A BATTLE FOR BRITAIN.

   On his return to England, John Sample was next posted to Wick in northern Scotland. At the Scottish base he took command of 504 (County Of Nottingham) Squadron, another Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Number 504 Squadron, like 607 Squadron, had also suffered a number of casualties in the battle of France. It was the task allotted to John Sample, to rebuild the squadron and bring it back up to its fighting strength, while based at Wick. For his efforts in the battle of France, John Sample was awarded the DFC, June 4, 1940. The citation in the London Gazette reads: ‘John Sample (90278). This officer was for most of the time in command of a squadron, which he had led extremely well. He shot down two enemy aircraft during May 1940, but was then shot down himself and forced to jump. He was a great inspiration to his squadron’.

   The main duties of 504 Squadron, during this time, was the rebuilding and re training of the squadron. However, it also befell the squadron to provide air cover for the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow. To down on the distance to Scapa Flow, 504 Squadron were posted to Castletown, almost as far north as you can possibly get on mainland Britain, where the Pentland Firth meets the Atlantic Ocean. Castletown at this time was still under construction with piles of rubble lying at various places on the airfield. A photograph exists which shows the first two hurricanes of 504 Squadron after their arrival at Castletown. Due, it appears, to brake problems, the two Hurricanes overshot the runway and were both damaged. Also on the agenda, while at Castletown, were the long, oversea convoy patrols. The lot of any squadron based so far north and near the sea-lanes. Although in command of 504 Squadron, it was not until September 1, 1940, that Flight Lieutenant John Sample was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader.

   The convoy patrols and air defence duties of Scapa Flow remained in place until early September. On September 5, 1940, 504 Squadron was to move south and take up its duties flying from Hendon in Fighter Commands number 11 Group. I t was not until September 15, 1940, the day marked out in history as Battle of Britain Day, that 504 Squadron were in the thick of the heavy action. John Sample led 504 Squadron into battle twice on this day. The first occasion came at around 11-15 am when the squadron was scrambled. At some 15,000 feet over Maidstone, the squadron found a formation of Do 17s and began their attacks. John Sample, a seasoned fighter pilot, was always on the lookout for the easy target: he was not to be disappointed. A do 17 was noticed limping along and plainly well on fire, Sample moved in and carried out his attack. This aircraft was flown by Ober Lt Robert Zehbe of 1/KG 76 and was eventually to crash outside Victoria Railway Station, London. In so doing, flying itself into history as the most well-known crash victim of the Battle of Britain, as well as the only enemy aircraft to fall on central London. John Sample was later to write his own eyewitness account of this action.

   At around 1-35 pm, John Sample was once more to lead his Squadron into action over the London area: on this occasion flying in company with 249 Squadron from Hornchurch. At some 19,000 feet over Gravesend 504 Squadron encountered a large formation of Do 17s with an equally large formation of Me 109s as fighter escort. On this occasion the bombers were of 4/KG 3. As on he previous attack, it was the lone, limping, straggler that caught the attention of John Sample. Initially the attack was on the starboard side of the German formation: John Sample led a quarter attack noticing, when he turned away, that the formation had begun to break up. It was after this initial attack that John Sample became aware of the straggler. A lone Do 17 was trying to make good its escape in the cloud cover at 7,000 feet. John Sample recorded that he carried out four attacks against this bomber. On each occasion, as noted in his combat report, he began his attack at around 200 yards range closing in to 75 yards.

   The Do 17 was by now mortally hit. Lt Herbert Michaelis was temporarily blinded. The dye-bag, used for air-sea rescue purposes had burst as a bullet had hit it. Two of the aircrew, Uffzs Burballa and Hansburg, had taken to their parachutes but had been killed due to baling out at low altitude, their parachutes failing to deploy properly. The stricken bomber, Werke No 3457 code 5K+JM, then made a forced landing in a small copse adjacent to Barnehurst Golf Club. John Sample is reported to then have carried out a ‘victory roll’ over the stricken bomber. Sadly, due to the bombs still on board exploding, a number of people were injured and at least one man, a Special Constable, was killed. For Herbert Michaelis, the war was over as he was taken prisoner. He was later sent to Canada as a POW and was not released until 1947.

   John Sample was to also take part in another attack. On this occasion, he found a He 111 under attack from a number of Hurricanes and Spitfires and decided to join in. The He 111 was eventually to force land on West Malling airfield: identified, by Sample, as Brenchley. Sample was to make two attacks on this aircraft finishing off his ammunition. Although severely wounded, the He 111 of 111/KG 53, flown by Uffz Lange, was continually attacked even on the ground. The station diarist recording that the firing by the fighters: ‘…made the aerodrome unhealthy.’

