Thank you Paul.

Don’t blame us. The inbred abacus stroker is in hiding.

Hmm, not sure that I have 3, but you’re welcome to what I’ve got. I’ll see if I can track more down – certainly with a clear view of his face now it might be easier. Problem with the Spits is that most of the ones that I have of that era have no serial codes painted on. Any idea what it’s squadron code was? I can also help with a few ‘general’ shots.

If I could actually borrow the originals to scan that would be great – being ‘in the trade’ I have decent equipment and can then scan them to match what I already have scanned in (around 900 pix or more from the Squadron) and will have scanned in (another 1-2000 perhaps?). Obviously i’d return them asap, and do you some fresh copies for yourself.

Best wishes
Mark

Saturday I dropped off my 1 yr old daughter at my mums before heading for Duxford to snap DamienB’s wedding. Locked keys in Metro at Madingley, borrowed a screwdriver, and was back in in 30 seconds…..
Got to Duxford, hooked up with Ashley for a nice hour or so, helped push a hangar door open with Howard and met Charley Brown as they got ready to take the Spit away. Spotted Janie coming in with Chris aboard, so said hi to him and Maurice. Carried on with the wedding, met LesB by chance when leaving, then drove home shattered.

Sunday I went and hauled a couple of pounds of prawns out from the local pier before heading over to Airgages for a lovely mneal and afternoon with him and his family, transferring videotape, then home.

Work today, where I intended to put my feet up – only to find my printer was u/s with a drive shaft snapped (no warning of problems on saturday left for me mind you!) so had to cover myself in toxic ****e for an hour before heath-robinsonising it together. Then dinner at mums.

Not bad at all.

Closer in:

Had a look through my caption sheets, and have a ‘Mick’ Miller in one Middle Wallop shot – that fits. Am assuming Mick was a nickname.I ‘ll poke about and post it tonight. I *may* have more – can you post what you have on here so I can check his face with my un-identified ones please? X4107 is possible, again i’ll check tonight at home. I may have more of Miller, as I have another couple of thousand copy negatives to sort, scan and caption in the winter – have about 900 or so scanned in at present. Swapping sounds a rather better idea than money to me! Any money I get from these just goes back into the project – purpose of which is to increase the archive which is partly online (pix not up yet).

Anyway, this is what I have to hand (i’m working today) on Miller, firstly, then X4107. Tich Cloves was F/Sgt groundcrew. He was i/c of one of the flights, and kept a diary from 1938-41.-

42419 Pilot Officer Rogers Freeman Garland Miller
27 September 1940
Radford Semele Churchyard

Miller (Tich Cloves Diary)

28th June. A casual conversation by one of our new pilots, Plt Off Miller, was overheard. He said that while approaching to land R6636 he heard a noise which he couldn’t trace. Fortunately he discovered in time it was the hooter – he hadn’t got his wheels down. Fg Off Edge reminded him that landing on the runway without wheels was apt to cause sparks, thereby setting fire to the aircraft.

13th July. Fg Off Dundas R6634, Plt Off Overton L1082 and Plt Off Miller L1065 were detailed to patrol a convoy. They didn’t find the convoy but got mixed up in a nice air battle. Plt Off Overton couldn’t keep up in L1082 our oldest (and original) aircraft and had to dive smartly into the clouds to avoid a couple of ME’s. Plt Off Miller damaged a Dornier and a ME110. Fg Off Dundas shot down a ME110. It was later confirmed that the Dornier damaged by Plt Off Miller was in fact shot down.

12th Aug. Air battle over Portland and Swanage. The days bag: ….. Plt Off Miller R6915 ME110 Damaged, ….. Our losses nil, although three aircraft had minor bullet holes which were capable of patching in situ.

13th Aug. Another battle over Southampton and Portland added a few more to our mounting score. ….. Plt Off Miller L1096 JU87 Destroyed and one Probably, ….. Own losses again nil.

30th Aug. Practice at quick scramble by ‘A’ Flight. Plt Off Miller L1096 was so eager to do his best, didn’t wait for the starter trolley to be pulled clear, turned and damaged his rudder on it. New rudder required.

24th Sept. Enemy raids seemed now to concentrate on the South Coast and the squadron was involved in one over Swanage. ….. Plt Off Miller X4107 DO17 Damaged.

25th Sept. Another raid on Swanage. ….., Plt Off Miller X4107 HEIII Destroyed and given credit with another pilot of half of another.

27th Sept. Once more, action over the South Coast. ….. Plt Off Miller collided with a ME110 during the fight; both aircraft crashed, no survivors.

X4107

15th Sept. Battle over London in the morning and south of Rye in the afternoon. Both appeared to be big affairs and who shot what seemed to be rather vague. The following appeared to be a rough result. Morning: ….. Plt Off Ogilvie X4107, Plt Off Curchin R6699 and a third unknown pilot destroyed a DO215 between them …..It was learned that Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands witnessed the destruction of the DO215 polished off by Pt Off Ogilvie. A message of congratulation was received by the squadron.

24th Sept. Enemy raids seemed now to concentrate on the South Coast and the squadron was involved in one over Swanage. ….. Plt Off Miller X4107 DO17 Damaged.

25th Sept. Another raid on Swanage. ….. Plt Off Miller X4107 HEIII Destroyed and given credit with another pilot of half of another.

From:- Headquarters, Fighter Command.

To: No. 609 Squadron, Middle Wallop.

Date:- 30th September, 1940.

Ref:- FC/19468/P.

The attached a copy of a Message of Congratulation received from her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands is forwarded for your information.

2. I am to add that no publicity is to be given to this message of congratulation beyond its transmission to the Squadron concerned.

H.A.Darnell, F/Lt.
For Air Chief Marshall,
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Fighter Command.

Dienst Van H.M. de Konigin,
Der Nederlanden,
82, Eaton Square,
London, S.W.1.

17th September, 1940.

I am commanded by her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to convey to you her Majesty was most gratified to see from her London House a german bomber shot down by an eight gun fighter during the air battle on the morning of the 15th September.

Her Majesty would be very pleased if Her congratulations should be conveyed to the Squadron concerned in this battle and to the pilot who shot down the german aircraft.
(sgd) Major General de Jonge Van Ellemeet
Aide de Comp on service.

To The Air Ministry,
London.

I want a TFC cap. I only have an OFMC one. The TFC ones were at Legends on Saturday, but had gone by Sunday.

Is a pattern emerging?