Two
brothers - one dream
 |
| Tony & Patrick Woods-Scawen. |
Growing up in Farnborough, Hampshire, I often
passed 55 York Road, a red-bricked semi-detached house, on my way to playschool
or when visiting an old friend’s house along that same narrow road. Back then I
would not have even noticed number 55, because it looked like any other
ordinary house at the time, just like it does today. It was not until recently,
when I discovered who used to live in that house that it became of interest to
me and now whenever I find myself on York Road I am reminded of a brave but
tragic story, told so excellently in Ralph Barker’s book That Eternal Summer.
During
the 1930’s, 55 York Road was the home of two brothers, Patrick and Tony
Woods-Scawen. The two boys were educated at Salesian College on Reading Road,
which is located just around the corner from their old home. Patrick was the
eldest of the two brothers, born in Karachi, India on 29 June 1916. Tony was
also born in Karachi, on 18 February 1918. The Woods-Scawen’s returned to
England in 1924, after Patrick and Tony’s mother fell ill.
To begin with the two brothers boarded at the
Salesian College but when their mother passed away they moved into 55 York Road
to live with their Aunt Nellie. When their education was completed Patrick was
employed as a storekeeper and Tony as a clerk. The jobs were steady enough but
dissatisfactory for the adventurous spirits of the Woods-Scawen brothers. Living
close to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough it was almost
impossible for the two boys to avoid falling in love with the idea of a flying
career. Both Patrick and Tony were already known for their interest in fast
machines. My Grand-Mother, Edna Roberts, lived near the Woods-Scawens at this
time and recalled many occasions when the two brothers were seen racing around
the town on motor-bikes. The two of them were very playful characters and very
popular amongst their peers. Their wit and charm soon won the affections of one
young woman in particular, a pretty blonde called Una Lawrence, also known as
Bunny or Bun-Bun to Patrick and Tony. It was almost impossible for the two boys
to avoid falling in love with her.
Eleven
years have now passed since That Eternal
Summer’s first publication and over 71 years have passed since the
Woods-Scawen’s story reached a saddening end. As a Farnborough local living
close to the airfield that once attracted the Woods-Scawen’s to a career in
aviation, I can’t help but to once again pay tribute to their remarkable story.
Patrick
was the first to join the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in
October 1937. At the age of twenty one, Patrick left 55 York Road behind and
travelled to Kings Cross where Bunny waved him off. He was destined for
Prestwick in Ayrshire to begin his elementary flying training.
Tony
was keen to follow in his big brother’s footsteps but at this point it seemed
that a career in the RAF was unlikely for him. With a spell of suspected TB, Tony missed a year of schooling with a
patch on his lung and did not pass out with a School Certificate like Patrick
did. The patch eventually cleared but his eyesight was left permanently
impaired and he needed glasses when reading. With this against him it seemed
that his chances of becoming a pilot in the RAF were slim. However in March
1938 he did join the air force on a short service commission. Tony’s eyesight
had not improved; instead he had sneakily passed the mandatory eye examination
by memorising the eye-test card.
During
this time Patrick was busy enjoying himself at Prestwick flying the Tiger Moth
and socialising with his fellow students and the locals. On 9 January 1938 he
was posted to No.11 Flying Training School at Wittering and then moved to
Shawbury in Shropshire. Patrick continued to correspond affectionately with
Bunny, who had promised, perhaps nonchalantly, to marry him when he was
promoted as a squadron leader. Patrick’s letters to Bunny evidently exposed his
love for her. In one particular letter he yearned for Bunny to send him a photograph
of herself so that he could show her off to his pals. Bunny was reluctant at
first but she eventually gave in and did send Patrick a photograph. She also
sent one to Tony.
Patrick
successfully completed his flying training and on 20 August he was posted to
No.85 Squadron at Debden. ‘I have flown a Hurricane’, he wrote to Bunny, ‘so
have reached the eighth heaven. The seventh, sixth and fifth are you. But my
God, what an aeroplane!’
Tony
prepared for his training by acquiring special flying goggles with corrective
lenses to improve his vision. Various tests loomed over him to begin with but
he managed to scrape through them before being sent on to Woodley to begin his
flying training. On 21 May 1938, Tony was posted to No.6 Flying Training School
at Netheravon and just like his brother he made the most of the pre-war social
scene around him. By the end of the year Tony was posted to No.43 Squadron,
stationed at Tangmere, where he learnt to fly the Hawker Hurricane. The chaps
in the squadron soon discovered Tony’s questionable eyesight and nicknamed him
‘Wombat’ because apparently he looked a bit like a rabbit and was as blind as a
bat, but Tony’s infectious nature quickly won the approval of his colleagues.
In a letter to Bunny Tony tells how the experienced pilots in the Squadron,
particularly Caesar Hull and Frank Carey, took him under their wings. ‘For some
strange reason, they have been giving me the benefit of all their terrific
flying skill by taking me up for wizard dogfights and drilling me in
aerobatics. I can now roll at 2-300 feet without being too scared, thanks to
them, but I still get plenty frit on occasion.’
Patrick
was also given a nickname by the boys in No.85 Squadron when he was dubbed
‘Weasel’ because of his sharp features and size. Unsurprisingly Patrick became
enormously popular and well known around the station.
After
war was declared on Germany, Patrick was soon posted to France with the
Squadron as part of the RAF Component in support of the British Expeditionary
Force. The so called ‘Phoney War’ was then in effect and it proved a testing
time for many of the pilots who felt bored and frustrated by the lack of
action. Those squadrons based in France also endured a long, cold winter, with
inadequate equipment and generally poor facilities. In the New Year, Patrick
was given a welcomed ten days home leave in mid-January, during which he drove
to Tangmere with Bunny to visit Tony. It was a happy reunion for them all but
perhaps difficult for Patrick who knew that he would soon have to tear himself
away from Bunny and return to France.
