The History of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association : Commemorating the Few

184 Pages·2015·7.757 MB·English

by  Geoff Simpson

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by
Pen & Sword Aviation
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
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Barnsley
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Copyright © Geoff Simpson 2015
ISBN: 978 1 78159 387 5
EPUB ISBN: 978 1 47385 231 0
PRC ISBN: 978 1 47385 237 2
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Contents
Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales
Introduction
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Definition Of The Battle
Chapter 2 The Route to The Clasp
Chapter 3 The Battle of Britain Fighter Association
Chapter 4 Westminster Abbey and the Roll of Honour
Chapter 5 Remembering The Few
Chapter 6 They Have Shaped the BBFA
Appendix I: The 1943 Casualty List
Appendix II: Those Attending the 20th Anniversary Reunion
Bibliography
‘Of all the British combatants of the Second World War, the ‘few’ have attained a unique
and legendary place in the historiography of the war.’
Dr Jeremy A. Crang, writing in War & Society, November 2005
‘The object of giving medals, stars and ribbons is to give pride and pleasure to those who
have deserved them. At the same time a distinction is something which everybody does not
possess. If all have it, it is of less value. There must, therefore, be heartburnings and
disappointments on the border line. A medal glitters, but it also casts a shadow. The task
of drawing up regulations for such awards is one which does not admit of a perfect
solution. It is not possible to satisfy everybody without running the risk of satisfying
nobody. All that is possible is to give the greatest satisfaction to the greatest number and
to hurt the feelings of the fewest. But that is a most difficult task and it is easy to err on
one side or the other. One must be careful in the first place to avoid profusion. The
tendency to expand, shall I say inflate, dilute the currency through generous motives, is
very strong.’
Winston Churchill, as Prime Minister, addressing the House of Commons, 22 March 1944
Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales
A Message from the Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association
Over many years the Battle of Britain Fighter Association has brought together those who
flew in Fighter Command in the summer and autumn of 1940. The camaraderie which we
have always enjoyed continues. Now our key task is to ensure that what was achieved 75
years ago by so many men and women in all three services, as well as civilians, is
remembered long into the future.
Commemoration of those deeds began in the early years of the war and has continued
ever since.
From that time there was also much discussion on whether Allied airmen who took part
in the battle should be given a symbol to wear and, if so, what form it should take.
Alongside that discussion was one about who should be entitled to wear such a symbol.
The announcement of the Battle of Britain Clasp to the 1939–1945 Star was made in 1945,
yet even to this day the research continues into some ‘doubtful cases’ amongst Fighter
Command airmen who were or were not awarded the clasp.
I am, therefore, delighted that Geoff Simpson has made a new contribution to Battle of
Britain literature by exploring the history of the Fighter Association, alongside a
consideration of the award of the clasp and the commemoration of the battle.
Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC AE
Chairman Battle of Britain Fighter Association
Sadly Bob Foster died on 30 July 2014. His widow Kaethe has asked that his message
should still appear.
A Message from the Chief of the Air Staff
The Battle of Britain is recognised as both a key moment in British history and one of the
proudest episodes in the history of the Royal Air Force. It was a time when all the home
commands of the Service played their part in ensuring that this country did not suffer
foreign invasion.
Three quarters of a century after this great event it is right that a record should be made
of the way in which it is commemorated. I believe that it is essential too that future
generations continue to remember the Battle of Britain.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford KCB CBE ADC
Chief of the Air Staff
Introduction
T
he Battle of Britain has become one of the most famous, celebrated, recorded and
analysed events in British history. There is so much we know about the events of
1940, a year which was certainly a fulcrum in that history, yet there is also much still to be
learned.
Though the official definition of the battle was not established until after the war in
Europe had ended, commemoration of what was seen as a victory by the Royal Air Force
had begun well before that. The desire to establish the names of the men who had flown
on the British side in the battle was established very early and so was the concept of an
emblem for the participants to wear.
Those participants were rarely conscious at the time that they were fighting something
called ‘The Battle of Britain’ and they certainly did not realise on 10 July or 31 October
1940 that a significant moment was passing. Such is the nature of arbitrary definitions.
Members of ‘The Few’, as Winston Churchill had caused them to be named, met in
comradeship after the war. Eventually, in 1958, they formally came together and
established the Battle of Britain Fighter Association. There was then a gap of thirty-five
years, remarkable as it may seem now, before a National Memorial to The Few was
established at Capel-le-Ferne on the Kentish cliffs outside Folkestone.
Celebrity came suddenly to the men of Fighter Command. At the time of the evacuation
from the Channel ports in the spring of 1940, the RAF was accused of doing too little to
help the Army. The charge was without foundation, but it was believed by many of those
on the beaches and harbour-sides waiting for rescue and by many waiting at home in fear
of invasion.
With the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’ achieved, the aerial fighting developed over the English
Channel, then moved inland. Now the people of south-east England in particular could see
Fighter Command in action and bear witness to the heroism that was being displayed.
Now stories began to abound of women kissing airmen in the street, drinks being bought
for them and taxi drivers refusing to accept their money.
The contrast was a stark one so there is sometimes some cynicism in the attitude of
‘The Few’ to their fame. It manifests itself not least when they make the standard reply to
questions about how they felt on 20 August 1940 when the Prime Minister made the
speech that created ‘The Few’. Ask them how they felt then and they very often think back
to: ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,’ and
make the response: ‘Oh, we thought he was talking about our mess bills’.
For the rest of their lives the survivors were marked out by their service over less than
four months in the first full year of the war. No doubt that has often been a source of
pleasure to them, though the attention can also be irksome. Brian Kingcome, a Spitfire
pilot in the battle, apparently remarked that if the fuss continued he would take to wearing
his medals on his pyjamas.
Over many years it has been an enormous privilege to come to know many of the men
who flew in the Battle of Britain. To be given the full co-operation of the Battle of Britain
Fighter Association in the writing of this book, including access to its archives, was a
much appreciated and added honour.
Geoff Simpson
21 August 2014