BoB tallies in particular were often widly astray notwithstanding the relative simplicity of counting downed EAs.
I’m with you for most of your post. But in the specific case of the BoB a count of downed EA on UK soil was nothing like an accurate measure. Apart from combat losses over the sea, one must also factor in that, with ‘friendly’ territory so close, German pilots would naturally head back to France when damaged. How many write-offs in occupied territory then occurred? Only German records could begin to provide relative accuracy here – and it was only the later availability of these records that began the rationalisation process (revisionism?) of RAF claims.
This contemporary uncertaintly about enemy losses is common to a greater or lesser extent to most air battles.
When the records are later compared, who actually was responsible – in retrospect – for the destruction of these ‘lost and found’ aircraft casualties is never going to be resolvable in every case – and so arguing for too long about precise numbers for individuals is a bit silly.
In the case of Pattle – I must admit to being swayed by the evidence here! But these are still just claims, and my understanding is that the only comparison with Axis records ever performed on these claims can link only 27 aircraft losses to Pattle. The rest fall into that same grey area of probablilities. I’m too old and hairy to say we’ll never know, but…
Having said all that, historical accuracy on a case-by-case basis – as per your uncle, Smith – is worth pursuing in my book.
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