If I mistake not this is Fireworks day way back in civilization. It was indeed "fireworks” which the enemy received over BERKA drome near BENGHASI (What that place again!). It was indeed a "splitarse” show, led by Major "Roddy" Stewart and his six Marylands. Practically every bomb was registered In the target area and extensive damage was done to dispersed aircraft, buildings, hangars and landing ground. Jerry was stooging around again today, with a new variety of tactics, the slower C.R. 42’s acting as "decoy ducks" were used to divert attention from the swifter and more deadly ME 109's with their dead astern beam attacks.
Our Gunners put up a really good show against 3 42's and 3 109's. The 42’s had a bad mauling – one definitely shot down and another sent down but with its fate unobserved in the heat of combat. Old "Stewie" Stewart was responsible for the first 42. This is what he had to say about the engagement.
“We were attacked by 2 C.R. 42's from astern. The method of their attack was that one aircraft was overshooting the other at about 30 seconds interval. In this manner they closed in on us and then the lower of the two darted forward until about 100 to 150 yards away from us. Here I began to open fire at him with short accurate bursts I saw my tracers hit him head on. All of a sudden his tail shot up and he went headlong towards earth. I shouted 'I got him, I got him’ and then he went into a violent spin out of control".
Here is Sergt "Tommy" Tucker's version of his engagement with the more elusive second Itie. “I then observed that a second CR42 had taken up his position just to my left ( I was sitting facing the rear of aircraft) and below our tailwheel at a distance of about 200 yards, dead astern. I Immediately opened up with both of my guns and emptied the two pans with four or five long bursts, My bullets streamed towards him, and I must have hit him, but he continued to fire and I could plainly see his twin guns flashing. Just as I had ceased firing and removed my spent pans I saw my adversary turn steeply to my left and dive down towards the earth. Sgt Stewart gave his opinion to the O.C that a single gun was preferable to two guns for the lower hatchway and that the flash eliminators should be discarded as adding to the unwieldiness of the upper guns. It was agreed that his suggestions be given a trial and if necessary adopted.
Unfortunately we lost "Snitch” Blake and his crew his Maryland was seen on fire with the rear gunners cockpit well ablaze. "Snitch" and his observer Frank Meintjies were two very popular figures in the officers mess and both Clarence and Brand the two gunner sergeants were of the very best. Brand was but 18 years of age and Clarence was also very young and one of our best w/t operators. All four are gone from our midst "But we shall remember them".
This loss was a hard blow coming after the earlier loss of "Sugar Louw” and his crew and then "Molly” Lamont and his crew – but we have given as good as we have received and our Marylands as they ride the skies with the roar of their Twin Wasps mingling with whistling air, the volume of sound is the prelude to the devastating blows being struck with monotonous regularity at the war machine of the enemy – the springboks are doing their stuff!