213 Squadron, Desert Air Force.

[nick de carteret]

On the evening of July 3 1942, a number of pilots from 213 Squadron were bounced and shot down as they took off near the front lines, in the Alamein area by Bf 109s of 1/JG27. Could anyone tell me who was shot down and by whom? I know one of the victims was F/Lt. Cyril Temlett who was 'A' Flight commander. Thanks for any help on this.

[fireship]

Hi Nick,
i can tell you a little bit.
Around 15:35 5 Hurricane's of 213 Squadron take off.
A "Schwarm" of I./ JG 27 was on patrol. They claimed
4 victorys. Leutnant Stahlschmidt make 2 claims
Leutnant Körner makes 1 claim and Leutnant von Lieres makes 1 claim.
F/L Temlett, Sgt. Ritchie and Sgt. Bolton was killing in action P/O Sissons
was wounded in action. P/O Avise evaded.
That's all i can tell you.

Regards
fireship

[JohnE]

Does anybody know the serials of the Hurricanes involved in this action?


TIA

/John

[nick de carteret]

Thanks for your detailed information fireship, it is exactly what I was looking for. I first heard of this incident when reading my uncle's wartime flying memoir but it did not give a huge amount of detail as to the participants. If I might quote:

"In July, 8th Army decided to counterattack, unsuccessfully as it turned out. I was to move the Wing forward to a LG just a few miles behind the line so as to have the benefit of extra range. This we did in the late afternoon, keeping below two hundred feet to be beneath the German radar.

I was in the Wing's caravan talking to a TA Gunner Colonel, when one of the squadrons was suddenly scrambled. On take off they were jumped by a formation of 109s and seven of ours were shot down, some without even having time to raise their wheels. I had to learn to become used to casualties but this was about the worst shock I had in the whole of the war. Strangely, Mike Young, the squadron CO had been my pupil at Hamble a few years previously. Luckily he was spared. The Germans had taken a leaf from our book. We had been harassing them with Spitfires in the same way over their own LGs."

It wasn't until recently through a different interest that I had the great privilege of meeting and becoming friends with a New Zealand pilot who was a member of 213 Squadron during this period, who had actually been shot down and captured three weeks before the incident.

He kindly allowed me to photostat a sheet of paper from an exercise book, that had been signed by all 21 pilots in the Squadron and is dated 25 May 1942. What an amazing artifact, as I now find that it contains the signatures of all the names provided above by fireship as well as a famous pilot who was commander of 'B' flight at the time.

My uncle must have been mistaken when he says that seven were shot down as the involvement of five Hurricanes seems to be the accepted number.

Thanks if anybody else has further info on this.

[fireship]

Hi Nick,

my source is Shores/Ring Fighters over the dessert.
This book was writen in 1969. The authors remark
thats many squadron records was lost, so its possible that
your uncle has right.
Sorry for my bad english.

Regards
fireship

[nick de carteret]

Thanks fireship, your input is very much appreciated.

[Graham Boak]

Chris Shores is working on a new edition of Fighters Over the Desert, which I gather will really be a complete rewrite. There is no date known for the completion of this work, so he may yet appreciate contact with your uncle's story. Perhaps you could contact him via his publisher, Grub Street?