flash
09-25-2012, 11:01
Not a WGS player myself but as I live under the BoB skies I have always had an interest. I live in a small market town called Hailsham in East Sussex & thought I would share this little bit of local BoB history with you as another anniversary looms:
The morning of 27th September 1940 No.249 Squadron RAF was called into action. South African Flying Officer Percival Ross Francis “Percy” BURTON, aged twenty-three, took off from North Weald in Hurricane V6683 at about 0850 hours with eleven other No.249 Squadron Hurricanes.
When the Squadron arrived in the area to which it was finally vectored over Redhill, Surrey it was greeted by two defensive circles of Messerschmitt Bf 110s of V/LG1 (V “Zerstorer” [Destroyer] / Lehrgeschwader [Demonstration Wing] 1) led by its Gruppe Kommandeur 31 year old Hauptmann Horst Liensberger. Flight Lieutenant ‘Butch’ Barton led No.249 into a diving attack from out of the sun, the circles were broken and individual combats ensued as the Germans ran for home.
When the Squadron returned to North Weald after this skirmish it claimed an impressive eight enemy aircraft destroyed and a further five probable’s (Records show a trail of Bf110’s from LG1 crashed in Oxted, Gatwick, Chelwood Gate, Heathfield Horam and Hailsham.) but the victory did not come without a price. Flying Officer Burton failed to return from the patrol.
During the engagement Burton had vigorously pursued the Bf 110 crewed by Hauptmann Liensberger and his radio operator/gunner Unteroffizier Albert Kopge over a distance of about forty miles, often at little more than treetop height, until his guns eventually fell silent just north of Hailsham, East Sussex, a small market town in southern England.
Eye witnesses in the town describe them as skimming over the rooftops, around St Mary’s church tower (believe me that is low !) and over the gas works at the southern edge of the town. At this moment Burton, who was flying slightly above and behind the twin-engined aircraft, suddenly dived into the attack; his Hurricane collided with the rear of the Bf 110, slicing off the Messerschmitt’s tail unit. This, along with Burtons port wing tip, dropped into a field followed by the remainder of the severed Messerschmitt which crashed into Simmons field between Mill Road & Station Road Hailsham. Both crew members were killed outright by the impact. Flying Officer Burton’s Hurricane veered away and crashed into a huge oak tree nearby in Wellers field on New Barn Farm, Station Road. The impact threw him clear but Burton was killed and his Hurricane was left to burn out. Eye-witness reports strongly indicated that Burton had deliberately rammed the Bf 110 in his final act of valour and that his body was said to be riddled with bullets.
For this action at Hailsham, Percy Burton was recommended for the Victoria Cross but much to the displeasure of his fellow pilots at North Weald he was only ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’. (That is all you may be awarded if a V.C. is not given)
Percy Burton is buried in St Andrew’s churchyard, Tangmere, West Sussex. (Plot E, Row 1, Grave 480). There is also a small memorial plaque dedicated to Burton’s memory near the oak tree that he hit.
In 1980 a road on a new housing estate near the crash site was named ‘Burton Walk’ in his memory, I walk past this road every day and give a thought for Percy & his foe. Hopefully you will do the same on the 27th.
61180
Percy Burton is on the right, with fellow 249 pilot JRB Meaker, who was also killed on 27th September.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Db2Q6lgW0AAsBLC.jpg
Liensbergers tail unit - note collision damage to right fin and the victory markings on the left
The remains of the rest of Liensberger's Bf110 image has been lost to the ether :(
61186
Artists impression
61185
Aviation art by Geoff Nutkins (they were lower than this !)
References:
http://intotheswarm.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/percy-burton_02.html
http://peek-01.livejournal.com/84244.html
http://249squadron.wordpress.com/2011/02/
http://www.aviartnutkins.com/rare_collectors_prints/SE2_Rooftop_Pursuit.php
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BurtonPRF.htm - new link
http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral/memorials/WW2/percival-burton No longer a live link.
http://www.bishops.org.za/info/museum/characters.asp No longer a live link.
