Last of the Few
The Battle of Britain in the words of the pilots who won it.
- By The Editors
- AirSpaceMag.com, August 01, 2011
«« Previous | 7 of 10
| Next »»
An RAF sergeant assists pilot Chesley Peterson, Eagle Squadron, in securing his parachute before entering a Hawker Hurricane. Photograph courtesy NASM.
Pilot Officer Tony Bartley
92 Squadron
We did five sorties a day. We never stopped—we just went. You went to your dispersal hut half an hour before dawn, but when the Tannoy [PA system] said scramble, you scrambled. You went up and you fought all day long until the sun went down. Whether it be three, four, five missions a day—you just fought and fought and fought. At the end of the day we got off the airfield, because they used to bomb us at night, so we would go down to the White Hart at Brasted and drink a lot of beer.
«« Previous | 7 of 10
| Next »»
| Tweet | Digg |
Comments (1)
The photos and excerpts from "The Last of the Few" are superb, vivid, and moving. I will certainly be adding this fine volume to my collection. One comment, however. The aircraft in the photo of the the fighter going down, presumably during The Battle of Britain, is described as a Hurricane. I believe it is a Spitfire. Note the somewhat thinner fuselage, and the thinner wing, which appears to be elliptical, the classic signature of the graceful Supermarine vs. the more workmanlike Hawker. Under the left wing, you can also see a small, cylindrical protrusion found only on the Spit. Though it was more than 70 years ago, I hope that pilot made it out.
Posted by Richard Moffa on October 27,2011 | 06:19 PM