You searched for: “mould and fighter”
# | Name* | First Names | Title | Rank | RAF Equivalent Rank | Service No. | Born | Nationality | Role | Awards | Air Force | Command | Unit | DateofIncident *See Note | Aircraft | Type | Serial | Code | Victories (Fighters) | Base | Time | Mission | Incident | Fate | Commemorated | Photo (Click to Expand) | Referring Database | Notes | Links/Archive Reports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | McKellar | Archibald Ashmore | Sqd Ldr | Pilot | DSO DFC & Bar * | AAF | Fighter Command | 605Sqn RAF | 1940-11-01 | Hurricane | 20 | Killed 1940-11-01 Age 28 Adisham, Kent | Glasgow (Eastwood) Old And New Cemetery, Sec. E. (New Part). Grave 60. | Orde Cuthbert portrait | Battle of Britain Ace McKellar and Ronald Hamlyn (both British pilots), New Zealander Brian Carbury and Antoni Głowacki of Poland were the only four 'aces in a day' in the Battle of Britain Ace On 16 October 1939, the Luftwaffe made its first attack on target in Great Britain. I./Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30—Bomber Wing 30) targeted Royal Navy ships in the Firth of Forth. The target was HMS Hood. However, she was in dry dock and the cruiser HMS Southampton and destroyer HMS Mohawk were attacked. Though none of the bombs that struck exploded, Mohawk's commander was killed. Spitfires from 603Sqn joined 602Sqn, in intercepting the raid. During one attack, the cockpit canopy of Hauptmann Helmut Pohl's Junkers Ju 88 released itself. Pohl was an experienced test pilot and Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of KG 30. He had helped develop the Ju 88 and had taken part in the Polish Campaign. Pohl tried to fly northwards to take an observation position, but the aircraft was hit by the fire of Spitfires piloted by George Pinkerton and McKellar. The Ju 88 crashed into the sea, Pohl being the only survivor of his crew. The victory was credited to McKellar. Thus, McKellar is officially credited with the downing the first enemy aircraft to fall in British waters during the war. Following the 16 October success, Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command, Air Marshal Hugh Dowding sent word to 602 Squadron; "Well done, first blood to the auxiliaries." This area around Firth of Forth became nicknamed 'suicide alley' by Luftwaffe pilots. On 28 October 1939 McKellar intercepted a Heinkel He 111H-2 of Stab./Kampfgeschwader 26 (KG 26—Bomber Wing 26), code 1H+JA piloted by Unteroffizier Lehmkuhl. Acting on the advice of his navigator Leutnant Niehoff, he dropped down towards cloud layers. The cover, however, quickly dispersed. Their gunners were killed, Lehmkul was hit in the back by machine gun fire and was wounded while Niehoff suffered a fractured spine during the crash-landing. Debate continues as to which squadron or pilot was the victor. Post–war sources credit the victory to McKellar. It was also the War's first German aircraft shot down onto British soil. In early 1940, 605Sqn moved to RAF Drem, as they converted to Hurricanes. McKellar was transferred to 605 and promoted to flight lieutenant, assuming the responsibilities of a flight leader on 21 June 1940. McKellar imposed strict discipline, both in standard of dress on the ground and in tactical discipline in the air. Despite his strict methods McKellar was held in high regard. His popularity arose from his desire to help mould his unit into a well-disciplined fighting team. On 15 August 1940 605 intercepted a German raid against Tyneside mounted by He 111s based in Norway with Luftflotte 5 (Air Fleet 5). McKellar was credited with three He 111s destroyed during the encounter. For this action he was awarded the DFC and was gazetted on 13 September 1940 and made reference to the "outstanding leadership and courage" displayed by McKellar. On 7 September 1940, 605 moved on rotation to Croydon Aerodrome under the command of Squadron Leader Walter Churchill. McKellar scored a further four victories in a single mission on 9 September. McKellar attacked with the sun at his back with his Squadron, save for one Section which was left to provide top cover against Bf 109s. The attack was made head-on to break up the German bomber formation which consisted of a large mass of He 111s. He destroyed three He 111s with a single, 12–second burst. The first He 111 exploded. It damaged a second which rolled over and dived down into the ground. McKellar then moved his fire to a third. Its port wing snapped off. He then destroyed a Bf 109 in the afternoon giving him a fourth success. McKellar took over from Squadron Leader Churchill on the 11 September. He achieved a further three victories 15 September. The raids were made in large formation leading the fighting that day to be christened the Battle of Britain Day. McKellar led 605 into combat twice on that date claiming two Bf 109s and a Do 17. That