First Light - Biggin Hill Big Wing - I pulled together this short film including a tale of one of Geoffrey "Boy" Wellum's early days of flying.
I was very pleased to have met with the late Squadron Leader John Pattison, DSO, DFC, Legion d'Honneur, during my first trip to New Zealand. He was good friends with Geoff Wellum, whose book 'First Light' was inspiration for the recent TV movie.
The Battle of Britain
Pilots from Britain and New Zealand share their stories of one day of fighting in the Battle of Britain, 23rd September 1940.
Much has been written of 'Big Wings' of Squadrons flying out of 12 Group, under the instructions of Leigh Mallory, but Big Wings were also a tactic utilised by Sir Keith Park, during the days of fierce fighting in September 1940.
Find out a bit more about the stories of John Pattision, Geoff Wellum and John Gilders, who flew together that day.
Excerpts from interview with Sqn Leader John Pattison, DSO, DFC, Leigion D'honneur:
JP: I had an X-ray some time ago. And the slip of a girl taking the photographs said ‘just wait on here while I check this…’ Then she came back and said ‘It’s full of little spots!’. And I said ‘Yes, that’s Shrapnel’.
And she said ‘Were you running away?’. I said ‘Not actually. It was the “Hun in the Sun”. ‘ Well I might just as well have been talking Chinese.!
N – Who shot you down?
J – 109 the first time and a 190 the second time.
N – Right, and you managed to parachute out?
J – Ah well the first time, we were fighting mostly over Britain, and I was 20,000 feet and a 20 Millimeter Cannon Shell came down from behind, through my hip, came out below my leg. I managed to land in a disused aerodrome. And I can remember extremely well, coming in for a normal approach and landing. I turned the petrol off which had caught fire. And I couldn’t put it on the ground. I couldn’t push the stick forward. It wouldn’t go down! And so I thought ‘Well hell!’, I’ll have to go round again. Turned the petrol on The motor picked up, and I went round a long way back, and came in very low. Just hopped over the fence, and cut the motor, and sank down. Then I had no brakes! I was wheeling across the aerodrome at a hundred miles an hour thinking I would probably finish up in some trees somewhere. And there was an army ant aircraft thing I suppose, 3 blokes in a sand bagged hole. And one wheel hit the sand bag. The blokes had jumped out in the meantime, and that brought me to a halt. And I remember saying to tone of these chaps, ‘I think my leg is broken, give me a hand to get me out’
Which he did, then I said ‘I’m sure my leg’s broken – Cut my flying boot off!’
And the last thing I temember, him saying to one of his mates:
‘It looks a lovely new boot…’ (which it was…) ‘…It’s a pity to cut it!’
And then I remember trying to eat grass, and that’s the last I remember. But there was a stray Airforce Doctor floating round, who I’m told was drunk. Filled me up with Morphine. And Morphine’s great stuff. Straight away the pain had gone. I felt like a million dollars and then he said ‘ When you get to hospital, tell them I’ve given you a double dose of Morphia. You’re not to have any more!’
Well I went to a civilian hospital, Maidstone Hall. The first thing they did was fill me up with Morphia and that’s the last I remember of that!
N – Oh dear.
J – Yes. I had an Australian… I wish I knew or remembered his name… I was open like a bloody hunk of beef steak. And to dress the wound, they had to get me a full chloroform for about the first seven days, and left it open because it granulates from the bottom. And I remember him telling me later on ‘You’ll be lucky if you ever walk again, and you’d certainly never fly again.’
But however, he made a great job of patching me up.
N – It would be great to find out what his name was.
J – I wish I knew
I hope the film does get shown down in Australia and New Zealand... Keep responding to this thread and hopefully we'll get it down here!
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