The
letters between the Woods-Scawen brothers and Bunny continued. When Patrick
returned to France he reminded Bunny not to forget that they were going to
marry when he was made a squadron leader. He was also fully aware of Tony and
Bunny’s endearing correspondence, which he playfully referred to in his
writing, as did Tony. There was clearly an understanding of a shared fondness
between the three of them but it did not affect their individual relationships
as one might imagine. Exactly where did Bunny’s true affections lie? It was a
question that undoubtedly troubled both Patrick and Tony, but despite this
quiet competition, the brothers did not let it affect their bond.
The
unstoppable German blitzkrieg was unleashed by Hitler on the 10 May 1940. At
0410 hours that morning Patrick and his colleagues were disturbed by the
tremendous sound of numerous Luftwaffe engines overhead, combined with the
thumping sounds of anti-aircraft fire being pumped into the air. Within minutes
six Hurricanes took off from base to engage the enemy bombers. Flight
Lieutenant Bob Boothby led his section from A Flight with Pilot Officer David
Mawhood and Flying Officer Ken Blair in tow. They engaged two Junkers Ju 88s at
12,000 feet near Grammont. Boothby fired two lengthy bursts of ammunition into
one of the bombers which went down pouring oil with a dead engine. Mawhood
witnessed the Ju 88’s descent but in turn his Hurricane was struck by fire from
the second Junkers and perspex splinters blinded him in one eye. Mawhood
retaliated by firing four bursts into the enemy machine despite his injury.
Blair also attacked this aircraft with a few bursts of his own and watched
heavy smoke pour from its starboard engine as it went down. The Ju 88 crew
managed to bale out of their aircraft, but they were soon captured by Belgians
and handed over to the British.
Flight
Lieutenant Dickie Lee was leading his section of B Flight, with Flying Officer
Derek Allen and Pilot Officer Patrick Woods-Scawen slightly on his wing tips.
The three of them encountered a formation of Hs 126s and made various attacks
but the results were inconclusive. Within forty minutes the six Hurricanes had
engaged the enemy and returned to base to rearm and refuel. Patrick was back in
the air at 0730 hours on a patrol with Dickie Lee and Flying Officer Allan
Angus. A Ju 88 was spotted at 15,000 feet between Armentieres and the
Fort-de-Nieppe and the Hurricanes gave chase. The bomber took evasive action
and dived down to the deck with the rear-gunner firing continuously at the
trio. Lee reported firing short bursts from close range but saw no apparent
results except for black smoke issuing from one of its engines. Lee’s Hurricane
was badly hit but he managed to get back to base without further incident.
Angus also attacked the enemy aircraft and reported that after two bursts he
‘saw the rear gunner disintegrate’. He also noticed that its starboard engine
had stopped and he last saw it diving to the ground near Ghent. Angus then
discovered that he was out of ammunition and that he had no oil pressure. His
engine seized and he force-landed at Celles. Within a few hours Angus returned
to the Squadron after hitching a ride back to Lille/Seclin. Patrick did not
fire his guns on this occasion, but nine days later he would soon claim his
fair share of enemy aircraft.
On
Sunday 19 May, at approximately 1000 hours, Patrick was out on the aerodrome
when he noticed three Hurricanes above duelling with several enemy aircraft.
Not one to miss the fight, Patrick raced to his aircraft and took off to join
the action. He managed to shoot a Messerschmitt Bf 109 down in flames, five
miles east of Seclin, after a single burst of just two seconds. Patrick then
climbed to 5,000 feet and then latched on to a second Bf 109 which he attacked
with several short bursts from 100 yards range. The 109 dived to the ground
trailing black smoke. Two enemy fighters then opened fire on Patrick from the
behind and forced him to break away from the action. Patrick’s ammunition boxes
were empty so there was nothing more he could to but evade their attacks before
landing safely back on his aerodrome.
Later
in the day Patrick was back in the hostile air, this time leading Blue Section
on patrol between Seclin and Lille/Marcq. At about 1550 hours Patrick caught
sight of a single Bf 109 travelling east. Suspecting a trap, Patrick ordered
his section to cover him while he delivered a stern attack on the enemy fighter
from 100 yards. He fired one burst lasting two seconds which subsequently
caused the 109 to dive steeply, emitting smoke. Patrick watched the enemy
aircraft crash-land in a field five miles west of Tournai. The engagement was
witnessed by Pilot Officer Shrewsbury, who joined up with Patrick after the
encounter to continue their patrol.
Soon
enough Patrick picked out another enemy aircraft while patrolling Lille to
Seclin at 8,000 feet. It was a Dornier Do 17 which was flying slowly east at
the same height as Patrick. Once again Patrick covered his back by suspected a
possible trap, so this time he climbed into the sun to get behind the
unsuspecting bomber. It was an intelligent move because in this new position
(at about 10,000 feet) Patrick saw seven Bf 109s nearby at his own height. He
attacked the enemy fighters head-on, firing continuously from 600 yards until
they passed by underneath his aircraft. Patrick noticed the leading 109 pouring
smoke as it dived away. He then turned his Hurricane as quickly as he was able
for another pass at the fighters but suddenly a cannon-shell hit his engine,
which burst into flames. Patrick baled out of his aircraft (Hurricane P2547) as
fast as he could and took to his parachute. He landed safely two miles
south-west of Lille, despite being shot at twice by French soldiers on the way
down. It is believed that Uffz Wemhoner of 5/JG26 was the pilot that shot him
down.
During
the Battle of France Patrick and his comrades had demonstrated exceptional
abilities in combat against unfavourable odds, but it was not enough to stem
the insurmountable German advance. The day following Patrick being shot down
the Squadron began to evacuate from France. No.85 Squadron’s diarist recorded
the following: ‘20/5/40. Squadron Leader Peacock reported to take over from
Squadron Leader Oliver, who left for England with Pilot Officer Woods-Scawen
and Sergeant Pilot Deacon by air transport.’
The
Squadron had suffered a great deal from the intense fighting in May. It had lost a great deal of aircraft but
also, and more importantly, a great band of pilots, that were either killed,
wounded, or listed missing. Squadron Leader Peacock, who had only just arrived
in France to assume Command of the Squadron, failed to return from a patrol on
the 20th and two days later the Squadron arrived in Debden to reform.
On 25
June 1940, the London Gazette acknowledged Patrick’s accomplishments in France
by writing:
Pilot
Officer Patrick Philip WOODS-SCAWEN (40452).
