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View Full Version : Adlertag Raid!!!



ATAG_Snapper
Aug-02-2024, 21:21
Note: My good friend (and former high school history teacher in the ‘60’s) just posted this in Facebook in the 1969 Battle of Britain movie page. A couple of the FB group members there were a bit uncharitable in their comments. This gentleman is 94 years of age and quite generously shares his childhood memories - I’ve never understood how some can be so petty in their critiques.

Others noted that this may have been a low level strike on Croydon airfield by Dornier 17’s. Adlertag!!!!!

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Paul Jones remembers….


I must be in a reminiscent mood. I have hesitated to include this memory because I suppose Friday, August 16th, 1940 was outside the Battle of Britain dates. I have stated before that I lived in Shortlands, Bromley, Kent. I was 10. It was a sunny day, My whole family was on our verandah. My Father, my Mother and my 21 year old sister. Suddenly in the distance we saw a formation of approximately 15 planes. They started to dip down one by one. I think it was my Mother said, "They are going to land!" They dipped down one at a time, then the anti-aircraft guns started up. one of us said, "They're enemy!" Each plane dipped down in turn and now there was more AA fire. When the last plane had dropped its load, the planes all got into formation and flew off. We were talking about the raid when the siren went off. We laughed and someone said, "A little late!" Apparently the target had been Croydon Airport.

ATAG_Snapper
Aug-20-2024, 09:50
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/eXGCVBko5QLwGtLZ/?mibextid=K35XfP


Not Croydon, but Tangmere on August 16, 1940:

“Sounds familiar!
After the surprise attack on RAF Tangmere, on 16th August 1940, the station commander was Air Vice Martial Jack Boret. Squadron leader Sandy Johnstone of 602 Squadron recalled.
“When I called to see Boret yesterday I found him on the airfield, busily dragooning a squad of surly German prisoners into clearing up some of the mess they’d created on his Station. I am not quite sure how this accords with the Geneva Convention, but I would be the last to interfere. At all events, he was rubbing their noses in it good and proper.””

57303

Sleepy_Fly
Aug-20-2024, 11:33
Now I know what to do with Noofy if I capture him!

ATAG_Snapper
Aug-27-2024, 12:49
An interesting three-part write up of the attack on Croydon in the early evening of August 15, 1940 which Paul watched from nearby Bromley as a 10 year old child.

https://londonhistorians.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/battle-of-britain-objective-croydon-part-1/
https://londonhistorians.wordpress.com/2020/08/15/battle-of-britain-objective-croydon-part-2/
https://londonhistorians.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/battle-of-britain-objective-croydon-part-3/

With Polak's generous permission, I've recreated this raid in his Adlertag 6.1 mission which we successfully ran some months ago. I plan to run 6.1 again on Battle of Britain day on Sunday, September 15 at 20h00. Participants can choose to either scramble with Croydon's Sqn 111's Hurricanes or airspawn in a BF110 to join in the raid itself. I moved the mission time up to 6:45 p.m. (local) to when the Bf110's climbed to 3000 meters over Bexley to commence their diving attack on Croydon (flying directly over Paul's house in Bromley enroute).

Stay tuned both here and in Upcoming Events in this forum for more event details!

:salute: