No.7 Sqn air engagements 1941
 

Hi,

I found Tom Docherty’s book No.7 Bomber Squadron RAF in World War ll very interesting. I hope I can get some complementing information on this Forum regarding two episodes in the book.

18 December 1941
No.7 Sqn sent 9 Stirling on a daylight attack to Brest. There are three claims mentioned without name on the gunners.
“P/O Matkin bombed successfully from N6121… His gunners claimed a Bf109 destroyed and one damaged.”
“N3668:MG-B flown by P/O G.C. Bayley. Bayley’s rear gunner shot down an Me109 during the fight”
Both aircraft were damaged during the engagements.

These claims seems to in accordance with two claims on this raid mentioned in New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol. I) by H.L. Thompson:
“Two New Zealand gunners who had successful engagements were Flight Sergeant Smith and Sergeant De Joux. Smith's machine was attacked by several Messerschmitts in turn as it approached the target. He scored hits on one of them as it came in and the pilot was seen to bale out. De Joux's Stirling was attacked twice while over the target. In the first encounter the automatic mechanism of his guns was put out of action, but by the skilful use of his turret hand-rotation gear and also by operating the releases of his guns by hand, he managed to bring fire to bear on the enemy machine during the second attack and set it or fire.”

Can anyone confirm which pilots de Joux and Smith flew with? Any other information about these engagements is also welcome.

3 October 1941
A Junkers 88 attacked and shot down a Stirling near Bourn. “Sgt S.G. Matkin tried to intervene by positioning his Stirling so gunners could fire on the Ju 88. They claimed to have damaged it, but the intruder broke off and then bombed Oakington before disappearing in the night.”

Can anyone confirm the name of the airgunners (de Joux?) and/or give more information about the engagement.

Thanks in advance
Peter