During
May 1940, this officer destroyed
six
enemy aircraft, and assisted in the
destruction
of others. On one occasion,
although
heavily outnumbered, he attacked
without
hesitation a large formation of enemy
aircraft,
shooting down two of them. His
own
aircraft was hit by a cannon shell and
he
was slightly wounded, but succeeded in
escaping
by parachute and rejoined his unit.
He
has displayed great courage, endurance,
and
leadership.
.
The Woods-Scawen family together with Bunny were
enormously proud of Patrick’s exploits in France.
On 23
May, Squadron Leader Peter Townsend, DFC, arrived at Debden to take command of
No.85 Squadron with the task of bringing it back to operational efficiency.
Townsend had previously served with No.43 Squadron, where Patrick’s younger
brother Tony was now busy preparing for operations over Dunkirk. Of Tony,
Townsend remarked that he was ‘as brave as a lion and as blind as a bat’.
During the weeks to come Townsend’s assessment of Tony could not have been more
accurate.
On 31
May, No.43 Squadron, also known as ‘The Fighting Cocks’ began to carry out
patrols over the Channel, with orders to protect shipping vessels coming back
from Dunkirk. On its second patrol that morning, the Squadron reached their
patrol line as instructed and swept the sky between Calais and Dunkirk. On
approach to the smoky beaches of Dunkirk, where British troops were desperately
being evacuated, large numbers of Bf 109s were seen with Bf 110s breaking out
of cloud away to the west. The nine airborne Hurricanes of No.43 dispersed in
three sections and soon found themselves outnumbered by about six to one. Tony
was flying in Blue Section with Squadron Leader George Lott leading. In a flash
the Squadron was engulfed in a storm of Messerschmitts. For several long
minutes Lott found himself evading 109 after 109 as they tried to latch on to
his tail. Tony was also forced to evade the fighters but he did manage to fire
a couple of steady bursts at one of the Messerschmitts, which knocked pieces
off its port wing. Suddenly another 109 swept up beneath Tony’s Hurricane and
shot up his radiator. Glycol poured into his cockpit and the windscreen became
smeared with oil. There was nothing for it but to get out of the fight and get
back home. Tony returned to Tangmere and despite his damaged aircraft and a
tricky landing he escaped unharmed.
In early
June he wrote to Bunny and asked ‘Are you engaged or married or anything
equally horrible yet? I won’t be so enthusiastic about it if you go and do
something silly like that.’ He also mentioned the Squadron’s recent patrols,
writing in his boyish way: ‘We have been having prodigious Hun-fun, but little
else’.
After
the evacuation of British troops and shipping from Dunkirk, No.43 Squadron was
then ordered to fly patrols over the Amiens-Abbeville line to cover the
remaining depleted forces being withdrawn.
During
an evening patrol on 7 June, Tony was flying number 2 in Blue Section, led by
Squadron Leader Lott on course for Amiens-Abbeville, but when they approached
the French coast the Squadron caught sight of Bf 109s and 110s, which they
dived upon in line astern. Tony followed Lott down towards the enemy fighters
but all of a sudden his Hurricane was hit from behind and his cockpit blazed
with intense heat. With no time to spare, Tony pulled the cockpit hood back and
evacuated his aircraft near Le Treport. After a safe descent, but now behind
enemy lines, Tony gathered up his parachute and hid in a ditch. When all
appeared clear Tony set off, eventually trekking some twenty miles across
country without being detected by the Germans. After some time Tony fell in
with a retreating motorised transport unit which took him to Rouen, but the
bridge over the river had already been blown up. Tony found another way to
cross the river by persuading a ferryman, whom he held at gun point, to get him
across. A No.43 Squadron Intelligence Report records that Tony’s ‘recollection
of the journey is hazy as he was continuously being bombed and spent a lot of
his time sheltering in cellars. At Le Mans he fell in with No.73 Squadron and
travelled by train to Caen and Cherbourg where he arrived 6 days after being
shot down’.
Wearing
a tin hat and an army major’s jacket, Tony turned up in the Mess at Tangmere,
with his parachute gathered in unruly folds under his arm. John Simpson, a
pilot in No.43, wrote about Tony’s return at the time in a letter to his good
friend Hector Bolitho:
‘George (Squadron Leader Lott) and I were having a
lunchtime drink in the hall when Tony walked in, wearing an army shirt and a
tin hat. Under his arm was his same old parachute. On the 7th, when we lost
him, he had baled out over the German lines. He landed all right and hid in a
ditch. After it was dark, he crept out and he walked twenty miles, still
hanging on to his parachute. He found a British patrol with whom he was
eventually evacuated. But I wish you could have seen him walk into the mess,
his face covered with smiles. He said to George, ‘I am sorry I am late, sir.’
All George did was to call Macey and say, ‘Bring us a drink.’ George asked Tony
why he had lugged his parachute all the way home with him and Tony said, ‘Well,
I know that this one works and I might have to use it again.’
The
continuous patrols had proven costly for No.43 Squadron and a much needed rest
was in order for the Fighting Cocks. Patrick, with No.85 Squadron, was on the
verge of returning to operational patrols when the first phase of the Battle of
Britain opened on 10 July 1940.
After
the fall of France Hitler had desired peace with Britain, but failing to obtain
it he then sought the neutralisation of the British so that he could be left
undisturbed with his plans to conquer the east. But unlike with France and the
Low Countries, Germany’s deadly Blitzkrieg tactics could not be enforced upon
Britain with the Channel surrounding her shores. If Germany was to invade
Britain then they had to secure air supremacy in order for their invasion
barges to cross the Channel unmolested by the RAF.
The
Luftwaffe’s initial attacks against Britain were against shipping convoys and
ports, designed to disrupt British supplies and also to draw Fighter Commands
Hurricanes and Spitfires up into the air where they could potentially be
destroyed. No.85 Squadron was actively involved in flying daily convoy patrols,
operating from Debden’s satellite landing grounds at Castle Camps and Martlesham Heath. The Squadron’s efforts during this time
were acknowledged in a telegram sent from Air Vice-Marshal Trafford
Leigh-Mallory to Squadron Leader Peter Townsend: ‘I am very pleased to see what
an excellent month’s flying No.85 Squadron put in during July. I should like to
congratulate you on the performance of your Squadron, both in attacking the
enemy and in your training. I much admire the spirit and keenness shown by you
and the other members of the Squadron.’
