This Spitfire has now been recovered and restored and is flying again from Biggin Hill Airfield, with part of the original aircraft being used in the creation of The Few, a watch I am making (a full breakdown of the progress of this project is at the end of this Sortie).

Harold “Hal” Kramer sat in a Spitfire, possibly ML295

Spitfire ML295 flew 67 combat missions in total, with 37 of those sorties flown by Hal. Although 10 other airmen in the squadron took the pilot鈥檚 seat, they all, along with Kramer himself, would have viewed Spitfire ML295 as Hal鈥檚 personal aircraft. The hand-built nature of war-time Spitfires meant that each aircraft was slightly different, having their own quirks and characteristics – something akin to a personality, which the pilots became attached to. There is also some chance that the Spitfire was named after Harold鈥檚 wife Dorothy, or Dot, with her name painted underneath the cockpit door.

The story of Spitfire ML295 is therefore closely intertwined with that of Harold Kramer.

We will start this 4 part biography with Hal training to become a pilot, his first operational missions and the start of his life in the Squadron.

Part 1 – An Ordinary Hero

Kramer was one of the core 鈥渇ounding鈥� members of 411 Squadron, a group of Spitfire pilots from Canada who gave themselves the moniker the Roaring Boys – perhaps due to their habit of letting out a roar when the MGM lion appeared during the start of a film.

Around this core, the squadron鈥檚 culture, camaraderie, humour and work ethic was set, leading 411 Squadron to regarded as one of the most successful Spitfire squadrons in the war.

Hal posing with a newly delivered Spitfire

Like many people that were active during the war, once they had returned home they dealt with the many traumatic events they had witnessed by trying to put it to the back of their mind, and not talk about their experiences. Although Harold is no longer alive to ask, and his personal logbook has been lost, we are thankfully able to piece together a compelling story from the squadron鈥檚 records and official reports, which often make reference to Hal.

Both Kramer and Spitfire ML295鈥檚 stories are one of service, dedication, sacrifice and ultimately, survival.

Harold Kramer

Harold was born in 1919 in Port Colbourne, a small town not far from Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. Being just 20 when the war broke out, Harold had made an early decision to become actively involved in the war effort. While studying mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto he enrolled in the university鈥檚 auxiliary battalion, where he would have been introduced to the discipline of the armed forces.

Being a pilot in the war was heavily romanticised

After graduating in 1941, Kramer moved into the Reserves of the Active Militia before taking a summer job at the International Nickel Company in his hometown. On 20th August 1941, Harold travelled to Hamilton and signed up at the Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF) Recruiting Centre, volunteering to be a pilot. Two weeks later his flight training began.

Learning to Fly

After the success of the Battle of Britain, Fighter-Command wanted to improve the pilot training situation and so through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, volunteer pilots in Canada were trained to prepare them for front line operations against the Luftwaffe. Their instructors included pilots who had flown during the Battle of Britain and they were able to pass on their valuable learned experience.

Hal Kramer in 1941 at the Elementary Flying Training School in London, Ontario. He is alongside a Fleet Finch, which was a locally produced biplane that pilots spent their first 50 hours of flying in

By this time in the war the Spitfire was a proven aircraft, with the limits of its performance and capabilities fully tested. The pilots were trained to know their Spitfires inside out and flew them like an extension of their own bodies. They were also fully aware of all the types of German aircraft they would encounter, what each type was capable of, and which tactics to use to defeat them.

These young men were not just professional pilots, but professional Spitfire pilots, specifically trained to face and neutralise the current German threat.

A year after Kramer volunteered as a pilot, he earned his wings and was given the non-commissioned to the rank of Sergeant. In the two weeks of leave before he was due to ferry out, he married his sweetheart Dorothy, and then after saying his final goodbyes, Hal left for England and the war.

After leaving for England, Hal would not see his new bride again for over a year

Training to Become a Fighter Pilot

Arriving in November 1942 at No. 5 Advanced Flying Unit (AFU) based in RAF Tern Hill in Shropshire, Hal began training on a Miles M.9 Master, an advanced two-seater trainer aircraft that was used as an introduction to high performance fighter aircraft such as the Spitfire and Hurricane.

After spending a month getting to grips with the Miles Master, Kramer was now an accomplished pilot, comfortable in an array of aircraft. He was ready to start the final part of his training; to become an effective fighter pilot.

A Hurricane at the No.59 Operational Training Unit, coincidentally with Harold’s initials on its flanks

Moving to the No. 59 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Milfield in Northumberland, Hal was introduced to the Hurricane. Being the first single-seater aircraft that he had flown in, it was also the first time that he would have flown solo and so would have had a good mixture of nerves and excitement as he took off from the runway.

Not long after, his dream became a reality and he converted from flying Hurricanes to Spitfires.

At RAF Milfield the training was intense, relentless and thorough. Over the next 6 months Kramer practiced everything from formation flying to writing military reports. He learned his gunnery skills and tail chasing 鈥� a cat and mouse game where pilots took it in turns to try and follow the lead aircraft while they in turn tried to shake them off.

Link Trainer

Part of the ongoing training that continued even after Hal was operational, was to use a Link Trainer. Named after the developer, Edwin Link, the trainer was the world鈥檚 first flight simulator, boasting an accurate cockpit and controls that provided feedback to the pilot and hydraulically turned and tilted them as they moved the flight stick.

Although used to help teach pilots a number of skills, it was predominately used to practice flying blind or by instrument only, to prepare them for situations where visibility was zero 鈥� such as at night or in heavy fog.

Link Trainer, the world’s first flight simulator

If you are interested in learning more about this amazing piece of machinery, here is a video of Guy Martin using a Link Trainer:

Joining 411 Squadron and Hal’s First Mission

Now with almost 2 years of intense training behind him, Hal was deemed ready for front line operational flying and was assigned to 411 Squadron, based at RAF Redhill in Surrey, where he joined them on 12th July 1943.

411 Squadron, with Kramer standing in the very centre of the photo

After a few days to settle in and meet his squadron mates, Kramer took off on his first sortie on 16th July 1943. He was flying in a Spitfire Mark 5b, registration BL347.

The Squadron鈥檚 notes detail the mission:

鈥淎 Ramrod operation to Abbeville marshalling yards by 16 Marauders escorted by 401, 412 and 411 Squadrons was carried out. Wing Commander Russel led the escort to the rendezvous at Beachy Head at 19.45 hours at 11,500 feet, crossed the French coast at the Somme estuary at 11,500 feet at 20.05 hours, and to the target at 20.10 hours. The bombing results were not observed by the escort. Medium flak, accurate for the height was encountered. On the way out approximately five miles south of Bayeux No 412 Squadron was attacked by two F.W. 190鈥檚 of some 15 to 20 in the vicinity. The enemy aircraft were out of range when they fired and broke away immediately. The cloud formation over the channel was 5/10 cumulus. At the target, however, visibility was unlimited. No shipping was observed, all aircraft returned to base.鈥�

Kramer’s first mission report

Kramer鈥檚 next mission was not until 27th July 1943, when he was part of a sea rescue mission to find the Squadron Leader of 412 Squadron. Due to engine trouble on a sortie earlier that day, the pilot had been forced to bail out into the English Channel just off the French coast. The weather wasn鈥檛 good however, and they were only afforded a 15 minute window to search for the pilot, which proved unsuccessful. Thankfully the pilot was later safely rescued by a Walrus aircraft – an amphibious bi-plane designed by the Spitfire鈥檚 creator, R. J. Mitchell.

B-26 Marauder

The B-26 Marauder, the bomber that Hal had escorted in his first mission, was a difficult aircraft to fly, particularly during take-off and landing, as the aircraft had the tendency to stall and crash unless a high speed, 150mph, was kept up on the final runway approach. Owing to the regularity of accidents, B-26 crews gave the aircraft an assortment of unflattering nicknames including Widowmaker, Martin Murderer, Flying Coffin, B-Dash-Crash, Flying Prostitute and Baltimore Whore 鈥� named for the city where the B-26 was built.

When the B-26 came to Europe, initially the tactics used were copied from those that had been tried and tested in the North African campaign, which involved flying low and unescorted. However, on the second mission flown by the B-26 in Europe, these tactics resulted in all 11 aircraft being lost to enemy aircraft and flak.

The Martin B26 Marauder was an American-made medium bomber

The Ramrod

This horrific loss resulted in a swift change of tactics to ensure that the Marauder would never fly without a fighter escort again. It was also ordered to keep to an altitude of between 10,000-15,000 feet (3,500-5,000m). Thus, the Ramrod mission was born.

The majority of 411 Squadron鈥檚 sorties during 1943 and early 1944 were Ramrods, operations where the Spitfires provided fighter cover to B-26 bombers attacking targets in German occupied Europe.

With this change in tactics, the Marauder grew to be considered not only one of the most accurate late war bombers available, but also the safest, with a reported operational loss rate of just 0.5% in the European theatre.

On 7th August 1943, the squadron relocated to RAF Staplehurst in Kent, where over the next few months, the Roaring Boys enjoyed great success in their escort duties, with almost all of the Ramrod missions successful 鈥� with targets bombed, no enemy aircraft engaged and no friendly aircraft lost.

The exception to this was on 2nd September 1943 when a Martin B-26 Marauder was hit by anti-aircraft flak and exploded with all 7 crew perishing. This would have been the first time that Kramer would have witnessed death so close up, and during the dozens of Ramrod sorties flown by 411 Squadron it was the only loss of an escorted bomber.

First Contact

On one mission while escorting a group of 72 B-26 Marauders, they were attacked by a group of Focke-Wulf 190 (FW190) fighters, and later a larger group consisting of a mix of 20 Messerschmitt Bf109 and FW190 aircraft.

In the resulting melee, before the Spitfires were able to chase the Luftwaffe aircraft away, some of the bombers were badly shot up, but nevertheless survived. During the engagement, one of the Spitfire escorts flown by Flying Officer Haw was shot down 鈥� with the pilot reported missing. At the time, the fellow pilots were unaware of Haw鈥檚 fate, although post-war records show that he survived and became a prisoner of war. This incident was Kramer鈥檚 first encounter with engaging enemy fighters on a mission, providing him with a taste of both the dangers and excitement of air-to-air combat.

The Bf109 built by Messerschmitt was the Luftwaffe’s main single engine fighter used during WW2

The FW190 built by Focke-Wulf was more robust and heavily armed than the Bf109 and earned a fearsome reputation

Relaxation

It wasn鈥檛 all hard work though. On rainy days where no flying took place, the boys made themselves busy with socialising and relaxing. One typical free day was spent by them all going for lunch, followed by a trip to the local swimming baths, then the 鈥渇licks鈥� (cinema), before a pub crawl which ended up at a dance pavilion.

A variety of games and sports were played including table tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball and clay pigeon shooting. A competitive element was often added, with everyone chipping in to a pot for the winner.

There was even an inter-squadron baseball league, however this wasn鈥檛 411鈥檚 strong point and in their first game against 401 Squadron, they were beaten by 6 points.

The Roaring Boys enjoying a game of volleyball. In one such game on 18th September 1943, Tommy Wheler, who we talked about in Sortie 15, had an accidental knock into Squadron Leader Semple which dislocated his boss’ knee! The injury meant an end to Semple’s flying career, with Ian Ormston taking over command

Part 2 – Mark 9 Spitfire

The Roaring Boys of 411 Squadron were all excited to learn that their new Spitfires, Mark 9 (IX) variants, were due to arrive shortly and would be ready for their upcoming big move to Biggin Hill Airfield. The Mark 9 was designed to be a quick fix upgrade from the Mark 5 variant that the Squadron were currently using. It was specifically designed to counter the threat posed by the Luftwaffe鈥檚 Focke-Wulf 190 (FW 190), which the Mark 5 Spitfire had found itself outclassed by since Summer 1941.

The introduction of the Spitfire Mark 9 marked a turning point in the air war from which the Luftwaffe would never recover

The Mark 9 however proved to be so successful that it remained in use through to the end of the war and went on to become one of the most produced Spitfire types. Initially built around the Mark 5 frame, but with a new two-stage supercharged Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engine fitted, the increased power gave the Mark 9 Spitfire more speed, climbing power and performance at altitude, and was now in a position where the Spitfire overshadowed every fighter the Luftwaffe was able to muster.

The squadron鈥檚 eagerness for their new aircraft would have to wait however, as bad weather crept in and postponed their move.

As they were unable to fly, their time was well spent on other activities including practicing escaping from behind enemy lines.

Escape and Evasion Training

With advances in safety for Spitfire pilots, such as self-sealing fuel tanks and cockpit armour, being in a downed aircraft was becoming increasingly survivable. As the fighting in the air had moved from being defensive over England, to offensive in occupied Europe, this meant that if a pilot was shot down while on a mission, they were now behind enemy lines. So, it was important for the pilots to learn the art of remaining hidden and how to navigate their way back to safety.

In total the pilots of 411 Squadron, including Kramer, took part in three evasion training events. Each of these attempts appears to have been a large exercise that involved pilots from other local squadrons. For each pilot that made it back safely they won their squadron 15 points – although who the overall winners were was not recorded.

A pilot’s brass tunic button that when unscrewed revealed a secret compass

The rules were that the pilots would be taken to a set distance from the airfield and released. Between the pilots and their goal, the intelligence tent at the airfield, was a cordon of Home Guard, Army and local Service Police. The pilots were not allowed to speak at any point, nor were they allowed to use violence in their attempted return to the airfield 鈥� but everything else was permitted. If they were touched by anyone, they were deemed captured, and to aid them in their escape each pilot was given two pence in cash and a compass.

Practice Makes Perfect

In the second of these exercises, they were taken 8 miles away from their goal.

Arriving at 11am, the pilots spent the first hour orienting themselves using their escape map and compass, before splitting up into smaller groups and starting on their way back to the airfield.

One of these groups decided to try to head on a direct path back, frequently having to dive for cover when both foot and motor patrols passed by. After a few close calls, by 3:30pm they were exhausted but had arrived at a nearby village and made an attempt to steal a car. Unfortunately, the car鈥檚 owner caught wind of their plan and chased them down the road.

They had more luck with two bicycles that were swiftly borrowed without permission, and they made their way to the outskirts of the airfield. Having almost made it back they were spotted by a motorcycle patrol and so had to ditch the bicycles and flee into a field with the RAF Regiment in hot pursuit. Now exhausted, the men spotted a group of soldiers in a farmyard and so hid behind some barrels. While deciding their next move they heard a shout of 鈥渢he game鈥檚 up鈥� and looked up to see a bayonet pointed at them.

A member of the RAF Regiment with his bayonet fixed

Although this group wasn鈥檛 successful, many were, with one group of pilots heading to a nearby airfield where they 鈥渂orrowed鈥� 3 Spitfires, as well as a Tiger Moth, a bus and a van, aiding them in making it back safely.

Only 3 pilots were able to make it back without stealing anything 鈥� highlighting that the most resourceful airmen were the most successful.

The borrowed equipment was all returned the following day.

Importance of the Training

Tommy Wheler, who we discussed in Sortie 15, remembers that although they acted within the rules of the game, their shenanigans in stealing the Spitfires during the exercise were considered 鈥渘ot cricket鈥�. This caused a lot of friction with the RAF, particularly as the Spitfires they had borrowed were the top-secret Mark 12 variants that had not yet been made public.

A Spitfire Mark 12, which was powered by a Rolls Royce Griffon engine

As a demonstration of how vital such training was, within the next 10 months three of Spitfire ML295鈥檚 pilots would be shot down behind enemy lines, with all three pilots managing to effectively evade capture and make it back safely to Allied lines.

Concerning the training, 411鈥檚 Squadron Leader wrote 鈥淭he escape exercise was a success and our pilots have exhibited success in yet another field. When we are equipped with Spitfire IX鈥檚 these keen boys should pile up an imposing Squadron victory score! This is the haven of their desires鈥�.

Move to Biggin Hill

After many delays due to poor weather, on 13th October 1943 the Squadron finally relocated to Biggin Hill Airfield, where their brand-new Spitfire Mark 9s were waiting for them.

They spent the first week in their new accommodation decorating and cleaning their sleeping quarters and communal areas. One of ML295鈥檚 pilots, Bob Hyndman, was the Squadron鈥檚 artist and he painted three murals, two of naked women, and the third was pencil sketch above the fireplace that was a map of Canada with portraits of each of the current Squadron鈥檚 pilots with arrows pointing on the map to their hometown.

Whenever the weather would clear, they would take the opportunity to practice flying in their new Spitfires, keeping in formation as well as practicing using their cine cameras, and by 22nd October they began flying their new Spitfire Mark 9s operationally.

Spitfires flying over RAF Biggin Hill

On 23rd November 1943, Kramer was finally promoted from a Flying Sergeant (F/S) to a Pilot Officer (P/O), after being commissioned as one on 1st September. However any celebrations he had planned were cut short, as he was immediately sent on another Ramrod sortie.

Tragedy Over the English Channel

Taking part in Ramrod 326, Kramer was part of the escort for 72 Marauders who were set to bomb the Lille-Vendeville Aerodrome. On the way to the target one of Hal鈥檚 wingmen, Flight Sergeant Stanley Kent, who was flying in the Spitfire nominated Blue 2, experienced engine failure after changing from his auxiliary tank to his main fuel tank. Kramer, flying in Blue 4, was tasked with escorting Kent back to base.

With Kent鈥檚 Spitfire unpowered it was only able to glide back across the English Channel, with him having to carefully trade his altitude for speed. However, approximately halfway across the Channel, Hal observed from an altitude of 2,000 feet Kent鈥檚 aircraft stall. It first rolled over on its side before plunging into the sea below. Kramer spent the next 15 minutes frantically searching for signs of either a wreck or a pilot on the surface of the sea, but was unable to find anything, before being forced to return to base with low fuel.

At such a low altitude, once the Spitfire had stalled and gone into a dive there was no hope for Kent to recover

This certainly would have been an incredibly traumatic event for Hal to witness, with the two pilots completely alone over the middle of the sea. In the moments before a Spitfire stalls, as the air flow over the wings changes from providing lift to turbulence, Kent鈥檚 aircraft would have developed a telltale shudder which he surely would have recognised. As the pilots would have been in radio contact with each other during their return flight, it鈥檚 likely that Kent would have communicated this fact with Kramer, and so Hal would have both seen and heard Stanley鈥檚 final moments.

It surely must have been a moment that Kramer would have replayed in his mind countless times.

Kent is recorded by the Squadron’s contemporary notes as having the rank of Flight Sergeant, however later records show that he had been promoted to a Pilot Officer. It seems a possibility that Kent was also promoted, alongside Kramer, just hours before his fateful sortie. He was just 21 years old.

Stanley Kent, 1922-1943

Engine Cut-Out

The issue of the Spitfire鈥檚 Merlin engine cutting out in mid-flight seems to have plagued the Squadron over the next few months, with 4 instances noted.

Although the recurring reason for the issue is not discussed, it appears to have been a vapour lock in the engine which caused a catastrophic stall of the engine. This occurred when the pilot switched over to either the main or reserve tank but there was a pressure difference between the two tanks. This pressure difference would cause the liquid fuel to instantly turn into a gas, with the resulting loss of pressure causing the engine to completely stall.

Whether the cause was due to pilot error or mechanical failure, the resulting engine stall was almost impossible to restart in these conditions.

