Hawker Hurricane Ser No 199, Dec 13th 1941
1 Sqdn decided to introduce "rhubarbs".
The second rhubarb of the day was Major Osler and 2/Lt Ray Connell.
They got split up in cloud and both flew slap into a huge formation of aircraft.
After a bit of shooting Ray landed back at Sidi Rhezegh.
The landing gear collapsed on landing.
On this day, Hans-Joachim Marseilles claims to have shot down two Hurricanes, 1 over Gazala at 16.30 and 1 over Timini at 16.35. One was definitely P/O Halliday who failed to return from the second Rhubarb, but Marseilles also claimed to have seen Ray's aircraft spin and crash in flames. As he made it back 15mins flying time from the scene of the fight, this puts some perspective on Marseilles' total claims of 158. Although it looks a total loss, this was repaired. The panels had been removed to check for fires and to remove the guns
War Diary entry for Dec 13th 1941
Harvard 7147
What happens when the mixture control is set for 5000' on take off.
Ray Connell's fourth flight in a Harvard, Dec 13th 1944.
For all those of you who believe totally in the written record for historical reference - let this photo be a lesson.
The number painted on the side is 7147. The maintenance records state that it was 7148 - Pilot Ray Connell, PAX Col Cartwright;
The pilot's log book records the aircraft as 7002. It was actually 7148, based at St Albans at the time.
Officially recorded as engine problems - but the pilot admitted privately that it was checklist problems.
This aircraft had a hex on it for making experienced pilots do silly things. In 1951 Comd DA Du Toit successfully put it on its belly
when trying to raise the flaps at Langebaanweg and used the undercarriage lever instead.
Hawker Hurricane MkII Ser no 173, 1 Sqn SAAF 13th July 1942
AX-C was Stewart ("Bomb") Finney's aircraft, but this damage was caused when the aircraft was flown by John "Vis" Salmon.
War Diary entry for 13th July, 1942
Hawker Hurricane MkII Ser no 227, 1 Sqn SAAF 7th August 1942
Sweep over El Alamein. Flight of 4 engaged 15 109f's. Lawrence Waugh, the other section leader, was attacked by a group and Ray's section dove down to drive them off. Whilst climbing to reform Sqn, was hit badly in tailplane and fuselage by 109. This aircraft continued to fight for more than 20 minutes in this state!! One of the pieces of shrapnel sliced open his flying boot.Other pieces were found in the instrument panel. The ground crews were fantastic workers. His logbook shows he took this up the following evening for a post-repair flight test. This was operational again inside 24 hours!
Hawker Hurricane MkII Ser no 177, 1 Sqn SAAF 3rd July 1942
During the 1 SAAF "Stuka Party" on July 3rd 1942, the Squadron shot down 13 Ju87b's and a 109 while protecting the 1 SA Infantry Division at El Alamein. One Stuka was seen to limp away. Following the war it was discovered that he didnt make it either. One can only imagine the reaction at the German airfield when the entire Staffel of 15 aircraft takes off and not one single aircraft returns. Ray, however dived down behind a Stuka twice and fired but on the second occasion caught a burst of fire from the rear gunner. It punctured his cooling system, fuel system and damaged the undercarriage. He crash landed at Burgh-el-arab. Years later, whilst at school, one of the temporary teachers told me he had been a ground crew man at Burgh and had seen my father become the first man to crash land a Hurricane at over 500mph.
War Diary entry for July 3rd, 1942
22 AS SAAF - Course 4 1941- Vereeniging
Rear: J Andrews; B Barrell; P Beyers; B Benson; B Bodley; ? Bouwer; J Catherine; N Catherine; A Collier; R Connell; ? Gardener; R Greenshields
Centre: D Harvey; E Hotchkiss; K Kemsley; W King; A MApham; D Maree; ? McCurdy; W McClintock; A Milner; P Moir; A Royce
Front: S Saunders; A Stewart; J Sturrock; J Symes; N Taylor; D Thornhill-Cook; J Van Wyck; W Allen; L Waugh; W Wilmot; J Wilson; W Wylie
18 men passed out as pilots and were posted on operations. Only 6 survived.