6 Squadron RAF, Ma'Asker & Habbaniya Cemeteries
6 Squadron and Operation ‘Flounced’ - May / June 1944
Operation ‘Flounced’ Background
6 Squadron recently received a letter from a man who, whilst on a visit to the Croatian island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea, came across a commemorative plaque at the summit of Mount Vidova Gora (see attached photo). The simple memorial mounted on a rock wall honoured the men of the British Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) who died on the island during the months of May and June in 1944. As 6 Squadron was specifically named on the plaque, the enquirer wanted to find out more about the role 6 Squadron played in a daring raid that was called Operation ‘Flounced’.
The allied attack was ostensibly an attempt to liberate the islands of Brac and Hvar from German control, thereby creating a bridgehead between the British-held island of Vis and the Dalmatian mainland for distributing supplies to the Partisan forces. However, its main purpose was to persuade Germany to maintain its forces along the Dalmatian coast and not divert them inland, especially with the imminence of the Normandy Invasion (aka ‘D-Day’). As to why the name of 6 Squadron appeared on the plaque and not the names of the other RAF squadrons operating in the region at that time was less apparent and warranted further investigation. What came out of my research was not what I expected but nevertheless yielded an accurate picture of the role 6 Squadron played in the Adriatic during the closing stages of WW2, when Britain and its Allies were at last gaining the upper hand.
When Italy capitulated at the end of 1943, Germany increased its efforts to maintain control of Dalmatia and the Adriatic Sea by taking over a group of five islands close to the major sea port of Split, the largest city in Dalmatia (part of present day Croatia). After seizing the island of Hvar in January 1944, the German forces quickly extended their control to the nearby and larger island of Brac, where extensive and formidable fortifications were erected. The other islands in the group were Korcula, Mljet and Vis (see attached map).
In the months before the ‘Flounced’ raid on Brac, the Allies amassed a fighting force on the nearby island of Vis, comprised of British, American and Partisan soldiers. They also constructed a single runway and infrastructure, capable of accommodating a flight of Spitfires and Hurricanes. By May 1944, ten thousand troops were in residence on Viz, awaiting the order to attack.
6 Squadron’s Activities in Italy (prior to Operation ‘Flounced’)
On the 5th January 1944, the AOC-in-Chief ruled that all Hurricane IV aircraft operating with 6 Squadron be updated with RP capability, with the 40mm Vickers Type S guns returned to the No 109 Maintenance Unit (MU), based at Abu Suweir. Within two days, every pilot had practiced RP firing on the range at low level from 200 yards. The 9th January 1944 was also an important date for the squadron, with the publication of the very first edition of 6 Squadron’s weekly newspaper, “The Tinopener”, a fresh edition to be made available in the Airmen’s Mess every Sunday.
In February 1944, as part of the build-up of allied forces in the Adriatic, 6 Squadron and its Hurricanes began the difficult move from its base at Fayid, Egypt to Grottaglie, a coastal town on the southern tip of Italy within the Allied zone of occupation. The squadron had converted from 40mm Vickers Type S Cannons to 3-inch 60 lb rocket projectiles (type RP-3) only a month earlier, at that time being the only RAF squadron able to be armed with RPs. After that region of Italy was liberated in September 1943, the US Air Force carried out extensive works on the airfield to make it a base large enough for its heavy bombers as well as being able to accommodate fighter squadrons from other allied countries. Due to the logistics of the move and continued rain that made the airfield unserviceable, it wasn’t until the 3rd March 1944 that the twenty Hurricane IVs and a single Hurricane IIC that made up 6 Squadron’s fighting strength were together on the ground at Grottaglie.
Despite having a full complement of aircraft, the airfield at Grottaglie remained unserviceable until the 29th March when 6 Squadron was able to carry out its first mission since arriving in Italy. It had already been agreed by the AOC HQ 242 Group that the Squadron would have a free hand in selecting targets on the Dalmatian mainland, so the first target selected was a suspected German Headquarters located near Durazzo (now called Durrës).
