Hurricane losses of 229.SQ during mAy/June 1940

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The book "12 days in May" describes the above 229 Sqn losses.

Please note that Bussey and Gower were lost in an earlier patrol not related to the latter action that saw Rosier and Dillon being shot down.

The books says that as the last section of three fighters (Flg Off Tommy Rose and Plt Off Barry Sundon of B Flight, 56 Sqn, and Plt Off Tony Dillon of B Flight, 229 Sqn) were becoming airborne, Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 and Bf 109s of II./JG 26 suddenly appeared and began strafing.

Only Sutton survived the attack and reported: "We had just taken off and had barely got our wheels up [please note this - Laurent] when things began to happen. Bullets began blasting and rattling all over the machine [some cut text]. Although we were at only about 300 feet, I whipped over in the beginning of a half-roll [some cut text] I managed to scrape into Vitry. No signs of Tommy and Dillon or the rest of the squadron of of what had attacked us."

According to the book, both Rose and Dillon were pursued by the Messerschmitts and were eventually shot down and killed; the former's Hurricane (N2439) came down at Brebières and the latter's (L1802) at Castillon Hill, near Mons. Pilots of I./ZG 26 claimed two Hurricanes shot down.

The book continues by saying that other climbing Hurricanes were engaged by II./JG 26. Rosier of B Flight, 229 Sqn was flying one of these [L1242 according to the book, but BofTN is a latter work so Peter Cronwell probably rejected this serial for some reason], and bailed out after his fighter was set on fire. Two other pilots of 253 Sqn were also shot down and baled out, and one pilot of 111 Sqn was killed.