The morning of 27th September 1940 No.249 Squadron RAF was called into action. South African Flying Officer Percival Ross Francis “Percy” BURTON, aged twenty-three, took off from North Weald in Hurricane V6683 at about 0850 hours with eleven other No.249 Squadron Hurricanes.
When the Squadron arrived in the area to which it was finally vectored over Redhill, Surrey it was greeted by two defensive circles of Messerschmitt Bf 110s of V/LG1 (V “Zerstorer” [Destroyer] / Lehrgeschwader [Demonstration Wing] 1) led by its Gruppe Kommandeur 31 year old Hauptmann Horst Liensberger. Flight Lieutenant ‘Butch’ Barton led No.249 into a diving attack from out of the sun, the circles were broken and individual combats ensued as the Germans ran for home.
When the Squadron returned to North Weald after this skirmish it claimed an impressive eight enemy aircraft destroyed and a further five probable’s (Records show a trail of Bf110’s from LG1 crashed in Oxted, Gatwick, Chelwood Gate, Heathfield Horam and Hailsham.) but the victory did not come without a price. Flying Officer Burton failed to return from the patrol.
During the engagement Burton had vigorously pursued the Bf 110 crewed by Hauptmann Liensberger and his radio operator/gunner Unteroffizier Albert Kopge over a distance of about forty miles, often at little more than treetop height, until his guns eventually fell silent just north of Hailsham, East Sussex, a small market town in southern England.
Eye witnesses in the town describe them as skimming over the rooftops, around St Mary’s church tower (believe me that is low !) and over the gas works at the southern edge of the town. At this moment Burton, who was flying slightly above and behind the twin-engined aircraft, suddenly dived into the attack; his Hurricane collided with the rear of the Bf 110, slicing off the Messerschmitt’s tail unit. This, along with Burtons port wing tip, dropped into a field followed by the remainder of the severed Messerschmitt which crashed into Simmons field between Mill Road & Station Road Hailsham. Both crew members were killed outright by the impact. Flying Officer Burton’s Hurricane veered away and crashed into a huge oak tree nearby in Wellers field on New Barn Farm, Station Road. The impact threw him clear but Burton was killed and his Hurricane was left to burn out. Eye-witness reports strongly indicated that Burton had deliberately rammed the Bf 110 in his final act of valour and that his body was said to be riddled with bullets.
For this action at Hailsham, Percy Burton was recommended for the Victoria Cross but much to the displeasure of his fellow pilots at North Weald he was only ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’. (That is all you may be awarded if a V.C. is not given)
Percy Burton is buried in St Andrew’s churchyard, Tangmere, West Sussex. (Plot E, Row 1, Grave 480). There is also a small memorial plaque dedicated to Burton’s memory near the oak tree that he hit.
In 1980 a road on a new housing estate near the crash site was named ‘Burton Walk’ in his memory, I walk past this road every day and give a thought for Percy & his foe. Hopefully you will do the same on the 27th.
61180
Percy Burton is on the right, with fellow 249 pilot JRB Meaker, who was also killed on 27th September.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Db2Q6lgW0AAsBLC.jpg
Liensbergers tail unit - note collision damage to right fin and the victory markings on the left
The remains of the rest of Liensberger's Bf110 image has been lost to the ether :(
61186
Artists impression
61185
Aviation art by Geoff Nutkins (they were lower than this !)
References:
http://intotheswarm.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/percy-burton_02.html
http://peek-01.livejournal.com/84244.html
http://249squadron.wordpress.com/2011/02/
http://www.aviartnutkins.com/rare_collectors_prints/SE2_Rooftop_Pursuit.php
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BurtonPRF.htm - new link
http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral/memorials/WW2/percival-burton No longer a live link.
http://www.bishops.org.za/info/museum/characters.asp No longer a live link.