1941 Aerobatic King of Tangmere

I had meant to post this a couple of years ago but forgot
From the excellent Unit Histories website

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=flt%20lt%20e%20p%20p%20gibbs%20unit%20histories&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unithistories.com%2Fofficers%2FRAF_officers_G01.html&ei=Smp7T_yML4my0QXB0uyuCQ&usg=AFQjCNGereriB2R1YZZeLr8U3ZofrZuj1Q

Gibbs,
Edward Philip Patrick
1911 ?
–
23.01.1967
Westminster district, London
[age 56]
(A) P/O (prob)
02.09.1932 [32225]
P/O
02.09.1933
F/O
02.04.1935
F/Lt.
02.04.1937
(T) Sq.Ldr.
01.06.1941
(WS) Sq.Ldr.
01.09.1942
(T) W/Cdr.
01.06.1942 (retd 02.1946) (reld 21.02.1955)
DFC
27.01.1942
for gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy *
MID
11.06.1942
?
* This officer has been engaged on active operations over a long period and has participated in many sorties over France. During a sortie near Calais, in July, 1941, Squadron Leader Gibbs was involved in combat with 4 enemy fighters and shot down i and damaged another of the attackers. Since assuming command of No. 130 • Squadron, Squadron Leader Gibbs has, by his excellent leadership and devotion to duty, raised the unit to a high standard of operational efficiency. In December, 1941, during a bombing attack on Brest, Squadron Leader Gibbs probably destroyed i of 3 Messerschmitt 1095 which attempted to intercept our bombers.
02.09.1932

commissioned, RAF (General Duties Branch)
17.09.1932
–
08.1933
No. 5 Flying Training School, Chester
28.08.1933
–
03.1936
41 Squadron RAF (flew Siskins, and then Demons) (UK)
18.09.1935
–
01.11.1935
attached 8 (B) Squadron RAF (Aden)
01.11.1935
–
10.03.1936
41 Squadron RAF(re-attached upon its arrival in Aden)
05.1936
–
08.1936
Flying Instructors Course, Central Flying School, Upavon
08.1936
–
03.1938
Instructor, No. 9 Flying Training School
02.03.1938

transferred, Reserve of Air Force Officers, Class A
03.1938
–
11.1940
Instructor, 8 E and RFTS, South Cerney (11.1939 renamed: No. 3 Flying Training School)
11.1940
–
12.1940
56 Officer Training Unit, Sutton Bridge
12.1940
–
01.1941
232 Squadron RAF (supernumerary)
01.1941
–
05.1941
Commanding Officer, 3 Squadron RAF
05.1941
–
06.1941
56 Squadron RAF
06.1941
–
09.07.1941
616 Squadron RAF
[went down with his Spitfire IIa [P8070] 12 miles East of Le Touquet, France; evaded and escaped via Spain & Gibraltar]
10.1941
–
07.1942
Commanding Officer, 130 Squadron RAF
07.1942
–
10.1942
Wing Leader at Middle Wallop
10.1942
–
12.1942
sent to tour the USA
12.1942
–
01.1943
HQ 11 Group RAF
01.1943
–
02.1943
night fighter OTU at Cranfield
02.1943
–
09.1943
HQ 93 Group RAF
09.1943
–
02.1944
attended the Empire Central Flying School, Hullavington
02.1944
–
09.1944
Commanding Officer, RAF Station Kenley
09.1944
–
09.1945
Commanding Officer, RAF Satation Woodvale
09.1945
–
11.1945
posted to Germany
11.1945
–
02.1946
HQ, 2 Group, BAFO

Victories:
21.05.1944

Bf 109 dam, Hurricane Iib, Z2767, St Omer, 56 Sqn
22.06.1944

Bf 109 prob, Spitfire IIa, P7838, Hazebrouck, 616 Sqn
09.07.1941

Bf 109, Spitfire IIa, P8070, Mazingarbe, 616 Sqn
09.07.1941

Bf 109 prob, Spitfire IIa, P8070, Mazingarbe, 616 Sqn
30.12.1941

Bf 109 prob, Spitfire Vb, AP370, Brest, 130 Sqn
19.08.1942

½ Do 217, Spitfire Vb, EP120, Dieppe, Middle Wallop Wing
Joined Hawkers, 02.1946. In September 1946 he was attached to the Iranian Air Force to instruct pilots on Hurricanes. On his return to the UK in April 1949, he spent some time delivering Furies by air to P

Glad to have been of help. I can also confirm that Colin Macfie spent the rest of the war as a PoW after being shot down. His daughter told me that he was one of the vaulters during the Wooden Horse escape from Stalag Luft III, a role he was well-suited for having a very athletic background.

