First Air Raid of WWII – 3

09:48 – Spitfires investigate

 
Just three minutes after the 36 Group sighting, the three Spitfires of Blue Section, 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, AuxAF, led by Renfrewshire farmer Flight Lieutenant George Pinkerton with Flying Officer Archie McKellar and Pilot Officer Paul Webb, took off from the airfield of RAF Drem with orders to patrol May Island in the Forth estuary at Angels Five (5,000 feet).
The history of the great Glasgow squadron is inextricably linked with that of their sister auxiliary squadron in Edinburgh. But at no time were they more united as a fighting force than on this date, when, together, they left an indelible mark on history as well as the memories of the Scottish folk over whose territory they fought to defend.

At 09.35 hours, a few minutes before Pinkerton and his section took off from Drem, the RDF station at Drone Hill had suffered the first of two shut-downs due to a faulty NT 57 valve, the result of which has been incorrectly considered by some to have had a crucial effect on the outcome of the day’s aerial activity. Although the RAF sector controller’s RDF capability was somewhat reduced, the RDF stations at Staxton Wold, Danby Beacon and Ottercops Moss, ably assisted by the men of the Observer Corps, were still available and provided an invaluable service.