eBay: Allied intrest

[paulmcmillan]

Mark Sheppard answered this on Facebook


“From a French site and translated. In the morning, several sections of No.615 Squadron take off from Moorsele for perform various patrols, the details of which are known to at least two of them.
Thus, the three pilots detached from No.229 (RAF) Squadron (Pilot Officer John E.M. Collins, Malcolm Ravenhill and Victor B.S. Verity) take off at 05:30. According to the combat report from Pilot Officer Malcolm Ravenhill (P2907):
"I'm flying zig-zig in the direction of Brussels. My section leader attacks a Henschel Hs.123. A strong anti-aircraft defense forces me to turn to the right (No. 3 follows me, but we lose contact with the leader because of a radio frequency problem). A few minutes later, I see (at 6:25) an isolated enemy unit patrolling along the Meuse. The plane is wearing a brown and green camouflage above and a paler green below. I attack him from behind taking him by surprise. He dives to the ground, emitting a black smoke, before straightening near the ground. No defense shots since the rear. As I watch, I see another similar device and I attack it immediately. AT about 180 meters, the rear gunner opens fire and I see bullets heading towards me. I continue to approach, up to 90 meters, before firing a long gust, before turning just 9 meters of the enemy apparatus. The Henschel Hs.123 turns immediately, crashing to the ground. I discover, then, that I am alone. I decided to continue my patrol west of Brussels. I decide, finally, to land in Compiègne where French people inform me that I'm actually 50 kilometers south of Lille. I take off, therefore, with the goal of joining Vitry-en-Artois, but I find myself quickly lost over a wooded area and finally decides to a forced landing in a field after a fuel failure. I am received, on the spot, by the local police of Forges-lesEaux, and I join Poix aerodrome by road before boarding a plane for Abbeville.”