The
flying experience Patrick had acquired before war broke out, together with the
combat experience he gained in France, was invaluable for a Battle of Britain
fighter pilot. Many Luftwaffe pilots now opposing the RAF had already gained
vital experience in the late 1930’s, when the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion fought
in the Spanish Civil War. Even before the Battle of France had begun many
Luftwaffe pilots were already experienced flyers and fighters and the combat
tactics they employed were far more evolved than those currently used by the
RAF. Such were the calibre of men now coming for Britain, in numbers which
greatly unfavoured Dowding’s Fighter Command. But in spite of the odds, the RAF
quickly adapted to modern aerial tactics in what would be the greatest air
battle fought in any theatre of the Second World War. British aircraft
production would be steady but as the days passed by during the summer and
autumn of 1940, Britain would always be found in desperate need of pilots.
Experienced young men like Patrick would prove essential in opposing the
Luftwaffe in combat.
Patrick’s
first claim of the Battle of Britain occurred on 29 July,
during an afternoon convoy patrol off Felixstowe. As Blue 3 flying at 12,000
feet, Patrick sighted enemy aircraft travelling east at approximately 8,000
feet. He wagged his wings and informed Blue 1over the radio but there was some
sort of R/T failure because Blue 1 did not receive his message. Patrick broke
away from his section and chased a Dornier 17 out to sea. When in position
Patrick performed a quarter attack out of the sun, then followed up with
another long burst from his eight .303 machine guns. Initially the German
bomber took no evasive action but suddenly it reduced in speed and skidded
toward the sea with one wing lowered. Pieces fell away from its engine and
centre section but Patrick was distracted from witnessing its fate due to four
Bf 109s, in line astern, turning towards the sun. By now Patrick was over
occupied enemy territory and with no ammunition left and hungry 109s about, he
made a dash for home.
The
weight of the Luftwaffe’s attacks increased in early August. On Thursday 8th
the core of the day’s battle raged over a convoy codenamed Peewit. Consisting
of twenty merchant ships with nine naval escort vessels, Peewit set out on the
previous evening’s tide from the Medway and attempted to pass through the Dover
Strait undetected at night. German radar on the Calais coast spotted the convoy
which subsequently led to an attack by E-boats in the early morning hours. As
the sun rose and the cloud base lifted the convoy became dangerously exposed to
a heavy air assault, fronted by Junkers Ju 87 dive-bombers. The convoy suffered
repeated attacks throughout the morning which continued late into the
afternoon.
At
1540 hours twelve Hurricanes of No.43 Squadron were ordered off to protect the
convoy which by then was positioned off the Isle of Wight. Flight Lieutenant
Thomas Morgan was leading the Fighting Cocks into battle. Tony was leading
Yellow Section in Hurricane P3214. As the Squadron approached St Catherine’s
Point, hordes of enemy aircraft were spotted. By 1600 hours over 80 Ju 87s and
68 Bf 109s and Bf 110s were making their way to Weymouth Bay. The ingenuity of
British radar along the coast had exposed the enemy’s approach so that two
Hurricane squadrons were already in position to meet the attack. No.43 was one
of them, in company with No.145 Squadron, led by John Peel. Some of the
fighters were tasked with setting fire to the barrage balloons protecting the
convoy so that the Ju 87 Stukas could dive-bomb the ships with their notorious
accuracy. High above the 87s were Bf 109s and Bf 110s circling like eagles.
Tony climbed towards the 109s but his section was immediately engaged by Bf
110s that dived on them from above and astern. Tony turned into three of them
flying in line astern and led his section into a head-on counter attack. With
the third and last 110 lined up in his gun sight, Tony thumbed the gun button
on his control column, giving it a long burst. The closing speed between Tony’s
Hurricane and the 110 was tremendous and in seconds they zoomed passed one
another. Tony snatched a brief look behind and saw white smoke trailing from
the twin-engine fighter. Tony then scanned his surroundings and spotted a
formation of Stuka’s heading south on their way home. Tony engaged by diving
through the formation which welcomed him with a hail of return fire. He managed
to score strikes on one of the 87s which emitted clouds of smoke before
breaking away to port. Tony then opened fire at a second Stuka, which also
issued smoke as it dived away, narrowly avoiding a collision with another 87.
Still diving through the formation, Tony lined up another Stuka in his sight
and expended the remainder of his ammunition with a long burst. The Stuka
poured black smoke as it dived towards the Channel. When Tony finally emerged
from the Stuka swarm he was bounced by a fighter that had been waiting for him.
Tony immediately took violent evasive action and in doing so caught a glimpse
of his Stuka close to the sea pouring black smoke. Tony finally ducked into
cloud and managed to lose his pursuer before returning to Tangmere.
During
the scrap Tony’s Hurricane had sustained visible battle damage so when he
landed back at base his ground crew approached with caution, fearing the worst
for the pilot inside. Tony emerged, apparently in one piece, much to the relief
of his onlookers. He was slightly wounded however by shell splinters in his
legs. Out of the twenty merchant ships in convoy Peewit, only four reached
Swanage unscathed, six were badly damaged and had to sail for other ports,
seven were sunk in the Channel and the rest were damaged. The Luftwaffe claimed
twenty RAF fighters destroyed but in fact the RAF lost thirteen aircraft
destroyed and five were damaged in the heavy day’s fighting. The Luftwaffe
fared worse from the convoy battle losing ten Stukas and twelve fighters
destroyed with an additional four fighters and eight Stukas damaged. Two of
Tony’s colleagues, Pilot Officers Cruttenden and Oelofse had been shot down and
killed by enemy fighters. His mentor Frank Carey had also been wounded in the
arm after fighting with 110s.
