May 30.
Among the many interesting publications which have recently come to hand is a bro-chute published by His Majesty's Stationery 'OMice entitled "The Baltic of Britain" cover~ ing that period last year from Angus) to October when Goering sought to smash British resistance by daylight raids over the British Isles, in which she Germans were roundly thrashed and suffered the greatest defeat they have experienced up to the present in this war. From one of its later pages the following inspiring passage is taken:—
To read the combat reports, written by the pilots Immediately after landing from a fight, to receive the impression of well-trained young men, conscious of their responsibilities fand fulfilling them at all times with resolu tion and high courage, "Patroied South of Thames (approximately Gravesend Area) at 25,000 foot," runs the report of one Squadyon Leader in action on tone of the "great" days, "Saw 4wo squadrons pose underneath us in formation travelling N.W, in purposeful manner, 'Then saw A.A, bursts, so turned Wing and saw enemy air~ craft 3,000 fect below to the NW, Managed perfect' approach with two other squadrons Between our Hurricanes and sun and enemy aircraft below and down sin, Arrived over enemy aircraft formation of {wonty to forty Do.l7: noticed 24¢,109 dive out of sun and warned our Spitfires to look out, Me,100 broke away snd climbed 8, B, Was about fo attack enemy. aircraft which were turing left handed, J,¢,, to west and south, when T noticed Spitfires and Hurricanes ngagig them, Was compelled to walt for risk of collisions, However, warned wing to watch other friend-fighters and dived down with leading. section in formation on to last section of five enemy aircraft, Pilot OMeer........t00k left-hand Do.17, 1 took middle one'and Flight~ Lieutenant,.....took the right-hand one which had''iost ground on outside of turn, Opened fire at 100 yards in sleep dive and saw a large flash behind starboard motor of Dornier as wing caught fire: must have hit petrol pipe or fork: overshot and. pulled up Steeply. Then carried on and al lacked another Bo.17, but had to break away to avoid Spitfire, " The sky was then full of Spitires and Hurricanes queueing up and pushing each other out of the way to get at Dorniers which for once were outnumbered, 1 squirted at odd Dorniers at close range as they came into my sights, but could not hold them in my sights for fear of collision with other Spitfires and Hurricanes. Saw collision between Spitfire and Do.17 which wrecked both aeroplanes, Finally ran out of ammunition chasing crippled and smoking Do.17 into cloud, Te was the finest shambles I've been in, since for once we had position, height and numbers, Baemyaizeraft were a ality looking cotlee-
Men like these saved England, Nor must the ground statis be forgotten, Their tasks were to "service" the fighting
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.