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

be mortal” if allowed to get out of hand’. In fact, shipping losses were about
to get even worse. Dönitz’s band of brothers were about to bring new tactics
to bear – tactics that would bring even greater destruction upon the cold,
grey waters of the Atlantic.
In the towns, villages and fields of southern England, people continued to
watch the aerial battles with a sense of excitement and wonderment.
Swirling con-trails were left high in the deep blue summer sky, and
occasionally what had been a glinting pinprick one minute would become a
thrillingly low-level chase the next. Douglas Mann had a friend from school
staying and they spent their days helping out on the farm, watching the
aerial battles and collecting spent cartridge cases that used to clatter down
from above. One day, the fighting seemed to get a little too close. They
were loading trusses of hay but with machine guns going off and aircraft
falling in flames they decided to take cover behind the hayrick. The horse
was getting frightened and restless so they let him free then took cover once
more. ‘We crouched behind the hayrick,’ says Douglas, ‘while assorted bits
of metal came down from above.’
John Wilson had also returned to Kent at the end of Marlborough’s
summer term, but unlike Douglas he had now left school. Still seventeen, he
nonetheless offered his services to a retired admiral who was organizing the
LDV in Hawkhurst. Given an armband and a rifle with five rounds, he spent
a number of nights sitting on the top of a hill watching out for parachutists.
‘Very dull,’ he says. ‘No roadblocks.’ More fun was taking to the roof of his
parents’ house armed with an air rifle. One time a Messerschmitt roared
over so low he had to duck. ‘That chap went so bloody fast,’ he says, ‘I
didn’t even have the rifle to my shoulder.’
There had been few opportunities for taking pot-shots at low-flying
Messerschmitts between 19 and 23 August, however. The bad weather had
been a much-needed breather for RAF Fighter Command. Airfields were
further patched up and squadrons rotated, exhausted pilots had a chance to
catch up on some sleep, while groundcrews and CRUs performed miracles
in repairing damaged Spitfires and Hurricanes. And while Göring was
addressing his commanders at Carinhall on 19 August, Air Vice-Marshal
Park also took the opportunity to circulate new instructions to his ground
controllers in 11 Group. High on the list were orders not to venture far from