ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 269373
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| Date: | Friday 21 November 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire MkIa |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU |
| Registration: | P9549 |
| MSN: | 677 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mynydd y Glyn -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| Return. |
Details:
This Spitfire didn’t have a wide service record since it’s first flight on the 4th of May 1940. It was fitted out with its military equipment at 8MU at Little Rissington on the 8th of that month. The following month on the 4th of June, it was allocated to 54 squadron. It was then heavily involved in the opening period of the war and the beginning of the Battle on Britain, as the following extract from the squadron records reads:
5th June 1940.
P9549 ferried from Little Rissington by P/O Milne along with two other Spitfires, N3111 piloted by F/Lt Way & P9387, piloted by P/O Hopkin.
The pilot who regulary flew P9549 was F/Sgt Tew.
Wednesday 24th July 1940.
08:10 – 09:10hrs F/Sgt Tew. Patrol. ‘B’ Flight.
11:20 – 12:55hrs F/Sgt Tew. Patrol. Six Spitfires were tasked in the morning to attack a number of Dornier’s that were attacking a convoy in the Straits of Dover, however, during the mission the squadron had to break up in to two groups one remaining over Dover the other returning to the Thames Estuary where another convoy was under attack, the two attackers were disrupted with the raiders retuning to Nazi occupied Europe without any kills the RAF fighters also failed to get any kills. Later in the day "B" Flight intercepted a formation of Do215 ‘s off Dover they were able to break up the formation forcing them to jettison their bombs and turn back across the Channel later in the morning a second raid was forming up to attack the shipping in the Thames Estuary this time the attack was by 18Dornier’s escorted by 40+ Messerschmitt Bf109s. The Spitfires of 54 Squadron were joined by those of the Hornchurch based 65 Squadron a successful intercept of the bombers forced them to jettison their loads failing to hit any of the shipping in the Estuary, the Gravesend based 610 Squadron had been scrambled to intercept the fleeing bombers with the Messerschmitt Bf109’s covering the bombers a dogfight broke out, however the German fighters were soon to run low on fuel, during the combat action three of the German bombers were shot down for the loss of a 54 Squadron Spitfire flown by F/O Johnny Allen, as the fighting moved across the Kent countryside and out towards Dover four Bf109s were downed.
Spitfire P9389 made an emergency landing at Rochford after combat damage with a Do17 engaged in an attack on a convoy off Dover the Pilot P/O A. Finnie was unhurt.
Spitfire P9549 returned to Rochford damaged in combat over Dover.
Spitfire R6812 suffered damage to engine during combat with Bf109s the aircraft diverted to Manston but stalled on approach crashing at Clifftonville F/o J. L. Allen was killed.
Spitfire R6710 damaged by Bf109s returned to Rochford with cockpit canopy shattered P/o H. K. F. Matthew unhurt aircraft repairable.
Spitfire N3192 Ran out of fuel during a chase and forced landed at Sizewell pilot safe aircraft written off.
54 squadron tally:
2 x Confirmed kills, 4 unconfirmed, 8 probable’s and 2 damaged.
F/Sgt Tew claimed at least one probable.)
14:30 – 14:55hrs F/Sgt Tew. To Hornchurch.
25th July 1940.
10:45 – 11:00hrs P/O Howes. To Rochford. P9549 was eventually taken for repair.
26th July 1940. 54 squadron was a badly depleted unit with only 6 original survivors of Dunkirk. They went north for rest period and recuperation.
P9549 was then issued to 53 OTU on the 25th of October 1940. A year later she was in the hands of a ‘Free French’ pilot on a navigation exercise. When in bad weather over the Rhondda valleys she hit high ground above Trebanog killing the pilot on the 21st of November 1941.
Crew:
Sgt Jean C. Berre FFAF. Pilot. Killed.
Buried:
Holy Trinity Church, Llandow,
Wreckage:
Aircraft was a total wreck and completely removed. The actual site is extremely difficult to find.
Additional information:
Following the fall of France in 1940, there were French airmen who were determined to continue the fight against Nazi Germany. Some joined the RAF, whereas others joined the FAFL. The cross of Lorraine was the symbol adopted for the Free French forces during WW2 with the ‘Blue’ cross appearing on French RAF squadrons and sometimes a smaller version would be seen on aircraft flown by French pilots in a RAF squadron.
Philip Harry Tew was born on 19th February 1913 in Leicester, his family later moved to North London, and he was educated at Finchley County School. He joined the RAF in September 1929 as an Aircraft Apprentice and passed out in August 1932 as a Fitter, Aero Engines. He later volunteered for aircrew and served as an Air Gunner with 600 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force at Hendon. He was selected for pilot training and trained at 3 FTS Grantham between September 1935 and July 1936.
His first posting was 65 Squadron, operating Gladiators at Hornchurch. In March 1939 they were replaced by Spitfires.
65 was engaged in sorties over France and Belgium after the German attack on 10th May and Tew was posted to 54 Squadron, also at Hornchurch, later that month. On 26th May he probably destroyed a Me110 over Dunkirk and claimed a Do17 on the 28th. 24th July he claimed a probable Me109 over the Thames Estuary. On 8th August he claimed a Me109 destroyed and shared a Me110 and on the 18th he shared another Me110.
Tew was rested on the 20th of August and posted to 57 OTU as an instructor, later going to CFS Upavon.
Commissioned in May 1942, Tew served as an instructor until 1948, for which he was awarded the AFC (gazetted 10th June 1948) and retired from the RAF on 19th February 1963 as a Squadron Leader.
He died in 1984.
Sources:
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
rafcommands.com
www.bbm.org.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Nov-2021 10:41 | Davies 62 | Added |
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