An auxiliary 45 gallon slipper tank is visible under the main fuselage

Christmas at War

Hal鈥檚 first 鈥� and last – Christmas at war was started with some morning chores around the barracks. By noon though all the pilots had been given leave and so, after a round of drinks, they made their way to the mess hall where a traditional turkey dinner had been prepared.

Carrying on the festivities until 10:30pm, those still standing made their way to a dance at the Station Gym.

The Squadron Leader commented: 鈥淓veryone appeared in fine form and the party went over in rare style.鈥�

Start to 1945

Throughout the first part of 1945 the squadron continued to go on Ramrod sorties when the weather would allow.

As a break from this the whole squadron then went to Peterhead, in North East Scotland, for a one week Air Flying Course. Experiencing a cold and wet highland winter, the pilots noted that Peterhead would be a nice place if it was relocated to California.

Peterhead town and harbour during WW2. The town would be bombed a total of 28 times during the war

Air Raid Sirens

Although the Luftwaffe was not the same formidable force that it was 4 years earlier during the Battle of Britain, pilots of 411 Squadron could still not rest easily. On one occasion an Me 410 fast bomber was spotted as it flew across the airfield at 1,000 feet. Every anti-aircraft gun in the surrounding area opened up on the aircraft, but none were able to hit it. The pilots, who were only able to hear the thunderous racket caused by their guns, all thought that their days were numbered and they were under a heavy dive-bombing attack. As it turned out, it was only a lone aircraft which left the area without incident.

During another air raid the pilots were woken to the sound of an attack, with the boys noting that it wasn鈥檛 very sporting of the Jerries to visit so early in the morning and they should have come over later so that they had a chance to fight back.

The  Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) was used as both a fast bomber and bomber destroyer

Rehabilitation

With the war having gone on for 4.5 years already, the feeling was that it would soon be coming to an end. The pilots were all given a presentation on rehabilitation, which promised that following their return home the boys would all have work organised for them. It sounded very positive, but they confided that they hoped it would not be a repetition of the last war, and promises would be kept.

Although their physical wellbeing would be attended to, many of the pilots would go on to suffer from what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The condition was not very well understood at the time, with the most popular remedy being a calm and quiet environment. Sadly, the majority of those suffering from the disorder would not be officially diagnosed.

On 2nd April 1944, Kramer, along with 3 other pilots, went to see fellow pilot Jimmie Mitchell in hospital, who they reported to be much better. He鈥檇 been posted there the week before as a 鈥渘on-effective risk鈥�, being overwhelmed by the constant mental strain a pilot faced.

Another pilot with the squadron, Flying Officer Clifford 鈥淏illy鈥� Cross experienced engine trouble while returning from a sortie and was forced to bail out over the English Channel. Unfortunately, Cross鈥檚 parachute malfunctioned and didn鈥檛 deploy correctly, with it instead just steaming behind him. He plummeted into the sea and was later picked up unconscious and taken straight to hospital in a poor condition with multiple broken bones including a fractured skull. After spending the next few months recuperating, Clifford was medically discharged and retuned to Canada.

Unfortunately while back in Canada, although Cross had mostly recovered from his physical injuries, he was still in a state of mental anguish with PTSD. When Clifford was given the news that his only brother had been killed while serving in the army he found himself unable to cope with the grief and became wracked with survivor’s guilt. Just two days later on 28th February 1945, aged just 24, he took his own life.

It is difficult to imagine the pain that the parents of the Cross brothers went through, losing two sons in two days

Preparations for D-Day

On 4th and 6th April 1944, the full strength of 411 Squadron, 26 Spitfire aircraft in total, patrolled over an area on the South Dorset coast, protecting an amphibious landing exercise. Little did they know at the time, but exactly 2 months later the D-Day landings in Normandy would take place, and these exercises were the preliminary efforts to find out how best to execute them.

The squadron moved from Biggin Hill in Kent, to RAF Tangmere in West Sussex on 15th April, placing them directly north of the Normandy beaches.

From Escorting Bombers to Becoming Bombers

Although the Spitfire is most well-known for its role as an anti-fighter aircraft, the platform made for a very capable dive-bomber, with a pilot able to deliver up to 1,000lbs (450kg) of bombs to within just 10 metres of their target. During their initial training exercises the squadron organised a little wager with the pilots contributing towards a 鈥減ot of gold鈥�. Flying Officer Linquist picked up the cash prize with the best recorded accuracy.

The training continued when they were posted to Fairwood Common in Wales to further practice bombing and ground strafing. Over the five days of training, the evenings appear to have been full of revelry, with trips to Swansea, the pictures (cinema) and dancing that went on until after midnight.

A Spitfire being carefully loaded with a 500lb bomb. It could also carry a 250lb bomb under each wing

Their first operational bombing runs began on 23rd April 1944, and continued in earnest with up to 3 bombing sorties being flown each day. Each of their attacks were reported as being successful with accurate hits being observed; airfields, docks and V1 rocket launching sites were all targeted.

Spitfire ML295 Manufactured and Delivered

At some point between February and April 1944, Spitfire ML295 came off the production line at Castle Bromwich Spitfire Factory near Birmingham. Then between April and May 1944 the Spitfire was delivered to 411 Squadron, while they were based at either RAF Biggin Hill or RAF Tangmere.

After arriving with the squadron, the Spitfire would need to be checked, tested, painted with the squadron letters and Canadian maple leaf, and then it would remain as a reserve aircraft until another active Spitfire was rotated out. Spitfire ML295 would first fly operationally on 2nd June 1944.

Kramer in ML295

Kramer would go on to fly 37 missions in ML295, including bomber escorting, ground attack, air-to-air sorties and dive bombing. Full details of these missions are in the Sortie detailing each and every mission of Spitfire ML295.

Harold鈥檚 37th mission in the Spitfire would be his last. Kramer鈥檚 wingmen heard him over the radio proclaiming that he had been hit and was going down, and they watched as his Spitfire was seen to fall out of formation and out of sight, with his fate being unknown.
Thankfully, 80 years later we can piece together Harold鈥檚 journey following his crash behind enemy lines.

The following account is taken from Harold Kramer鈥檚 intelligence report that he gave following his liberation, as well as recollections from Harold鈥檚 son from the few occasions that he spoke of his war-time experience. Quotes from the intelligence report will be written in italics.

Harold Kramer’s interview that he gave to the Intelligence School 9 (IS9) within 48 hours of his rescue

Down But Not Out

On 30th July 1944 at roughly 10am, Pilot Officer Harold Kramer in Spitfire ML295 was flying on an armed reconnaissance mission over Lisieux in Normandy. While flying at 400ft and attacking a transport truck the Spitfire was hit by anti-aircraft fire and Kramer reported to his wingmen that his engine had packed up.

It is likely that the Spitfire had been hit in the radiator under the wing, which would have caused the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine to almost immediately overheat and seize up. Without power, the Spitfire would be transformed into a glider and would have started to rapidly lose altitude.

The twin radiators fairings of the Mark 9 Spitfire are visible under the wings

In the perfect scenario, travelling at 120mph a Spitfire can glide for 13 feet for each 1 foot of height it loses. This would mean at an altitude of 400 feet (122m), Kramer鈥檚 Spitfire could have travelled as far as 5,200 feet or 1 mile (1.6km) before crash landing. At 120 mph this would have taken just 30 seconds.

The reality is that as he was attacking a transport truck when he was hit, he would have been travelling at closer to 300mph and would been in a partial dive already, and so he could have had as little as 5-10 seconds from the moment he was hit to when he was on the ground.
It is difficult to imagine how quickly this would have happened; there would have been a loud bang, and the Spitfire would have shaken as it was hit. Kramer would then have had to quickly scan the instruments in the cockpit to assess the damage before hearing the engine splutter to a stop and seeing the propellor start to slow down. He would then register what had happened and that he was going to crash, radio that through to his wingmen, then find a suitable landing spot, line his Spitfire up, straighten his wings and at the last moment try and raise the nose to lose speed while desperately trying not to stall. There would have been no time to lower the undercarriage and so he would have had to go for a belly landing.

It appears that the tail of ML295 touched down first, as this part of the Spitfire was ripped off. The rest of the aircraft then slid along the marshy field, gouging a trench in its path before coming to an abrupt stop. Miraculously, Kramer was unhurt.

The crash site today is a beautifully kept lawn in front of a chateau. What is notable about the site is that firstly it is on an upwards slope, and secondly it is perhaps the only suitable landing spot in the area 鈥� with the small village being situated on hilly and uneven ground and also surrounded by trees.

A pilot flying a modern aircraft in perfect conditions would struggle to land their aircraft on such a small lawn, and so it really is an incredible testament to Kramer鈥檚 skill as a pilot that he was able to not only first spot and then land his Spitfire, but also emerge unharmed

Evasion

Fearful that the aircraft may catch fire and explode, and aware that the Germans would be heading straight towards him, he made a quick escape. Checking his escape map and using a compass he would have been able to get a general idea of where he had landed, and so he would set off in the direction away from any major roads or towns. Removing his flight jacket and parachute he ran into a nearby meadow.

One of the recovered 20mm cannon shells from the Spitfire suggests that in at least one of the wings of the aircraft a small fire had broken out, as the shell has exploded in its casing

To avoid being seen, Kramer found himself having to traverse along the ground, using his elbows and knees to slowly propel himself. When he was partially across the meadow, he heard voices in the distance and peered up from where he was crawling to see a group of German soldiers, who were investigating the crashed Spitfire, making their way towards him.

Each pilot would have been given a detailed silk escape map that showed the towns and major roads of the areas they were operating over. The map, actually printed on a type of semi-synthetic fibre called Rayon, was designed to be folded up so that it could be hidden in the pilot’s uniform

The soldiers were walking through the meadow, thrusting their bayonets into the long grass on their way. Harold stayed low and absolutely still, not wanting to draw any attention to himself and listening to the voices of the soldiers as they shouted to one another in German 鈥� none of which he understood.

He knew that if he was found he would be taken prisoner, but also worried that they may shoot him on the spot if discovered. As the patrol of soldiers came towards him, one on the edge of the group walked very close to where Harold was laying. Hearing footsteps coming withing a few yards, Kramer lifted his head slightly and there directly in front of him was a German solider, and the two of them locked eyes on each other.

His heart was racing as he believed that this was the end. The German soldier paused ever so briefly, and then turned away and continued walking across the meadow as if he had seen nothing.

The soldiers continued their conversations as they receded behind Kramer.

A Good Nazi?

What caused the German solider to ignore Kramer? Was it compassion, apathy, or fear? We will never know for sure.

To Kramer himself, he saw the seemingly irrational behaviour of the solider as a sign of his compassion towards his fellow man. There could be other explanations for this behaviour, which happened more frequently that most people would assume.
Alongside the successful D-Day landings, the Soviets had launched Operation Bagration and by mid-August 1944 had already pushed the Germans past much of their 1941 pre-invasion frontlines.

Despite the best efforts of the Nazi propaganda machine, it was clear to everyone who did not have a mystical belief in Germany鈥檚 destiny that defeat was almost certain. Those that fought on were motivated by a strong sense of duty, and along the Eastern Front there was a well-founded fear that the Soviets were looking to re-enact German war crimes.

Many soldiers from nations allied to Germany had poor morale and knew that if they surrendered to the Western Allies they would be well treated

In post-war media SS divisions and members of the Gestapo are overly represented. In reality the average German solider however was not a zealot, and those on guard duty along the Western Front at that time would have been conscripts; often from nations allied to Germany. They were school teachers, blacksmiths and farmers who could see they were losing the war and the futility of it all – they just wanted to get home safely to their families.

Another 411 Squadron pilot, F/L Alexander Halcrow, was also shot down behind enemy lines but made it back to safety on 22nd August 1944. While behind enemy lines he was captured by 鈥淕erman鈥� soldiers, however he soon learned that the soldiers were a non-German mixture of Romanians, Greeks, Italians, Poles and Russians 鈥� some of whom were likely prisoners of war who had volunteered to fight for Germany in return for their freedom. The group of soldiers let Halcrow go and allowed him to return to Allied lines on the condition that he arrange for them to be picked up so that they could surrender.

Humans are very sociable, and it is most unnatural to want to cause harm to others – particularly if they have caused no harm themselves. In research carried out after the war, it was found that only around 20-30% of troops had aimed at the enemy when they fired their gun. They would instead deliberately miss in the hope that the loud bang and the threat of violence would scare them away and conflict would be avoided.

The solider in the meadow wouldn’t have known if Kramer had a gun or other weapon, but with the rest of his squad nearby he knew that Kramer would not act first. For the soldier their safest option was simply to pretend that they hadn鈥檛 seen Harold and to continue on their way, but as he then didn’t raise the alarm when he had moved to a safe distance, perhaps a degree of compassion did also play a part in his actions.

Of course there is also the possibility that high on adrenaline, Kramer was convinced that he had been spotted, but had in fact remained hidden.

Meeting the Resistance

After lying in the meadow for an extended period of time, making sure that the soldiers were no longer in the vicinity, Harold continued his arduous crawl before making it to a woods, on the other side of which were the outskirts of a small town. Fearful of being caught and with daylight fading, Kramer spent the night laying hidden in a field.

鈥淚 do not know the name of the people who picked me up from the wheatfield on 31 Jul 44 or of the Frenchman who was a Resistance man and fetched me that night from their house.鈥�

Fortunately for Harold, the man who found him, and who recognised his pilot鈥檚 uniform, was a member of the French Forces of the Interior, commonly known as the French Resistance, who had sent out members to the area to try and find a surviving pilot before he was found by the Germans.

Although they often had little training and were poorly equipped, the French Forces of the Interior were highly motivated

鈥淗e took me however, to a railway yard shed where we spent the night. On the way to the railway yard we met a Cure, who spoke English, and a Resistance man. They took my money, cigarette lighter and dog tags from me. He had supplied me with an overall jacket and made me wear an armband with a number on it. This signified that I was guarding the railway.鈥�

A cur茅 is the name for a priest in French, and where the word curate comes from.

鈥淭he next morning (1 Aug) he removed the band and we proceeded on foot to GOUPILLIERES where he took me to the Cure鈥檚 house.

After about one hour the head of the French Resistance for that area called and I was taken to his house which was next door. The man鈥檚 name was M. GALLON (?) and the house I had been moved to was the local school, where I found a French Capt. who had been wounded in the leg. Here I was supplied with civilian trousers and shoes. I returned to the Cure鈥檚 house to sleep. The Cure was a man of about 55 years of age. I do not know his name.鈥�

The school in Goupillieres which acted as the Resistance HQ and the cur茅鈥檚 house next door where Hal slept

鈥淥n the 2 Aug I was collected by another Resistance man called Louie DASSONVILLE, who took me to his house in TILLEUL-OTHON where I stayed till the 26 Aug鈥�

Harold had recounted a story of being moved to this hiding place by being hidden in the boot of a car.

鈥淭he day after I arrived I heard that the wounded Capt. staying with M. GALLON, and M. GALLON himself had been arrested by the Gestapo and had been taken to GERMANY.鈥�

The fate of these men at the hands of the Gestapo, although unknown, would almost certainly have been torture, interrogation and execution. In total around 24,000 members of the French Resistance would be killed during the German occupation, along with 30,000 French civilians, highlighting the incredible risks these men and women took in helping Kramer and the remarkable bravery they showed in the face of such danger.

Kramer’s New Home

The family he was now staying with in Tilleul-Othon was a mother and her two adult children, Louie (the Resistance man) and Germaine. With Louie being a little older than Harold, and the daughter being closer in age. Harold was 24 at the time.

They lived in a large, thatched cottage and had a number of outbuildings on their property that were used to mill and bake bread. The Dassonville family extended their hospitality to Harold and were very kind to him, feeding him, getting him civilian clothing and making sure he was not discovered by the German occupying forces. Of course, he could not venture far from the house and had to spend most of his time with them inside and hidden.

The Dassonville’s cottage in Tilleul-Othon in 1944. At the time the only access to the loft was via a staircase along the outside of the house

鈥淒uring the first part of my stay in TILLEUL-OTHON I hid in a stable loft and I moved about the farm buildings as and when the German troops arrived.鈥�

The Germans were aware that many of the locals had sympathies for the resistance, and so periodically they would come by the house to conduct an inspection of the property and to ensure that they were not harbouring any Allied soldiers.

Due to the close-knit nature of the rural community, they would usually have some warning that a patrol was approaching, which gave Kramer time to hide himself.

The Dassonville house, which is located on the main road through the village and next to the local church, was used by passing Germans as a stop-off; where they would rest and eat meals in front of the fireplace at a large table. While hiding in the loft he would often hear the Germans speaking downstairs, often followed by hours of laughter and merriment as the family feigned hospitality and plied the soldiers with food and home-brew cider, hoping it would encourage the Germans from being too persistent in their search.

All this time Harold would have to stay completely still, avoiding making any sounds as even the creak of the floorboards in the old cottage would give away his location. When the soldiers had left, the family would tell him that it was safe to come out of hiding.

Found Again?

On one occasion when the German soldiers visited, they were particularly persistent in their search and went to the barn at the back of the house where Harold was hiding behind some hay bales. A soldier came into the barn and approached where Kramer was lying. As before in the meadow, Harold was convinced that he had been seen, but, once again, the soldier retreated without exposing him.

The hiding place of Kramer, which is currently a bedroom. You can imagine Harold being able to hear the creaking of the stairs as a German soldier made his way up to the door (behind the bed) and into the attic where he was hiding

Kramer could never understand how, given how close the solider was to him, that he had escaped being seen. He thought he surely he had been spotted, but wondered if perhaps the soldier did not want to endanger the hospitable relationship they enjoyed with the Dassonville family. Late in August 1944, the Allies were making a rapid advance towards the area and so the soldier would have been aware that he would be retreating from the area shortly.

Kramer’s Experience

In hindsight, Hal Kramer鈥檚 experience evading capture was – relative to other pilots who found themselves behind enemy lines – not an unpleasant one, as he was well looked after and enjoyed the kindness of his hosts, who were willing to risk their lives for him.
So far as it was safe for him to do so, Harold helped out with jobs and tasks around the property as the Dassonville family tried to live their lives as normally as was possible in the midst of such horror and turmoil.

However, during his time spent behind enemy lines Harold would not know what the future held or if he would ever be able to return home, and so there must have been moments of fear, panic and dread, along with the knowledge of the angst his disappearance was causing his wife, family and squadron mates.

The French Resistance were able to keep him up-to-date with the developments in the war, and Harold and all the locals would have been aware that the Allies were rapidly approaching their area, liberating huge parts of France as they went.

鈥淚 stayed in DASSONVILLE during the German retirement from Normandy. On 26 Aug I was picked up by the 15 Scottish Division and moved back to 17 Corps H.Q.鈥�

Harold Kramer, pictured centre, with Madame Dassonville on the left and her daughter, Germaine, next to Harold on the day of Tilleul-Othon鈥檚 liberation and Kramer鈥檚 rescue. The French rosettes (Tricolor cockade) are clearly visible on the door frame of their cottage, having been retrieved from their hiding place now that the Germans had gone and the area was free

On 26th August 1944, the 15th Scottish Division also liberated the nearby town of Bernay, pictured here. The advancing Allied troops were heralded as heroes by the locals

Back to Safety

Harold was taken back to his Squadron, who had by now moved their airbase at Ben-sur-Mer to a more inland location at Cristot, and reached them on 28th August 1944. Here he was greeted by his fellow squadron mate Tommy Wheler who had also just returned from behind enemy lines. On the same day he was also interviewed by Intelligence School 9, who produced the report that has been used in this story.