night, at an hour past midnight, 16 September, he claimed another He 111 shot down. A Medal bar to the DFC followed which cited his "excellent fighting spirit ... particularly brilliant tactician, and his led his Squadron with skill and resource". On 7 October his score rose by five victories, all Bf 109s—becoming an Ace in a day. McKellar explained three of the five victories in the combat that day in his combat report; 'I attacked the Number One and saw a bomb being dropped from this machine. I fired and pieces fell off his wing and dense white smoke and vapour came from him and he went into a violent outside spin. In my mirror I could see another '109 coming to attack me and therefore turned sharply right and found myself behind another '109. I opened fire and saw my De Wilde (explosive ammunition) hitting his machine. It burst into flames and went down inverted east of Biggin Hill. As I again had a '109 on my tail I spiralled down to 15,000 feet and by this time there appeared to be '109s straggling all over the sky. I followed one, pulled my boost control and made up on him. I gave him a burst from dead astern and at once his radiator appeared to be hit as dense white vapour came back at me and my windscreen fogged up. This speedily cleared and I gave him another burst and this machine burst into flames and fell into a wood with a quarry near it, west of Maidstone. Thirteen days later, on 20 October 1940, McKellar brought down another Bf 109. Its pilot, Feldwebel Adolf Iburg from 9. Staffel Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—Fighter Wing 54), was slightly wounded in action. Iburg managed to force–land near New Romney and was captured. The victory was credited to him in a post-war account, but there is no official accreditation of the Iburg victory to McKellar by the RAF, though he was credited with another Bf 109 victory on that date. | ||||||||||||||
2 | Mould | Edward Anthony | Sergeant | British | Pilot | RAF | Fighter | 74Sqn | 1940-05-25 | Spitfire | I | Patrol | Crashed over France | Safe | |||||||||||||||
3 | Mould | Edward Anthony | Sergeant | British | Pilot | RAF | Fighter | 74Sqn | 1940-07-28 | Spitfire | I | P9336 | Patrol | Baled out near Dover | Wounded | ||||||||||||||
4 | Mould | Edward Anthony | Flying Officer | 67599 | Mill Hill, Middlesex on 28th February 1917 | Pilot | RAF | Fighter | 85 Sqn | 1943-01-20 | Mosquito | NF.II | DD731 | YP:D | RAF Bradwell Bay | Interception Patrol | Crashed into the sea near Blackwater Estuary | Killed | Brookwood Military Cemetery 24.C.14 | Battle of Britain. Commissioned in May 1941 Son of Percy and Margery Vere Mould, of Mill Hill, Middlesex. | |||||||||
5 | Mould | Edward Anthony | Sergeant | British | Pilot | RAF | Fighter | 74Sqn | 1940-07-08 | Spitfire | I | Patrol | Bohm Bohm's Me 109 | No.74 Squadron achieved a success during a patrol at 3.46pm when a Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3, Werke No.1162 (coded 4+), of 4th Staffel Jagdgeschwader 51 was shot down by Sergeant E. A. Mould and forced-landed on Bladbean Hill, Elham. Leutnant Johann Böhm was taken prisoner. This was the first German fighter to be shot down over England during the Second World War. Sergeant E. A. Mould wrote in his combat report: ‘I was Red Leader of ‘A’ Flight of No.74 Squadron, with No.2 of Blue Section also in company. The four of us were on an interception patrol over Dover when I sighted four Me 109s flying in line astern on my starboard beam. I gave the order ‘Line astern’ and turned to starboard, climbing up under the tail of the rear Me 109. I gave him a short 30˚ deflection shot and he immediately half-rolled and dived to ground level followed by Red 2. In trying to follow him down I blacked myself out and lost sight of him, but I saw another Me 109 also flying at low level so I dived on him from about 3,000 feet. He immediately dived to ground level and used evasive tactics by flying along the valleys behind Dover and Folkestone, which only allowed at him me to fire short deflection burst at him. After two of these bursts smoke or vapour came from the radiator beneath his port wing and other bursts appeared to enter the fuselage. He eventually landed with his wheels up as I fired my last burst at him in a field near Elham. The pilot was apparently uninjured and I circled round him till he was taken prisoner. | |||||||||||||||
6 | Mould | Henry Harold B | Squadron Leader | 70870 | Pilot | RAFVR | Fighter Command | 245Sqn | 1942-08-19 | Hurricane | IIc | BN233 | MR-? | RAF Middle Wallop / RAF Shoreham in Sussex | 445 | Dieppe | Force landed at Littlehampton | Some details here: Read Archive Report | |||||||||||
7 | Mould | Peter William Olbert ("Boy") | Pilot | DFC * | Fighter Command | 11 | MIA 1 October 1941 after an air battle with Italian Macchi C.202s North of Gozo, Malta Ace |
Results 1 to 7 of 7.