Back to the Conflict:

While on leave, on September 13th, Charlie is transferred to 607 Squadron based at RAF Tangmere.

607 Squadron spent most of the Battle of Britain at its home base (Usworth) re-equipping but in September 1940 it returned south to take part in the Battle.

On the September 15th along with P/O. Evans, Charlie joins 607 Squadron.

Charlie with 607 Squadron - from the Blackadder collection.

It is September 18th before Charlie flies his first sortie with 607 Squadron, an early evening patrol around Kenley, Biggen Hill with nothing seen.

Between September 19th and 24th in a similar pattern, sees Charlie flies further sorties without and sightings or interceptions.

On September 24th enemy aircraft are spotted escaping in distance but not intercepted. Again on September 25th an enemy aircraft is sighted but not intercepted.

Finally on September 26th, 607 Squadron were at last in action against enemy aircraft attacking various targets around Southampton, two enemy aircraft destroyed and one damaged.

September 27th and 28th was again back to sorties without sighting enemy, then in afternoon whilst on patrol the squadron see enemy aircraft 4 miles east of Seley and when investigation they are attacked, combat followed and F/O. Gore and F/O. Evans were attacked and reported missing. Charlie was not flying in this sortie.

September 29th in the afternoon Charlie on patrol, enemy aircraft is sighted but no interception.

On September 30th Charlie is involved in earlier sorties with nothing seen, Later in the day the squadron is in action but on this occasion Charlie is not with them.

Only success with 607 Squadron

Charlie finally succeeded in damaging a Me110 over West Needles on October 1st at 10:45 hours when the squadron were engaged in dogfights with 3 formations of about 40 enemy aircraft. His is the only enemy damage recorded for that day, but the Squadron lost P/O. Bowen in Hurricane I P2900 and Sgt. Brumby in Hurricane I V6686.

Charlie gives details of the encounter in his combat report as follows:

I was Red 2 and Red section went into line astern of Blue section and carried out a head-on attack.

I attacked the right hand E.A which turned off to the left and gave me an astern attack of about 200 yards. I fired two long bursts and the port engine of the 110 was seen to catch fire, at which time I was myself hit by another Me110 who was on my tail and this caused me to head away. I saw first Me110 dive down towards sea but could not observe final outcome.

Left: Charlie's Combat Report for October 1st 1940.

On October 2nd Charlie was again on patrol but nothing seen.There are no further reports of Charlie patrolling with 607 Squadron.
On October 7th whilst the squadron was on patrol two hurricanes collided, P/O. A.M.W. Scott was able to bail out of his Hurricane I P3860 but P/O. Difford was killed flying Hurricane I L1728.607 Sqn ORBs showing flights taken by Charlie during his time with the squadron.
On October 10th 607 Squadron aircraft, pilots and staff moved from RAF station Tangmere to RAF Station Turnhouse, by air, road and rail.
Sep 18 - UK - 1 hr 20 mins - 7th Sortie - Kenley, Biggen Hill - Nothing seen Blackadder, Gore, Irving, Craig, Bowmen, Evans, Olesen, Sulman, Surma, Cunningham
Sep 19 - UK - 35 mins - 3rd Sortie - Convoy - Gore, Olesen
Sep 20 - UK - 40 mins - 2nd Sortie - Patrol - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Olesen
Sep 21 - UK - 30 mins - 3rd Sortie - Patrol Base - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Gore, Irving, Olesen, Burnell-Phillips
Sep 21 - UK - 1hr 20 mins - 4th Sortie - Patrol - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Irving, Craig, Bowmen, Sulman, Burnell-Phillips
Sep 22 - UK - 40 mins - 2nd Sortie - Patrol - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Gore, Irving, Craig, Bowmen, Sulman, Surma, Burnell-Phillips
Sep 23 - UK - 1hr 15 mins - 1st Sortie - Patrol Mayfield - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Gore, Craig, Bowmen, Sulman, Burnell-Phillips, Cunningham
Sep 24 - UK - 1hr 20 mins - 6th Sortie - Patrol Horsham, Sevenoaks - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Irving, Craig, Bowmen, Evans, Haywood, Sulman, Surma, Burnell-Phillips, Spyer, Barnes
Sep 24 - UK - 40 mins - 9th Sortie - Patrol Southampton, Isle of Wight - E/A seen, not engaged - Gore, Irving, Craig, Bowmen, Evans, Haywood, Sulman, Surma, Burnell-Phillips, Spyer, Barnes
Sep 24 - UK - 30 mins - 10th Sortie - Patrol Base - Nothing seen - Gore, Irving
Sep 25 - UK - 20 mins - 1st Sortie - Patrol Base - He111 seen, not engaged - Gore, Irvin
Sep 25 - UK - 1hr 35 mins - 3rd Sortie - Patrol Convoy - Nothing seen - Gore, Irving, Burnell-Phillips, Spyer, Barnes
Sep 25 - UK - 40 mins - 4th Sortie - Patrol Convoy - Nothing seen - Bazin, Gore, Irving, Bowen, Evans, Heywood, Burnell-Phillips, Spyer, Barnes
Sep 26 - UK - 1hr 4th Sortie - Patrol Base - E/A engaged at Southampton - Blackadder, Bazin, Surma, Burnell-Phillips, Cunningham, Hewitt
Sep 27 - UK - 1hr 40 mins - 2nd Sortie - Patrol Convoy - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Cunningham
Sep 27 - UK - 1hr 15 mins - 4th Sortie - Patrol St Catherine Point - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Bazin, Gore, Craig, McConnell, Evans, Haywood, Surma, Cunningham, Spyer
Sep 27 - UK - 55 mins - 6th Sortie - Patrol Mayfield - Nothing seen - Blackadder, Bazin, Irving, Craig, Sulman, Surma, Evans, Burnell-Phillips, Cunningham, Barnes, Brumby
Sep 29 - UK - 45 mins - 3rd Sortie - Wing Patrol - E/A sighted not engaged - Bazin, Craig, Upton, Evans, McConnell, Sulman, Surma, Burnell-Phillips, Cunningham, Spyer
Sep 29 - UK - 20 mins - 4th Sortie - Patrol Base - Nothing Seen - Bazin, Craig, Upton, Evans, McConnell, Sulman, Surma, Burnell-Phillips, Cunningham, Spyer
Sep 30 - UK - 1hr - 4th Sortie - Patrol Tonbridge - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, Bazin, Craig, Upton, Evans, Scott, Haywood, Sulman, Cunningham, Spyer
Sep 30 - UK - 1hr - 5th Sortie - Patrol Southampton - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, Bazin, Craig, Upton, Evans, Haywood, Sulman, Cunningham, Spyer
Oct 01 - UK - 40 mins - 3rd Sortie - Patrol Base - E/A engaged at Needles - Blackadder, Bazin, Bowen, McConnell, Heywood, Sulman, Brumby
Oct 01 - UK - 30 mins - 4th Sortie - Patrol Base - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, McConnell
Oct 02 - UK - 15 mins - 1st Sortie - Patrol - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, Craig, Upton, Haywood, Surma, Cunningham, Spyer
Oct 02 - UK - 25 mins - 2nd Sortie - Patrol - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, Upton, Evans, Scott, Cunningham, Spyer, Szafranniec
Oct 02 - UK - 15 mins - 1st Sortie - Patrol - Nothing Seen - Blackadder, Craig, Upton, Haywood, Surma, Cunningham, Spyer