Tommy (left) had 铿俹wn Spitfire ML295 on its 铿乺st mission on 2nd June 1944, and Harold (right) had 铿俹wn its last on 30th July 1944, making their reunion as a happy conclusion to the story of Spitfire ML295’s wartime service

Word of him being alive 铿乶ally reached Harold鈥檚 family in Port Colborne, Ontario, who at 11:30pm on 31st August 1944 were awoken out of bed by the delivery of a telegram letting them know the good news.

Word travelled slowly in 1944, and in this local newspaper Kramer is being reported as missing. The paper was printed on 9th September 1944, 2 weeks after he had already been rescued

Because of Kramer鈥檚 status as 鈥渕issing in action鈥�, he was retired from service and as a pilot. This was common practice by the Allies, as should Harold ever be shot down again and captured, he would already have intimate knowledge of the local resistance groups and under interrogation may be forced to compromise their position.

Tracking Harold’s Journey

For much of Kramer鈥檚 journey behind enemy lines we know the exact location of where he travelled to, such as the crash site, resistance house and the Dassonville home. The area east of Lisieux did not see large amounts of 铿乬hting during the war, and so has not transformed much over the past 80 years, with roads, 铿乪lds, forests, houses and train tracks remaining in the same place in 2024 as they were in 1944.

In his escape, Kramer 铿乺st travelled on foot, crossing a meadow, through a wood, and then a 铿乪ld before making it to a small village. Of the nearest places to the crash site at Fauguernon, Hermival-les-Vaux seems to match the description best. We then know after meeting the resistance Harold went to a railway yard where he spent the night, and then from there he went on foot to the cur茅鈥檚 house. The two main train stations in the area are at Lisieux and Bernay, but it would likely not be a good idea for Harold to be taken to a busy city.

However, at Serquigny there is a large railway junction where there would have been plenty of empty buildings along the tracks in this quiet town.

They would have transported Harold along a route that would avoid both major roads and large population centres, where it would have been less likely to encounter a German road checkpoint.

From Serquigny it is just a 5km walk to Goupillieres, where Kramer met the priest and the resistance leadership. The next day Louie Dassonville collected Harold and took him the short journey to his house in Tillieul-Othon where he spent the rest of August 1944 until the area was liberated by the advancing Allied troops.

The possible route that Kramer took after he had been shot down

The War in August 1944

30th July 1944 was D-Day +54, and although the Allied beachheads along the Normandy coastline were well secured by this point, the German presence in the area was still formidable. This would all change in mid-August when the German 7th Army became encircled around Falaise and su铿�ered horri铿乧 losses. The retreating remnants tried to destroy every river crossing as they 铿俥d back to the east side of the River Seine.
However, the Allies gave chase at an incredible pace, with temporary bridges being erected in just hours. The speed at which the Allies were chasing the retreating German army was remarkable, with the 15th Scottish Division, who would eventually liberate Kramer, advancing the front line by up to 50 km in a day. On 4th September 1944, just 9 days after Kramer鈥檚 liberation, the Allies had already pushed a further 400 km east to reach Brussels. To most observers at the time, it would have seemed that the war was almost over.

Sappers from the 15th Scottish Division are seen here on 26th August 1944 building a temporary bridge in the town of Beaumont-le-Roger, which is only 4kms from where Kramer was staying, and so it is very possible that these are the same soldiers who would liberate Tilleul-Othon and pick Kramer up on the same day

After the War

After the war Harold returned to Canada and his wife and decided that he would not return to university but would 铿乶d some employment in order to support his family. They moved to Bu铿�alo in New York state, where he was employed at a printing press owned by a friend of his wife鈥檚 family. However, after a year they returned to their family in Canada where he found employment at the John Deere Welland Works nearby. They later gave birth to their son, who has graciously passed on much of the detail in this story. Harold continued to work at the plant and was looking forwards to retirement when he sadly died in 1977 aged 57.

Although Kramer would never again meet any of the Dassonville family, or members of the resistance who had helped him evade capture he did keep in correspondence with them for many years. Kramer never forgot the debt he owed to them, and they, in turn, never forgot him.

Each Christmas they would exchange cards, letters and sometimes even photographs. Germaine never married and after Louis Dassonville died, she moved with her mother to an apartment in Paris. Harold continued to keep in contact with the family until Germaine passed away. Madame Dassonville was the last survivor of that family who had kept him safe during the war, after sadly outliving both of her children.

The Dassonville cottage, where Kramer was kept hidden, today

Harold Kramer’s Service

Flying O铿僣er Harold Kramer, J.18965, between 16th July 1942 and 30th July 1944 铿俥w a total of 175.25 hours on 121 operational sorties, 37 of which were in Spitfire ML295.
After 30th July 1944 Harold Kramer never 铿俥w again, however his Spitfire, ML295, has been recovered and restored and now 铿俰es regularly.

With an additional seat having been added during the restoration, members of the public are able to experience the thrill of this incredible machine and keep the memory of pilots such as Harold alive

The Few Watch Progress

Below I will go through the current progress of The Few watch (as at September 2023):

The watch dials and hands, made from a piece of Spitfire ML295’s original wing, have all been completed

The first finished cases of the watch should be ready by September 2023 – all manufactured locally using British steel

A stock of ETA 2892-A2 movements have all been finished and branded, with a stock of British-made Smiths 0104 movements currently being serviced and finished

The boxes of the watch are currently being made locally from hydulignum – the wood composite used in Spitfire propellors. The first of these should be completed in August 2023

I wasn’t particularly happy with the basic latch we were using for the box in the prototype, and so a local engineering firm are producing working replicas of a Spitfire’s door latch instead. The idea being that to open the lid of The Few’s box, you feel like you’re opening the door to a Spitfire

To complete all of the personalisation on the watch I have ordered a laser which will be able to engrave and anneal the watch cases and crown. It is the same machine the Assay Office use to add their hallmark

The Few Watch Progress – Everything Else

The sapphire glasses of the watch are currently being produced and engraved with a “hidden” logo (only visible under magnification from a certain angle).

The watch straps, buckle, cufflinks and escape maps are ready. With the book, that fits into the drawer of the watch box, currently being completed – it will feature the stories I am recounting in each Sortie.

For everyone following the development of The Few, during Summer 2024 we will hold an event to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Spitfire ML295 becoming operational. Details to follow later.

Finally, to ensure that the project is carbon negative, a tree will planted for each watch – the site of which has been secured. Due to the hand-made and locally produced nature of the project, the entire carbon footprint for each watch will be covered by over 10 times within the first year – with every year after that providing an ongoing benefit.

His aggressive and professional attitude set the tone for his extensive tour as both a Hurricane and Spitfire fighter pilot 鈥� battling against Rommel鈥檚 Afrika Korps, defending Malta, training new recruits in Canada, protecting bombers over France and patrolling the skies over Normandy.

Harold “Nick” Nixon

Harold Joseph Nixon

Harold Nixon was born in 1919 in Hamilton, Canada, to Edmond Nixon and Elizabeth Dickens. After graduating from Central Collegiate in Hamilton, he went on to take the pre-engineering course at McMaster University, where he found a talent for both wrestling and boxing. Nixon was never scared of getting himself in the thick of a fight and so in 1941 before his studies were completed, he signed up to be a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, aged just 22.

Nixon, aged 19, in his University boxing and wrestling team

Training as a fighter pilot through the Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada, Nixon clearly had an aptitude for flying, as by the summer of the same year he had passed his flight training, qualified as a Pilot Officer, and travelled over to England to complete his operational training.

Eager for the Fight

Nixon鈥檚 enthusiasm for the task at hand was clear, as evidenced by this newspaper interview from September 1941

His first posting was to North Africa where Harold took part in the Western Desert campaign. The Italians had begun their invasion of Egypt from Libya in September 1940, although because of poor planning, their operation floundered and they instead found themselves retreating back into Libya and suffering the destruction of their entire 10th Army.

Following these serious setbacks, the Italian leader, Mussolini, made direct pleas to Hitler for assistance. To aid the Italians, in February 1941 Hitler sent the renowned Field Marshall Edwin Rommel 鈥� later known as the Desert Fox – and the Afrika Korps. Their arrival on the battlefield soon led to the Allies being pushed back to the Egyptian border, which threatened the security of the vital Suez Canal that was providing desperately needed supplies into the Mediterranean.

Desert Fighting

One of Harold’s photographs showing Hurricanes taking off and lining the runway in North Africa, possibly at the RAF El Daba airfield in Egypt

Piloting a Hawker Hurricane that he had trained on in Canada, he enjoyed getting stuck into the action. There was certainly a plentiful supply of enemies to attack and the wide-open sandy plains, with almost no cloud cover meant that it was easy for aircraft to dive in and attack ground targets.

Nixon participated in the offensives over Egypt and Libya of late 1941 and early 1942, being heavily involved in softening up the Axis defensive positions. These efforts played no small part in the Allied success in the region, including Operation Crusader, which was the successful Allied counter offensive against the German/Italian lines 鈥� and saw almost 40,000 of the 120,000 Axis troops in the area become casualties.

The Move to Malta

The Axis troops in North Africa were facing huge problems with their supply lines, as almost all their fuel, ammunition and even food had to cross the Mediterranean Sea first to reach them. The crossing from Italy to Tunisia and Libya took shipping past the Allies鈥� 鈥渦nsinkable aircraft carrier鈥� 鈥� the small island of Malta.

In November 1941 alone, the Axis had lost 77% of all their supply shipping in the Mediterranean. The Wehrmacht鈥檚 new Commander-in-Chief South, Albert Kesselring, became resolved to either control or neutralise Malta. I talked previously in detail about the Siege of Malta in Sortie 9.

In April 1942, under the name of Operation Herkules, Hitler and Mussolini agreed on a plan to invade Malta. The plan revolved around an amphibious landing of up to 70,000 troops. The landings would be preceded by almost 30,000 elite paratroopers airdropped onto the island. These would secure both the airfields and high ground.

Facing such a determined and severe threat, Nixon was posted to Malta as part of 229 Squadron鈥檚 second wave. In his Hurricane mark 2C, he made the daunting trip from RAF Gambut in Libya, across hundreds of miles of open water to the tiny Mediterranean island under siege.

Defending the Unsinkable

During the height of Operation Herkules, on 6th April 1942, Nixon landed at RAF Luqa in central Malta with several other pilots. Following his long and exhausting journey, there was no respite as they immediately faced daily air raids and intense combat raging overhead.

The pilots from 229 Squadron were frequently scrambled to ward off enemy bombers who were trying to destroy their precious aircraft on the ground. These threats usually came in the form of Junkers 88, the Luftwaffe’s fast medium-bomber, along with their fighter escort of Messerschmitt Bf109s.

The beleaguered defenders often faced incredible odds. When 6 German Bf109s were sighted overhead, 2 Hurricanes from 229 Squadron were hurriedly scrambled to intercept them. However shortly after take-off, one of these Hurricanes was forced to turn back due to mechanical issues.

The remaining pilot, Flight Sergeant Brooks, made the decision to carry on alone. Despite his best efforts, the lone Hurricane, who was singlehandedly facing 6 enemy aircraft, was ultimately brought down, crashing into the waters near Malta鈥檚 Grand Harbour.

F/S Brooks, who sadly died in the defence of Malta

On 24th April 1942 Nixon managed to get his first 鈥渟core鈥� by damaging a Bf109 that he was scrambled to intercept. 4 days later however he tore a tendon in his left index finger and was admitted to the General Hospital.

By the time Nixon was discharged from hospital, 229 Squadron had ceased to function due to operational losses. However, the sacrifice these pilots had made had begun to pay dividends and the situation in Malta began to turn in the Allies鈥� favour. By the end May 1942, over 100 Allied fighter aircraft were available to defend the skies over Malta. In stark contrast, the Luftwaffe now had only 30 fighters and 34 bombers still operational in the area; out of 500 total aircraft just two months prior.

As the immediate threat of an invasion of Malta was over, Nixon was rotated out of service and travelled back to the UK. After a short break, in July 1942, he sailed from Scotland to New York and then travelled onwards home to Canada.

Article from the Ottawa Citizen dated 11th July 1942, including language of the era

Instructing New Pilots

Now back in Canada, Nixon would instruct trainee pilots as part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the very scheme that he had trained with himself just two years earlier.

Stationed at Bagotville, Quebec, Nixon worked as an instructor at number 1 Operational Training Unit (OTU). There is a possibility that he instructed some of Spitfire ML295鈥檚 other pilots, many of whom would pass their fighter training at Bagotville.

The new pilots at Bagotville were transitioning from two-seater trainer aircraft to the single-seater fighters they would be expected to fly over Europe. Having flown Hurricanes over North Africa and Malta and faced off against the Luftwaffe鈥檚 finest pilots and aircraft, Nixon spent the next 8 months developing the skills of his students.

Training from instructors such as Nixon helped ensure that the new pilots could handle a modern fighter aircraft under stress, were aware of the tactics to use against the enemy and also learned how to stay alive once they were airborne.

Luftwaffe Training

This constant improvement of the pilot training situation for the Allies was in contrast to the Luftwaffe, where new recruits saw a steady and then rapid decline in both the quantity and quality of their instruction from early 1942 onwards.

Adolf Galland, the famous Luftwaffe ace (with over 100 confirmed aerial victories), who from 1941-45 was General in command of Germany鈥檚 air fighter force, described the standard of Allied fighter pilot training as “astonishingly high”.

The German failure during the Battle of Britain had meant that the Luftwaffe had to refill their ranks with reserve pilots to remain fully operational. However, the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union had drained the pilot ranks even further. As a quick victory in the East eluded the Germans and with their reserve pilots all gone, by 1942 the Luftwaffe were sending some of their most experienced pilot instructors to the front lines to fill the gaps 鈥� leaving the new recruits ill prepared for combat and often expected to learn how to fly their aircraft 鈥渙n-the-job鈥�.

Back to England

While in Canada it wasn’t all hard work and Nixon (seated, second from left) found time to go on a successful deer hunt with the other instructors – Ormston is on the far right

While Nixon was instructing new students he became close friends with another trainer, Flight Lieutenant Ian “Ormie” Ormston DFC. He had himself been repatriated to Canada following a crash earlier in the year when he managed to parachute out over the English Channel. Their friendship grew and in April 1943 Nixon acted as the best man at F/L Ormston鈥檚 wedding.

The two of them were clearly similar characters, who enjoyed the thrill of flying their fighter aircraft in combat. Interviewed before his return to England, Ormston was quoted as saying “It’s real life over there. You can’t get away from it. There is nothing like it.”

Following the completion of his instructor assignment, Nixon was posted back to the UK, taking with him a new promotion to the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He travelled with his friend Ormston and the two of them arrived in Liverpool on 15th May 1943.

Upon his return to England, Nixon spent the first few months providing additional training to pilots of 411 and 412 Squadrons, now based at Biggin Hill Airfield in Kent. He also used the time to get to grips with transitioning to his new fighter aircraft, the Spitfire.

Nixon sat in a 412 Squadron Spitfire at Biggin Hill Airfield

Arriving at 411 Squadron

By December 1943, Nixon began to fly operationally on sorties with 411 Squadron, who had just been outfitted with brand-new Spitfire Mark 9 (IX) aircraft. Here his old friend, Ian Ormston, was the Squadron Leader.

Unfortunately, just as Harold began his active duty, Ormston experienced a disastrous crash. Following an engine failure shortly after take-off, he was forced to ditch his aircraft. As his Spitfire crash landed it snagged some barbed wire and was cartwheeled along the ground. Although he survived, Ormston suffered serious injuries, including a fractured spine. He was sent home in a body cast 鈥� and although his flying days were over, he would go on to make a full recovery and eventually passed away in 2010.

Squadron Leader Ian “Ormie” Ormston, seen here on the left in his 411 Squadron Spitfire nicknamed “Marguerite” after his wife, while on the right he is enjoying a pipe in his garden in his later life

First Missions Over Europe

Nixon鈥檚 first mission with 411 Squadron was Ramrod 383, a bomber escort mission over the Rouen area of northern France. It proved to be uneventful as did the remainder of the sorties in December, which included escorting B17 Flying Fortresses on the descending leg of their raid into Germany.

The New Year, 1944, brought with it a reminder of the dangers of aerial combat. While providing fighter cover as part of Ramrod 419, Nixon’s Squadron engaged 12 Focke-Wulf 190s and 8 Messerschmitt Bf109s. As Nixon got on the tail of a fighter and began to open fire, the sound of his cannons roaring was soon drowned out by the metallic cracks of his own aircraft being riddled with machine-gun fire. Thankfully Nixon managed to escape the encounter unhurt and nursed his battered aircraft home.

Relaxing with the Squadron’s pet dogs at Biggin Hill Airfield

The risks of daily sorties into enemy territory, often in poor winter weather and low visibility, were demonstrated in February 1944 as Nixon flew in a large wing of Squadrons who were escorting American B17 and B24 bombers on a raid near Paris.

Upon sighting a swarm of enemy fighters, the Spitfires jettisoned their external fuel drop-tanks and prepared to engage. As they dived towards their foe, they discovered that these 鈥渆nemy鈥� aircraft were actually P-47 Thunderbolts from the US Airforce and thankfully managed to disengage before there were any friendly fire incidents.

Nixon (1) with other 411 Squadron members, including Spitfire ML295 pilots Kerr (2), LeBlanc (3), Dunn (4), Wheler (5) and Kramer (6)

Throughout January to March 1944, despite harsh weather, Nixon took part in a series of bomber escort sorties, along with a number of fighter sweeps and patrols.

As spring arrived and the weather began to clear, news began to spread through the camps that in the summer the Allies were going to open up a new front in German occupied France. The excitement that they were finally going to take the fight back to the enemy started rising, and the pilots of 411 Squadron could hope that the war was finally coming to an end.

Nixon was now one of the most experienced pilots, in what would become one of the most successful Spitfire squadrons of the war. He soon would take to the skies in Spitfire ML295, the same aircraft that The Few watch is being made from, piloting the Mark 9 Spitfire on 5 sorties deep behind enemy lines.

In many ways his journey as a wartime pilot was just getting going, and over the coming months he would find himself tested like never before.

D-Day Invasion Preparations

By April 1944, the Squadron鈥檚 bomber escort duties and scouting missions began to make way for exercises in preparation for the upcoming D-Day invasion, which included practicing flying as air cover for amphibious transports.

During May, Nixon undertook a more unusual mission, taking his Spitfire on a dive-bombing sortie against a V1 site in France.

Despite flak in the target area, the squadron scored 20 hits on their target and left for home with the area covered in thick black smoke. A further dive-bombing sortie the following day targeted a bridge, however less success was found with no direct hits observed.

Death off his shoulder

On 19th May, Squadron Leader Fowlow led a group of Spitfires, including Nixon, on a bombing run against a rail crossing at Hazebrouck, France.

However, on their way to the target Fowlow鈥檚 aircraft was hit by flak, with the anti-aircraft shell striking the 500lb bomb under his Spitfire鈥檚 fuselage. The explosion resulted in an instantaneous, fiery disintegration of the airframe right before the eyes of his squadron-mates.