Fabulous, almost two years to the day and we get what seems to be a definitive answer. Slow by forum standards, but impressive, none the less.

For once a zombie thread I am happy to see arise.

Hope you stick around RedTwo

Moggy

I came across this thread recently during a search on Colin MacFie. I can confirm the story from my 616 web site that it was Gibbs who performed the stunt on the grounds that it was told to me by an eye-witness to the event, Max Williams, a fitter with the squadron.

The other reason Gibbs may have been described as elderly apart from his age, judging by that photo of him he’s somewhat follicly challenged.

E P P Gibbs DFC

I had a vague memory about getting a wrong book from the library some years ago when I was reading books written by the other Pat ‘coastal’ Gibbs,I have just managed to borrow a copy of the ‘wrong’ book again… it is titled
IT’S FURTHER VIA GIBRALTAR by Patrick Gibbs (Faber and Faber 1961).
Gibbo was ‘A’ flt commander on 616 and then promoted S/Ldr but remained with 616 to gain combat experience prior to getting his own sqdn.
Gibbo describes being hit in the glycol tank and vertically rolling down at high speed to low level and then being attacked again and the engine stopping,he then rolled inverted and flew inverted almost to the ground where he rolled upright and landed.He set fire to his Spitfire and made off.
He was very lucky with his initial contacts and was conducted at various stages by ‘Marie’ , Jacqueline Daudet and Simone Deveraux via Paris and Perpignan towards the Spanish border,he was arrested at Banyuls near the border but managed to escape a few weeks later and came home via Gib.
Three months after being shot down he was back on ops over france as a sqdn commander , I thought that might be fairly unusual for an escapee but then again the French Prison Governor had put him in the official record as Captain Gibbs,Royal artillery because he thought the Germans would take less notice of an army captain than a fighter pilot !!
There is a photo of Gibbs in Dilip Sarkar’s … Baders Tangmere Spitfires but I will not post it here in case the copyright police see it :rolleyes: But perhaps Dilip could post it so that everybody can see why Gibbs was described as elderly… He was 30/31.

I had not realised that the redtwo link i posted earlier might not work
but if anybody is interested in 616 sqdn and /or personnel try…..
www.redtwo.plus.com/616

Good one, thanks.

I had not realised that the redtwo link i posted earlier might not work
but if anybody is interested in 616 sqdn and /or personnel try…..
www.redtwo.plus.com/616

I think we have a confirmed on ‘Gibbo’ There’s more on him in “Bader, then man and his Men” by Micheal G Burns and there’s a photograph p44 of Dilip Sarkar’s “Bader’s Tangmere Spitfires” which is not great but it clearly shows the “elderley look” and the ‘tache. Still don’t know what became of him after the home run.
Thanks everyone .. now on to the next..

So how goe’s the score, is that a positive hit or what guy’s

Shall I keep digging, through the boy’s from Cranwell?

Ciao

You beat me to it beetle…well done 🙂
from an excellent website run by a 616 sqn enthusiast…..
www.redtwo.plus.com/616

Flt/Lt E P P Gibbs O C ‘A’Flt promoted Sqn Ldr june 41 but stayed with 616,presumably to gain combat experience.
A regular officer about the same age as Bader and ex flying instructor.
Shot down/forced landing east of Le Touquet 9 jul 1941 in spitfire P8070.
Successful home run via Gibralter.
Apparently mentioned in the book ‘Bader and his men’

Also of interest on 14 aug 41 L M Mckee 616 sqdn baled out SE of calais also a home run via Gib , i wonder if they met up on the journey ??
Dont know what his ultimate rank was but prob a Sgt at that time.

Does any forumite know what these happened to these two gentlemen on their return to GB ??