Notes:

1> 25 year old Fl/Lt. William Ernest Gore DFC. 90279 RAF (A) Missing on the 28th September 1940 whilst with 607 Squadron. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, from Brighton, Sussex, England.
2> F/O. Ivor Benison Difford 39865 RAF Killed on the 07th October 1940, from Transvaal, South Africa.
3> 29 year old W/Cdr Alexander Coultate Rabagliati 37209 RAF DFC and Bar Missing on the 06th July 1943 whilst serving with 195 Squadron. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, from Guildford, Surrey, England.
4> 20 year old Sgt. Norman Brumby 74228 RAFVR Killed on the 01st October 1940 from Hull, England.
5> 24 year old Fl/Lt. Charles Earle Bowen 39488 RAF Killed on the 01st October 1940 from Chelsea, London, England.
6> Fl/Lt. Peter Anthony Burnell-Phillips DFM 37848 RAF killed on the 09th February 1941 whilst with 607 Squadron.
7> 29 year old Fl/Lt. Maurice Milne Irving 90277 RAF (A) missing on the 28th September 1940 whilst with 607 Squadron from Jesmond, Northumberland, England.
8> 25 year old F/O. Franciszek Surma 76713 PAF Missing on the 08th November 1941 whilst with 308 (P) Squadron, from Galcowice, Poland.
9> Alec Maxine Wright Scott killed on the 02nd January 1940 in Hurricane II Z2383 whilst with 607 Squadron.
10> Joseph Robert Kayll then W/Cdr. was shot down and captured whilst with 54 Squadron on the 25th June 1941.
11> 23 year old Sgt. Richard Alfred Spyer Missing on the 22nd March 1941 whilst with 261 Squadron, from Worcester Park, Surrey, England.
12> P/O. David Evans MiD killed on the 28th May 1943 whilst with 25 Squadron.
13> John Sulman missing on the 23rd November 1941 whilst with 238 Squadron.
14> Flt/Lt. William Francis Blackadder DSO. OBE passed away in 1997.
15> P/O. Hamilton Charles Upton DFC passed away in 1965.
16> Douglas Haywood then Sq/Ldr passed away in 1988.
17> James Michael Bazin DFC. DSO passed away in 1985.
18> Wilkinson Barnes MiD then a Sq/Ldr passed away in 1980.
19> Wilfred Pallasen Olesen then a W/Cdr. killed on the 06th July 1950.

Chapters:

Loss with 46 Squadron

1> Growing up, pre RAF and training

2> His period with 601 Squadron

3> 615 squadron and France

4> 607 Squadron

5> Pilot Officer Charles Young and Miss Beryl Pockett

6> Summary and Acknowledgments

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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