In the afternoon of the 29th March, a flight of six Hurricane IVs, each equipped with a single rail of rockets and a 45 gallon long-range tank in place of the second set of rocket rails, flew 200 kms north-east from Grottaglie across the Adriatic Sea to Durazzo, where a German Headquarters was reported to be located. The flight was led by the squadron’s Commanding Officer, Wg Cdr Anthony Eustace Morrison-Bell DFC. Though the target was hit, one of the 6 Squadron Hurricanes was shot down in flames with the pilot killed and another three Hurricanes damaged, including that of the wing commander. With the death of Flt Lt A C N Stewart and only two Hurricanes unscathed after 6 Squadron’s very first sortie since arriving in Italy, a SASO (Senior Air Staff Officer) from 242 Group ordered 6 Squadron to postpone strikes against land-based targets until further notice.
In the first week of April 1944, 6 Squadron flew offensive reconnaissance missions against enemy shipping up and down the eastern Adriatic coast as far south as Corfu. Normally four of 6 Squadron Hurricanes took part in each sortie, accompanied by Spitfire VCs from 249 Squadron, at that time also based at Grottaglie. On occasion, Spitfires were armed with two 250 lb bombs in addition to their normal armament and carried out dive-bombing in conjunction with the Hurricanes launching RPs. The aim of the combined flight was to disrupt and sink enemy shipping on the Adriatic Sea, with the Hurricanes in the close attack role and the Spitfires providing escort cover. It wasn’t unusual for the Hurricane pilots to get within 50 yards of a target before firing their RPs. 6 Squadron was uniquely suited for this dangerous role, having gained a fearsome reputation for its “tank-buster” skills when the squadron was stationed in Africa and equipped with the Hurricane IId armed with the 40mm Vickers Type S Cannon.
By the end of the week, with no enemy ships sighted, the decision was made to attack enemy barges in Corfu Harbour. The first mission of this kind was such a success that for the next week, Corfu Harbour was the regular target, with up to seven Hurricanes and twelve Spitfires taking part in each sortie. At the end of the second week in April, having suffered no further loss of aircraft or pilot since the death of Flt Lt Stewart, 6 Squadron received orders to search for enemy submarines 60 km north-east of Brindisi. For his first operational flight since arriving in Italy, Flt Lt Arnold Edgar “Blondie” Walker (later DFC and Bar) took his turn with the other pilots in the mounting of continuous single aircraft searches throughout the daylight hours, with a Hurricane taking off every 30 minutes.
For the rest of April 1944, 6 squadron, accompanied by Spitfires of 249 Squadron, continued with daily attacks on Corfu Harbour as well as nearby land-based targets, except when ordered to search for enemy submarines at pre-arranged co-ordinates. On the 15th April, “Blondie” Walker had a lucky escape. Landing back at Grottaglie after taking part in a rocket attack on Corfu during which an enemy vessel was sunk, his Hurricane was found to have been hit by Flak shrapnel, with fragments embedded in the propeller boss as well as in the tail. “Blondie” had flown 240 kms on the return flight to Grottaglie blissfully unaware of the damage to his aircraft.
In the first week of May 1944, with the main strength of 6 Squadron still operating out of Grottaglie, a detachment was established 200 kms further up the eastern coast of Italy at Foggia. At the same time, the whole of ‘A’ Flight was sent to Borgo on the north-eastern tip of Corsica, where the US had added four large runways to the small single runway used by the Germans before the island of Corsica was liberated by the Allies in October 1943. Borgo was a busy complex of airfields, accommodating military aircraft from the US, Great Britain and France. The 6 Squadron detachment became operational on the 11th May. An advance base was also set up on the small island of Vis, 60 kms SSW of Split and only 30 kms SW of the Dalmatian mainland and the occupied islands of Hvar and Brac. Though Vis was used by many aircraft for repairs and refueling on an ad hoc basis, the single runway and limited facilities meant that only six aircraft could be accommodated at any one time.
