First Air Raid of WWII – 14

14:15 – the third wave of bombers arrives

 
At 14.15 hours a third wave of Ju88 bombers was spotted crossing the coast near Dunbar, heading west before turning south in the direction of Haddington. At the same time the six Spitfires of B Flight, 603 Squadron roared over the grass airfield of RAF Turnhouse and took to the skies with instructions to patrol North Berwick at 3,000 feet.

A short while later the instructions from the sector controller at Turnhouse were amended by his superiors at 13 Group, Fighter Command, who had overall responsibility for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the controller at Turnhouse was told in no uncertain terms: ‘B Flight too low at 3,000 feet, get them up to the correct height.’

There is evidence that there was some tension between the Turnhouse sector controller and J3 Group, Fighter Command, which is hardly surprising considering this was the first time that Fighter Command tactics were being tested and that inevitably flaws were appearing.

At 14.51 hours Red Section, 602 Squadron were scrambled to patrol over their airfield at Drem. This was in order to extend a theoretical defensive line of fighters across East Lothian and the Forth.