Going to France
On the May 13, Charlie is transferred to 615 Squadron Air Component
British Expeditionary Force in France.
On Tuesday May 14, the R.A.F reinforcement Hurricanes and their
pilots continued to arrive at various bases in France.
"Five landed at Merville to serve in 615 Squadron; these were P/O V.B.S. Verity, P/O J.E.M. Collins and P/O M. Revenhill from 'B' Flight, 229 Squadron. Flight Officer Leonid Ereminsky from 151 Squadron (the latter a White Russian) and P/O C.R. Young from 601 Squadron."
It is not clear if Charlie was transferred or seconded to 615 Squadron as the 601 Squadron ORB shows Charlie taking hurricane L1987 to France. Pilots were being used to shuttle aircraft to France but due to high number of losses of both men and aircraft, those shuttle pilots were being seconded, and Charlie may have been one of them.
The last entry found for Charlie in the 601 Squadron ORB shows him on patrol into France in hurricane L1918 on May 22, two days after returning from France.
This picture is marked, on the back, "in France" is this the 615 Squadron?
615 Squadron in France
The next day, the May 15 'A' wing of 615 Squadron flew to Vitry where they refueled and waited for further orders.
The then joined with 5 Hurricanes from 'b' Flight of 607 Squadron to escort a dozen Blenheims which were to bomb bridges over Meuse.
When they set out they were met by Bf110C and bf109s from StabIII/JG53.
In the afternoon three patrols from 615 Squadron reported encounters with Hs126 reconnaissance machines.
A section of Hurricanes carried out low-level patrol north-west of Gemblous at 15:00 attacking several German barrage balloons.
615 Squadron was ordered to move northward into Belgium.
on May 16 615 Squadron from Vitry moved North across the Belgium border to Moorsele, a small civilian airfield east of Countrai.
Shortly after take off newly attached P/O Grassick attacked what he believed to be a Ju88. which turned out to be a Blenheim, which crash landed after the attack.
The remainder of the squadron from Abbeville joined them at Moorsele.
615 Squadron immediately flew patrols from its new base.
At 15:00 nine Hurricanes led by F/L Leslie T.W.Thornley went on escort to a 4 Squadron
Lysander.
Near Tirlemont the formation was bounced by Bf109s of
II/JG26 and F/L Thornley was shot down and killed.
P/O Thompson was shot down but parachuted out but was taken POW.
P/O Brian Young was also shot down and his machine crashed near Essene, P/O Brian Young bales out although badly burned and was further wounded from ground fire from British soldiers.
P/O Grassick was the only member of the Squadron to make a claim one of the attackers.
The Lysander was also shot down.
May 17 saw 615 squadron busy from early morning operating from the advanced airfield in Moorsele.
3 sections each of three aircraft departed at 05:30 and were soon in action.
At about 09:30 another section of 615 Squadron encountered a Ju88 which was shot down.
Three consecutive patrols by 615 Squadron failed to meet enemy aircraft.
May 18 was a relatively quiet day, apart form a brief skirmish with the KG1 Heinkels with 32 also based at Moorsele.
The only other patrol of note undertaken by 615 Squadron during the
day was when two Hurricanes of the attached 245/A flight had become separated and lost.
P/O Pennington and Yapp landed near Dunkirk, they returned to Moorsele next day.
On May 19, still operating from Moorsele, 615 Squadron carried out a number of uneventful patrols during the day.
At 19:40 a section of four reported sighting hostile aircraft an estimated fifteen Bf109s from 9/JG26.
F/O Eyre claimed two Bf109s.
F/O Pexton shot down between Arras and Cambrai, pilot wounded and baled out.
Going Home
May 20 was to be 615 squadron's last day in France.
They were very active during the day following their early arrival at Norrent-Fontes with thirteen Hurricanes and the Magister.
Three hours later at 08:00 the squadron mounted an offensive patrol over Lille,
while a section maintained a defensive patrol of the airfield.
615 squadron provided three aircraft to take part in a composite formation, which was to attack the German advance along the Cambria-Arras road.
Three hours later at 16:00 a section from 615 Squadron patrolled Arras-Douai-Lens, met 12 He111Hs.
Two were shot down claimed by S/L Kyall and P/O Hugo.
Apart from the two He111 claimed by Kyall and Hugo at 13:00
P/O Verity claimed a Ju88 and P/O Pennington claimed a Bf110.
P/O Verity's aircraft was damaged and it crash-landed at Norrent-Fontes, he was unhurt.
Orders were received in the evening to evacuate Norrent-Fontes.
Nine Hurricanes of 615 Squadron and four of 607 Squadron escorted a Departing SABENA SM73P to RAF Kenley.
Three operationally unserviceable Hurricanes of 615 Squadron were returned to Kenley independently as did at least four of the squadron's Gladiators.
Although 615 Squadron ORBs were lost on their evacuation from France we know from 607 Squadron's ORBs, that on joint patrols with 615 Squadron, Charlie was mentioned, although no confirmed combats have been found to date.
Of the nine hurricanes flown back to R.A.F. Kenley, Charlie flew one of them.