Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 31, 2022 11:46:49 GMT 12
Biggin Hill base and N.Z. pilots
(By BRUCE CAMPBELL)
News of the closing of Biggin Hill airfield, in West Kent, will have been received with nostalgia by the many New Zealand airmen who served there in World War II.
Biggin Hill was one of the network of fighter stations comprising the air defence of London, part of No. 11 group of Fighter Command.
It exploded into fame during the Battle of Britain, was the main airfield in a sector from which 1000 enemy aircraft were shot down (up to May 15, 1943), and became perhaps the most widely known of all the British fighter stations.
With Biggin Hill is imperishably associated No. 485 (New Zealand) Spitfire Squadron of the Royal Air Force, which fought there from July 1, 1943, to October of that year. Some of the men associated with this squadron became (if they were not already) New Zealand’s best-known fighter aces of the war.
Biggin Hill was high on the North Downs, overlooking the Kentish Weald, a country of green fields and hedgerows, woods and copses, small holdings and mellow old farmsteads and manor houses.
North Downs
Coming in to land from a sortie over France — Biggin Hill in 1943 was a forward base for offensive patrols across the Channel — a pilot flew north, turned, and came in almost over the London suburb of Bromley, having had to take care not to go too far north before turning and become entangled in the London balloon barrage or enveloped in the London smog.
Taking off, a pilot climbed to the south-west above an escarpment of the Downs, and suddenly saw before him the spread of the Tatsfield Valley, and the snug villages of Oxted, Bletchingley, Horley, and Crawley. Fitting into this mellow countryside was the Old Jail Inn, in Jail Lane, the Biggin Hill “local '. It was about a mile from the airfield and usually reached by bicycle. Another Biggin Hill “pub” was the White Hart, at Brasted, about four miles away, which was generally visited by car — air crew on operations were allowed petrol for 300 miles travel per quarter.
At the White Hart was, and probably still is, a blackboard mounted in the bar. dating from Battle of Britain days, on which were gradually inscribed at the landlord’s invitation the names of Biggin Hill pilots who made their mark.
It contains the names of three New Zealand air aces who were all decorated for gallantry in combat — A.C. (Al) Deere, Colin Gray, and Johnny Checketts.
The White Hart blackboard, illustrates something of the camaraderie of the wartime Royal Air Force. This was rather different from that, say, of the Army in the field in that the pilots. after a gruelling day’s flying, returned to a comfortable base, where a bath or shower, change of clothes, and drinks before dinner were the order of things, with all the accompanying chatter of “discussing the show” — a chatter reflecting honour of exploit and pride in squadron.
Friendliness
Wing Commander H. L. Thompson, in his “New’ Zealanders with the Royal Air Force,” says: “Biggin Hill with its comforts . . . had an atmosphere of friendliness, jauntiness, and living with little thought of the morrow. There was also inspiring leadership. . .”
Pierre Closterman, a Free French fighter pilot, in his story of the war in the air, “The Big Show,” describes the reaction of his squadron, No. 341, in being posted to the fighter wing at Biggin Hill.
“It was an honour, how great an honour we did not perhaps completely realise at the time,” he says. "Biggin Hill was the base with the highest number of victories to its credit, and was reserved for the most select squadrons of the R.A.F.”
No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron — which had been formed in 1941 and became totally New Zealand-manned in 1942 — arrived at Biggin Hill, after being at Tangmere, near Portsmouth, on July 1, 1943.
Bomber raids
Squadron Leader J. M. (Johnny) Checketts, of Invercargill, had just been promoted to lead it, having gained his combat experience with No. 611 Squadron and earlier with No. 485 itself, while Wing Commander A. C. Deere, of Wanganui, was wing commander (flying) of the Biggin Hill fighter wing. Group Captain A. G. (Sailor) Malan, of South Africa, was the station commander.
It was the height of the daylight bomber raids over Northern Europe. The Americans were beginning to send their heavy bombers, the Flying Fortresses, deep into Germany — over Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg. Squadron 485 was busily engaged as fighter escorts part of the way.
Biggin Hill sector fighters had already shot down 1000 enemy planes, and under Deere’s aggressive leadership and brilliant tactics during these escort forays the station’s “score” — and that of Squadron 485 — continued to mount. During its first two months at Biggin Hill, Squadron 485 was credited with the destruction of more enemy aircraft than any other unit in No. 11 Fighter Group.
Shot down
A little later, Squadron 485 was engaged on escort and fighter-cover sorties over Northern France and the Netherlands. Wing Commander Deere left Biggin Hill in September, 1943. On September 6, 1943, Squadron Leader Checketts was shot down over France but avoided capture he was hidden and helped by the French Resistance, and some weeks later turned up in England again. Squadron 485 left Biggin Hill, when posted to Hornchurch. Essex, in October, 1943.