Once of the anecdotes that Harold鈥檚 son, Wilson, remembered overhearing his father recall was of one of his wing mates getting shot down just off his shoulder. Fowlow had also served in Malta while Nixon was flying there in 1942, and so along with a professional relationship 鈥� there may also have been a close friendship formed over 2 years of piloting together. No doubt the violent death of Squadron Leader Fowlow was highly traumatic for all those that witnessed it and fuelled a desire for retribution.

As more offensive, ground-attack missions began to feature on the orders board of 411 Squadron, Flt Lt. Nixon鈥檚 aggressive streak came to the fore. On a fighter sweep in late May, squadron records note the Nixon dove on targets of opportunity including a lorry, strafing it.

D-Day and the Move to France

Further opportunities to settle scores and take the fight to the enemy would soon present themselves, as 6th June 1944 brought with it Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy, D-Day. Following a brief period of poor weather, operations began to pick up in earnest as the Allied invasion got underway.

Nixon found himself on daily patrols and sweeps, attacking both ground targets and providing air-cover against Luftwaffe counter-offensives.

During one of these sweeps on 10th June, Nixon managed to position his Spitfire on the tail of a Focke-Wulf 190D, the sleeker, 鈥淟ong Nose鈥� version of the Butcherbird. Closing from 400 yards, the German pilot tried desperately to evade the stream of fire being brought to bear by Nixon鈥檚 guns. Closing still, now at 200 yards, Nixon was forced to break off and allow Flt. Lt. Williams of 401 Sqn, to pick up the attack. Between them, they brought the FW190 down, sharing the kill.

Nixon鈥檚 first flight in Spitfire ML295 took place on the 15th June 1944, taking the aircraft up on a patrol that was described as 鈥渦neventful鈥�. The Luftwaffe鈥檚 inability to effectively react to the Allied invasion of Normandy was evidenced by the lack of air-to-air encounters during this period.

On 19th June 1944, Nixon moved with the rest of the 411 Squadron to Beny-sur-Mer Airfield in Northern France.

Caterpillar Club

Seen in gun-camera footage from late June, his approach to strafing runs on German vehicles demonstrated a determination to inflict damage, even risking his own safety to do so, getting lower, faster, and holding the gun button for longer. The risk to his aircraft and himself was evidenced when on 26th June 1944 the squadron notes that:

鈥淥n the second operation F/L Nixon鈥檚 aircraft was hit by flak and he was forced to bale out south of Bayeux. He was uninjured and back at dispersal two hours later.鈥�

Early on the morning of the 29th June, Nixon took Spitfire ML295 out again on a dawn armed reconnaissance sortie in which several vehicles were seen to smoke, burn and explode. This was typical of many of the ground-attack sorties Nixon participated in.

Another Target Hit

Now that the Squadron was fully established in their base in France the pace of operations increased. By now the Luftwaffe had seen significant reinforcement and reorganisation in Western Europe. As the 2nd Tactical Air Force continued to support Allied ground operations attacking German targets on the ground, Nixon and his fellow pilots now found themselves increasingly engaged with enemy fighters too.

While carrying out an armed reconnaissance flight, primarily to engage ground targets of opportunity, 8-10 FW190s were spotted by Nixon鈥檚 flight. A fierce dogfight ensued, resulting in an FW190 being destroyed by Flt Lt Johnson and another being damaged by Nixon, with the shells from his 20mm cannons seen striking the aircraft before it took evasive action and disappeared into the clouds.

Down, But Not Out

Nixon鈥檚 characteristically aggressive approach to combat may have set him apart from more conservative pilots, especially in low-level strafing attacks, however his luck ran out on the afternoon of 27th July 1944.

Performing an attack on armoured vehicles, Nixon was flying his Spitfire at almost 400mph, as he skimmed above the roofs and treetops at just 50 feet from the ground. On one pass his Spitfire was hit by return fire.

Faced with perhaps as little as 3 seconds from the moment when he was hit to when his Spitfire would crash, Nixon was able to maintain enough control to crash-land his Spitfire safely and away from enemy ground units.

The Squadron鈥檚 notes reference Nixon鈥檚 Spitfire being shot down and as they flew over his crash site they were able to visually confirm his survival.

鈥淏elieved hit by return fire from tanks at 50 feet and crash-landed. He was seen to run into woods near Fleury sur Andelle.鈥�

鈥淭he others in his section saw him running into a nearby woods apparently uninjured.鈥�

Shot by 鈥淭ank鈥�

Not many pilots would have been able to claim that they survived getting shot down by a tank!

The German tank divisions operating in the area were the 2nd Panzer Division, stationed in Caumont, just south of Rouen, who operated Panthers, and 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion who were equipped with Tiger tanks.

A tank however would have been unable to shoot a low-flying and fast-moving aircraft with its main turret, and so it is likely that Nixon鈥檚 aircraft was either hit by small arms fire or by an anti-aircraft German halftrack which would have accompanied the German Panzers.

A Mucky Escape

Now stranded behind enemy lines, Nixon would have had to make a quick getaway as the local German forces would have flooded to the area of his crashed aircraft.

Harold鈥� son, Wilson, remembers overhearing his father mentioning that he was taken prisoner by the Germans, but he managed to escape by hiding in a pile of manure. There is no record of this part of Nixon鈥檚 capture and escape story in any of the reports, although as the official account only appears to cover the final 3 weeks of Harold鈥檚 1 month and 3 days behind enemy lines, it is possible that he was initially captured but managed to get away during the first week following his crash.

Behind Enemy Lines

Madame Verhague, the heroine of the French resistance with whom Nixon spent 2 weeks hiding, wrote a letter to a friend in 1945 鈥� in English 鈥� where she describes some of the events mentioned in Nixon鈥檚 report. Huguette, as she was known, provides clarity on the fate of many of the people Nixon met during his evasion and also gives a rare insight into the practicalities and raw emotions of coming so close to capture.

2nd Lt Theodore Baskette, known as Ted, was an American B17 Flying Fortress Co-pilot. He parachuted out of his damaged aircraft on 14th June 1944, and Nixon spent his days with Ted while staying with Huguette, who she affectionately called 鈥渉er boys鈥�.

Either following his crash, or his possible escape via a manure heap, Nixon stumbled upon a local woodsman who offered to help the pilot. Here the story of his escape, in Harold鈥檚 own words, from the debriefing he made to intelligence services on the day after he returned back to Allied lines, starts.

I have added in anecdotes from Huguette鈥檚 letter.

Nixon鈥檚 Escape Story

Nixon: 鈥淭he name of the woodman was Marcel Dalaisment of Gaillardbois-Cressenville. His son-in-law was Lemire Louis.

At Fleury La Foret I was handed over to Lt. Andre, chief of the Armed Resistance in the district. I was told that in a day or two I would be flown home and was taken to the house of M. Touraine in the village, who was the head of the Unarmed Resistance. He is a notary and a very fine gentlemen. Here I met Lt. Baskette, USAAF, who had been there for two months.

A week later word came that the Gestapo had M. Touraine鈥檚 name and I moved to the house of Mme/ Huguette Verhague, who lives at Abbe de Mortemer, near Lisors. When we were there a man (name unknown) whom we had met, with another, at Fleury, brought us both civilian suits. He had plenty of money.

Fighting with the Resistance

While we were here we were asked to join the Armed Resistance and that night we went out with four Sten guns and six men to ambush Germans for weapons. We laid in ambush at dusk and I was to fire first. Some very tired Jerries came along, and I loaded the Sten four times, but it misfired each time. The Boche were too tired to hear the click and walked away, passing within four yards of where I stood.

On 24th August, on the day following my ambush, more arms had been recovered by the Resistance, and there were ordered to attack. Thinking the troops had crossed the River Seine, they attacked two Germans near the village where 50 enemy were encamped. This was against my advice. The chief鈥檚 Sten only fired one shot, wounding one man. He ran back for help, while the other defended himself with a sub-machine gun. Within a few minutes the Germans were searching the wood and in half an hour 250 S.S. had encircled the district and were shooting up everyone in the forest.鈥�

Huguette writes: 鈥淛erry went into the bush and began to chase our poor F.F.I.s! 5 were taken, tortured (feet boiled, broken forearms and so on) and shot in the evening, near here.鈥�

(FFI was the Free French of the Interior, better known as the Resistance)

Hiding

Nixon continues: 鈥淲e had taken refuge in the loft above our cottage to which access was obtained through a trap door in the civilian鈥檚 house. We drew up the ladder and barricaded the trap door. We also made a hole in the wall, and had a rope ready to let ourselves down. Twice the Germans searched the house, but each time the owner talked them out of searching the loft.

It was very nerve wracking because the Germans were living in the adjoining abbey, and we could see them bringing in the Resistance men and boys. Their guards were patrolling the road just outside our hide-out for two days and for three they shot up anyone in the forest. They captured nine men altogether including the chief, who was very brave.鈥�

Huguette: 鈥淭hen, when we had lunch, we saw one S.S. opening the gate and rushing directly to the hen shed鈥nder the loft, breaking the doors, with his pistols in hand! 鈥淭his time, said Ren茅, 鈥淚 think we are finished!鈥� God made him come out without seeing the airmen, who were kneeling and praying. It is the only time I really wanted to kiss a Jerry! We had deserved so many times to be shot that we are still surprised to be alive!!鈥�

Risk of Discovery

Nixon: 鈥淥n the evening of 26th August, I received word that someone had betrayed the assistant mayor of Lisors, who was chief of the Unarmed Resistance, and who was helping to feed us. As 13 people in Lisors knew that Mme. Verhague had looked after five airmen she was afraid of gossip getting to the ears of the Gestapo.鈥�

Huguette: 鈥淣ext morning, S.S. went to arrest Ren茅 Loucopoulos, you remember (1 wife 3 children) and shot him. He was F.F.I. chief. I saw, against the farm wall one more F.F.I. chief and a little F.F.I. caught by a dog and 30 S.S. beating the chief and keeping them. They knew we had the boys. (They were shot next morning). Then as I feared they would come during the night I asked the German to do patrols all night on the road, in front of the gate鈥o that the 鈥渢errorists would not hide in here!鈥� So they did and so the boys were safe!鈥�

Moving to a Cave

Nixon: 鈥淭hat night it was dark and foggy and we got out through the hole and took cover in a cave in the forest about 400 yards away. This cave had been shown to me by Mme. Verhague earlier for use in just such an emergency. We stayed here until the evening of 28th August. Mme. Verhague brought food for us each evening.鈥�

Huguette: 鈥淚 told Nic that if by night the next day I was not with them, it was because I had been shot, so they would need to leave! They both kissed us. Nic was weeping, and told me that God would be with us! Then at night I did at least 5kms to reach the hole, hiding from Jerry who was all over the woods. I brought the boys water, food and straw鈥hich was most awful to carry!鈥�

The Germans Pull Out

Nixon: 鈥淭he Boche pulled out of the abbey on the evening of 27th August and we walked to the cottage the following evening.鈥�

Huguette: 鈥淎t last they left. It was delicious to see them rushing back to St. Catherine, using any vehicles, buses, horses, bicycles (they asked mine, also, well hidden, I told them it was gone to Germany!) Also they never found the wireless, nor the pistols, grenades and machine guns hidden here!!鈥�

Nixon: 鈥淥n 30th August Mme. Verhague came running from the village to say that the Tommies had arrived. We were picked up by a Welsh Division and reached IS9 at Bayeux on 31st August.

Mme. Verhague, who with her mother could speak German, used to talk to the German soldiers and lower their morale, at the same time keeping in with them to cover up her activities. In this way she saved the lives of two young Resistance men among those shot up. One of them she walked right through the Germans pretending that he was her lover. I have never met a woman of such sublime courage and daring.鈥�

Rescued – with a Full Stomach

Huguette: 鈥淎s I came back from fetching the bread, at 6.30, I heard the Ecouis bells ringing! We understood. You were there! We thought they were American, no, it was our dear English Army!

I said nothing to the boys, not thinking to give them wrong hope, and ran to Lisors in pouring rain. I heard all the village calling me. 鈥淎t last, run M Hug, you must be the first there!鈥� I directly went to the little caterpillar truck, and asked an officer, quick, (I think I have been the only one not to kiss that boy because I was so anxious to bring my two!) I went to ask the officer what I had to do. One forgotten mine had just exploded and the bridge was damaged. One girl lent me her bicycle and I rushed here!

The boys got mad! Ted walked screaming and Nic yelled!! I felt shy to walk with them! We had taken so much the habit of hiding them! All the F.F.I who had been with them in the woods, cheered and kissed them and at last! I gave them up to the British! And then got my first best English cigarette. We had missed them so much for years!! (It was a wild woodbine! I keep the box!!)

Then, Victoria鈥檚 nephew asked us three for lunch (poor Maggie was left at home with only the potatoes!) and we had the most excellent lunch. Ted ate at least 2 lb of cucumber, Nic, a dish full of tomatoes, then omelette, duck, beans, rice pudding, wine, brandy (Dear me, never the censor will have patience to read this!) They gave the boys a whole bottle of brandy, flowers, champagne afterwards at Derly鈥檚 wife.

At 3pm my two boys went in a jeep with the English going back to their base. They kissed me in front of all the village, and all the troops!鈥�

Huguette Verhague

Magdelaine Huguette Verhague survived the war and is remembered as being a great heroine of the French Resistance. The risks faced by both the pilots and members of the Resistance who helped ensure their rescue was immense.

Huguette is directly credited with saving the lives of 7 airmen, including her “boys” Nic and Ted, along with aiding countless others.

She died in 1961, described as being 鈥渂lind and penniless鈥�. Her bravery, along with other members of the local resistance, is commemorated each September in Lyons la For锚t.

Here is a link to a video showing Huguette’s home and the places where Nixon hid. It is in French, however if you turn on the closed captions, under settings, you can have the video auto-translated to English:

DFC and Return

For his exemplary service and stellar record, Nixon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 29th December 1944.

Nixon would return to his wife in Hamilton, Canada, in 1945, having earned credits of 0.5 enemy aircraft destroyed along with 2 damaged.

He built up a successful career in the construction industry, overseeing the building of many office blocks around Ontario before his death in 1985.

Wilson Nixon

Through my research looking into Nixon’s wartime career, I was able to track down and locate his son – who bears a striking resemblance to his father.

Harold’s son, Wilson, joined us in October 2022 to take a flight in his father’s Spitfire.

There is a great video of Wilson being interviewed about his experience which I will share a link to. The interview also includes some footage from Nixon’s Spitfire’s gun camera – including clips from Spitfire ML295:

The Dial of The Few

When creating The Few watch, the origin and authenticity of the Spitfire material I was using was paramount, as this ensured that the spirit of Spitfire ML295 and the pilots that flew in her was kept alive.

Using material that was almost 80 years old and had not been kept in the best of conditions would be difficult, but I knew I could create something incredibly special and unique.

A standard modern dial is usually made from a disc of copper. It has dial feet soldered onto the reverse side, which are used to affix the dial to the watch movement. The dial is then painted and the numerals and markers are added using a technique called pad printing. This is where a negative of the design is filled with ink, which is then lifted using the pad and placed down on the dial, transferring the ink.

The problem I faced with using the Spitfire material was that I couldn’t solder dial feet to the metal, as the heat would damage the surface. I was also unable to use pad printing, as the metal surface was both oxidised and not completely flat – which would leave the printing uneven and unsatisfactory.

Following over 2 years’ of experimentation and development, I created an entirely unique way of solving both of these issues.

It was important to record the origin of each piece of original Spitfire material used, as this would be part of the provenance of the timepiece. The circled material was cut out and is shown below

This piece of material was relatively flat, although it was still surprisingly uneven when needing to carry out precise work. The material was carefully studied and measured and five areas were identified as suitable for dials to be cut from

These flat areas were carefully lined up in a high-precision laser machine and cut out, with the laser etching the surface of the areas to be later hand-engraved

The dials were then finished by hand, which adds depth and definition to the numbers and markers. The 3 dimensional result really brings the life and soul of the Spitfire material to life.

The engraved areas were then carefully painted, with each area being given up to 6 incredibly thin layers of ink. If desired, luminous paint can be added to the markers

Although the material had survived for almost 80 years, I did not want to see it deteriorate any further and so I contacted the British Museum to see how they prevent their old metals from degrading. They explained that they use a special wax, which provides an invisible thin coating to the surface and protects it from both moisture and air – and so this wax, the same that the British Museum use to protect their priceless collections, is used on each of the dials.

A closeup of a dial after being hand-engraved

The dial fits into the movement ring like a jigsaw piece preventing it from twisting, lifting or tilting. The movement is then fitted in snuggly behind the dial and both are secured into the watch case

For those who prefer a higher contrast dial, the top layer of oxidisation can be removed, which leaves a patina on the dial that will be unique to each watch

Absolutely none of the original Spitfire material is wasted, as pieces that are otherwise too small to create a dial from are instead made into items, such as these hand-made silver cufflinks, that accompany The Few watch.

Next Sortie

We take a look at the pilot that flew Spitfire ML295 the most and called the aircraft his own, Harold Kramer.

On 13th April 1944, production was completed on Spitfire ML295 at the Castle Bromwich Spitfire factory. 

The aircraft was an LF Mark 9, which was a Spitfire variant designed for low altitude flight. At the time it was the cutting edge of Allied aircraft technology, powered by a 27 litre V12 Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine, producing 1,705 horsepower and capable of reaching over 400mph. It was armed with 2 machine guns and 2 cannons in its wings and enough ammunition for 12 seconds of sustained fire.

To mark this momentous occasion, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my latest video on “The Few,” now available for viewing on YouTube.

It’s been a really enjoyable process creating the video, and we managed to get some fantastic shots of both the Spitfire and the watch. Just click on the video below, it’s just over two minutes long, and hopefully you will agree that we’ve managed to capture the spirit of the Spitfire and the pilots that flew in her.

Please feel free to share it far and wide.

If you like the style of the video and are looking for someone who was really fantastic to work with, the video was created with the help of 

Spitfire ML295 at Biggin Hill

At Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, where the Spitfire was restored back into flying condition and where it is currently operating from, we held a special event for the family members where they could experience first hand what it was like to fly a Spitfire!

Biggin Hill’s close proximity to London was, and still is, the reason why the airfield there is so important. During the war any German bombers on route to London from continental Europe would pass over the runway.

Pictured is Spitfire ML295 just after take-off, as the undercarriage is being raised into the wings. Visible in the background is Canary Wharf, the financial centre of London

Spitfire ML295 underwent a painstaking 5 year restoration at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, where it was meticulously brought back to life. During the rebuild it was converted into a 2-seater aircraft, allowing for passengers to be given the opportunity to fly in the Spitfire

Biggin Hill was the airfield where 411 Squadron were based in 1944 when Spitfire ML295 was built. Here we have Harold Kramer, one of the 11 original pilots who flew in the aircraft, sat in the Spitfire at Biggin Hill.