That
night Tony secured a few hours leave and returned to Farnborough to take care
of his injuries and of course to see Bunny. Once at home Bunny helped him pick
out the splinters which his medical officer had diagnosed as ‘multipule foreign
bodies in both legs.’ Tony pressed Bunny to marry him instead. She promised she
would marry him in a fortnight, half serious, just like the time she had
promised to marry Patrick when he was made a squadron leader. Tony took the
commitment seriously and booked a friend’s cottage near Tangmere for their
honeymoon. It was an impossible dilemma for Bunny who was clearly fond of both
brothers, but with Tony being stationed closer to Farnborough than Patrick, she
found it difficult to resist his charm.
At
lunchtime on Monday 12 August Tony was back in the air leading Yellow Section
in Hurricane R4108. During the patrol three Heinkel 111s were sighted flying at
15,000 feet off Portsmouth. Tony gave the order to attack and his section began
to chase the bombers over the Channel. Tony selected his target and closed in.
At 200 yards range his eight Brownings began to flash at the enemy machine. He
fired three deflections bursts while closing to 50 yards range but his own
aircraft was struck by return fire. With a damaged engine and oil tank, Tony
had no choice but to break off the interception and return to Tangmere.
The
next morning Tony was back in the air leading Yellow Section in Hurricane
R4102. It was 13 August 1940, a significant day during the Battle of Britain
because the Luftwaffe launched Adler Tag.
Adler Tag, or Eagle Day, was to be the
start of intended mass attacks designed to knock out the RAF once and for all.
At 0645 hours Tony and his colleagues ran into a large formation of KG 54 that
was intending to bomb the RAE at Farnborough and Odiham. There were thirty
Junkers Ju 88s in the lead of the formation, followed by another wave of 88s
and He 111s. Bf 110s were also sighted flying above and behind the oncoming
bombers. The Squadron approached the first wave of 88s head-on which caused the
bombers to break formation. Tony attacked one bomber from astern with a long
burst but he did not see any results and then broke away to engage the second
formation. He then opened fire on another bomber which could have been a He 111
or a Ju 88. Tony was not sure which because of his poor eyesight. What he did
see was black smoke streaming from the bomber’s port engine and its starboard
engine stop dead. The enemy aircraft continued to fly south, losing height
rapidly. Another Hurricane began to attack the same bomber, so Tony left him to
it and peeled away and made his way back towards the main formation. Again Tony
attacked what he thought was a He111 or maybe a Ju 88, he couldn’t be sure.
Either way his attack caused jet black smoke to pour from its port engine
before it licked with vivid red flames. The bomber dived steeply and
disappeared into cloud. Tony then attacked three stragglers but their return
fire struck his engine. Initially Tony was tempted to bale out but he decided
that he could probably force-land the aircraft instead. After selecting his
spot, he took his Hurricane down and landed on Northend Farm, Milland near
Midhurst at 0727 hours. As Tony scrambled away from his Hurricane it burst into
flames. It had been an exhausting morning for Tony but by midday he was
airborne once again. Such was the pace of battle.
After
an evening patrol on 15 August, Tony reported the following:
I was yellow 1 in the rear section of 43 Squadron – flying at
15,000 ft when the enemy a/c [aircraft] were sighted. I remained up above them
in the sun when our squadron engaged them. Seeing that the enemy fighters
weren’t going to play, I attached myself to 4 Heinkel 111[s] flying south at
17,000 ft where I was joined by yellow 2 who had just engaged a JU 88. We
attacked simultaneously just after crossing the coast at West Wittering,
employing small deflection tactics at close range... The majority of my attacks
were directed at the port aircraft which shortly afterwards crashed into the
sea with a trail of thick white smoke issuing from it. (Yellow 2 witnessed
this) I then attacked the opposite flank a/c together with my No 2 and when I
ran out of ammo the He 111 was obviously damaged, the port engine issuing
intermittent dense black smoke and flying in a see-saw fashing – though this
might have been evasive action. The 2 rear gunners had long since ceased
fire... I called up yellow 2 telling him to return to base with me [as] we were
uncomfortably far out to sea and I had no more ammo. We landed at base safely.
On the whole the rear gun fire of the 111’s was inaccurate.
Tony’s
last statement about inaccurate return fire seems ironic given the fact that
the aircraft he was flying on this sortie, Hurricane R4107, code lettered
‘FT-B’ returned to Tangmere with two bullets in its main spar.
The
following day the Squadron intercepted a raid destined for Tangmere during the
afternoon. As usual Tony was leading Yellow Section when the Squadron engaged
two large formations of Ju 87 Stukas near Selsey Bill in a head-on attack. A
melee ensued and Tony soon found he had become separated from his section. He
then saw several Stukas flying low at 500 feet. Tony dived towards the last
machine in the formation and opened fire with deadly accuracy. The Stuka dived steeply
into a slight turn and soon crashed into the sea about two miles south-east of
Bembridge. Another 3 second burst from Tony’s guns put another Stuka into the
sea near the Sussex coast, but he discovered that his radiator had also been
hit. Tony made way for home but on his way back he was attacked by four Bf 109s
that damaged his engine. Tony managed to dive away towards the Isle of Wight but
he was forced to crash-land with his wheels up in a field near Parkhurst. The
landing was difficult because he had to land in such a small space, but somehow
he managed to grind to a halt but in doing so he was thrown forward on his
straps and three of his front teeth were knocked out. Naturally dazed by the
crash-landing, Tony was assisted to the ferry which crossed to Southampton. His
Hurricane N2621 was a write-off.
That
night Tony stayed in a hotel in Southampton where he drowned his sorrows with
the locals. The following morning he telephoned the squadron adjutant and asked
him to send someone to pick him up and pay his hotel bill. Tony was soon returned
to Tangmere feeling the worse for wear, but as ever he was greeted by his
friends who were thrilled to see him back with the Squadron once again.
Tony’s
contribution to the RAF was deservedly recognised a few days later when he was
awarded a DFC for his service. The citation to his DFC reads as follows:
Pilot
Officer Charles Anthony WOODS-SCAWEN (40770).
