Fighter-bomber raids on London and the south-east.
Night: Heavy attacks on London and industrial targets in the Midlands.
Weather: Mainly cloudy in most districts.
Main Activity:
All was quiet until 9.35 a.m. when the first of five Messerschmitt waves were plotted on RDF. In the afternoon high-flying raiders again penetrated inland.
Squadrons of Fighter Command flew 475 sorties and lost four of their machines. German losses were fourteen aircraft.
Nearly 300 bombers gave London a bad night. Traffic was dislocated by severe damage to the railways. In Coventry the Armstrong-Siddeley and Singer Motor Works were hit.
Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster
German Losses
Airmen: 11 | Aircraft: 11
British Losses
Airmen: 5 | Aircraft: 5
Spitfire P7370, No. 74 Squadron
Sgt. T.B. Kirk died of wounds 22/7/41. Shot down at Coxheath in combat with enemy fighters over Maidstone. Pilot baled out severely wounded and admitted to Preston Hall Hospital in Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Kirk.htm
Blenheim P6952, No. 248 Squadron
Shot down in attack on enemy aircraft off coast of Norway.
P/O G.M. Baird captured
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/Baird.htm
Sgt. R. Copcutt missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Copcutt.htm
Sgt. D.L. Burton captured wounded and admitted to hospital in Stavanger.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BurtonDL.htm
Sgt. S.V. Wood captured wounded and admitted to hospital in Oslo.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WoodSV.htm
Blenheim L9453, No. 248 Squadron
Shot down by Bf 109s from 4./JG 77 off Ballen Hemnefjord, Norway.
P/O S.R. Gane killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Gane.htm
P/O M.D. Green killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GreenMD.htm
Sgt. N.J. Stocks killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Stocks.htm
Photo Description:
- The wreck of Oberfeldwebel Albert Friedemann’s Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 (W.Nr. 2780) of 6./JG 52 where it fell, opposite Gibson’s Farm in Wickham Street, Welling, on 20 October 1940. The aircraft exploded in mid-air shortly after Friedemann baled out of it following combat with Flying Officer Peter Brown of 41 Squadron. Friedemann fell to his death when his parachute failed to open. The fence in the background is the perimeter fence to the farmhouse garden of Gibson’s Farm, across the road.
Dilip Sarkar
March 20, 2023 @ 14:19
My old friend Peter ‘Sneezy’ Brown did not shoot down Friedemann. As Peter and I confirmed in 1995 (A Few of the Many, Ramrod Publications), he shot down Few;dwebel L Bielmaier of 5/JG52, who baled out near West Malling – and Peter should know, because he visited the German pilot concerned in ‘the lock up’ and took his Schwimmveste and pilot’s qualification badge as souvenirs, which Peter kept all his life. Elsewhere on the erstwhile internet Bielmaier is accredited to Eric Lock, but unless, as so often happened, both pilots attacked the same enemy aircraft oblivious of each other, this was Peter’s kill. There will shortly be more come out regarding 20 October 1940…
admin
March 20, 2023 @ 14:27
Thank you for this information, Dilip…the photo description will be updated shortly. Your input is always greatly appreciated!