Kramer would go on to fly 37 missions himself in ML295, and was the pilot of the aircraft when it was shot down on 30th July 1944 (he escaped unharmed and survived the war)

78 years later, at the same airfield, in the same aircraft, touching the same controls, Harold Kramer’s nephew Jeff Pietz, sits in the aircraft prior to his unforgettable flight in his uncle’s Spitfire

Larry Tracey, the son-in-law of another of ML295’s pilots, Bob Cooke, makes his way over to the aircraft

Standing in front of ML295 is Wilson Nixon, holding a photo of his father, Harold Nixon DFC, whilst wearing the dad’s original flying cap

Wilson touching down after flying in the same Spitfire his father flew over Northern France in 1944. I spoke with Wilson and he said that a week later he is still on a perpetual high – he said words could not describe the sensations and emotions he experienced

The 3 family members, representing 3 of ML295’s original 11 pilots

In the sky we managed to get some incredible photos flying in a chase aircraft, with two Spitfires in formation over the White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs were a welcome sight for any Allied pilot, who used the unmistakable feature to help navigate back towards the English coast

Despite the time of the year, we were blessed with absolutely glorious weather, with a small rainbow making an appearance over the rolling countryside

As ML295 breaks away to the left, the black and white “invasion stripes” on the underside of the Spitfire are clearly visible. These were added shortly before D-Day to help identify them as friendly aircraft

The sun soon set on what had been an immensely enjoyable, emotional and unforgettable day for everyone involved

Remaining authentic to the wartime period, we all went to the pub afterwards for a well deserved pint. On the left is Graham Oliver, owner of Spitfire ML295, who made the flights possible

Remembrance

The visit to the Spitfire occurred just before remembrance day on 11th November 2023, a day where we take a moment to remind ourselves and reflect on the sacrifices that were made by those in the past so that we can enjoy the safety and freedoms of today.

Along with those that died, the survivors of the war were often left emotionally scarred by their experiences, leading to both the horrors and heroics they encountered being something that remained unspoken.

Spitfire ML295 pilot Flight Lieutenant Bob Cooke, father-in-law of Larry Tracey.

Flight Lieutenant Harold Nixon, father of Wilson and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Nixon’s biography has just been sent out to the newsletter subscribers and will be published on here shortly

Flying Officer Harold Kramer, uncle of Jeff Pietz. , with a more comprehensive biography to follow

We must also not forget the ground crews that kept the Spitfires in the air. Here, on the right, is my wife’s grandfather Clifford Page, who worked as a member of the ground crew with . The casualty rates amongst ground crew was particularly high after the RAF’s airfields became the Luftwaffe’s primary targets

My own grandfather, Donald Andrews, was part of the . The Siege of Malta, as it became known, saw the small island earning the title of 鈥渕ost bombed place on Earth鈥�

Sharing the Story

As you have seen in the pictures so far, we captured some incredible moments from the event, reflecting a memorable day that will be treasured by all involved.  

So, I was delighted that one of those images was selected by the Sunday Telegraph in the article above. It was incredible to see the positive response from people who are also passionate about seeing the story of aircraft like Spitfire ML295 and her pilots commemorated

Although a digital copy of the brochure for The Few has always been available to anyone interested, if you would like a physical copy of the brochure sent to you, please let me know

The Guild is a small organisation, but they hold an important place within the niche of British watch and clockmaking. The Chairman of the Guild for instance is the Queen’s clockmaker, who works at the Palace of Westminster maintaining many national treasures including the clock in the Elizabeth tower – commonly known as “Big Ben”.

Readers from the UK also perhaps recognise Jools Holland, who is the Guild president (for anyone unfamiliar he is an accomplished musician and presenter – who hosts a musical New Year countdown each year).

The Few Watch – by Colin Andrews FBHI

As the Second World War raged in Europe, the world鈥檚 most famous aircraft 鈥� the Spitfire 鈥� was at the forefront of operations to liberate the continent.

Soon after D-Day on 30th July 1944, one of these Spitfires, registered as ML295, was being flown by pilot Harold Kramer over Nazi-occupied France. It was on its 67th mission.

The aircraft was an LF Mark 9, which was a Spitfire variant designed for low altitude flight. At the time it was the cutting edge of Allied aircraft technology, powered by a 27 litre V12 Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine, producing 1,705 horsepower and capable of reaching over 400mph. It was armed with 2 machine guns and 2 cannons in its wings and enough ammunition for 12 seconds of sustained fire.

This formidable combination made the Spitfire both fast and deadly, and earned it a reputation, among both Allied and German pilots, as the greatest fighter aircraft of the war.

Spitfire ML295 had made a successful attack on a German convoy, when his squadron heard Kramer exclaim over the radio that he鈥檇 been hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and his engine had stopped. They watched as Spitfire ML295鈥檚 propellor spun to a stop and the aircraft silently glided out of formation and out of sight.Despite having only seconds to make his unplanned landing, Kramer skilfully managed to bring the Spitfire down in a marshy field. He emerged from the aircraft unharmed and made a dramatic escape. Now behind enemy lines, Kramer managed to evade capture for a month, before being able to make his way back to Allied lines and his relieved squadron mates.

Since embarking upon my career as a watchmaker I always had the ambition to be just that 鈥� a maker of watches. I was fortunate in that when I initially contacted my local horologist for advice on how best to train, that happened to be Robert Loomes, who was, and continues to be, incredibly enthusiastic and supportive. After enrolling as a full-time horology student, I learned about the historic role Britain had played in the development of watchmaking and the subsequent decline and collapse of the industry. It seemed a shame, but I could see other nations – notably Germany – had enjoyed a tremendous revival of their watchmaking industry around Glash眉tte and in my optimism I didn鈥檛 see any reason why the same couldn鈥檛 apply in Britain.

So, I founded my own business, 黑料不打烊, with the aim of eventually producing my own British-made watches.

Over the next 7 years I produced my first watch and built my website, which featured content about aspects of watchmaking and had a particular focus on British watchmaking. It has proven to be popular and since its creation has attracted more than 5 million unique visitors.

The work on my watch began while I was still studying for my BHI exams and it continued during the evenings and weekends when I began to work full-time in the industry. Although that watch is finished, there are always parts that I would want to remake or redesign. One of the reasons it had taken so long to complete was that as I finished a new part and my skill level increased, I would look at some of the earlier work and think that I could remake that a bit better. This would start a domino effect and eventually I鈥檇 find myself remaking other older parts. That cycle happened 10 times before I decided to finally accept that the watch was as finished as it would be.

Clearly, replicating such a long turnaround wasn鈥檛 something that could become a commercial enterprise and so I was always on the lookout for inspiration for a series of watches that I could make for the public.

Since its crash in 1944, Spitfire ML295 had remained where it landed; submerged in the middle of a pond in Northern France. Almost 75 years later, the wreck was recovered and transferred to Biggin Hill Airfield in Kent to undergo a full restoration.

I became linked to the Spitfire through my cousin, an experienced pilot who had just started training to fly Spitfires. The restoration of Spitfire ML295 had not yet begun and I was invited down to the hangar to take a look; even although at this stage it was still just a skeletal frame. After chatting with the owner and engineers who would work on bringing the Spitfire back to life, I was made aware that there would be parts of the original Spitfire that couldn鈥檛 be reused in the restoration 鈥� with their condition not being suitable for an airworthy aircraft 鈥� and so I had an idea that I could incorporate some of that material in a commemorative watch.

Early into the project I realised the incredibly powerful connection that people felt with the Spitfire. By creating an emotional link to the DNA of the Spitfire and her pilots, it was my intention that the watch was not just a timepiece, but also a visceral reminder of those pilots and the sacrifices they made. With the scale of the project becoming apparent, I knew that this wasn鈥檛 something that I could complete in my spare time – if I wanted the endeavour to be successful, it would need my full attention. So I made the decision to leave work, create my own workshop and begin working on the project full-time.

After some research into the design, I settled on an homage to the watch that many Spitfire pilots wore, the Omega CK 2129, also known as the Weems watch. Working alongside current Spitfire pilots to help design the timepiece, we came to modify and upgrade the original watch design so that they could wear it today as part of their pilot鈥檚 uniform.

I also aspired to build the watch entirely in Britain – that was my company鈥檚 objective, after all. To be able to complete such a series of watches though, I would need help, as I did not have access to the sort of high precision automated machinery that would be needed, nor the time to create each component of the watch by hand, as I had done with my first watch.

This was certainly a challenge, as the UK currently has a very small watchmaking industry and there was not an opportunity to use third parties to readily produce parts needed 鈥� as would be possible if I went to Switzerland or China.Despite this lack of infrastructure, the difficulty of working with material from the 1940s and the onset of a global pandemic I knew, having already made my own watch by hand, that it was achievable.

There was certainly world-class skill, expertise and equipment in the UK 鈥� it was all just working within different industries. So, my initial challenge was to try to convince this talent to become involved with the project. I was aided in this task by being able to draw upon the powerful name of an iconic aircraft.

Even after more than 80 years since the Battle of Britain, when people hear 鈥淪pitfire鈥� the hairs stand up on the back of their neck and they are reminded of the deadly ballet these men and their machines performed, as they fought for the salvation and liberation of those enslaved by tyranny.

With persistent enthusiasm, I found world-class artisans and engineers who were eager to be part of the project – the majority being within just 20 miles of my workshop. With their help, the watch turned from an idea into a reality.

The watch initially had the working title of 鈥淪pitfire Watch鈥�, although it soon became known as 鈥淭he Few鈥�, in honour of the name given to those few pilots who saved Britain during her darkest and finest hour. It also represented the few remaining Spitfires that are left and the limited number of watches that would be created to celebrate the heroic pilots and their iconic aircraft.

As my research uncovered the story of the Spitfire from which The Few would be made and the men who flew her, it became apparent that to do justice to their legacy I needed to build that soul into the watch. Work soon began to get underway on the watch and progress was being made – then Covid19 arrived. This frustrated a lot of the development, however it allowed me to concentrate on other areas 鈥� particularly the research into the Spitfire and the pilots.

Little was known about the Spitfire when I became involved 鈥� there was a registration number, ML295, and a pilot鈥檚 name, Kramer. I thought I could add in a bit more detail about the
aircraft with some research, but the research ended up quickly ballooning and after hundreds of hours of work I had managed to find an absolute treasure trove of information. There were 67 missions/sorties that Spitfire ML295 took part in and 11 pilots that flew in her.

Working with the National Archives and the Imperial War Museum I have uncovered original combat reports, videos of the Spitfire in combat and managed to get in touch with family members of some of the pilots. That last aspect was particularly rewarding as, was often the case, those that saw the horrors of war first hand generally coped with the experience by not speaking of it again. With Kramer as an example, his son only knew a little about his father鈥檚 service, with him only ever having recounted the story of his crash landing and escape once, when his son was still young. Despite the time that had passed, Kramer鈥檚 son retained a vivid memory of his father鈥檚 story.

Through the National Archives I was able to find a transcript of the original interview that Kramer had given to intelligence services when he had returned from behind enemy lines. Incredibly the stories not only matched but when combined, gave a full and colourful picture of Kramer鈥檚 journey through France, including additional details such as the journey from a railway station to a farm that he had recounted to his son was revealed to have been organised by the French resistance, and he travelled by being smuggled in the boot of a local vicar鈥檚 car!

The tip of the wing of the Spitfire that I am working with is made from a sheet of aluminium that was just 0.6mm thick. This is the standard thickness for a watch dial, so it lent itself perfectly for the purpose. The challenge with the material was that due to its slightly tarnished state (having been partially submerged in a pond since 1944), the surface was not smooth. This meant any attempt to traditionally print onto the dial resulted in an uneven finish.

So, a new method was devised to add the numbers and indexes to the dial. First the design was laser etched into the surface and then it was finished by hand.

Another challenge with the dial was how to fix it to the movement. Generally, dial feet are used, which are either welded or soldered onto the reverse of the dial. The heat from this would have damaged the aluminium and so I had to think of an alternative method. Due to the fact that I was creating the case, I designed it so that the dial fits into the case like a jigsaw piece, which enables it to be held in place with no room to either twist or lift, without the need for dial feet.

For the watch case, which was relatively complicated, I managed to secure the help of a facility that usually works on satellites, rockets and other government-funded top-secret projects. They have been incredibly enthusiastic about the project and have afforded me access to the absolute cutting edge of technology and expertise.

The authenticity of the materials used in the watch includes not just the Spitfire material, but also the wood used in the box and the steel used in the case. Each watch will be issued with a certificate showing that the case was not only machined in Britain, but that the steel 鈥� a British Standard aerospace grade 鈥揷ame from a British steel mill; with a batch number allowing you to trace exactly when and where it was made, the verified chemical composition of the steel and evidence that it was x-rayed and found to have no flaws.

Another benefit of creating all aspects of the watch myself was that I was able to tailor the parts to allow for a choice of movement to be used. For those that wanted a 100% made-in-Britain watch, a vintage Smiths 0104 calibre (made in Cheltenham) could be chosen. For those that would prefer a more modern timepiece 鈥� which is what the modern Spitfire pilots themselves requested 鈥� a top-of-the-range Swiss-made movement can be fitted.

It was my intention that the watch鈥檚 presentation would be an experience, so accompanying the watch is a box built from Spitfire propellor material, along with silver cufflinks that also incorporate part of the Spitfire, a cleaning cloth printed with the design of the escape map that Kramer and two more of ML295鈥檚 pilots used to avoid capture after having been shot down, along with a book that has been made to look like an authentic training manual, which recounts all the stories of the Spitfire and pilots that I have collected.

By prioritising authenticity and sympathetic use of both the materials and the stories, I seem to have hit the right note. Through just a monthly newsletter I grew an enthusiastic audience and from that, a waiting list of those interested in the watch. When I was finally ready for orders to be taken, with a significant deposit, the initial watches were taken up within three days. While the initial run of watches is being completed, I have opened a second reserve list for further orders.

, will be ready for sale later this year. Based on the highly collectible WW2 design of watch that was issued to the British Army, a total of just 12 watches have been made.

I do feel incredibly fortunate to be able to fulfil my dream of creating my own watches and to be involved with the iconic Spitfire. Although there were challenges in making the watches in Britain, I鈥檓 glad that I persevered and hopefully helped demonstrate that, alongside established British watch brands, there is a flourishing worldwide demand for British watchmaking.

Completing these current projects should keep me busy for the next two years and after that I have no shortage of ideas for what to work on next 鈥� having also been approached to undertake some commissions. Now that I have achieved the milestones of manufacturing dials, crowns, hands and cases in Great Britain, I plan to start working on some movement modifications as a next step towards producing the first GBW calibre.

The Dirty Dozen have been created as a modern homage to the original Watch Wrist Waterproof (W.W.W.) created by 12 companies for the British Army during WW2.

During WW2, when the British Army decided that a supply of standardised wristwatches was required, they turned to 12 Swiss-based companies, as the British watch industry was busily engaged producing precision instruments for the war effort.

This series of timepieces were the first watches specifically designed for British Army service, and they initially became known as “Wrist, Watch, Waterproof” or “W.W.W.” as this was their official designation in the ordnance records. Previously, soldiers had been using their own personal timepieces 鈥� many of which were unsuitable for the rigours of military life.

The watches went into production in February and March 1945 and later that year they were delivered to the Army and began to be allocated to troops.

Watch collectors have named the selection of watches the Dirty Dozen, in reference to the 12 watch companies and the famous WW2 themed film of the same name. More recently, the Dirty Dozen watches have become particularly collectible, as their similar style makes them easily identified as a set, with collectors aiming to complete their collection with a watch from each of the 12 companies.

The watches from the original 12 manufacturers each share a number of similar characteristics:

– black dial with white Arabic numerals
– sub seconds dial at 6 o鈥檆lock
– a railroad track of minute markers
– luminous marks for each hour
– luminous hour and minute hands
– 鈥淏road Arrow鈥� on dial and caseback

1945 WATCH SPECIFICATIONS

i) 15 jewelled movement
ii) 鈥渟hatterproof鈥� Perspex glass
iii) 鈥渨aterproof鈥�
iv) radioactive radium or promethium luminous paint on dial and hands
v) brass balance wheel
vi) Elinvar balance spring
vii) 6 brands used stainless steel cases & 6 brands used chromium plated brass cases
viii) case sizes 35-38mm

2022 WATCH SPECIFICATIONS

i) 17 jewelled movement
ii) anti-reflective sapphire glass
iii) water resistant to 50m/5atm
iv) Super Luminova luminous paint on dial and hands
v) Glucydur balance wheel
vi) Nivarox balance spring
vii) 316L stainless steel case
viii) case size 37mm

I have only made 12 of these watches – one for each of the original manufacturers.

Dirty Dozen Project

The Dirty Dozen started off as a side project to watch that I am creating. Soon after I’d begun working on the Spitfire watch, Covid19 arrived and the inevitable delays arose as the country went into lockdown, and so I took the opportunity to begin working on a second project. I had always liked the simplicity of the 1940s watches, and the original Dirty Dozen series was a watch that I aspired to own.

I wanted the watch to feel like a piece of kit a solider would have carried and so designed as many elements as I could to promote that idea. The “box” of the watch is based on a WW2 soldier’s ammo pouch, with the top pouch being detachable and usable as a travel case. The cleaning cloth is made from an original WW2 era Lee-Enfield rifle (the main service rifle for British infantry) cleaning cloth, the booklet is based on the solider training manuals and the guarantee card is based on a WW2 army ID card.

This has been an incredibly rewarding series of watches to work on and I have really enjoyed creating a modern homage to an iconic watch that is almost 80 years old. Creating British-made watches was the original goal of the company when I founded it ten years ago, and the Dirty Dozen are the first completed set of watches that are for sale. It is my aim to have made not just a great watch with a timeless design, but also something really collectible and different – hopefully you agree.

Watch Details

– Movement: ETA 7001, manual-wind with 40 hours of run time. Hand-finished bridges and heat blued screws

– Size: 37mm wide, 7.9mm thick

– Number made: 12

– Price: 拢3,500

– Guarantee period: 5 years (1st service included)

– 100% made in Great Britain (except the movement, which is Swiss)

– Individually numbered

The colour of both the strap and the luminous paint on the dial and hands can be customised.

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All 12 of the Dirty Dozen watches were ordered within 26 hours of being introduced for the first time to my mailing list – an absolutely incredible response. If you are interested in keeping up to date with my work and being one of the first to know about any future releases, please subscribe to my newsletter:

The 黑料不打烊 is creating 鈥淭he Few鈥�; a British watch handmade from a WW2 Spitfire that allows enthusiasts to get closer to the aircraft by providing an authentic connection to their passion.

Britain is the historic home of watchmaking and most of the technology in a modern watch originated here.

I am passionate about preserving and promoting British history. What better represents our world class engineering and ingenuity, the British character of defiance in the face of adversity and a splash of dashing and daring 鈥� than the Spitfire.

Named after the pilots who saved Britain in her darkest hour, 鈥淭he Few鈥� is a watch based on what these heroic Spitfire pilots wore as they soared through our skies. I will use my watchmaking expertise to take parts from a Spitfire undergoing restoration and transform them into a watch; allowing you to touch a piece of history and connect directly with this iconic aircraft.

“Made in Great Britain, The Few is a tribute to the watches worn by Spitfire pilots. Almost 80 years later, as the Spitfire used in crafting the timepiece comes alive and takes to the skies again, the watch represents the last and only chance to be one of The Few.”

The Last of the Few

Sadly, in 2020 one of the last few remaining veterans of the Battle of Britain died. This leaves just one pilot surviving; Flying Officer John Hemingway aged 103 years old.