This
officer has taken part in all engagements
carried out
by his squadron since the
commencement
of hostilities. He has destroyed
a total of
six enemy aircraft, and
severely
damaged several others. In June,
1940, Pilot
Officer Woods-Scawen was shot
down,
landing some 25 miles within French
territory,
but succeeded in making his way
back to his
squadron. In spite of the fact
that this
pilot has been shot down six times,
he has
continued to fight with unabated
courage and
enthusiasm, and has shown outstanding
qualities
as a resourceful and
determined
leader.
News of Tony’s award was another chest
swelling moment for the Woods-Scawen family. Bunny was also proud of Tony, as
she had been with Patrick at the announcement of his DFC.
Bunny
made a special effort to travel to Tangmere to sew the purple and white medal
ribbon onto Tony’s uniform. That night Tony turned on the charm and Bunny
finally agreed to marry him in all seriousness. Two nights after this, Bunny
went out with Patrick and when in the corner of a favourite night spot she
began to cry. ‘What’s the matter, Bun-Bun?’ Patrick inquired. Bunny told him of
her decision to marry Tony, delivering a devastating blow for Patrick. Ever the
gentlemen, he soon settled her down. ‘That’s all right, Bunny,’ said Patrick.
‘It can’t be helped.’ Patrick’s love for both his brother and Bunny far outweighed
his own disappointment. ‘You’ll starve on Tony’s money.’ said Patrick. ‘Now
that I’m a flying officer, I’ll make you an allotment out of my pay.’
The warm gesture had Bunny crying again.
Tony told
his groundcrew that the award was just as much theirs as it was his, for all of
the hard work they had put in around the clock keeping his aircraft
serviceable. He even apologised to Flight Sergeant Parker for the number of
aircraft he had lost or brought back damaged and divulged his secret about his
bad eyesight. ‘But for God’s sake, Flight,’ said Tony, ‘don’t breathe a word of
this to anybody, or they’ll whip me off ops.’
On 18
August, the Luftwaffe intensified its attacks over Britain by heavily bombing
RAF airfields on mass, including Biggin Hill, Croydon and Kenley, all of which
were badly hit. Goring’s Luftwaffe was not only trying to rid British fighters
in the air but also on the ground.
The day’s violence would end with heavy losses to both sides. No.43 Squadron
claimed four enemy aircraft shot down and others damaged after intercepting a Stuka
attack on Tangmere. Tony’s mentor and friend Frank Carey was shot down by
Messerschmitt 109s of JG 27 during this attack and he was forced to crash-land
his Hurricane at Holme Street Farm, Pulborough. He was wounded in his right
knee by a stray bullet and taken to hospital.
During
the evening Patrick’s friend in No.85 Squadron, Dickie Lee, was also shot down
and reported missing. He was last seen by Peter Townsend in pursuit of enemy aircraft
thirty miles off the east coast, but Lee would never return from the pursuit
and his Hurricane would never be found.
Patrick’s
next official claim during the Battle of Britain occurred on 26 August. At 1449
hours, twelve Hurricanes of No.85 Squadron took off to patrol base before being
vectored to the Maidstone area. Thirty minutes later the Squadron spotted a
formation of Dorniers escorted by a daunting number of Bf 109s near Eastchurch.
Squadron Leader Townsend brought his pilots round in a wide turn, moving into
echelon as they levelled out about two miles away from the bombers. Townsend
throttled back to reduce closing speed as he led the squadron towards the
Dorniers head-on. Townsend lined his opponent up in his sight and held his
position, ignoring the streams of tracer darting overhead. He held his gun
button for as long as he could until fearing collision he pushed the control
column forward and broke away below. The head-on attack forced the leading
section of the Dorniers to break formation and a general melee followed. Not
far behind Patrick was leading Green Section into the attack. He fired a short
burst at one of the bombers and then broke away below to avoid a collision. He
then climbed back into the action and delivered another frontal attack on the
main formation but he was travelling too fast and he overshot. The excess speed
would not be wasted. Patrick climbed again and engaged about 12 Bf 109s which
were coming down in a shallow dive to protect the bombers. He fired a three
second burst into the belly of a 109 and claimed that ‘it seemed to whip
stall’. Patrick’s Hurricane also stalled in the climb, so he dived away, unable
to confirm any definite results of his attack, but he thought that it was
probably destroyed. Patrick then swept in from dead astern and opened fire at
one of the Dorniers which was being attacked by his colleagues, sergeants
Walker-Smith and Howes. Patrick saw black smoke pour from the starboard engine
in one big puff before it stopped. The Dornier then dived through clouds where
it was engaged by other Hurricanes of the Squadron. Patrick pulled back on the
stick and climbed back up into the blue. He made a final attack on the large
formation of Dorniers which had turned back across the Channel. Patrick
expended the remainder of his ammunition and left the Dornier he had singled
out streaming white smoke. Before heading back to base, Patrick followed the
formation for a little while, called up the ground controller and passed on the
formation’s location and course.
Two
days later Patrick was found patrolling with the Squadron at 18,000 feet.
Shortly after 1600 hours the Squadron received an order to intercept ‘Raid 15’.
Towsend led his section towards Dungeness, with Hamilton’s section on his
right, Allard’s on his left, and Patrick’s Green Section under his tail. Soon
enough twenty enemy fighters were spotted near Dungeness. No.85 Squadron
approached the enemy from the sun and engaged. An extract from Patrick’s combat
report continues:
The EA [enemy aircraft] on sighting us all turned to the left I
was able to give one EA a long burst from the quarter following to astern. The
EA half rolled and I delivered another long burst from astern.
Black
smoke and what appeared to be petrol from the wing tanks poured out of the 109
and it dived down vertically. Patrick dived after it for several thousand feet
and broke off when it was apparently out of control. The 109 was believed to
have crashed near Dungeness and this was confirmed by Maidstone Observe Corps
who reported seeing a Messerschmitt 109 in the sea off Dymchurch at 1640 hours.
The
Squadron claimed six Bf 109s destroyed and one Bf 110 damaged, with no losses
in return. This action was also witnessed by none other than Winston Churchill
himself, during his visit to the south-east coast defences.
No.85
continued to fly and fight during continuous and exhausting patrols against the
relentless Luftwaffe.
