bentley priory - Spink

September 6, 2012 - LONDON
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Squadron Leader Constantine Oliver Joseph Pegge,
D.F.C. (1914-1950), born Slough; joined the Royal Air
Force on a short service commission, August 1938, and
commenced his training at R.A.F. Sywell; carried out further
training at No. 8 F.T.S., Montrose and No. 1 A.A.C. Unit;
Pilot Officer, 28.8.1939; after training in Hurricanes with
No. 6 O.T.U., he converted to Spitfires and was posted for
operational flying to No. 610 Squadron, Gravesend,
16.6.1940.
Biggin Hill And The Battle
After flying a mixture of offensive and reconnaissance patrols
he moved with the Squadron to Biggin Hill, July 1940; he
was not long waiting for his first ‘victory’, 8.7.1940,
‘Interception of Convoy Bombers, Do 215s. Shot Down 1
Me 109’ (Log Book refers); the following day he had another
crack, ‘Do 215 Intercepted + Attacked’ and on a patrol later
in the same day, ‘Attacked Me 109 (One of Four)’; on the
12th August he bagged another two destroyed whilst on
patrol, the first over Hawkinge and the other over Dover,
‘Two Me 109s Attacked 23,000. 1 Smoking. 1 Spinning’
(ibid); six days later he claimed another Me 109 destroyed
and a He 111 damaged (see D.F.C Recommendation), as his
Log Book shows, ‘1 Me 109 Shot Down Near Base 1 He 111
Damaged. Own A/C Damaged By Me 109. Crashed In
Bomb Crater On Landing’; despite suffering an eye injury he
was back on patrol the following day; on 24.8.1940,
‘Attacked Me 109s Over London. One Damaged’ (Log Book
refers); four days later he claimed another victory, ‘Patrolled
Hawkinge + Dover. Shot Down One Me 109’; on the 29th
he intercepted 12 Do 215s, with fighter escort, and damaged
one of the bombers; and on the 30th August he claimed his
final victory during the Battle of Britain whilst leading his
section in an head on attack, ‘Intercepted Large Number Of
Enemy A/C 200-300 Me 109s, Me 110s + He 111s. Leader
Of He 111 Formation Shot Down.’ (ibid).
Tangmere Wing
After being very active in the early stages of the Battle, often
engaging large enemy formations two or three times a day,
No. 610 Squadron was moved from Biggin Hill to
Acklington at the end of August for a rest; tasked with the
defence of Newcastle the Squadron carried out convoy
patrols and the occasional scramble; Pegge followed the
Squadron back into the offensive when it joined the
Tangmere Wing, December 1940; flying out of
Westhampnett Pegge flew on Channel sweeps and Blenheim
escorts, 26.2.1941, ‘Patrol Dungeness 28,000. Saw About
12 Me 109s. Attacked One (1650 Rounds!) Was Attacked -
Shoved Off. Grey’s A/C Hit Force Landing. Sgt Horner One
Probable’, and 5.1.1941, ‘Dungeness Sweep Attacked By 4
109s. Missed Me.’ (ibid); now equipped with Spitfire IIb’s,
he was back in business, 10.5.1941, ‘Night Layer. Attacked +
Damaged He 111 At 18,500 N of Brighton’; posted as a
Hurricane Instructor No. 56 O.T.U., Sutton Bridge, June
1941; Flight Lieutenant, 3.9.1941; returned to No. 610
Squadron, then based at Leconfield, as Officer Commanding,
December 1941; posted to the Middle East in February
1942, and left England at the start of the following month.
CO No. 127 Squadron - Hurricanes Over The Western
Desert
Upon arrival Pegge was appointed to the command of No.
127 Squadron (Hurricanes), June 1942; and was posted for
action in the Western Desert operating out of Shandur;
Pegge’s first impressions were, ‘Shandur On Suez Canal.
Hot. Flies. Good Swimming.’ (ibid); the Squadron was
heavily engaged in the fighting over El Alamein, and on the
8th July was involved in its first successful dogfight there,
destroying 2 Me 109s, one of which was claimed by Pegge,
‘Patrol El Alamein Wing Leader. Attacked 20-30 109s +
Macchi 202s. Got One 109 Confirmed By 1 SAAF’ (ibid);
Pegge shot down a Ju 87 over the Alem el Halfa area,
2.9.1942, ‘Stuka Interception. Forced Them To Jettison +
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