PRESS, 17 MAY 1975
See photos here
(By BRUCE CAMPBELL)
News of the closing of Biggin Hill airfield, in West Kent, will have been received with nostalgia by the many New Zealand airmen who served there in World War II.
Biggin Hill was one of the network of fighter stations comprising the air defence of London, part of No. 11 group of Fighter Command.
It exploded into fame during the Battle of Britain, was the main airfield in a sector from which 1000 enemy aircraft were shot down (up to May 15, 1943), and became perhaps the most widely known of all the British fighter stations.
With Biggin Hill is imperishably associated No. 485 (New Zealand) Spitfire Squadron of the Royal Air Force, which fought there from July 1, 1943, to October of that year. Some of the men associated with this squadron became (if they were not already) New Zealand’s best-known fighter aces of the war.
Biggin Hill was high on the North Downs, overlooking the Kentish Weald, a country of green fields and hedgerows, woods and copses, small holdings and mellow old farmsteads and manor houses.
North Downs
Coming in to land from a sortie over France — Biggin Hill in 1943 was a forward base for offensive patrols across the Channel — a pilot flew north, turned, and came in almost over the London suburb of Bromley, having had to take care not to go too far north before turning and become entangled in the London balloon barrage or enveloped in the London smog.
Taking off, a pilot climbed to the south-west above an escarpment of the Downs, and suddenly saw before him the spread of the Tatsfield Valley, and the snug villages of Oxted, Bletchingley, Horley, and Crawley. Fitting into this mellow countryside was the Old Jail Inn, in Jail Lane, the Biggin Hill “local '. It was about a mile from the airfield and usually reached by bicycle. Another Biggin Hill “pub” was the White Hart, at Brasted, about four miles away, which was generally visited by car — air crew on operations were allowed petrol for 300 miles travel per quarter.
At the White Hart was, and probably still is, a blackboard mounted in the bar. dating from Battle of Britain days, on which were gradually inscribed at the landlord’s invitation the names of Biggin Hill pilots who made their mark.
It contains the names of three New Zealand air aces who were all decorated for gallantry in combat — A.C. (Al) Deere, Colin Gray, and Johnny Checketts.
The White Hart blackboard, illustrates something of the camaraderie of the wartime Royal Air Force. This was rather different from that, say, of the Army in the field in that the pilots. after a gruelling day’s flying, returned to a comfortable base, where a bath or shower, change of clothes, and drinks before dinner were the order of things, with all the accompanying chatter of “discussing the show” — a chatter reflecting honour of exploit and pride in squadron.
Friendliness
Wing Commander H. L. Thompson, in his “New’ Zealanders with the Royal Air Force,” says: “Biggin Hill with its comforts . . . had an atmosphere of friendliness, jauntiness, and living with little thought of the morrow. There was also inspiring leadership. . .”
Pierre Closterman, a Free French fighter pilot, in his story of the war in the air, “The Big Show,” describes the reaction of his squadron, No. 341, in being posted to the fighter wing at Biggin Hill.
“It was an honour, how great an honour we did not perhaps completely realise at the time,” he says. "Biggin Hill was the base with the highest number of victories to its credit, and was reserved for the most select squadrons of the R.A.F.”
No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron — which had been formed in 1941 and became totally New Zealand-manned in 1942 — arrived at Biggin Hill, after being at Tangmere, near Portsmouth, on July 1, 1943.
Bomber raids
Squadron Leader J. M. (Johnny) Checketts, of Invercargill, had just been promoted to lead it, having gained his combat experience with No. 611 Squadron and earlier with No. 485 itself, while Wing Commander A. C. Deere, of Wanganui, was wing commander (flying) of the Biggin Hill fighter wing. Group Captain A. G. (Sailor) Malan, of South Africa, was the station commander.
It was the height of the daylight bomber raids over Northern Europe. The Americans were beginning to send their heavy bombers, the Flying Fortresses, deep into Germany — over Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg. Squadron 485 was busily engaged as fighter escorts part of the way.
Biggin Hill sector fighters had already shot down 1000 enemy planes, and under Deere’s aggressive leadership and brilliant tactics during these escort forays the station’s “score” — and that of Squadron 485 — continued to mount. During its first two months at Biggin Hill, Squadron 485 was credited with the destruction of more enemy aircraft than any other unit in No. 11 Fighter Group.
Shot down
A little later, Squadron 485 was engaged on escort and fighter-cover sorties over Northern France and the Netherlands. Wing Commander Deere left Biggin Hill in September, 1943. On September 6, 1943, Squadron Leader Checketts was shot down over France but avoided capture he was hidden and helped by the French Resistance, and some weeks later turned up in England again. Squadron 485 left Biggin Hill, when posted to Hornchurch. Essex, in October, 1943.
PRESS, 17 MAY 1975
See photos here
