603 Sqn. Claim on 29 Nov. 1940

[Tom Semenza]

On 29 Nov. 1940, 9 pilots of 603 Sqn. shared in shooting down a Bf 110 of Stab/StG 1. According to The Greatest Squadron of Them All 12 Spitfire IIa's took off led by S/L G.L. Denholm with F/Os B.J.G. Carbury, G.K. Gilroy, B.R. MacNamara,D.J.C. Pinckney, P/Os D.A. Maxwell, P. Olver, W.P.H. Rafter, W.A.A. Read, F.D.S. Scott-Malden, A.L. Winskill, and Sgt. J. Stokoe. Shortly after takeoff Rafter crashed to his death. Later the remaining 11 pilots then engaged the Bf 110 (apparently claimed as a Do 17) with 9 of the pilots sharing, unfortunately unnamed in this source.

In Foreman's Fighter Command Victory Claims the victors are named as S/L Denholm, P/O Carbury, P/O Olver, P/O MacNamara, P/O Rafter, Sgt. Stokoe, Sgt. A.S. Darling, Sgt. G.V. Stone and Sgt. Thomson. As can be seen the last 3 named were not even involved in this sortie and Rafter died prior to the engagement.

Aces High mentions this claim for Denholm, Olver, Scott-Malden and Stokoe but not for Carbury, Gilroy, Pinckney or Winskill. Likewise Those Other Eagles does not show MacNamara involved with this claim.

Can anyone name all 9 of the victors?

Thanks,
Tom

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
What is your reference that P/O Rafter was killed before the E/A was engaged ?
Reason for asking is that in the Tony Woods file it has Spitfire II, P7449 Cat 3 Return fire.
This to me suggests that the engagement with the enemy a/c had begun before P/O Rafter was shot down.
The claim made was as you say a DO17Z some 8 sea miles E of Ramsgate.
I assume that later information confirmed it to be an ME110
Thanks
Alex

[Tom Semenza]

The information comes from the history of 603 Sqn. The Greatest Squadron of Them All as I noted in the original post. I quote:

"...while the pilots were climbing to intercept, his (Rafter's) Spitfire inexplicably dived out of formation and plunged into a meadow at Cherry Tree Farm, near Kingswood, Kent...The cause was recorded as 'unknown' but as the Squadron had not made contact with the enemy his having been hit by return fire was ruled out. Oxygen starvation (hypoxia) with the onset of unconsciousness (due to anoxia) is a probable cause."

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Thanks for response Tom.

Alex