The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

fighter range. This was a somewhat spurious argument because Luftwaffe
operations over the Channel were designed more as bait for Fighter
Command than the other way round. By following this policy, they were
merely playing into German hands. Unsurprisingly, Dowding vociferously
disagreed with it, arguing that attrition over sea would not save Britain and
pointing out that if too many squadrons were based on the coast, they would
not be able to sufficiently protect inland targets such as airfields and
factories. Furthermore, little provision had been made for air-sea rescue.
Dowding had not expected his pilots to be operating much over the sea and
this was one area that had been badly neglected.
His arguments fell on deaf ears, however. By order of the Air Ministry,
Fighter Command was to meet any Luftwaffe attacks on Allied shipping.
As a result a number of squadrons were moved to coastal airfields, both in
the Middle Wallop sector and in the south-east in 11 Group. 609 Squadron
was a part of this redeployment, along with two Hurricane squadrons, 238
and 501.
Yet to begin with it was only 609 Squadron that was ordered to use
Warmwell as a forward base. The airfield had been a Bombing and Gunnery
School and was not really kitted out to support fighter squadrons.
‘Warmwell possessed,’ noted John Dundas laconically, ‘though in rather
irregular proportions, the two chief characteristics of a forward station –
action and discomfort.’ What facilities there were lay the far side of the
airfield away from where the squadron was operating. The focal point
during times of readiness was the dispersal, usually a hut or building of
some kind, in which there would be a telephone and usually a few chairs
and beds. At Warmwell, this was a tent. Nor were there any toilets at their
dispersal, but since a pilot would risk missing a scramble if trekking all the
way to the main airfield buildings, most went in the hedge, between the
edge of the airfield and the road. The station commander also insisted they
eat their meals in the main building. The new CO, Squadron Leader George
Darley, pointed out that they could neither leave dispersal nor stick to
regular mealtimes, but this did not wash at all. Eventually, Darley
complained to Air Vice-Marshal Quintin Brand, Air Officer Commanding
10 Group, who arranged for some mobile latrines and an assortment of
primus stoves and crockery to be used at dispersal.
Discomfort aside, logistically, it was also impossible for 609’s
groundcrew to maintain the squadron at both Middle Wallop and Warmwell.