http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Barking_Creek
The Battle of Barking Creek was an incident that happened on 6 September 1939, resulting in the first death of a British fighter pilot in World War II.
With the war only three days old, none of the Royal Air Force pilots had seen combat, very few had ever seen a German plane. Communications between planes and command centers were poor.
At 6.15am on 6 September, unidentified aircraft were reported approaching from the east at high altitude over West Mersea, on the Essex coast.
In response, six Hurricanes were ordered to be scrambled from 56 Squadron, based at North Weald Airfield in Essex. For some unknown reason the Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Group Captain Lucking, sent up his entire unit. In addition to these, and unbeknown to the rest of the pilots, two Pilot Officers managed to take up a pair of reserve aircraft and followed at a distance, destined to be the object of the mistaken attack.
Additionally, 151 Squadron’s Hurricanes (also from North Weald), and Spitfires from 54, 65, and 74 Squadrons based at Hornchurch Airfield scrambled.
‘A’ Flight of 74 Squadron saw what they believed were enemy planes and were given permission to engage them. Two of the three, Flying Officer Paddy Byrne and Pilot Officer John Freeborn, opened fire.
One Hurricane was piloted by Frank Rose, who was shot down but survived. The other was flown by Pilot Officer Montague Hulton-Harrop, who was shot down by John Freeborn.
Hulton-Harrop was hit in the back of the head and was dead before his plane hit the ground. It crashed at Manor Farm, Hintlesham, Suffolk, approximately five miles west of Ipswich. He was the first British pilot fatality of the war. His Hurricane was also the first plane shot down by a Spitfire. The entire air-raid warning turned out to be false.
At the ensuing court martial both of the Spitfire pilots were exonerated, the court ruling the case as an unfortunate accident. The leader of the flight, Sailor Malan, was not charged. Group Captain Lucking was removed from his post as Commanding Officer of 56 Squadron.
Montague Hulton-Harrop is buried with a war grave headstone in at St Andrew’s Church in North Weald.
John Freeborn flew for the rest of the war and proved to be an outstanding pilot. He flew more operational hours in the Battle of Britain than any other pilot. He was awarded the DFC and bar and rose to be a Wing Commander.
“This tragic shambles, hushed up at the time, was dubbed in the RAF ‘the Battle of Barking Creek’ – a place several miles from the shooting-down but one which, like Wigan Pier, was a standing joke in the music halls.” - Hough, Richard and Denis Richards. ‘The Battle of Britain: The Greatest Air Battle of World War II’, WW Norton, 1990, p.67
http://www.northwealdairfieldhistory.org/content/battle-barking-creek
The Battle of Barking Creek
http://www.rbl-epping.org.uk/hisbcreek.html
THE BATTLE OF BARKING CREEK
FIGHTER COMMAND’S FIRST FATALITY OF WORLD WAR II –
AN EARLY VICTIM OF ‘FRIENDLY FIRE’
Very interesting stuff. Thanks abb.