Just like these legendary pilots, the Spitfires that are airworthy are also very few in number.

They really are the last of The Few.

Both the pilots and the Spitfires are rightly revered around the world. Thankfully there are people dedicated to restoring and flying these aircraft so that future generations can share in their magnificence. I am pleased to say that my cousin, who is already a respected flight instructor, is now training to fly these icons of the sky.

Once he passes his final flight tests he will be the only Spitfire pilot in northern Britain; taking enthusiasts out for flights in renovated Spitfire planes. Ensuring that future generations remember what happened over the skies of Britain and Europe.

It is important that we never forget the sacrifice and the splendour of the pilots and their magnificent machines.

As part of the restoration work, some of the original aircraft cannot be reused.

This has presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for original parts from these historical Spitfires to be preserved forever, by being built into a unique series of watches.

These watches are authentic, beautiful and respectful to the legacy of the world鈥檚 most famous and iconic aircraft.

The Spitfire Watch 鈥淭he Few鈥�

The dial, hands and crown are all constructed from original Spitfire parts.

When a pilot ran his hand along the surface of the Spitfire as part of the pre-flight inspection, when the aircraft dove through clouds and picked up condensation on the wings, when the cockpit vibrated as the powerful cannons poured fire upon the enemy, the material in The Few bore witness to it.

This raw, authentic metal has, etched into the surface, both the memory and legacy of the Spitfire and her pilots, giving the wearer a direct connection to the aircraft.

The case, glass, strap, box and accessories are all made in the UK, with an option to also have a British-made movement fitted; making the watch as British as the original Spitfire.

The watch is named “The Few”; in honour of those few pilots who saved Britain during her darkest and finest hour. It also represents the few remaining Spitfires that are left and the limited number of watches that will be created to celebrate the heroic pilots and their iconic aircraft.

The Spitfire

The Spitfire, a MK IX variant, is one of the last to be restored with an active combat history. It represents one of the final opportunities for original untouched WW2 Spitfire parts to be available.

The details of the Spitfire can be read in one of my , where I share some of the thrilling details with you.

For those who want an experience as close to the original Spitfire pilots as possible, there will also be an opportunity to fly in the restored WW2 Spitfire, while wearing a Spitfire watch made from the same aircraft.

Part of each watch sale will go towards the restoration and upkeep of the Spitfire, ensuring that it remains airworthy and able to be enjoyed by future generations.

The Design of The Few

The design of The Few is based on the original watch that Spitfire pilots wore during the Battle of Britain; the Omega CK2129, also known as the Weems watch.

If you鈥檝e seen the film Dunkirk then you may recognise the watch. Tom Hardy鈥檚 character wears the model and frequently uses it to check how much fuel he has remaining.

Whilst a tribute to the original watch, this model will have some modern updates. These include a larger size at 40mm, a choice of movement (Swiss or British), non-reflective sapphire glass and water resistance.

The case will be made from aerospace-grade steel and machined at the UK’s premiere science and technology facility.

Although the watch design is based on what WW2 era Spitfire pilots wore, it is also practical enough that modern pilots, including modern Spitfire pilots, can wear one as part of their uniform.

The Few

Most of the watches have already been sold. However, there are a very limited number still available to order. They are offered on a strict first-come first-served basis, and once they are sold out the opportunity to order a watch will be gone forever.

However, the spirit of the Spitfire will live on, on the wrists of those who wear them.

Will you be one of 鈥淭he Few鈥�?

If you are interested knowing more and would like a brochure, please email me at colin@gbwatch.co.uk.

I have written a lengthy summary of the progress of The Few watch project here:

Sortie

Roughly every month I publish a newsletter, Sortie. You can sign up above to receive it emailed to you early.

If you’re interested in the watch, the Spitfire, or both, then you can work your way through the previous Sorties. It starts with the link below, where I explain where the inspiration for The Few came from:

Watchmaking is a British trade. This is evidenced by the fact that every major escapement design, and around three-quarters of the remaining innovations came from the UK. As a result there are now a number of emerging British watch companies and brands looking to revitalise that legacy.

Below is a list of British watch brands. Some of these UK watch companies sell what can be considered some of the best luxury watches in the world, handmade by the top British watchmakers such as R W Smith. Others design their watches in the UK, but use quality Swiss made-movements and German-made cases; such as Schofield.

It’s not only big watch brands that are building their own watches; you can read about how I . I am also in the process of .

Brief History of British Watchmaking

British watchmaking can be said to have started with Thomas Tompion (1639-1713), often referred to as the father of English clockmaking. A student of Tompion, George Graham(1673-1751), made further innovations before passing the baton to one of his own students, Thomas Mudge (1715-1794), who invented the lever escapement; which is still the most widely used escapement in today’s watches.

John Harrison (1693-1776) solved the problem of finding your longitude at sea which was considered one of the greatest feats of the age. Enabling British ships to travel accurately and more safely around the globe was one of the major contributing factors to the growth of the British Empire. Following in their footsteps came other great watchmakers such as John Arnold and Thomas Earnshaw.

The Decline of British Watch Manufacturing

In 1800 Britain made around half of the world’s watches; around 200,000 pieces a year. By 1900 the quantity produced in Britain had declined by half, despite the worldwide market for watches having risen into the millions.

The problem lay in the hand-made nature of English watches and the heavy reliance on skilled workers who were reluctant to adapt to the changes in technology. The Swiss and the Americans were much quicker and more successful in adopting mass production techniques. Mass manufactured watches were soon able to compete directly with hand-made ones, and eventually surpass them in performance despite only costing a fraction of the price. As a result the watchmaking industry in Britain collapsed.

There was a brief resurgence in post war Britain, however the remaining businesses were not robust enough to survive the biggest crisis in watchmaking – the emergence of the quartz watch.

The Rebirth of the British Watch Industry

Recently there has been much talk of a revitalization of the British watchmaking industry, and while it is true that the situation is more hopeful than 10 years previously, there still remains a lack of a British watch company mass-producing any watches that are 100% made in Britain. For the most part the British brands that currently exist are small-scale and often overpriced when compared to more established Swiss brands.

Recently Robert Loomes has started to create watches made with older English Smiths movements (which were 100% made in Britain during the 1950s-1970s), and has demonstrated that there are facilities and talent still remaining in Britain to make all the parts of a watch here.

The Future of British Watch Brands

All we need now is the will and, more importantly, the investment to make British watchmaking for the mass market a reality. Only then can we see “Made in Great Britain” reclaim its rightful crown as the mark of excellence in horology.

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List of British Watch Brands – 2024

Roger W Smith Watches –

Since the passing of George Daniels in 2011, Roger Smith has taken over the helm as Britain’s foremost watchmaker. In his small workshop on the Isle of Man he, and his team of around 6 people, produce hand-made pieces in the traditional English style.

• Price point: c. 拢120,000 – 拢250,000 (each piece is bespoke)
• Quantity produced: 10-12 per year
• Percentage British: 100%
• Location: Isle of Man

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黑料不打烊 –

Proudly promoting the UK as the world’s historic centre of watchmaking, and working towards seeing “Made in Great Britain” reclaim its crown as a mark of excellence in horology.

Following the successful completion of his own watch, handcrafted over 7 years, Colin has recently started creating watches for the public. Since completing his classical watchmaker training at both the BHI and WOSTEP, Colin has gone on to win 5 awards, created the largest watchmaker apprenticeship in the UK and been made a Fellow of the BHI (British Horological Institute).

After having made a number of bespoke watches for customers who appreciate traditional British craftsmanship, he is currently working on .

• Price point: 拢3,500 – 拢19,950
• Quantity produced: 10 per year
• Percentage British: 100%
• Location: Cheshire

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Robert Loomes Watches –

At this British watch company, Robert Loomes is an experienced repairer and restorer of clocks and watches who makes his own watches and is very passionate about having them be 100% British using locally sourced materials. Most of the work on each watch is undertaken in their workshop in Stamford, including dial and case manufacture, with any outside help coming from local craftsmen. At least 35 British workers are involved in the production of each watch.

• Price point: 拢8,850 – 拢68,500
• Quantity produced: 20 per year
• Percentage British: 100%
• UK Staff: 12
• Location: Lincolnshire

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anOrdain –

anOrdain, named after a small loch near Inverness, are a rapidly growing Scottish watch brand that have built their success around their handmade enamelled dials. Their two models of watch have a range of choices of brightly coloured dials; each having been handmade and fired in their own process they have developed over 5 years.

• Price point: 拢1,140 – 拢1,800
• Quantity produced: 300 per year
• Percentage British: 40%
• UK Staff: 10
• Location: Glasgow

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Timor –

Timor are most famous for being one of the original 12 Swiss companies that produced watches for the British military at the end of WW2, now known as the “Dirty Dozen”. Following on from that legacy, the now British owned brand continues to produce a range of vintage inspired timepieces made in Switzerland to the original 1940s design.

• Price point: 拢950
• Quantity produced: less than 300 per year
• Percentage British: 5%
• UK Staff: 1
• Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

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Schofield Watches –

Schofield produce a selection of thoughtfully designed watches. They aim to create as much of the watch as possible within the UK, or else use high quality imports.

• Price point: 拢3,180 – 拢3,840
• Quantity produced: less than 100 per year
• Percentage British: 30%
• UK Staff: 4
• Location: East Sussex

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Bremont Watches –

The two brothers, Nick and Giles English, are the founders of this company named after a French farmer they befriended. After releasing their first watch in 2007, the company has grown to be the largest watch company in the UK. Most Bremont watches are assembled in the UK with parts made overseas, with some of their high-end pieces including British-made parts.

• Price point: 拢2,695 – 拢30,950
• Quantity produced: 8,000 per year
• Percentage British: 10%
• UK Staff: 30
• Location: Oxfordshire

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Garrick Watches –

Garrick are growing Norfolk based UK watch brand employing some really talented British watchmakers. Their watches are currently available in over 6 models, including some with their own in-house movement.

• Price point: 拢2,995 – 拢50,000
• Quantity produced:  80 per year
• Percentage British: 70%
• UK Staff: 9
• Location: Norfolk

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CWC Watches –

CWC (Cabot Watch Company) are suppliers of watches to the British Armed Forces, and so are sometimes called the British Army Watch. Because of this they all have military straps, robust cases and easy to read dials. A lot of their quartz watches also have a battery hatch to allow soldiers to change the batteries themselves. Their entire range is Swiss made and assembled with ETA movements and very reasonably priced.

• Price point: 拢249 – 拢4,995
• Quantity produced:  unknown
• Percentage British: 10%

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Fears Watches –

Re-founded in 1996 by the great-great-great Grandson of the original Fears Watches founder, this company makes a range of classically designed watches. Their current models are assembled in the UK with parts made overseas, with the exception of their top model which is made by Garrick in Norwich.

• Price point: 拢2,950 – 拢19,500
• Quantity produced per year: 250
• Percentage British: 5%
• Location: London

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PINION Watches –

Formed in 2013, PINION makes a small range of automatic and hand-wound watches, plus specialises in the use of rare new-old-stock vintage movements in its limited edition pieces. All parts are built overseas and assembled in the UK.

• Price point: 拢2,050 – 拢2,350
• Quantity produced: Less than 200 a year
• Percentage British: 10%
• UK Staff: 1
• Location: Oxfordshire

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Harold Pinchbeck Watches –

Harold Pinchbeck currently have a range of 8 styles of watch for sale, since their company launch in 2008. All their watches are assembled in England and come with tastefully designed accessories made in the UK.  Their watches all use Swiss ETA movements, with their most expensive range having dials made in the UK.

• Price point: 拢899 – 拢5,995+
• Quantity produced: Less than 300 a year
• Percentage British: 20%
• UK Staff: 3
• Location: Lincolnshire

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Other British Watch Companies

Accurist –

Sekonda –

Limit –

Each of these British brands produce very low cost watches, mostly made in China, for the mass market.

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British Watchmaking Abroad

Stephen Forsey of Gruebel Forsey –

Peter Speake Marin of Speake Marin –

Both are originally from Britain, but now work and live in Western Switzerland.

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Non-British Watch Companies

There are a number of companies that make claims to a British foundation and heritage. However none of these company are directly connected with Britain or with the famous watchmakers or their original businesses which they are named after.

Graham 1695 – Founded in 1995, this independent Swiss company produces high end watches with a racing or aviation theme. Although there are no direct links, they are named after the famous English clock and watchmaker George Graham (1673 鈥� 1751). The 1695 date is in reference to the first signed piece by George Graham

Arnold & Sons – As with Graham, they were founded in 1995, not in 1764 as is claimed. As a result they have no heritage or connection with John Arnold (1736-99) the famous English chronometer maker or his sons who they are named after. It is now owned by Citizen.

Thomas Earnshaw – a Hong Kong/Chinese brand that is often sold on shopping channels. The quality of their watches is reflected in the price.

With career credits of 4 aircraft destroyed and 2 damaged, he narrowly missed becoming designated an Ace pilot (which required 5 aircraft destroyed).

His impressive score sheet began on 14th July 1944, when he managed to severely damage a Focke-Wulf 190 while flying in Spitfire ML295.

Robert “Bob” McLean Cooke

Robert “Bob” Cooke was born in Milton, Ontario on 11th February 1919, to a Scottish/Irish family. There he lived at home with his father, Peter (known by his middle name, Wellington), who worked as a grain merchant, together with his mother Agnes and older brother Alexander. Today, Milton is part of the Greater Toronto area, but when Bob lived there it was a small town 1/60th of the current size, with around 1,800 residents.

Joining Up

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, in late 1939/early 1940 aged just 20, Bob volunteered to join the Royal Canadian Airforce as a pilot. He signed up locally with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan office and likely began his initial 4 week training at the Elington Hunt Club in Toronto.

Training Begins

After successfully passing his initial training, he moved on to an Elementary Flying Training School, studying for 8 weeks at Malton. Here he flew for the first time, with an instructor taking him up in a De Havilland Tiger Moth 鈥� a two-seater bi-plane.

Having proven to the instructor that he had the aptitude to become a pilot, he then spent the next 16 weeks flying both Harvard and Yale aircraft, both single wing trainer aircraft produced by the North American Aviation company.

He also got to grips with his gunnery training, learning the core principals of deflection shooting 鈥� aiming where the target is going to be, not where it is.

Earning his Wings

With some significant airtime now under his belt, Bob was to starting to take solo fights out. His next challenge would be getting to grips with the types of fighter aircraft he would face the Luftwaffe in.

So, he moved to Bagotville in Quebec, where at the Operational Training Unit (OTU) there, he stepped into the Hawker Hurricane. His trainers at the OTU included veterans from the Battle of Britain, who would have been able to pass on real world experience of encountering the Luftwaffe鈥檚 finest while flying in their Hurricanes and Spitfires.

I am sure Bob would have been in awe of these grizzled pilots, as they told him tales of facing off against formations of hundreds of bombers escorted by dozens of fighter aircraft. He must have been really starting to feel a mix of excitement and anxiousness, as the reality of what he had signed up to began to sink in.

After roughly 2 years of intense training, he finally graduated and earned his wings. Bob then had a final opportunity to visit his family and say his last goodbyes before getting on the next ship out to England.

All in the Name

Bob鈥檚 last name was Cooke, however throughout the war, he used the spelling Cook. I can only assume that when he joined the airforce and told them his name they wrote it down with the common spelling and Bob didn鈥檛 either notice or correct them. He obviously went along with the temporary change and even signed all his wartime documents 鈥淐ook鈥�.

Not too Tall for a Spitfire

One of the first things you would notice if you met Bob was his frame, being at least 6鈥�4鈥� (193cm), long limbed and svelte.

The pilot鈥檚 parachute was part of their flight suit, which was designed so the main silk chute would become their seat cushion when they sat down 鈥� adding an additional 6鈥� on their height. In addition, they wore an inflatable life jacket nicknamed the 鈥淢ae West鈥� as the pilots believed the bulky suit made them look like the curvaceous actress.

This meant that it would have been a very tight fit for Bob in the cockpit of the Spitfire, although from his elevated position he would have had a slightly increased field of view 鈥� helping him to spot both dangers and opportunities.

The height limit for a Spitfire pilot was 6’6″ (198cm).

Dick Audet’s photo from when he signed up to the RCAF, shows he was 6’3″ (190cm)

Becoming Operational

In late 1942 Bob had arrived in England, where he was allocated to a Group Support Unit (GSU). This was a holding area for both pilots and Spitfires, where up to 60 of each were held in reserve and would be sent to fill in gaps that appeared in active squadrons from operational losses. This is also where Bob would have been first introduced to the Spitfire and he would have received training to make his official transition from a Hurricane pilot to becoming a qualified Supermarine Spitfire pilot.

The GSUs were also where pilots would be sent after they finished their operational tour, while they waited for the next available ship to take them back home. Here they would have met the fresh incoming pilots, such as Bob, and would have passed on to them invaluable advice about the realities of flying in combat.

Joining 416 Squadron

Now comfortable flying a Spitfire, in March 1943 Bob was assigned to 416 Squadron who were based at Kenley Airfield just South of London. He was obviously showing promise as a pilot and had been promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer.

416 Squadron were now fully outfitted with the latest Spitfires, the Mark 9, which had just been delivered. These early 1943 models were fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin 63 engine. The later Mark 9 Spitfires, such as ML295, had an improved Merlin 66 engine and were specifically outfitted for low-altitude flight.

First Sorties

On 29th March 1943, Bob took Spitfire BS385 out on a 2 aircraft patrol of Mayfield in SE England. It was a proactive patrol to look out for any marauding bombers or fast fighter assaults. The mission however was uneventful, with no enemy aircraft being seen.

Over the next week, Bob went on 3 more patrols over SE England, which were also without incident. Then on 8th April 1943, Bob Cooke was assigned to his first mission over France. This was a Ramrod sortie which would fly across the English Channel and attack targets of opportunity and attempt to draw out enemy fighters.

Bob must have been buzzing with excitement at the prospect of finally getting to grips with the Luftwaffe 鈥� this was what he had been training for over the past 3 years, and now the time had finally arrived.

The Squadron started their Spitfires, their Rolls Royce Merlin engines roared to life, they taxied to the runway, set their throttle to full-power and took to the skies. However, once in the air their excitement soon turned to disappointment, as poor weather and visibility forced them to turn back and return to base. As the skies began to clear that afternoon however, they had their second chance.

This time they safely crossed the English Channel and reached German occupied France. This was where the heart would have really started to race, as each of the pilots constantly scanned their surroundings for incoming threats and potential targets. They followed their patrol along the Normandy coast near Dieppe, before making a quick penetrating run 10 miles inland before returning along the same route and back across the Channel.

The adrenaline would still have been pumping when they touched down, despite the mission having been uneventful.

Disaster on Takeoff

Following a short rest, on 19th April 1943, Bob was called up for his next sortie, another patrol over SE England. He was keen to get back into the air 鈥� perhaps too keen. He lined up his Spitfire on the airstrip, opened the throttle and sped down the runway.

Normally a Spitfire will begin to lift from the runway and into the air once it has reached 85mph, with a pilot waiting until their airspeed is at least 140mph before they begin to climb. It appears that in his rush to become airborne Bob had raised his undercarriage too early and begun his climb, however without having reached the necessary speed – his Spitfire stalled.

