Dennis Batty's diary

Dennis Batty's diary

Diary of Dennis Batty 20 May 1940 to 27 June 1941 listing his operations over France and Germany in Blenheims and listing aircrew lost.

1940-05-20

1941-06-27

One diary

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YBattyAHD619060v1

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[inserted] Retourne á Monseiur [sic] D. Batty á l’ aerodrome du Champagne
Signature
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OPERATIONAL TRIPS
MAY. 20th 1940.
P/O REA BATTLE P6601
Night trip to FLORENVILLE to Bomb Marshalling yards and oil tanks a.a fire like Belle Vue.
MAY 23RD 1940
P/O REA BATTLE P5468
Night trip again to FLORENVILLE got a few bullet Holes etc.
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May 25th 1940
P/O REA P2161.
Night to AMIENS bombing main crossroads + trying to block all main roads from the North bags of searchlights but ok otherwise.
NEXT TRIP P/O REA TOOK CHALKY WHITE AS A.G. + DIDN’T RETURN. REPORTED PRISONERS
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May 28th 1940
P/O Heywood, P2161.
Daylight – to AMIENS to bomb Bridge over Seine which jerries were crossing got shot up a bit.
June 2nd 1940.
P/O Heywood, P2161.
Daylight to Recco [sic] front jerry lines in SOMME area not too bad at all.
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7th JUNE 1940
P/O Heywood, P2161.
Daylight – Objective is town named POIX But just as we are nearing it another aircraft came out of the blue + the frenchmen open up from the ground I thought the aircraft was a Hurricane + flash the letter of the day + he turns away + then I see the crosses + realise
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It is an ME 109.
Ground defences also wrap up so we try again + are attacked again by ME 109 + I have a shot at him + he has a go at us both missed + he went flying by so we dive for the deck + belt along at 0 feet for home pretty exciting.
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8th June 1940
P/O Heywood P2345.
Same as yesterday POIX daylight only different aircraft get there this time but anti aircraft fire is getting damn accurate these days
13th June
P/O Heywood L5468
To bomb tanks refuelling in the
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FORÊT DU GALT with incendiaries, this must have been a trap, it was about 4 in the afternoon when we got there + we were last on the target + as we approached we could see the woods were blazing merrily + BLENHIEMS POTEZ’S BATTLES + HURRICANES were having a glorious time when suddenly the
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Ground defences opened up + about 30 Messerschmitts came diving through the clouds + the sky became devils playground 4 Kites went down in as many minutes hadn’t time to wonder who was in them as ME 109 came at us but we got in a cloud + dived soon after dropping our bombs right across the
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Fire + belted for home low level. found out Herbie Kirk was missing + Arthur Asker But they ducked the jerries and got back 2 days later in an ambulance,
15th June – FRANCE PACKS IN RETURN TO ENGLAND AND THEN IRELAND. NOW OPERATIONAL TRIPS ARE A FARCE NORTH AND SOUTH PATROLS .
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[inserted] ATTACHED TO WATTISHAM. [/inserted]
22 JUNE 1941
SGT HENSON BLENHEIM Z7310 SEA SWEEP TO COAST OF HOLLAND – BORKUM. Met a Dutch boat + bombed it but undershot, so made 3 runs machine gunning it.
24TH JUNE 1941
SGT HENSON BLENHEIM Z7310
SEA SWEEP. OFF COAST OF GERMANY. 20 MILES AWAY SAW NOTHING.
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25TH JUNE.
SGT HENSON BLENHEIM Z7310
DAYLIGHT SWEEP. CLOUD DOWN TO DECK SO COULD FIND NO TARGETS
26TH JUNE.
SGT HENSON BLENHEIM Z7310
Daylight raid, target near LILLE, fighter cover, but weather was duff just past DUNKERQUE so we had to come back, a little light + Heavy flak + a a. fire
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27th JUNE 1940
SGT HENSON BLENHEIM. Z7310.
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2 [indecipherable word] Jerry green quarter up 2000 yds.
[deleted] Jerry [/deleted] forming to attack Jerry attacking from green quarter up
turn starbord [sic] turn starbord Go Go
Steeper Steeper
attack broken
straighten out straighten out
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2 Jerry Reforming Port beam attacking singly
Turn Port Turn Port Go. X 600 yds 300 yds
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attack breaking [underlined] Straighten out [/underlined]
Search Search
Jerries dived into clouds
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[calculations]
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AMO. A416/40
27-5-1940.
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[inserted] [underlined] PALS LOST [/underlined] [/ inserted]
NAME SQN HOW
SPUD MURPHY (63) KILLED N/F
JOE WILKES (88) KILLED N/F
BILL DAVIES (226) KILLED N/F
GOSSY WARD (226) FRANCE PRISONER
NOBBY CLARK (226) MISS P KILLED
TOMMY DIXON (226) PRISONER
CHALKY WHITE (226) PRISONER
DUSTY MILLAR (226) M.P. KILLED
KEN JONES (226) PRISONER
BERTIE LITTLE (226) M.P. KILLED
P/O HEYWOOD (226) KILLED ON FIGHTER
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[INDECIPHERABLE WORD] TURNER (226) M.P. KILLED
JIM MCMASTER (226) KILLED ON PATROL
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[inserted] SGT
D Batty
No 226 Sqdn
Royal Air Force
FRANCE [/inserted]
[inserted] RETOURNE Á MONSEUR D. BATTY.
Á L’ AERODROME DU CHAMPAGNE – ANGLAIS [sic] –
REIMS. MARNE [/INSERTED]
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