Australia’s War Diary- November 1940

In Australia, reports suggest the presence of an enemy vessel operating in Australian waters, but the RAAF does not have enough aircraft to maintain a continuous reconnaissance around the coast and over various trade routes. It is hoped its strength will soon be boosted by new aircraft from the USA.

November 2 – Middle East. The envisaged role for 3 Squadron RAAF has changed. It is to become a close support squadron rather than an army co-operation unit. Its two flights of Gladiators arrive at Gerawla in preparation.

November 3 – Greece. The first British aircraft arrive in the form of eight Blenheim IFs of 30 Squadron RAF, accompanied by four support Bristol Bombays of 216 Squadron, which fly into Eleusis. They have been sent by the AOC-in-C RAF Middle East, Australian-born Sir Arthur Longmore (St Leonard’s, NSW), on his own initiative; Within a month two more squadrons and an attached flight will be sent and after November 6 Longmore’s Wellington bombers, although based in Egypt, will concentrate on Greek operations. To compensate for these losses from his own command, he will draw flights from squadrons at Aden, re-equip his remaining units with newly arriving more modern aircraft from the UK and bring the Gladiator flights of 3 Squadron RAAF to immediate readiness.

Meanwhile, 3 Squadron’s Gauntlets join the Gladiators at Gerawla but its flight of Lysanders remains at Helwan to act as a reinforcement pool. It will transfer to lkingi Maryut on the 21st. November 3/4 – Britain. For the first time since September 7 there is no overnight bombing of London. However, it will only be a temporary respite.

November 4 -Australia. 40 RAAF airmen, the first draft to go to

Southern Rhodesia under the Empire Air Training Scheme

(EATS), sail from Sydney on the SS Nestor.

November 7 – Britain. As they are climbing, Hurricanes of 145

Squadron are savagely attacked by Bf 109s and 5 are lost. South Australian, F/Lt Robert Bungey in V6889 is shot down into the sea off the Isle of Wight and slightly injured.

Off the coast of Brest, F/LtHugh Birch from Hawthorn, Victoria, and crewin Sunderland P9601/RB-F, of 10 Squadron RAAF sight a surfaced U-boat about 5 miles (8km) in front but it crash dives and escapes before an attack can be made.

November 7/8- Britain. Sunderland P9063/RB-H, captained by S/Ldr Bill Garing DFC, returns to Mount Batten from Gibraltar carrying a VIP passenger, the British Secretary for War, Mr Anthony Eden.

Australia. The British steamer Cambridge strikes a mine and sinks 6 miles (10km) east of Wilson’s Promontory. One crew member is lost. Aircraft from Richmond and Laverton search in vain for the enemy vessel responsible or any more mines. November 8/9 -Australia. The US vessel City of Rayville is sunk by a mine 6 miles (10km) south of Cape Otway. Again one crewman is lost. An air search proves fruitless.

November 9- Britain. Despite poor weather and his injury of the 7th, Bob Bungey is up again with his regular wingman, Belgian P/O Jean Offenberg. Together they intercept and probably destroy a Ju 88.

November 10 – Mediterranean. F/Lt Ernest ‘Titch’ Whiteley of Sydney, CO of the Malta based 431 Flight equipped with Martin Marylands (no self-sealing fuel tanks or armour plate but fast enough to avoid combat), flies a reconnaissance mission over Taranto, Italy, to check the disposition of the Italian battle fleet. The harbour has been photographed regularly in preparation for an attack by the Royal Navy.

November 10/11 – Canada. Seven Lockheed Hudsons take off from Gander airfield, Newfoundland, to fly across the Atlantic to Ireland. It is the first time that such an air crossing has been attempted so late in the year. Forced to separate three quarters of the way across because of a large front, six of the seven Hudsons land at Aldergrove airport near Belfast shortly after daybreak. The seventh lands safely at another airfield. This marks the beginning of the Atlantic Ferry route which will eventually bring thousands of US built aircraft across the ocean to the British Isles. Responsible for the entire organisation and leader of this pioneering flight is Capt Donald Bennett from Toowoomba, Qld. November 11 – Britain. Since the middle of September the Italians have been building up a contingent of 80 Fiat BR. 20 bombers, 50 Fiat CR. 42 and 48 Fiat G. 50 fighters in Belgium under the command of Luftflotte 2 to join the Luftwaffe attack on England. Results achieved so far have been mediocre at best and today they launch their heaviest (and only) major daylight attack. Intercepted by 3 squadrons of Hurricanes, 3 bombers and 3 fighters are destroyed for no RAF loss.

November 11/12 – Mediterranean. 21 torpedo carrying Fairey Swordfish biplanes from HMS Illustrious attack the Italian naval base at Taranto. Two fail to return. November 12- Mediterranean. Titch Whiteley flies a reconnaissance mission over Taranto to check the results of the night attack by Swordfish from HMS Illustrious. He finds the defences more active than usual and a scene of chaos with one battleship partly submerged and another apparently beached. His photographs will reveal that the battleship Littorio has been severely damaged, Conte di Cavour sunk and Caio Duilio beached plus 2 other ships damaged. Elimination of these capital ships guarantees British naval supremacy in the area for some time. The outstanding success of this type of attack will be studied carefully by other naval powers, particularly Japan.