On 30
August Patrick destroyed a Messerschmitt 110 after firing several bursts into
the enemy machine. The 110’s e starboard engine was put out of action and its
port engine burst into flames. Patrick watched the enemy dive steeply into
cloud until it was lost to sight, but shortly afterwards columns of smoke was
seen on the ground near Dover.
Minutes after Patrick had shot
down this 110, Tony was airborne with No. 43 Squadron, leading Red Section into
attack near Tangmere. He dived after a Bf 109 for several thousand feet using
full boost and then opened fire at 250 yards range. The 109 emitted smoke, turned
on to its back and dived vertically towards the sea. Tony was convinced that
the pilot would not have been able to pull out of the dive, so he broke away in
search of another target.
Saturday
31 August opened with fair weather and haze over the Thames Estuary and Dover
Straits. All appeared calm until reports of enemy formations crossing the
Channel began to fly in before 0800 hours. The day would flare into ferocious
fighting.
During
the afternoon the Luftwaffe raided Croydon, where No.85 Squadron was stationed.
Bombs began to fall on the east side of the airfield just as twelve Hurricanes
were taking off. Leading the Squadron, Peter Townsend, felt a surge of anger at
the attackers, when he turned around to see his Squadron emerging from a vast
eruption of smoke and debris. His own aircraft was also affected by the blast
when his engine suddenly faltered, faded, and then picked up again. Townsend
remembered: “Then I looked up; thousands of feet above, Me 110s were wheeling
in the blue, with Me 109s swarming above. I thought the Me 110s had bombed. Yet
some say a dozen Dorniers had attacked from lower down. If so, I never saw
them. I was mad with rage at the Me 110s. ‘After them, but look out for the
109s,’ I called and the furious chase began.”
Townsend, with all his might, climbed towards the 110s. He continued:
“The squadron were somewhere behind; that was enough. I did not give them a
further thought. Only ‘get those ill-mannered bastards’ who had disturbed our
lunch, smashed our airfield, invaded our sky.”
Townsend
eventually caught up with the enemy over Tunbridge Wells. He shot down two Bf 109s but while attacking
a third from very close range his aircraft was shot up by a 110. Townsend felt
a sudden shock as his left foot was knocked off the rudder-bar and he
momentarily lost control of his Hurricane and went into a dive with petrol
gushing into the cockpit. At first Townsend toyed with the notion of making a
forced-landing but he was over a densely wooded area, so baled out at 1,400
feet and landed near Hawkhurst. Wounded, Townsend was taken to hospital to be
treated. Later, the nose cap of a cannon shell was extracted from his left foot
and his big toe was amputated.
Between
1340 and 1400 hours ten of the twelve Hurricanes that had taken off from
Croydon returned to base. Pilot Officer Pyers Worrall had been shot down by
cannon shells and baled out of his aircraft with a wounded thigh. He was
admitted to Croydon hospital, where Townsend was also treated.
With
Townsend out of action the task of temporally leading the Squadron fell to
Patrick and Sammy Allard.
The
Squadron flew four more sorties before the day’s end. Patrick led B Flight into
battle and Allard fronted A Flight.
Just
before 1745 hours the Squadron sighted enemy aircraft south of the Thames
Estuary. Patrick estimated that there were about thirty bombers and one hundred
fighters, a mixed bag of Messerschmitt 109s and 110s. The Squadron attacked the
bombers from its most favourable position, out of the sun. Patrick led Blue
Section into the dangerous ‘head-on attack’, firing a short burst and quickly
breaking away to avoid colliding with his foe. Tearing away from the bombers
Patrick fastened his sights onto a Bf 109 and thumbed his gun button. A five
second burst from his Brownings sent the fighter spinning away out of control. Patrick
moved on to another 109 and carried out a quarter attack. The enemy fighter half-rolled
and attempted to climb, but Patrick waited for it and gave it a long burst from
astern. The 109 turned then dived out of sight pouring black smoke. Patrick
reported that ‘a Spitfire also gave me an inaccurate burst which was luckily
too low.’ At such high speeds in a sky full of erratic aircraft flying in all
directions, misidentification was practically common place.
One
of Patrick’s comrades, a New Zealander, called William Hodgson, also fired a
burst at the bombers head-on and then broke off to attack a Bf 109 with two
bursts. The 109 rolled over and went down in flames. Hodgson did not have time
to revel in his success. His Hurricane was struck by a cannon shell which blew
up his oil lines and glycol tank and set fire to his engine. With fears of
being mutilated by fire or burnt to death, Hodgson began to prepare to bale out
but when he was half-way out the cockpit he realised that he was over a densely
populated area, near the Thames Haven oil storage tanks. Fully appreciating the
danger his Hurricane could cause to the local population down below, Hodgson
got back into his aircraft and decided to attempt a force-landing. For some
very threatening moments, Hodgson skilfully kept the flames under control by
side-slipping his aircraft. Despite low wires and other obstacles in his path,
Hodgson finally made a wheels-up landing in a field at Fanton Chase, Shotgate.
Unbelievably, Pilot Officer Hodgson was unharmed and his Hurricane ‘VY-G’ was said
to be repairable. The selfless spirit demonstrated by Hodgson* was later
awarded by a DFC.
* On 13 March 1941, William Hodgson,
Sammy Allard and Francis Walker-Smith were tragically killed in a flying accident
when the top nose panel of a Havoc aircraft they were travelling in detached
and jammed the rudder. The aircraft went into a spin and crashed into the
ground, killing all three of No.85 Squadron’s aces.
It
had been an exhausting day for Patrick and his peers but the action was not yet
over. They had barely been back on the ground when they were once again
scrambled off at 1917 hours to patrol Hawkinge.
An indication of the enemy’s position was
given by anti-aircraft fire thumping into the sky over Dover. The Squadron then
saw nine Bf 109s flying at 15,000 feet, so they circled out to sea and when the
fighters passed by to port the Squadron attacked, apparently catching the 109s
by surprise. Patrick carried out a beam attack which forced a 109 to dive
steeply. He then pursued it and fired another burst from astern. The enemy
aircraft went down on fire with a wing-tank burning. Pilot Officer ‘Zulu’ Lewis
had watched Patrick’s attack from his own cockpit and later confirmed his
‘kill’ as destroyed. The Squadron landed back at Croydon between 2005 and 2022
hours.