Anybody have a photo of Gibbs moustache ?? :diablo:

Baz – how’s this? Further to the above. How about Gibbs? In Flying Start ‘Cocky’ Dundas (p71) tells much the same story as JEJ about “the other Flight Commander at that time was a man named Gibbs , a regular officer and considerably older than the rest. …’Gibbo’ was a pilot of exceptional skills. particularly at aerobatics..” then after describing the inverted dive and pancake Dundas says “He then took to his heels and never stopped running until he reached the Spanish border and safety” So how old was Gibbs and what became of him?

Hi again Basv,
Bit disappointing that.. every time we get close, the cloudbase lowers. “Cocky” Dundas called Macfie “very reserved” but commented on his youth and fine flying. (He was born 1920 according to Hans Houterman on his Unit Histories page ) . Hans was unable to account for him between 1941 and ’46 so he maybe was in POW camp all that time. So back to square one: Who was the king of aerobatics at Tangmere. I was intending to ask Tom Fitzgerald who was there at the time I think but made my run too late alas.
Cheers

Hi Beetle
No i think it was just the way that particular page was laid out,when i originally read it i assumed the next paragraph was still about Colin Mcfie,but i read it carefully today and now think differently.Also the photo posted by Northeagle shows Mcfie and Casson TOGETHER in pow camp.
That may rule out both men because JJ appeared to say that the aerobatic king evaded and walked out through Spain and Gib.
Did Casson or Mcfie evade/escape ?? If they did not then it cannot be either of them.Assuming of course that JJ is accurate in his narrative.

Cheers Baz

Go back a few lines from the second quote in Wing Leader, Basv. JEJ names Macfie there -maybe because of his “pedantic” nature he gave the impression of age?

After digging out my old yellowed copy of Wing Leader and reading again one specific page about the aerobatic king i realise that i had misinterpreted what JJ actually meant.
I now agree it cannot be Colin Mcfie(googling made him 21 ish)
However for some reason JJ does not name the pilot concerned…. why ??
to quote from the book…

‘There was posted to the squadron a somewhat elderly , pedantic and heavily moustachioed F/L who,although possessing no combat experience,proved to be an aerobatic pilot of exceptional ability’……

20 odd pages later he describes the shooting down of this pilot and finishes the paragraph…..
‘This remarkable character returned on foot via Spain and Gib.’

Was Buck Casson an escaper/evader ?? I didnt think so but if it wasnt him ,who was it and why was JJ reluctant to name him.

cool the link work’s ” Gut Nacht ” all must crash Ciao

Are the Buck’s on Buck!

Well after a heavy search of my book’s and web,

Yes, I would say Wing Commander Lionel ” Buck ” Harwood Casson, DFC AFC.
Jan 6 1915-October 8 th 2003(RIPmate)

He would fit the bill perhap’s, but he was only about 26 in 41, and did not seem to fit aerobatic wise, with his then flying experience, unless he was just one of those rare pilot’s who just a wiz in the cockpit, almost naturally, as if born there.

He was also shot down not that longer after Bader.

Here’s a Link for the people who wanted to know about the man himself(hope the Buggger work’s), Squadron Leader Buck Casson Daily telegraph Obit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/15/db1501.xml

I thought he was a bit youngish myself, but some look older then their time, and then I had a brain wave, that maybe it was someone like Wing Commander George ” Grumpy ” Unwin DSO DFM., but he don’t seem to fit!

Ciao for now it been fun, Thank’s guy’s……… P.S. our Aussie Tony Gaze 😎 was Bader’s wing man, many time’s too around this time!, maybe we should ask him 😮 .

Hope this helps a little. Standing far right, McFie: next to him, Buck Casson.
Photo taken Schubin POW camp c 1942.

Yes…the very same!

Not the same guy that’s been mentioned on the other Bader thread thats on the go at the minute :diablo:

Yes, the same man! By the way….I have photos of McFie and cannot imagine it to be him. My money is on “Buck” Casson. Andy Saunders

Thanks Beetle,glad I wasn’t mis remembering.
I had forgotten he was named in Wing Leader,but then I havent read it since 19 oatcake,it was one of the first ‘memoirs’ i read along with ”the big show” by Pierre Clostermann which I also thought was an excellent book.
Does anybody know more details about Colin Macfie?It would be interesting to find out more about him.