November 13 – Middle East. 3 Squadron RAAF flies its first tactical reconnaissance mission, a sortie between Sofafi and Nibeiwa. November 14 – Singapore. The new British C-in-C for the Far East, Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, arrives. November 14/15 – Britain. 449 German aircraft led by KGr 100 carpet bomb the city of Coventry, heavily damaging factories and historic buildings. The city’s magnificent 14th Century cathedral is destroyed, 550 people are killed and many others injured. Again the RAF’s night defences are woefully inadequate. F/Lt Charles Pritchard of 600 Squadron, during an attempted interception, finds his Blenheim much too slow as he gives chase. The enemy plane escapes out to sea.

November 16 – Atlantic. 300 miles (480km) west of Ireland, in U-boat infested waters, Victorian F/Lt Bruce Courtney and crew of Sunderland N9049/RB-B, finds an unescorted British vessel, the SS Planter. Shortly afterwards they try to divert a British destroyer towards her without success. Upon returning to Oban after their patrol over a convoy of 35-40 ships, they learn that the Planter has been torpedoed.

November 17 – Greece. Gladiator biplanes of ‘B’ Flight 80 Squadron RAF, led by S/Ldr W JHickey of Sydney, arrive at Eleusis as reinforcements. Among the pilots is another Australian, F/O G F ‘Shorty’ Graham from Gunbower, Victoria. ‘IX. Flight will soon follow.

Mediterranean. ‘Operation White’. Six Hurricanes guided by a Fleet Air Arm Skua take off fromHMS Argus at first light and set out to boost the garrison at Malta, some 400 miles (640km) distant. Strong headwinds are encountered and 2Hurricanes ditch with fuel exhaustion. A Sunderland sent from Malta to meet the flight and guide it in manages to rescue one pilot. Worse follows. A second group of 6 Hurricanes guided by another Skua takes off from Argus an hour after the first. Becoming hopelessly lost, one by one all of the Hurricanes run out of fuel and ditch into the sea and the Skua eventually crash lands on the coast of Sicily. Meanwhile, a Maryland from Malta with Titch Whiteley at the controls searches for five hours but no trace of any survivors is ever found.

November 18 – Atlantic. Hugh Birch and crew in Sunderland N9050/RB-D, of 10 Squadron RAAF are diverted from a patrol to find the SS Nestlea which has been bombed. They find the ship deserted and settling in the water. A search for lifeboats has to be abandoned with the arrival of darkness. It will be established later that the crew has managed to reach Eire safely. November 19 – Greece. Nine Gladiators of 80 Squadron attack Italian Fiat CR. 42s and G. 50s over the Koritza area. The British claim 9 destroyed and 2 probables for one damaged Gladiator. ‘Shorty’ Graham accounts for one of each type. Italian losses are actually three CR. 42s and one G. 50, plus another damaged. Middle East. 3 Squadron RAAF has its first combat. F/Lt Blake Pelly, with an escort of 3 other Gladiators, is on a reconnaissance mission east of Rabia when they are attacked by eighteen CR. 42s. Pelly, F/O Alan Rawlinson and F/O AH Boyd each shoot one down, a fourth is probably destroyed and a fifth is damaged but 3 squadron’s CO, S/Ldr PHeath of Muswellbrook, NSW, is killed in action.

November 20 – Australia. The steamer Maimoa signals she is being attacked by a surface raider some 750 miles (1200km) west of Fremantle. Before the end of the month similar reports are received from the Port Brisbane in the Indian Ocean and the Rangitane in the Pacific. November 22 – Britain. Flying from Gravesend, P/O Noel Constantine of 141 Squadron flies his first night intruder patrol over France in Defiant N1552, an unsuccessful attempt to catch returning German bombers.

Canada. At Uplands, near Ottawa, 37 Australians of the first EATS draft to Canada who have completed their training are awarded their wings at their passing out parade by the Australian High Commissioner.

November 25 – Britain. This day marks the end of an era for RAF Fighter Command when ACM SirHugh Dowding is replaced as AOC-in-C by ACM William Sholto Douglas. He is acknowledged as the architect of the RAF’s victory over the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain November 26 – Greece. Led by S/LdrHickey, nine Gladiators of 80 Squadron intercept three S. M. 79s escorted by a dozen Fiat CR. 42s north of Yanina. Two CR. 42s are claimed without loss. November 27/28 – Britain. Plymouth is subjected to an air raid which lasts almost 6 hours. Two Sunderlands, N9048/RB-A and P9601/RB-F, of 10 Squadron RAAF are destroyed and several others are damaged.

November 29 – Mediterranean. Titch Whiteley in Martin Maryland AR707 on a reconnaissance over Sardinia has a ‘sticky trip’ when he has to avoid enemy fighters early in the sortie and on the return leg is chased by more fighters all the way from Sicily to Malta