Rather than gliding gracefully into the air, the nose heavy aircraft made the short trip back down to the ground in blink of an eye. With no undercarriage to land, Spitfire BR635 ungracefully skidded along the grass and crashed into the water butts at the end of the runway. The Spitfire was destroyed and Bob was severely injured and rushed to hospital.

The extent of Bob鈥檚 injuries are unknown, but he appears to have been non-operational for over a year. As he spent his time making what would be a full recovery, he would have had plenty of time to reflect, and also again build up the burning desire to get back in the air.

Back to War

After the doctors had given him a clean bill of health, Bob made his way to 83 GSU (Group Support Unit). The 83 GSU were formed in March 1944 and were initially based in Redhill in Surrey, before moving to Bognor, Sussex in June 1944.

Cooke did not have to wait too long to be assigned to a new squadron, and went with a promotion to the rank of Flying Officer.

On 4th July 1944 he arrived at 411 Squadron, who were at their forward base at B茅ny-sur-Mer in Northern France. Bob was now as close to the action as he could be, and after having moved from the relative safety of England would have immediately felt the change in atmosphere at the new airbase.

From the airfield, the city of Caen was just 8 miles away and would still be in German hands for another month. The environment Bob found himself in was filled with the constant background noise of small arms fire, exploding artillery and bursting anti-aircraft shells. Along with this, his new Squadron mates would be recounting stories of their latest missions, giving advice on how to best handle the Spitfire, and what dangers to watch out for.

The 411 Squadron records note that Bob had previously served with 421 Squadron, however there doesn鈥檛 appear to be any record of him being with this squadron. It is likely a typing mistake and a mix up with 416 Squadron 鈥� as both were RCAF Squadrons that were part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.

Flying with 411 Squadron

Just 3 days after joining the squadron, on 7th July 1944, Bob had his first mission. For this sortie he was allocated to Spitfire ML295.

The Squadron鈥檚 operations notes for the mission state: 鈥淎nother armed recee was carried out in the Lisieux-Bernay area. It was uneventful although lots of opposition was expected as it was in connection with the bombing of Caen area by about 700 heavies and escort.鈥�

Lisieux is about 50km east of Caen, and so it is likely that this mission was a proactive intercept mission, aiming to ambush any aircraft sent to defend against the bombing of Caen. As the mission notes state, it was uneventful, which was a reflection of the sorry state of the Luftwaffe by July 1944, who were unable to effectively defend against Allied attacks.

Following his first mission, Bob flew a further 4 sorties that failed to spot any Luftwaffe.

Advance through Europe

This map shows all of the bases that Bob Cooke would eventually fly from while he was with 411 Squadron, along with the date the Squadron relocated to each base.

France
1) Beny-sur-Mer, 19th Jun 1944
2) Cristot, 8th Aug 1944
3) St Andre & Illiers l鈥橢veque, 1st Sep 1944
4) Poix, 3rd Sep 1944

Belgium
5) Evere, 7th Sep 1944
6) Le Culot, 21st Sep 1944

Netherlands
7) Rips, 4th Oct 1944
8) Volkel & Heesch, 20th Oct 1944

After 11th April 1945, they left Heesch and were based in Germany.

Just another Patrol

On 14th July 1944, Spitfire ML295 had been scheduled to fly 4 patrol sorties that day, with Bob taking the 2 in the afternoon.

Harold Kramer had flown the 2 sorties in the morning, both of which had not seen any enemy aircraft. In fact of the 14 patrols that 411 Squadron flew that day, only one would encounter the Luftwaffe.

As 2pm arrived, Bob was sat is his Spitfire along with 3 other wingmen. They each took off from the runway and once in the air joined up into their “finger-four” formation and began to patrol just north of Caen.

Meeting the Enemy

Flying at 2,000ft (600m) the patrol spotted a group of 12 Focke-Wulf190s (FW190). Despite being outnumbered 3-1, they did what they had trained for 鈥� they attacked.

This was the first time Bob had ever come face-to-face with a German aircraft. The transcript below is from Bob Cooke鈥檚 combat report.

鈥淜enway reported Bogies NW of Caen. I was flying Yellow 4 when we sighted 12 FW190鈥檚. My No. 3 broke starboard after one in a climbing turn. I saw strikes along its fuselage. I went after one on the port side of my No 3. He broke around to starboard and then port trying to get into cloud. I fired a 3 second burst from 20掳 to 10掳 at him when he broke port at about 400 yds and saw strikes along the port side of his fuselage; but I broke off when he went into cloud.

I was using the ordinary reflector sight and my cine camera was turned on.

I claim one FW190 Damaged鈥�.

These four 411 Squadron pilots had each scored a hit, 2 aircraft had been destroyed and 2 damaged, while suffering no losses. One of the pilots flying with Bob who scored a kill was Tommy Wheler,

Unfortunately, although the report claims that the cine camera was used, no footage of this incident has survived.

Bob Cooke in Spitfire ML295

, Spitfire ML295 was later shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed while being piloted by Harold Kramer.

Of the 17 missions that Cooke flew from when he joined 411 Squadron to when Spitfire ML295 was lost (4th July to 30th July 1944), he flew 9 of those sorties in ML295.

That brief period would have been some of the most memorable for Bob; it was his first time in France, at the front lines and facing off against enemy aircraft. He and the other 10 pilots that flew ML295 would have shared not just stories, advice, cigarettes and plenty of tea and biscuits, but more importantly a bond.

Following the loss of Spitfire ML295 on 30th July 1944, Bob was allocated with a different Spitfire that he would fly regularly. Of the 40 sorties he flew from 30th July to 27th September 1944, 50% of them were in Spitfire NH317.

Market Garden

411 Squadron continued to push forwards as the Allied lines rapidly advanced through Europe.

When Operation Market Garden launched on 17th September 1944, 411 Squadron, including Bob, provided cover for the airborne troops who were trying to create a 60 mile corridor from Belgium through the Netherlands – liberating the cities of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem along the way. If the Allies could reach these objectives it would allow them to cut off a huge swathe of German troops and with a secured bridge across the Rhine river, it would put them in a perfect position to attack the German industrial heartland. This operation was hoped to accelerate the end of the war in Europe.

The regular sorties flown by 411 Squadron helped to supress German counter attacks and disrupt supply lines. Ultimately, Market Garden wasn鈥檛 successful in all of its objectives, specifically being unable to capture Arnhem or secure a crossing over the Rhine.

Sadly, this failure meant that the Netherlands would have to wait until 1945 to be liberated. That winter, in an effort to supress resistance, the German forces blocked food transportation to civilians in their occupied territory; this led to more than 20,000 Dutch citizens starving to death as a result.

Goodbye to a Spitfire

On 24th September 1944, Bob flew Spitfire NH317 for the last time; taking it on a patrol looking for German aircraft, which proved uneventful.

Although NH317 was a Mark 9 variant Spitfire, with exactly the same weapon layout and performance as the other Spitfires in the squadron 鈥� as soon as Bob stopped flying the aircraft, his luck changed.

3 days later, on 27th September 1944, he scored his first air victory.

First Kill

Flying over the Nijmegen area in the Netherlands, the patrol Bob was in spotted a Messerschmitt Me410. This was a twin-engine heavy fighter, with double the firepower of a Spitfire and heavily armoured. Undeterred, the Spitfires moved in and Flight Lieutenant Gordon Lapp (who would later make both Squadron Leader and an Ace pilot) opened fire, damaging one of the German aircraft鈥檚 engines.

With Lapp turning away to avoid debris falling from the damaged aircraft, Cooke moved in on the Me410鈥檚 tail. This was a dangerous position as the Me410 had two defensive turrets to cover its rear.

Despite the risks he opened fire with his two M2 Browning machine guns and two Hispano 20mm cannons. Keeping on the target, Bob held the trigger down for 10 seconds, expending almost his entire his ammunition load (which only allowed for 12 seconds of sustained fire). He watched as the Me410鈥檚 cockpit, centre section of the wing and starboard engine caught fire. Completely disabled, the Me410 rolled over and dived into the ground.

Incredibly, part of this attack was recorded by Bob鈥檚 gun camera

The One that Got Away

Then the following day, Cooke struck again. Flying the same Spitfire as he had on the previous sortie, he again was patrolling the Nijmegen area when he spotted a Focke-Wulf 190 above him.

Remaining unseen, he stalked the FW190 and as it started to reduce its altitude he launched his ambush. Bob fired a short burst from 700 yards which hit the target and the enemy aircraft started to smoke (this was a long distance shot and well outside the preferred range of less than 200 yards).

The FW190 took evasive action and dove down to the ground, but Cooke kept on his tail. Closing in for the kill, Bob pressed his weapons trigger, but nothing happened 鈥� his guns had jammed.

He continued to chase the FW190 for 10 miles, constantly trying to fire his weapons, but with them remaining jammed and him now getting closer to the German border, he decided to turn back.

New Spitfire and Promotion

On 30th September, he stepped into what would be his Spitfire of choice for the next few months, Spitfire NH380, in which he would fly over 65% of his missions during this period. Throughout the month of October he flew patrol missions, providing cover for the Allied troops advancing through Europe, attacking convoys, trains and chasing off marauding aircraft.

In recognition of his skill and service, he was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant on the evening of 6th October 1944.

After his promotion Bob seems to have taken a 3 week break from flying with the Squadron. This could have been for training 鈥� as a senior ranked pilot he would now be expected to be a flight leader during missions, or it could have just been a well-deserved break; having flown almost non-stop for 3 months.

But judging from the operations that he flew immediately after his break, it appears that those 3 weeks were well spent training for something that the Spitfire is not well known for; dive-bombing.

Dive-bomber

From 29th October until 8th December 1944, Bob flew 22 missions with the squadron, all of which were dive-bombing sorties.

The Spitfire was a very capable dive-bomber, able to carry 1000lb of bombs 鈥� a 500lb bomb under the fuselage and a 250lb bomb under each wing.

Their targets were generally fixed and included both military targets and infrastructure. Railway lines and trains were always popular choices, as were anti-aircraft and artillery batteries and V1 and V2 rocket launch sites.

In favourable conditions, a Spitfire pilot could deliver his 1000lb bomb load to within 10 metres of his target.

A Spitfire carrying such a heavy load meant that the performance of the aircraft would be hindered until the bombs had been delivered. This meant that air superiority had to first be achieved, so the pilots could be confident that they could safely reach their targets. In the event of an enemy fighter being spotted, if it was safe to do so, some or all of the Spitfire pilots would drop their bomb loads and engage.

Rocket Powered Fighters

On 5th Dec 1944, while on a bombing mission, Bob witnessed a rare sight; a long trail of smoke being left behind by a small aircraft travelling at almost supersonic speed. Although he had only heard about the aircraft from intelligence briefings, he knew immediately what it was; a Messerschmitt Me163.

The Spitfires of 411 Squadron were not the target of the Me163 that day however and so they simply watched in amazement as the human piloted surface-to-air missile flew off into the distance.

The Me163 was a rocket powered fighter aircraft, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 620mph, and proved almost impossible for the Allies to intercept.

However, despite over 300 Me163s being built, they were only able to account for the losses of 17 Allied aircraft. This was compared to 9 Me163s that were lost in combat and a further 9 that were destroyed in accidents. With an additional unknown number of test pilots killed during the development of the aircraft, the Me163 ultimately was an expensive waste of both life and resources.

Battle of the Bulge

When, on 16th December 1944, the last major German offensive of the war began, nicknamed the Battle of the Bulge, the pilots of 411 Squadron were again on duty to provide much needed cover for the troops. The initial poor weather and visibility meant that the Allied pilots had difficulty spotting and targeting German positions, however that changed on 24th December when the skies cleared.

There was no respite over Christmas and Bob continued flying multiple patrol missions each day, attacking German units and supply lines.

The clearing of the weather had meant that the Luftwaffe were now also drafted in to provide cover for the German assault which lasted until 25th January 1945.

Revenge for Malmedy

On 27th December Bob spotted a group of Messerschmitt Bf109s over the town of Malmedy in Belgium. This was where a week earlier the 鈥淢almedy Massacre鈥� had occurred 鈥� where at least 84 American prisoners of war were murdered by SS troops. In the confusion of the slaughter several prisoners had managed to escape and once back to Allied lines had recounted the tragedy. The incident was very well publicised at the time and all of the 411 pilots would have been well aware of brutality of the forces they were facing.

Moving in on the group of Bf109s, Bob picked his target and gave chase. Despite the German pilot making a stall turn, going into a dive and making violent and desperate evasive manoeuvres, Bob kept on his tail. Closing to 150 yards, he opened fire. Cooke saw hits on the cockpit, and as the Bf109 rolled into a steep dive, Bob followed him down and gave him another burst for good measure before watching his foe smash into the ground.

Again, Bob recorded the fight on his gun camera.

The Most Successful Day

The full effectiveness of 411 Squadron was demonstrated on 29th December 1944, resulting in what would be the best results in the history of the squadron.

It began in the morning with 4 trains being wrecked, along with a FW190 being destroyed 鈥� the Focke-Wulf had not been shot down, but rather had been chasing a Spitfire and was right on his tail. Taking evasive action, the Spitfire had gone into a near vertical dive, before making a high G pull up at the last moment, levelling off and skimming above the ground.

The Luftwaffe pilot however could not match the Spitfire鈥檚 manoeuvrability and, being unable to pull up out of the dive in time, the FW190 crashed into the ground at full speed.

The squadron returned back to base for rearmament and refuelling and after lunch they set off on another patrol, with Bob taking the role of Blue Leader. When they reached the German town of Rheine, just north of M眉nster, Cooke spotted an Me262 (the Luftwaffe鈥檚 state of the art jet fighter). Bob turned to get on the tail and attack the aircraft, however he couldn鈥檛 hope to match the speed of the Me262, which exceeded the top speed of his Spitfire by 160mph.

As they watched the Me262 fly away from them, the Spitfire group started to break off their attack. As they did they noticed above them were 3 Bf109s that were diving in on their position in an attempt to ambush the exposed 411 pilots.

Cooke, with the rest of his flight group, aggressively turned towards the approaching aircraft head-on, flying directly at them. As they rapidly came within range they opened fire, with F/L Ireland (another of Spitfire ML295鈥檚 pilots) hitting and destroying one of the Bf109s as they passed.

Bob turned back towards the remaining aircraft and, diving down, managed to get on the tail of one. Closing to 200 yards he opened fire and saw the cockpit and the engine light up and catch fire. He watched as the burning aircraft plummeted 12,000ft straight in to the ground.

Just a few minutes after this another of the flight group鈥檚 pilots, Dick Audet, managed to spot and destroy 5 enemy aircraft. .

When the dust settled on the day, the Germans had lost 8 aircraft and 4 trains, with none of the 411 Spitfires having even been damaged in the assault.

Back to War

Cooke continued to fly Spitfire NH380 on other patrol missions, attacking targets of opportunity. However on 20th Jan 1945, while being piloted by F/O Ellement, NH380 was shot down by flak and destroyed over the Netherlands. The pilot thankfully survived and managed to evade capture.

Clearly Bob didn鈥檛 need his lucky Spitfire, as on 23rd Jan 1945 he scored another kill. The below is taken from Bob鈥檚 original combat report.

鈥淏lue section of 411 Squadron was orbiting when I saw this FW flying east on the deck along a canal. I went down after him and he turned north and flew along another canal. I closed in on him from dead astern and fired from 500 yds, seeing no strikes but pieces of the E/A broke off and smoke came out of his engine. I kept on firing and just as I over shot, he pulled up and the pilot tried to bail out. I flew along beside him and saw him stand up in cockpit. He opened his chute but it caught in his tail. The pilot was dragged along the fuselage and went into the deck with his aircraft. It blew up and burned. Cine camera and Gyro gun sight were used.

I claim one FW190 DESTROYED鈥�.

With the war starting to come to an end, the frequency of the missions flown started to gradually reduce. Although with efforts now concentrated within Germany, the squadron still managed to find plenty of targets to attack and caused considerable damage to the German ability to resist.

Farewell

On 11th March 1945 the Squadron notes state: 鈥淩.M. Cook departed today. 鈥淐ookie鈥� is tour expired we hope to see him back with us.鈥�

Overall, Bob Cooke had flown 111 sorties with 411 Squadron, plus his 7 missions with 416 Squadron bringing his total to 118 operational flights. During this time he destroyed 4 aircraft and damaged a further 2, alongside destroying a countless number of trains, trucks and other ground targets.

After the War

After finishing his tour, he returned home to Canada and moved back in with his parents and brother. For a short time he worked in Pendleton, working at the No.10 Elementary Flying Training School as an instructor.

By 1949 he had moved out and was living by himself in Milton, although he continued to work as a pilot. The big change came in 1951, when after getting married and having the first two of his daughters, he began working as a pioneer helicopter pilot and moved to Oshawa.

In January 1952, Bob Cooke landed a job as the first helicopter pilot to work within the postal service, and began making experimental flights from Newfoundland out to 20 remote towns each week.

Flying in a Hiller Model 360, Bob provided an essential service for these isolated communities, who would otherwise have had to wait in excess of 2 months for the delivery of their mail and have been completely cut off from the outside world during the harsh winter months.

Facing rugged terrain, wild weather conditions and with the helicopter technology still in its infancy, the vital work Bob carried out was an incredibly dangerous career.

Tragedy

The below is transcribed from The Gazette, a Montreal newspaper.

“Helicopter Crash Kills Veteran Pilot
Toronto, Aug 7 1952
A Helicopter crash in Northern Quebec today killed Robert McLean Cooke, 33, of Oshawa.

Cooke was employed by Kenting Aviation Ltd of Oshawa, the aircraft operating company for Photographic Survey Corporation of Toronto.

An announcement by Photographic Survey Corporation said the helicopter piloted by Cooke struck a wire and crashed into the Bersimis River near the site of the proposed Quebec hydro dam 100 miles north of Baie Comeau. Cooke was alone in the aircraft.

A veteran of RCAF service during the Second World War, Cooke had flown helicopters for 18 months.

He was credited with initiating the first regular helicopter mail delivery service in Canada. Flying from Lewisporte in the Gander Bay area of Newfoundland, from last Jan. 7 to April 30, he carried 15,000 pounds of mail altogether to 18 isolated mission communities on islands along the coast.

His widow and two children live in Oshawa.”

Lake Cooke

The proposed hydroelectric dam was opened in 1953 and so we can use that to locate the position of the tragic crash. In an area that is otherwise wilderness, runs one of the main overhead power transmission lines in Quebec. Around 6km north of the dam, these lines cross the Bersimis River, and so this would match the described area of the crash.

Just 2.5kms from the area of the crash is a large lake which is named Lake Cooke (Lac Cooke). I have been in touch with the Toponymy Commission in Quebec, who hold the records of all the history of place names in the area. They are not certain as to the history of the lake鈥檚 name 鈥� so it remains a possibility that Lake Cooke was named after the pioneer helicopter and veteran Spitfire pilot.

Following the tragedy, Bob鈥檚 wife was left with two young children and was pregnant with their third. It is difficult to comprehend the difficulty of the situation she now faced. With her children, she moved back to Milton, where family, including Bob鈥檚 parents and brother, still lived.

With the eldest of their three children being only two years old at the time of Bob鈥檚 death, sadly none of his daughters remember their father.

