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H A Fenton - Chilbolton Airfield Memoir

Front cover from Memoir
H A Fenton
303 Jag Squad pilot Domagala
303 Jag Squad
303 Jag Squad pilot Domagala 1940
303 Jag Squad

AQUARIUS ‘The Man Who Holds The Watering Pot’ – a flying memoir 1928 – 1945 by Air Cdre H A Fenton CBE DSO DFC BA AFRAeS – chapter Six ‘Battle of Britain, 1940-41’

Quotes featuring Chilbolton

In late September ’40 238 was moved to Chilbolton which was a satellite of Wallop and a few miles to the east. We stayed there for the autumn and most of that winter. The day battle gradually died away and the night blitz began. We continued with varying ops. The final phase of the Battle was , for us, most unpleasant. The Germans started sending in pure fighter sweeps of ME109’s and 1 1 0 ‘s. We had not had the opportunity of developing tactics to cope, as we were able to do later in the Western Desert, and we suffered casualties without ,at that stage, inflicting much damage in return.

There were no living quarters at Chilbolton. We had our messes at the aerodrome but were billeted in the village. I was landed on Mrs Disraeli who had a delightful house and garden (Testcombe) on the banks of the river Test. There I was looked after like a favourite son and, when I went down with ‘flu, the attention was beyond belief. We fed of course at the airfield, at first in a marquee but, after a short time, I managed to scrounge an old wooden army hut which was converted and furnished to a fair degree of comfort. It was promptly named
“Fenton’s Folly” by the boys and a large sign in Gothic script painted to hang outside the door. Fighter Command rather liked this and it became the official code for Chilbolton.

In M a r c h 141, 238 was sent to Pembrey in South Wales to patrol shipping in the Bristol Channel and round the corner in the Irish Sea. We shared this task with 79 Squadron whose CO, Harvey Heyworth was afterwards a test pilot for Rolls Royce. Harvey and I spent much of our time trying to unload the less pleasant jobs on each other and
generally trying to be one up! Flying up and down the ships, often in rain and poor visibility was not enjoyable and I considered it an important part of my duty to make sure that 79 took its fair share. I never saw an enemy while we were there but Harvey managed
to intercept a torpedo bomber on its final run on a ship and shot it down smartly before it could do any damage. After a few weeks of this, we were suddenly recalled to Chilbolton to prepare for a move overseas. I was told our destination in strictest confidence but not allowed to pass it on to the others. Colin Dixon, then adjutant, took the ground party by train and we were back at readiness the following day.

And a quote about 238 Squadron

In 238 I had as pilots English, Irish Scots, Welsh, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Czech, Polish, French and an Argentine (myself). Withal we managed to be an integrated and reasonably contented bunch. Obviously the national authorities wanted to have their own squadrons so, in the spring, the Poles, Czechs and French were posted away. This was inevitable, I suppose, but we lost much comradeship as a result. I really believe that most of ours wanted to stay in what, to them, had become their own squadron. For some months I flew with Domagala (Polish) and Bernard (Czech) on each side and reckoned I had the finest Section in the Command.

Sgt. Marian Boguslaw Domagala is one of the Battle of Britain pilots who flew with 238 Squadron RAF. A photo and combat report is attached.

Marian Boguslaw Domagala was born on 23rd March 1909 in Lublin and served in the pre-war Polish Air Force. The circumstances of his escape from Poland and journey to England are currently undocumented but he had arrived by February 1940 and on the 20th he enlisted in the RAFVR. He held the rank of Corporal when he arrived at No. 1 School of Army Co-operation Old Sarum on 5th July for the 1st Polish Pilots Course, for testing and grading. He went on to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge and after converting to Hurricanes joined 238 Squadron at Middle Wallop on 5th August. On the 8th he destroyed a Me109 and probably destroyed a Me110 and on the 11th destroyed another Me109.

Please visit Facebook group 303 Jag Squad for more information.

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