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SNAPPERS ABOUT – The Battle of Britain, Geoffrey Wellum, a very young Spitfire pilot recounts…
The afternoon looks drab and grey. Cloud not too low, so no reason why the war shouldn’t continue. On the climb up Ronnie calls Ops to report in. ‘Reduce to angels five’ Sapper suddenly calls ‘Buster, buster Margate’. Bombs have just been dropped. Sapper sounds excited. Visibility is poor with a mistiness over the sea, not helping in catching these hit-and-run boys. ‘Gannic Blue 1, bogeys reported over Broadstairs and Ramsgate at 1,500 feet’. ‘Two aircraft nine o’clock low, almost on the deck. Geoffrey you lead, we’ll follow’. They are ME 109s. We are dead astern and they haven’t seen us. ‘Sapper, this is Gannic Blue 1. Tally-ho! Two 109s’ – Controller excitedly says ‘Go to it lads. Good luck!’
Four lethal determined-looking Spitfires are closing behind looking for the kill. Pilots hunched forward in their cockpits, concentrating and intense. ‘we’re British and we’re going to clobber you for coming over here to kill our people’. Gun button on to fire. Reflector sight on and set. Still pulling them into range nicely, I suddenly become horribly calm … you’re there, Geoff. The guns fire. A huge puff of white vapour explodes from the centre section of the 109. What a burst. That’s really clobbered him, he goes straight into the sea like a gannet. A truly terrific splash. Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of another large splash. At least it was quick. Less than a minute ago two German pilots were contentedly heading back home and now, in just sixty short seconds, they are both dead, still strapped in their seats at the bottom of the Channel. What a world Geoff, you’ve just killed a fellow fighter pilot. He didn’t even know what hit him.
Returning to Biggin, there seems little elation, no thumbs up signs. We’re all lucky, at least we’re on our way home. The section closes into a tight formation. Safely on the ground. I’m back home. Who would ever guess at the damage we have done in our little Spitfires? I notice Tom Wiesse, the Intelligence Officer, appearing from behind our primitive dispersal-point toilet doing up his fly. That reminds me, all that NAAFI tea is giving me hell !!
Size Calculator
70cm x 50cm = 27.5” x 19.5”
66cm x 40cm = 26” x 15.5”
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