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THE BENTLEY PRIORY BATTLE OF BRITAIN TRUST APPEAL CHARITY AUCTION Group Captain P.G.H. Matthews (second from left, standing next to H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh) conducting Canadian cadets at Balmoral claiming a damaged on the 15th August: ‘Encountered swarms of enemy fighters- Squadron split up, attacked 100 odd enemy aircraft...bombing Harwich and Martlesham. Attacked a Me.110, a Ju.88, and a He.111 in quick succession and chased a He.111 out to sea and emptied all rounds into him- one engine damaged’ (ibid). The following day he had his first victory of the Battle: ‘Squadron encountered enemy bombers and fighters in three waves of 30-40 each...Me.110s engaged and Squadron split. I got one Me.110 (Flamer). Total Squadron bag 8 enemy aircraft shot down, many damaged’ (ibid). On the 30th August he had further success, damaging a He.111 over Epping. Taking Command of ‘B’ Flight, No.1 Squadron, 2.10.1940, his final claim during the Battle was for half a Ju.88 Destroyed, 8.10.1940: ‘Intercepted Ju.88 at 27,000 feet over South Cerney, chased to sea level in Bristol Channel, fired two short bursts then lost in cloud...later confirmed shot down in sea’ (ibid). Away from the heat of the Battle Matthews enjoyed some rest and relaxation in London: ‘Northolt was a good place to be because you could be in a little club in Jermyn Street in half an hour or so. In fact I think the record was 33 minutes in an old Bentley. I owned a more sedate Singer Saloon. It came into its own as had a good back seat, which made it ideal for courting. I used to swap and drive all sorts of fast cars while the other chaps took girls out in mine’ (Article in the Sunday Express magazine, 11.9.1988 refers). Flamers in North Africa Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 23.3.1941, Matthews was posted to No. 52 O.T.U., Debden, 29.4.1941 as ‘C’ Flight Commander, and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His next operational posting was the command of No. 74 Squadron (Spitfires), Llanbedr, 3.11.1941, taking them out to the Middle East in April 1942, where, on the 3rd July 1942, flying a Hurricane of No. 73 Squadron he damaged a Ju.87 ten miles south west of El Alamein. Having been promoted Squadron Leader, 1.6.1942, he took command of No. 145 Squadron (Spitfires) in the Western Desert, 30.8.1942, and on his second day in the job he damaged a Bf.109 over Alam el Halfa. The following day, 2.9.1942, he had a probable Mc.202: ‘Got one squirt from 30 yards at Mc.202- large cloud of black smoke and prop stopped- he went straight down. Saw an aircraft hit the ground a few seconds later’ (Log Book refers), and then on the 11th September he destroyed a Me.109: ‘Jumped 9 Mc.202s and Me.109s west of El Alamein. Squirted at Mc.202- nothingfollowed a Me.109 up- burst of flame behind cockpit. Lots of black smoke- dived straight in’ (ibid). Matthews had further success before the month was out, claiming a share in a Ju.52 destroyed, 29.9.1942: ‘Shot down Ju.52 at ground level. I made the 1st attack, and then the 4th- a Flamer. Smoke visible 30 miles away’ (ibid). The end of October proved to be a busy and eventful time for Matthews, claiming a WWW.SPINK.COM
September 6, 2012 - LONDON Matthews (front row, centre) with the Wasps Rugby Football team probable Me.109 on the 21st October, following this up with a confirmed destroyed two days later, and finishing with a half share in another destroyed on the 27th of the month: ‘Jumped 2 Me.109s shadowing bombers. Had a crack- he went straight down- shot at another and he went down pouring white smoke...Had short burst on Me.109 from long range. He rolled over and dived pouring white smoke the whole way down- must watch them hit the deck...One Me.109 flew round Squadron and made head on attack at me. I fired head on and as he went over me turned towards him and did one turn of a spin, then fired at him on the way down. Straight in’ (ibid). Shot Down Over the Mediterranean On the 3rd November 1942, during an engagement with Ju.87s and Me.109s over the North African cost, Matthews’ luck ran out and he ended up in the Mediterranean: ‘Shot down over sea- baled out. Got into dinghy at 07:35 hoursthe boys came over at 09:00 hours and patrolled. Picked up by RAF rescue launch at 10:15 hours. Perfectly ok if a bit wet’ (ibid). The following month he ended his tour and was appointed C.G.I. at No. 71 O.T.U. at Carthago in the Sudan, and subsequently at Ismailia. It was in Egypt that his next saxophone, a replacement for the one surrendered to the Germans, came in handy: ‘Three of us were in Cairo and although we had our pay books we’d received no money. So we sold the sax for 25 quid in the bazaar, which paid the bills at the Shepherd’s Hotel’ (Article in the Sunday Express magazine, 11.9.1988 refers). He commenced his third tour at the head of No. 111 Squadron, Desert Air Wing (Spitfires) in August 1943, and after a couple of months of near misses and ‘nothing doings’ had his final victory of the War on the 2nd December: ‘Terrific Battle in progress in Cassino area. Saw 3 Fi.156s in a valley north west of Pratola- the others shared one, I got one, and the third disappeared’ (Log Book refers). Later that month he was injured in a road accident in Italy, and returned to the U.K. in January 1944, where he was posted to Bentley Priory as Ops 1 at Fighter Command Headquarters for a year. A keen rugby player, he played for Wasps throughout the 1944-45 season on the left wing. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the end of the War, he was posted as Group Intelligence Officer, Headquarters, 83 Group, in November 1945 and undertook various duties with BAFO until May 1946, when he returned to the U.K. for two years’ service at Headquarters, Reserve Command, becoming Officer Commanding, 21 Reserve Centre, Plymouth, in April 1949. Attached to No.245 Squadron from March to May 1952, he was appointed to the Command of No. 502 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, July 1952, begin promoted Wing Commander, 1.7.1953. His final overseas posting was as Air Attaché in Prague for three years, before serving as Permanent President, Courts Martial, at RAF Stanmore for two years immediately prior to retirement. He retired from the Royal Air Force, retaining the rank of Group Captain, 8.5.1966, and subsequently worked as a Director of Olympia and Earls Court for 16 years. He died 2.10.1991. 71
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THIS EXQUISITE LIMITED EDITION BADG
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DATE SALE NO. Thursday 6 September
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4.3 Bidding as Principal When makin
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5.13.1.3 as soon as possible follow
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£25 © Copyright 2012 STAMPS COINS
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