About twelve years ago or so, I spent a very enjoyable day with a couple of friends touring the museums at Hawkinge, Manston and Capel Le Ferne (with lunch at the Jackdaw Inn). The reason for our trip was to give a veteran a day out around his old base at Manston and it was a very memorable day. His name was Sqdn/Ldr Gerald Scott, and he flew Lysanders from Manston, and then Hurricane IId’s in the Western Desert and then PR Mustangs over Europe. The stories he had were fantastic (not to mention the photo album he brought along for the day!), and one day was not enough to hear them all.
Whilst sitting atop the cliffs at Capel Le Ferne, he related a story where he and some colleagues were on the coast somewhere near Manston watching a Lysander at low level being pursued by a Bf-109. He said they were all cheering the pilot of the Lysander on, hoping he would shake off his attacker. Unfortunately, they watched as the aircraft was hit and it’s wing clipped the sea and crashed. He said they were all quite upset as they knew the pilot flying the Lysander. It was then that he said that the event had been filmed, and I have always assumed that he referred to the film you mentioned. Whether this is fact or not, I’m afraid I can’t say.
Sqdn/Ldr Scott was also responsible for “capturing” the Bf-109E now at Hendon. Apparently, after the aircraft force landed, he rugby tackled the pilot before he could fire off a flare into the cockpit. After the war, Scott and Wolfgang Teumer corresponded for many years…and he still had Teumer’s flying helmet and schwim vest that he liberated after capturing the aircraft.
A top bloke and a great day out! Sadly, Gerald King Scott is no longer with us. RIP Gerald.
Regards;
Steve
Interesting. I guess that would explain why it was filmed. Thanks for posting.
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