bf109s. 1st Instruction - 30th January 1940. 1st Catapult by rocket from a Merchant ship - 11th June 1941. His log entry is one succinct word - "amazing"

Aircraft Flown:

Tiger Moth - Master - Hurricane 1 - Spitfire 1 - Magister - Havard - Spitfire 2 - Spitfire 5 - Fulmar - Sea Hurricane - Harrow - Blenheim - Dominee - Hurricane 2 - Hudson - Spitfire 5B Long Range - Spitfire 5B Tropical - Spitfire 5C.

Lead 4 Spitfires from HMS Furious to Malta under Operation Bellows - 17th August 1942 - 14 Pilots arrived for the squadron on this day - sadly 7 of these were later killed and another taken PoW.

In a letter to Ian's step Mother, “Micky” described what occurred according to Cyril Locke who used to play rugby with Ian for the Park and happened to be on the Furious at the time.

"They went with the big convoy that had so much trouble on the way - and apparently had a very hectic time getting there. Nerves were pretty frayed by the time they reached their destination and the first 'plane that took off went straight into the sea. This was an added strain on their nerves – but Alec(aka Ian) went off next and according to Cyril - like a bird - and he led the Squadron to their 'drome in record time."

Ian's entry in his log 17/8/42 says

"Led 4 Spitfires from H.M.S. Furious to Malta. Shaky do !".

Burial details:

Flt Lt. Alec Ian Lindsay. Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Prot. Sec. (Officers), Plot E. Coll. Grave 3. Born on 14th August 1918 in Nairobi, Kenya. Son of Alec Gerald and Winifred Ella Lindsay of Kenya. Husband of Marjorie ‘Micky ‘ Elsie Lindsay of Bedford, England.

Researched for Aircrew Remembered by our own Linda Ibrom. Grateful thanks for family and flying history to Alec's son, Gordon Lindsay and to Marion (née Ripley) Simms and Vernon Harcourt Simms, (parents of Linda Ibrom), wartime friends of Alec’s wife. Clive V. Simms for photo's of Battle of Britain Memorial, Kent. Also to Kevin Mifsud (Malta). Finally to the great researcher, Henk Welting for further details (Jun 2017). Reviewed and updated with thanks to Michael Zuk for the new information regarding the loss of Spitfire VB EP685 (Nov 2025)

Other sources listed below:

Reference(s):

1. Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942 – Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia: ISBN 0-948817-17-X.

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