   Number 504 Squadron was to suffer losses in the attacks of August 15. Flying Officer M.E.A. Royce in Hurricane L 1913, was hit but only suffered repairable damage. Hurricane N 2481 was seen to dive out of control and crashed in Hartley, Longfield killing Pilot Officer John Vinter Gurteen. Gurteen was later cremated at Hendon crematorium and his ashes were duly scattered over his house by fellow pilot, Flight Lieutenant W.B. Royce. Another casualty was Hurricane N 2705 which crashed into the ground near Dartford. Its pilot, Flying Officer Michael Jebb was seriously burned and the former Cambridge graduate was die as a result of his injuries some four days later. Near the end of September, 504 Squadron was judged to have taken enough casualties and was duly posted to the West Country. The squadron was posted to RAF Filton where part of their duties was the air defence of the approaches to Bristol and the aircraft works of Bristol and Westland.

   It was at Filton that the squadron photograph was taken. Sample sit central front, while far left is Sergeant Raymond Towers Holmes. Amongst the others is Flying Officer Wilkinson Barnes, second from right, front, of Sunderland a former ex 607 Squadron colleague from John Sample’s earlier days. On Samples’ right sits Flight Lieutenant Anthony Hartwell Rook. Fourth from left, rear, is believed to be Flying officer Michael Rook, at one time the RAF’s tallest pilot. To his right is pilot Officer Henry Norman Hunt who was killed while serving with the squadron, May 13, 1941. One of the few informal photographs of John Sample was taken during this period at Filton. This shows the squadron’s Commanding Officer sitting astride a pushbike looking a little unsure of himself. According to Ray Holmes, this was how John Sample scrambled to his aircraft. However, Ray Holmes was a journalist.

   Number 504 Squadron were involved in the defence of Bristol Aero works on September 27, 1940. A raid by the Luftwaffe against the factory was repulsed and the grateful employees in recognition of their feat presented 504 Squadron with a barrel of beer and cartons of cigarettes. John Sample was leading the squadron when it intercepted a Luftwaffe attack against the Westland Aircraft works. On this occasion, a whip round by the workforce brought a donation of £39, passed on to the RAF Benevolent Fund, and cartons of some 2.000 cigarettes, made use of by the squadron personnel.

   The next move took Sample and 504 Squadron to Exeter. It was here that a photograph, much used by various authors but rarely captioned, was taken. This shows the squadron crew room at Exeter. To the left sits Pilot Officer H.N. Hunt followed by Pilot Officer P.T. Parsons and Flight Lieutenant A.H. Rook. Flying Officer M.E.A. Royce plays a gramophone while at the right sits sergeant C. Haw. Centre, complete with cigarette and book, sits the ‘boss’: Squadron Leader John Sample. Another photograph taken at a round the same time, shows a foursome of 504 Squadron pilots examining what appear to be, enemy machine guns. The four are: Parsons, M.E.A. Royce, Haw and Sergeant D. Heywood: spelling is as on photograph written by Sample. Above the door appears a tail fin from Dornier complete with bullet holes.

   The photograph album of John Sample holds a number of images of 504 Squadron. Among them are a shot of Parsons and Flt Lt Rook outside the crew room, probably at Filton. The squadron blackboard in the rear clearly states the date as October 22, 1940. It also informs us that John Sample is on leave at the time. Another shot shows a studious F/O B.E.G. White viewing the undercarriage of Hurricane ‘Q’. What appears to be a very posed shot of a scramble shows Hunt, M.E.A. Royce, Flt Lt Rook, Parsons, Haw and Heywood getting up to speed. Some of the other photographs tend to be equally posed. Among them is a photograph of M.E.A. Royce donning his parachute beside Hurricane ‘N’. Royce again, looking on as ground crew work on Hurricane ‘H’. Yet another shows Flt Lt W.B. Royce starting up Hurricane ‘K’. Of equal importance among the squadron personnel is the squadron mascot, Susie; a bulldog complete with RAF cap, the photograph bears the name of the dog in Sample’s own hand.

   Number 504 Squadron were to move onto offensive operation early in 1941, operating against targets in France. Squadron Leader John Sample was taken off flying in May of 1941, his first break from flying in seven years. He was then posted to HQ 10 Group at Box in Wiltshire, as a fighter controller.

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