On Sunday
1 September 1940, eleven Hurricanes of No.85 Squadron took off from Croydon to
intercept a raid heading in the direction of Tunbridge Wells and Kenley. Just
before 1400 hours a large number of enemy aircraft were spotted near Biggin
Hill, flying at about 15,000 feet. At this point the Squadron was positioned
about 5,000 feet below the enemy. The Squadron climbed as fast as it was able,
but despite its best efforts, it was at a miserable disadvantage and the enemy
fighters knew it and dived to engage.
Sammy
Allard was able to avoid the fighters and went after a stray Dornier which he
attacked as it made for Dungeness. He carried out three attacks before sending
the bomber down belching smoke and oil from its engines. The rear-gunner baled
out and the Dornier force-landed near a railway line at Lydd. Allard noticed
that his oil pressure had dropped rapidly, so he landed at Lympne with a dead
engine. Not long after, when his Hurricane was being repaired, the aerodrome
was bombed and a mechanic working on Allard’s aircraft at the time was killed
and another mechanic was seriously injured.
The enemy
fighters caught up with Flying Officer Arthur Gowers over Oxted and shot up his
aircraft with cannon shells. Gowers baled out with severe burns to his hands and
slight wounds to a hand and foot but he landed safely and was soon admitted to
Caterham hospital. Gowers’ Hurricane crashed near Merstham Tunnel.
Twenty
year old Sergeant Glendon Booth was also shot down, a year to the day he was
called up for service. Booth’s aircraft was badly hit in combat with Bf 109s
over the Tunbridge Wells area. He baled out with burns and his parachute alight.
Booth was further injured due to a heavy landing and was soon taken to Purley
hospital to be treated. Sadly, Booth did not recover from his injuries and he
later died on 7 February 1941.
Other
pilots in the Squadron clawed back some retribution when Pilot Officer Charles
English downed a Dornier, as did Sergeant Harold Howes, who also damaged a Bf
109 that he interrupted from shooting at a Hurricane, and Sergeant Walter Evans
claimed a Bf 109 and Bf 110 destroyed.
Out
of the eleven Hurricanes that had originally set out on this patrol, only six
returned to Croydon between 1427 and 1500 hours. Pilot Officer Lewis returned
with battle damage after combat with Bf 109s over Kenley and landed with his
undercarriage retracted due to it being jammed.
It
had been a gloomy day for the Squadron to say the least, and when darkness
finally covered the aerodrome that night; two pilots were still unaccounted
for. One was Sergeant Hugh Mortimer Ellis. The other was Flying Officer Patrick
Woods-Scawen.
The
next day Patrick’s aircraft, Hurricane P3150,
was found partly buried in the recreation ground at Kenley. The cockpit was
empty, so Patrick for the time being was still listed as missing.
The
news soon reached the Woods-Scawen family and of course Bunny, but Tony was
unaware that his older brother had failed to return.
On Monday
2 September, the day Patrick’s Hurricane was discovered; Tony was
continuing the fight against the Luftwaffe with eleven other Hurricanes of
No.43 Squadron, led by Caesar Hull.
Tony
was leading Yellow Section towards a formation of bombers headed for Maidstone,
when a dogfight broke out between 18,000 and 20,000 feet. During the skirmish,
at least two enemy fighters were shot down by the Squadron, but in return,
Hurricane V7420, was set alight in combat with Bf 109s over east Kent. This
Hurricane belonged to Pilot Officer Tony Woods-Scawen, who attempted to
crash-land at Fryland near Ivychurch at approximately 1330 hours. Two boys
cycling near Ivychurch on Romney Marsh at the time had witnessed Tony’s plight.
“‘I didn’t actually see Woods-Scawen’s Hurricane attacked,’ remembered one of
them, Len Green, many years later,‘but when I looked he had just come out of
the plane and they seemed to fall together for a few seconds. The plane seemed
to be alight and the pilot’s parachute didn’t seem to open fully and was
flapping at about 2,000 feet or less. It all happened so quickly – it was over
in a few seconds.’”
Close
to the scene, an Anglican parson saw Tony bale out, dangerously low and not
anything like 2,000 feet estimated later by Green. Whatever the height, it was
far too low for Tony to evacuate his aircraft. By the time the parson reached
him, Tony was dead. His body was carried into the nearby church and on 5 September,
those most dear to Tony attended his funeral at Folkestone. The sadness only
worsened the next day when Patrick’s body was discovered in the unkempt,
overgrown grounds of The Ivies, Kenley Lane. Like his younger brother, Patrick had
baled out of his Hurricane, but his parachute had failed to open and he was
killed on impact. Patrick’s body was buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s
Parish Church, Caterham on the Hill.
In
later years Peter Townsend referred to the eldest Woods-Scawen brother as
‘little Patrick, who smiled with his eyes’ and Tony, ‘as brave as a lion.’ For
all those who had the pleasure of knowing the Woods-Scawen boys it seemed
impossible that such charming, gentle, good humoured and brave young men such
as they could really be gone. Both Patrick and Tony had been enormously popular
in their respective squadrons; they were fabulous morale boosters and
proficient fighter pilots and leaders in the air and on the ground. Both Patrick
and Tony had also left a lasting impression that would never fade, on Bunny Lawrence’s
heart.
In
June 1941, the boys widowed father, Bunny Lawrence, and their first cousin,
Gerald Woods-Scawen, went to Buckingham Palace to collect Patrick and Tony’s
DFC medals from the King. Their Auntie Nellie was still too devastated by their
deaths to go.
Gerald
Woods-Scawen was a nineteen year old sergeant serving with No.92 Squadron. Tragically
for the Woods-Scawen family, he too was killed in action, when on 3 October
1941, his Spitfire was shot down.
Bunny
later married when she was twenty-three years of age and had six children. She
would never forget her cherished boys, Patrick and Tony Woods-Scawen, the two
brothers, with one dream.
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| Patrick with 85 Squadron |
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| Tony with 46 Squadron |
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For more photos click HERE
Copyright Christopher Yeoman 2011
