Battle of Britain 1940: Boulton-Paul Defiant: Stupid Idea or Dreadful Lead...

Battle of Britain 1940: Boulton-Paul Defiant: Stupid Idea or Dreadful Lead...

Resistance & Fighting Axis Occupation In the Second World War

Resistance, as shown on More4

Apologies for not blogging more recently, but there has been so much to watch on TV about The Battle Of Britain it has left little time for writing. Then I saw this brilliant French TV serial about the French  Resistance. It centres around a group of people distributing a newspaper called Resistance. You can follow this link to watch it on More4

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/resistance/episode-guide

 The docility of many French people in Occupied France is apparent, the collaboration of the Police with the Germans is sickening, and the lack of freedom apparent. Most Frenchmen did collaborate with the enemy, how they could hold their heads high after the war is a mystery to me. 

Resistance fighters provided a valuable source of intelligence to the Allies (as long as they weren't infiltrated like the Dutch underground). If it wasn't for brave fighters risking their lives, many former prisoners of war would not have reached safety after escaping. They also caused chaos behind the lines, destroying railways, bridges and other acts of sabotage.

Deadliest Plane Of the Royal Air Force - Story Of The Spitfire

Sailor Malan's Ten Commandments #Ace #WW2 #BattleofBritain

Sailor Malan, found at: http://www.leisuregalleries.com/malan.html

Adolph Malan known as 'Sailor Malan' was a South African RAF pilot in World War 2. Prior to entering the Royal Air Force he had served aboard ships, hence the nickname.

Malan flew Spifires, shooting  down two Heinkel 111's in bright moonlight on the evening of 19th 20th June 1940, an impressive feat at the time. For this he received a Bar to his DFC, which he had won whilst over Dunkirk, being credited for five kills.

On August 11th 1940 Sailor Malan was given command of 74 Squadron, they were sent to intercept a raid near Dover followed by three more. By the end of the day 74 Squadron claimed 38 enemy aircraft shot down. From that day on the day was known as 'Sailor's August 11th'.  By the time the war ended Malan also won DSO and Bar, the Croix De Guerre, French Legion Of Honour, and Czechoslovak Cross 1939-1945. In 1945 his tally was; 27 enemy aircraft destroyed, 7 shared, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged.

Sailor malan is infamous for his 'Ten Commandments'. These were found posted on most airfields in World War 2.

MALAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

Ten of my rules for air fighting

1. Wait until you see the whites of his eyes. Fire short bursts of one or two seconds, and only when your sights are definitely 'on'.

2. Whilst shooting think of nothing else. Brace the whole of the body, have both hands on the stick, concentrate on your ring site.

3. Always keep a sharp look-out. 'Keep your finger out'.

4. Height gives you the initiative.

5. Always turn and face the attack.

6. Make your decisions promptly. It is better to act quickly, even though your tactics are not the best.

7. Never fly straight and level for more than thirty seconds in the combat area.

8. When diving to attack, always leave a proportion of your formation above to act as top guard.

9.  INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE and TEAM WORK are words that MEAN  something in air fighting.

10. Go in quickly, - Punch hard - Get out!

Sailor Malan survived the war, left as a Group Captain and returned to South Africa. He became a spokesman for the anti-apartheid movement and died of Parkinsons disease in 1963.

'I'd Rather Fight In A Spitfire But Fly In A Hurricane' , Ginger Lacey #WW2 #RAF Battle Of Britain Ace

Ginger Lacey, RAF Battle Of Britain Ace

Unfortunately, during World War 2, there was much snobbery in the armed forces. NCO pilots did not mix with Commissioned Officers even though they flew and fought together. They ate separately, dined and slept in separate accommodation. NCO's were just as capable of flying as Officers, this was proved by Ginger Lacey.  Lacey shot down 15 enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain and one shared.

James Ginger Lacey was a Sergeant pilot from Yorkshire who always wanted to fly. His parents made him take an apprenticeship as a chemist, he later joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and became a civilian instructor. In France, May 1940, he shot down three German aircraft on his first sortie. During the Battle of Britain he was shot down nine times sustaining only minor injuries or escaping unscathed. Lacey was decorated with the Croix de Guerre and Distinguished Flying Medal and Bar. He received a permanent commission in the RAF after the war and stayed until his retirement in 1967. Ginger Lacey died at Bridlington in 1989. A famous quote from Lacey in an interview: I'd rather fight in a Spitfire but fly in a Hurricane' was because he said the Hurricane was made from non-essential parts - it did everything you needed it to http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-ginger-lacey. Lacey was also an aircraft adviser for the infamous Battle of Britain film with the all star cast. Please have a look at the audio interview I found:

#WW2 The Hawker Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane Mk2, found at: http://img1.jetphotos.net:8080/img/2/2/6/5/67264_1280949562.jpg

The Hawker Hurricane was the most numerous British fighter aircraft in the Battle of Britain. 1715 Hurricanes flew in the Battle of Britain, outnumbering all other fighter types. It is a shame it is overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire as Hurricane pilots were credited with more than eighty percent of kills in the Battle of Britain. It was the first British fighter to achieve a top speed of over 300 mph at 20,000 ft (328mph) and was armed with eight .303 Browning machine guns. RAF History of the Hawker Hurricane. It could fly whilst sustaining heavy damage and provided a stable gun platform. The wider set undercarriage made it a safer aircraft to land than the Spit. 3774 Hawker Hurricanes were made in total at the Hawker and Gloster aircraft factories during late 1939 and early 1940 http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0010.html

Gordon Stevens - And All The King's Men

This is one cracking read. I admit I am a fan of alternative endings to various historical events. This book by Gordon Stevens (you can get secondhand on sites like amazon.co.uk as its out of print) puts an alternative spin on the Battle of Britain and depicts a German victory in England in 1940.  The main character in the book is a man called Jack Masters, a Kent farmer who is approached by British intelligence before the outbreak of war in France. He is asked if he would be interested in joining a resistance network, and of course he says yes. The book is very descriptive about events of the invasion, the annihilation of the Royal Air Force, and the subsequent collaboration by the majority, and the small number who choose to resist, albeit in a small way. My only criticism of this excellent book is that Stevens writes the Germans do not progress any further north than the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland. This is very difficult to believe, surely the Germans would have wanted to complete invasion, especially before invading the Soviet Union. But hey, don't let this put anyone off buying or reading this excellent book, imagine if this had really happened? Its a scary thought...