Bob鈥檚 wife never remarried and when she later passed away, she was buried alongside Bob in Milton.

Rest in peace, Flight Lieutenant Robert 鈥淏ob鈥� McLean Cooke.

______________________________________________

I hope that you enjoyed reading the story of Bob Cooke; he was just 1 of the 11 incredible pilots who flew in Spitfire ML295.

As the orders for The Few have come in and production of the watch has begun, over the coming months I will begin to showcase the fabrication of the watch and show how the authentic material from Spitfire ML295 is being incorporated into the timepiece.

But before that series begins, I’ll start with an important question for anyone interested in watches – do they make good investments?

A Watch as an Investment

In December 2021, a watch made by Roger Smith – a watchmaker from Bolton, now based on the Isle of Man – sold at auction for a staggering c.拢532,500.

Incredibly this watch had originally been sold in 2018 for c.拢120,000 – an increase of over 300% in just three years.

Although the auction house described the piece as special, Roger Smith only produces 12 watches a year, so this example was not exceptionally unique by his standards.

While this example is extraordinary, it is not an isolated event and there are many recent examples of more mainstream brand’s watches achieving staggering growth in their resale value.

A wrist watch, particularly in periods of economic uncertainty, remains not just a tangible asset, but also a practical one; being one of the few pieces of jewellery that men choose to wear regularly.

Every year the number of people able to afford a luxury watch worldwide increases. However, as that demand has risen, the supply has not increased to match that; Rolex for instance produces as many watches today as they did 20 years ago – around 1 million pieces a year.

This has meant that in many cases demand has massively outstripped supply, and multiple brands now enjoy long waiting lists, with some buyers able to make thousands from just selling their place in the queue.

Unless global habits make a sharp reverse, then it is likely that this phenomenon will continue.

When creating my watches my goal was to not just provide value for money, but also provide a sound investment.

I aimed to do this by combining two passions – watches and Spitfires – and crafting something that was both incredibly limited and also unrepeatable. Judging from the response I’ve received, it seems to have hit the right note.

Spitfire material itself is very scarce and only becoming rarer. The aluminium is valuable and can easily be recycled, which led to most of the aircraft being scrapped after the war.

The majority of Spitfires that did manage to survive either didn’t see active service or were built after the war had ended. The limited amount of material from war-time generally has no authentic provenance, where its origins can be traced with 100% certainty.

Spitfire ML295 is perhaps one of the last ever restorations of a Spitfire that saw both combat and didn’t end in tragedy (no pilot was harmed in the aircraft).

With this coupled with the fact that there are perhaps as few as 11 practicing watchmakers left in the UK (with this declining number meaning the craft is now listed as critically endangered), the reality is that once the last of my orders has been fulfilled, it will be impossible for anyone – myself included – to create another of these watches.

The owners of The Few will be able to show-off their watch and when asked “where can I get one?”, the answer will be a straightforward – “you can’t!”.

Next Sortie

We will take a look at another of Spitfire ML295’s pilots, Harold Nixon. An accomplished boxer and wrestler, he took his brawling skills to the skies and earned himself a Distinguished Flying Cross.

See you there.

On 2nd June 1944 at 11am Flight Lieutenant Thomas Ross “Tommy” Wheler taxied Spitfire ML295 to the runway at RAF Tangmere airfield and prepared for take off. He was taking part in Ramrod 960, a mission over enemy-held France to disrupt any intervention for the upcoming D-Day invasion, and to attack targets of opportunity. Tommy was taking Spitfire ML295 on its maiden operational flight.

Tommy Wheler

Wheler flew alongside other pilots from 411 Squadron, 

Becoming a Pilot

Tommy Wheler was born on 14th February 1921 in Tignall, Georgia, USA, to Canadian parents. In 1927 they decided to return back to Canada with Tommy, and settled in the Toronto area. 

After the war had broken out, the Battle of Britain had shown that Britain and her Allies had a severe shortage of skilled pilots. The call had gone out for volunteer pilots to join the war effort. There was a significant push for pilots to train in areas that were expected to be safe from German attack, such as Canada.

So, on 28th January 1941, aged only 19, Tommy enlisted in the Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF). Tommy told his family 鈥淚鈥檝e got to get into this fight鈥�.

He started his pilot training at the No 3 Initial Training School at Sacred Heart College in Victoriaville, Quebec. He worked his way through the flight schools, clocking up experience in a number of aircraft. His trainers assessed him as an 鈥渁bove average鈥� pilot.

Dreaming of Spitfires

After finishing his pilot training and earning his wings, he was posted over to England. Here, much to Tommy鈥檚 disappointment, he was sent to the glider training school in RAF Kidlington in Oxfordshire.

He kept his dream of flying Spitfires in the front of his thoughts and after flying an array of gliders and their tugs for over a year, in January 1943 he was given the news that he was going to be posted to a Spitfire squadron. Tommy was overjoyed and wrote in his logbook 鈥淪o long gliders. Oh, happy day鈥�.

He took his first flight in a Spitfire a month later, flying a Spitfire Mark 2 鈥� the same that flew during the Battle of Britain. By the time he sat in a Spitfire, Tommy had experience in flying 15 different types of aircraft. This was unusual for a Spitfire pilot and gave Tommy a huge advantage, allowing him to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Spitfire when compared to other aircraft.

First Mission

After spending some time getting to grips with his new aircraft, on 11th May 1943 he was posted to 411 Squadron of the RCAF, who were based at RAF Redhill in Surrey and equipped with the latest Spitfire Mark 5s.

The pilots of 411 Squadron. In this photo are 6 of ML295鈥檚 pilots: 1) Harold Nixon, 2) Jim Kerr, 3) Dan LeBlanc, 4) Len Dunn, 5) Tommy Wheler, 6) Hal Kramer

His first mission, on 23rd May 1943, was a convoy patrol over the English Channel. This was a mission to protect the valuable shipping in the Channel that was supplying Britain. The close distance to France meant that by the time a German plane was spotted, any reactionary sorties would arrive too late to be of any help. So instead, patrol missions were flown constantly over the shipping lanes to allow the fighters to immediately respond to any threat. 

Much to Tommy鈥檚 disappointment however, there were no enemy aircraft spotted during his first mission and he returned safely to base. 

Becoming a Spitfire Pilot

In December 1943, Tommy was credited with damaging a German Focke-Wulf 190, with the credit shared with another pilot. In the 8 weeks after D-Day (6th June 1944), Tommy would go on to score two FW190s destroyed, as well as damaging another, bringing his total tally to 2/1.5.

He would later be awarded a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his flying prowess.

I have found footage taken by Tommy in his Spitfire through the use of his gun camera. This was a small and poor quality camera that was linked with the Spitfire’s weapons – when the guns were fired the camera would record the images. Although the clips are often short and of very low resolution, they still give a fascinating record of the action the Spitfire pilots found themselves in on a day-to-day basis.

The camera has no magnification and so they really were shooting at one another at almost point blank range.

In this footage taken from Tommy’s gun camera, it shows Tommy’s first victory where he was credited with damaging a FW190. This image shows the puff of smoke coming from the enemy aircraft as it is hit by an explosive cannon shell from Tommy. You can view the full clip here, where Tommy’s footage starts at 9:45

The original report that Tommy filed about his encounter on 26th June 1944. Such reports would be used as evidence alongside eye witness accounts and gun camera footage, to allow an intelligence officer to officially certify claimed victories. With his radio out of action, Tommy finds himself all alone facing 15 German aircraft. It reads:

“I was flying Red 4. The Sqdn. was S.W. of Caen when Huns were reported South of Le Havre by Blue 2. My R/T was partially u/s. The Squadron broke port and dove with wide open throttles leaving me far behind. I climbed alone to 6000′ above cloud sighting 15 a/c at 12 o’clock below. I climbed first out to 12000′. 15 a/c turned out to be FW. 190’s and ME 109’s. They turned towards me to port still at 6000′. I dove out of the sun and attacked the last FW 190 on the starboard side of formations. At 300 to 400 yds I fired a 3 second burst line astern saw hits on cockpit and wing. The e/a caught fire flicked over crashed into the deck and blew up. I turned starboard and fired at another FW. 190, range about 100 yds. angle off about 60掳 saw hits on starboard wing. FW 190 broke hard towards me and disappeared into cloud. I took cine shot of burning wreckage of first FW 190. Returned to base with four gallons of petrol. I claim 1 FW 190 destroyed and 1 FW 190 damaged.”

In this footage, the silhouette of a FW190 is clearly visible. This clip shows Tommy’s double victory, where he attacked 15 aircraft alone and was credited with a destroyed FW190 and another damaged. Follow this link to the footage, Tommy’s clip starts at 16:21

One of Tommy’s victories made the newspapers in June 1944. His name is highlighted at the end of the piece, having destroyed a Focke Wulf 190 and damaged another. Interestingly, almost 80 years later, Murine still make eye drops too!

Relaxing with the Squadron

Tommy continued to fly regularly and proved himself not just an exceptionally capable pilot, but also a real character and a popular member of the Squadron. 

It wasn鈥檛 all hard work though, and the pilots managed to fill quieter periods with some fun activities. In his notes Tommy mentions that on 12th March 1944 he, along with pilots Wallace and Kramer (another ML295 pilot) practiced their marksmanship with skeet shooting (shooting clay targets with a shotgun). Each of the pilots were fiercely competitive, but in the end Hal Kramer won the competition.

The mood was often jovial at the RAF bases in England, but became much more serious after D-Day when the Squadron had moved to France. Tommy is standing on the far left in this photo

Flying Spitfire ML295

By 2nd June 1944, when Tommy flew Spitfire ML295, he had already spent 302 hours flying Spitfires, with 113.5 hours of those being operational.

We have already heard about the , however Tommy adds his own notes on the sortie. During the Ramrod mission he noticed a car on the road and turned Spitfire ML295 into a deep dive. Lining up his gun sights and opening fire with the aircraft鈥檚 two 20mm Hispano cannons, Tommy鈥檚 aim was true and the car disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke. 

“Shot up a staff car near Amiens鈥� Tommy wrote in his logbook. On its first operational mission, ML295 had not just shown itself to be an exceptional aircraft, but had perhaps, also taken its first blood.

Tommy with some of the other 411 Squadron “Roaring Boys”

Tommy’s Last Mission

On 7th August 1944, Tommy took to the skies again as he had done hundreds of times before. Little did he know that this mission was to be his last as a Spitfire pilot. 

Taking part in an Armed Reconnaissance mission over L鈥橝igle, Bernay and Liseux in Northern France, Tommy took off at 4.30pm.

The original flight plan for Tommy’s final sortie was to take them over the German held Northern French towns of Lisieux, Bernay and L’Aigle, before heading back to the Squadron’s base at B茅ny-sur-Mer

After having successfully spotted and destroyed three trucks, he found that he had been hit in the radiator by anti-aircraft flak. The radiator was the Spitfire鈥檚 weak point and was the same damage that had downed ML295 just a week earlier.

After gaining some altitude, Tommy pulled back the canopy of his Spitfire and jumped out. His wingmen saw Tommy鈥檚 parachute open and he was seen to land safely in an orchard.

What follows next is from Tommy鈥檚 accounts, collated from his official interview taken as soon as he returned to Allied lines and also from the details he revealed over the many times the story has been recounted since.

Up to this point Tommy had flown a total of 390 hours in his Spitfires, 200 hours of which were operational. He had flown 140 sorties. 

The incredible story of Tommy Wheler鈥檚 time behind enemy lines became known as “Wheler鈥檚 Walk”.

A copy of the report given by Tommy to Intelligence Service 9 (IS9) immediately after his rescue. The long distribution list at the bottom is testament to the importance of Tommy’s heroic escape

Wheler’s Walk

After landing in his parachute, Tommy quickly took note of his surroundings. He removed his parachute and hid it as best as he could. He knew that the orchard he had landed in would soon be teeming with German soldiers, who would have followed his parachute down. Thinking quickly, he ran up a road in the wrong direction and threw down his gloves. He then made a light-footed getaway in a northerly direction. He would need to try and head back towards the Allied lines and somehow make it past the German front lines to safety. 

After running for a couple of hours, he found a farm with an empty barn where he spent the night. He removed all of his badges and other forms of identification before continuing on his journey, 

Over the next four days, he walked for dozens of miles and swam across two rivers, often having to quickly take cover when a patrol came past.

Luckily, he managed to find some vegetables in a field, along with catching some frogs from a pond. He was able to also make a Horlicks drink from one of his emergency rations. Being now relatively well rested and fed, he continued on his journey.

Taken Prisoner

Continuing through some marshes and past more guards for another day and night, he took cover from the Allied artillery in some woods. Here he was spotted and taken prisoner by some Germans who were manning a radar station. After taking all his possessions, they gave Tommy some food, before taking him to a prisoner of war camp. 

After two nights in the camp, he was put in a truck, where he, along with some other prisoners, was due to be taken to Paris for interrogation. Tommy noticed a tiny window in the truck, that kept banging open and closed. He made his way over to the window and keeping his eyes on the guards, eased himself through the small opening. Holding on between the cabin and the trailer, he waited until the truck stopped before jumping off and rolling between the wheels. A flare was lighting the night sky and so Tommy waited for it to die out before crawling over to a ditch and making a run for it. 

He walked all night until he met with a local French farmer. The farmer gave him some food and a bed, and let Tommy know that the British front line had advanced to St Pierre, about 10 miles to the West. He handed him a map and a leather coat and Tommy was off again.

Saboteur

Following the map, Tommy walked for two days, travelling at night and resting during the day. During this time, he came across some rail wagons on top of a small slope. Deciding they were worth sabotaging, he disconnected some of the wagons and pushed them down the slope, where they derailed around a corner.

The following night, while in some woods, Tommy saw a brilliant flash of light and a loud roar in the distance. He approached the area and realised he had found a V1 rocket launching site. Waiting until it was quiet, Tommy made his way around the site and cut every wire, cable and hose that he could find, putting the facility out of action.

A reconstruction of a V1 launch site. The rocket, an early form of cruise missile, was fired from a ramp, aided by a steam powered catapult. Over 30,000 V1 rockets were produced during the war, with cities in England being the primary targets.

Although fast fighters could shoot at or tip the wings of a V1 in flight, the V1 rocket cost 20 times less than the later V2 rocket, and incredible expense and efforts were made to combat them. It proved to be the only of Hitler’s Wunderwaffe “wonder weapons” that enjoyed cost-effective success

Such actions put Tommy in incredible danger, as orders directly from Hitler had proclaimed that all soldiers undertaking commando/saboteur actions were to be shot immediately upon capture.

Captured Again

Finally he reached the outskirts of St. Pierre and could hear the sound of sustained machine gun fire close by. He knew the British must be nearby, but with so many Germans still in the area, he decided to wait in safety until there was a good opportunity to try and join up with the British.

As the morning arrived, some British tanks rolled past Tommy and so he rose to his feet and stood waiting to hail down the next convoy to pass him. As he stood waiting, two Germans came up behind Tommy and took him prisoner. Fortunately for Tommy, the Germans didn’t know who they had caught.

The Long March

Tommy was marched back to a farm and joined a group of German soldiers that were withdrawing from the area. They took Tommy and marched him day and night to another group of prisoners of war, where an English-speaking interrogator tried to get some information from Tommy 鈥� which he refused. He was then taken with the other prisoners in a truck, where they were made to stand up for the entire journey. In the hot French summer heat, many of the prisoners began to faint from heat exhaustion. 

One of the German soldiers wanted to paint the top of their truck with a white cross, to denote that they were carrying prisoners. Tommy pleaded with them to not do this, as he knew of no such marking and said that instead it would be like painting a bullseye on the truck and make it an easy target for Allied aircraft patrolling the area. Thankfully they listened to Tommy and the prisoners were instead forced to march on foot for two days.

Tommy’s Final Escape

On the second day, the prisoners, who numbered around 25, were being marched with a file of German soldiers on each side of them. As night fell, Tommy struck up a conversation with one of the guards to his side and dropped back in the group with him. He then hurried back into the group, but rather than joining the prisoners he instead joined the file of guards. With the night pitch black and presumably also being exhausted the guards in front and behind him believed him to be another German guard. Waiting for the right moment, Tommy slipped out of the line and off the road.

After waiting for the group to pass, he made his way east for a few miles before finding a barn where he rested for the night.

In the morning the owners of the barn found Tommy and gave him some food, before taking him to another farm where he remained for 3 days. Finally the British advanced the front line through the area and he was rescued.

When Tommy safely returned to his Squadron on 28th August 1944, he met with Hal Kramer who had also just returned from evading capture after having been shot down while flying Spitfire ML295. Tommy had flown ML295 on its first mission and Hal had flown her on its last, making their reunion a happy end to the story of the Spitfire

In total, Wheler’s Walk had been a journey of 112 miles (180 kms) across heavily defended areas, where Tommy faced the constant threat of death from both German soldiers and Allied air attacks and artillery. Despite being tired and hungry, he showed incredible fortitude and resourcefulness and his acts of sabotage had perhaps saved dozens of lives.

Tommy Wheler gave a very accurate account of his time behind enemy lines and so we can plot his journey. He was shot down not long into his original mission (blue), before beginning the first part of his walk (green). When he was captured, the front lines, and safety, would have been just a few miles away (pink). The route taken while captured (orange), shows his route to his initial interrogation and subsequent travel as he was being taken to Paris. His escape across country (green) would have eventually brought him, again, within just a mile or two of the front lines. By the time of his second escape, the Allied advance was just behind him (purple), meaning he did not need to wait too long for his rescue.

After the War

Tommy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 8th December 1944. The next year on 14th September 1945 he was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).

A clipping from the Ottawa Citizen announcing Tommy’s MBE award

Following the end of the war and Tommy鈥檚 return to Canada, he had a brief pause from flying; instead working for his father-in-law. 

However, the skies soon called to him again, and when the 411 Squadron reformed on 1st October 1950, Tommy Wheler was asked to represent all the wartime pilots in the ceremony. The Squadron was equipped with the latest jet fighter, the De Havilland Vampire.

Tommy (right) in 1950 at the reformation ceremony of 411 Squadron

Tommy later worked as a Regular Support Officer for 400 Squadron, before moving to West Germany with 444 Squadron. Here Tommy flew the Canadair Sabre, which was a Canadian variant of the F-86 Sabre built under licence.

While he was in Germany, Tommy took the time to visit the family that had helped him in France during the final part of his escape journey. 

In 1968, Tommy retired from the RCAF, having reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He remained active in his retirement, keeping his quick wit and sense of humour. Tommy Wheler finally passed away on 12th October 2018 aged 97, the last of the Roaring Boys.

Spitfire Elizabeth and the Roaring Boys

If you are interested in learning more about another of 411 Squadron’s Spitfires and her pilots, including Tommy Wheler, then I would recommend the book Spitfire Elizabeth and the Roaring Boys.

The author, Nick Oram, has been very kind and helpful at pointing me in the right direction during my research, and the book has been a great resource for many of the details of Tommy Wheler you’ve read in this article: 

Next Sortie

We will take a look at another of Spitfire ML295’s pilots, Bob Cooke. Despite being 6’4″ tall and barely fitting inside a Spitfire, he went on to become one of 411 Squadron’s most talented and daring pilots, and took his first aerial victory in ML295.

See you there.