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David Denchfield
| Warrant Officer David Denchfield (deceased) Called up in 1939 he converted to Spitfires and joined 610 Squadron at Acklington in the Battle of Britain. On a Blenheim escort to St Omer in February 1941 his aircraft was hit and, having baled out at 5,000 feet, he was captured by the Germans. He spent time in several POW camps, including Stalg Luft III, and at the end of the war in May 1945 flew back to the UK in a Lancaster of 617 Squadron. Sadly he passed away on 5th December 2012. |
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| Text for the above items : |
Portrait of Sergeant Pilot David Denchfield, 610 Sqn by David Pritchard No text for this item |
Churchills Few by David Pritchard It is September 1940 and the Battle of Britain is at its height. At RAF Biggin Hill, 92 Squadron have just relieved the battle weary pilots of 79 squadron who at this very moment are departing in their Hurricanes. As the 92 squadron pilots mill around dispersal and their Spitfires are being re armed they are about to have a famous visitor, none other than Winston Churchill. |
Merlin Chorus by Anthony Saunders. The Battle of Britan - 13th August 1940. Fresh from a successful action over a marauding group of Me110s and Me109s attempting to raid port facilities at Portland during the Battle of Britain, Spitfires of 152 Squadron return to their base at Warmwell to refuel and rearm. As the distinctive sound of their Merlin engines echoes around Lulworth Cove, one of the Spitfires - hit during the engagement - is starting to smoke. Thankfully all will land safely, ready to continue the bitter struggle while Goerings Luftwaffe begin to intensify their attacks as they try to gain air superiority during one of the most decisive battles ever fought. |
Portrait of Sergeant Pilot David Denchfield, 601 Sqn by David Pritchard No text for this item |
Late Arrival by Robert Taylor. A lone Hurricane of 87 Squadron returns to base at Exeter, at the end of a grueling day of combat during late August 1940. |
Into the Fray by Richard Taylor. Squadron Leader Douglas Bader leads the Hurricanes of 242 Squadron in an aggressive diving attack upon a large force of Heinkel 111s approaching the Kent coast, whilst Spitfires from 66 Squadron tangle with the escorting Bf109s of JG52. It is September 1940, and the climax of the Battle of Britain. Throughout those critical months in 1940, the RAF engaged opposing pilots of the Luftwaffe time and time again and this atmospheric new painting depicts one such frantic engagement as one of the most legendary fighter Aces of the war, Douglas Bader leads his unit into battle. |
Valiant Response by Robert Taylor. The Spitfires of 54 Squadron, quickly scrambled from nearby Hornchurch, clash with the Me109s from 1./JG51 over Kent. Below, Me110s from KPRG210 are about to receive unwelcome attention as the rest of the Spitfires hurtle down upon them and in the distance, a group of Hurricanes rip through a dense formation of Do17s from KG76 as they struggle back to France. What clouds there are will be unlikely to give much sanctuary and, for the onlookers on the ground far below, the skies will soon be filled with weaving trails of smoke and debris. For nearly a week the Luftwaffe had thrown everything they had into the attack on southern England in order to annihilate RAF Fighter Command, in preparation for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. And, heavily outnumbered, the young RAF Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of Fighter Command had so far repelled them, at a cost. But on Sunday 18 August 1940, the Germans launched the heaviest formations of aircraft seen in the battle so far. This was to be a grinding day of relentless assaults on the airfields of southern England, the hardest day of the Battle of Britain. |
The Greatest Day by Robert Taylor. Sunday 15 September 1940 and Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering believed victory over the RAF was at hand. Today, he decreed, would be the day that his 'glorious' Luftwaffe would finally break the back of Fighter Command's stubborn resistance. Or so he believed. In response to a massed formation of enemy aircraft detected heading for London, Air Vice Marshal Keith Park commanding 11 Group scrambled his squadrons. He also requested that 12 Group bring Douglas Bader's 'Big Wing' down from Duxford. Every available pilot and machine was committed. Prime Minister Winston Churchill turned to Park and asked "What other reserves have we" "There are none", Park replied. Bader now had five squadrons racing south, meeting what remained of the enemy on the outskirts of London. With a successful morning behind them the RAF fighters raced back to re-fuel and re-arm. Just after 14.00 hrs another enemy battle group was observed and this time the formations were even larger. Bader's Wing was scrambled once more. |
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