The 6 Squadron Hurricanes at Foggia straight away began to seek out enemy shipping in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea near the island of Cres, accompanied by Spitfires from 32 and 73 Squadrons. On the morning of the 3rd May, whilst attacking four armed schooners and a powerhouse at the port of Ploče, on the Dalmatian mainland east of the island of Hvar, the formation leader of the four Hurricanes and two Spitfires, Captain C G Leisegang, reported that he had been hit in the leg by Flak. With his Hurricane leaking Glycol, he had no alternative other than bale out over the sea. Another 6 Squadron pilot was flying nearby and reported the coordinates but he was forced to leave the area and make an emergency landing at Vis due to damage to his own aircraft and also being low on fuel. Though a search was mounted for Captain Leisgegang, nothing was found of him or his Hurricane, though his body was later recovered and eventually reinterred at the Belgrade War Cemetery.
Adding to the many changes happening to 6 Squadron over the past two months, there was a change in the commanding officer, with Squadron Leader James Hardie Brown DFC taking over from Wg Cdr Morrison-Bell as the current CO had reached “tour expired” status. Wg Cdr Morrison first joined 6 Squadron in June 1941 and was one of the original “tank-buster” pilots and the last to leave the squadron. He was also one of the first two “tank-buster” pilots who were shot down on the same day in June 1942. Sadly, Sqn Ldr Brown DSO DFC would be killed in action just three months after taking over command of 6 Squadron, when on the 27th August 1944 he was shot down by Flak whilst attacking the Siebel ferry just east of the island of Cres in Zavratnica Bay. In addition, all of the five Australian pilots at 6 Squadron were given notice of new postings, though a request was eventually granted for three to be kept at the squadron due to a lack of replacement pilots.
For the next two weeks 6 Squadron flew missions from Borgo, Foggia and Grottaglie, with Hurricanes from Borgo and Foggia targeting shipping in the Adriatic. From Grottaglie, various radar stations were targeted on the mainland, from Zadar in the north to Corfu in the south. Aircraft from various Spitfire squadrons accompanied 6 Squadron during that time, including Nos: 73, 249, 328 and 1435.
On the 22nd May 1944, 6 Squadron sent four Hurricanes to the island of Vis, from where it was planned for them to launch attacks on shipping around the five islands, accompanied by Spitfires from 253 Squadron which already had two aircraft based on Vis. By the end of the first day the Vis flight had attacked several enemy ships operating in the Adriatic in the region of Brac and the Podgorski Channel (now called Cherso Harbour) as well as striking strategic targets on the Dalmatian mainland. Sustaining no losses, it was hoped that the next day would prove to be just as successful, in the aim to restrict supplies reaching the islands of Brac and Hvar. Sadly, this was not to be the case.
On the following day, the Vis flight searched for enemy vessels in the vicinity of Brac. During an engagement with an armed schooner, P/O William Tye fired RPs from a range of 50 to 100 yards, striking the schooner amidships and “blowing away the superstructure and mast”. With the engine of his Hurricane hit by Flak and running roughly, he was told to return to Vis. The other three Hurricanes continued the attack, eventually sinking the schooner with RPs. In the process, F/O John Grey’s Hurricane was also damaged and he was forced to bale out after his engine failed, his parachute seen to open just before he hit the water. The two remaining Hurricanes returned to Vis where they were re-armed and re-fueled. By that time, P/O Tyre’s Hurricane was still missing from the morning’s mission, so they, along with two Spitfires from 253 Squadron, carried out an armed reconnaissance after first searching for the two missing airmen without success. The bodies of P/O William Tye and F/O John Grey were never found but their names are honoured on the Malta Memorial.
Four days later, on the 27th May, 6 Squadron lost another man when the commander of ‘A’ Flight in Borgo, Flt / Lt William Michael Brooke-Taylor, led four Hurricanes on a pre-dawn reconnaissance near Leghorn (Now called Livorno), 140 km NE of Borgo. After scoring hits on a tug towing a barge, Flt / Lt Brooke-Taylor’s Hurricane was seen to be losing speed by his wingman F/O R C Hooper, who lost sight of him when forced out to sea due to heavy mainland Flak. F/O Hooper continued with the search until obliged to return to Borgo for fuel. He resumed the search for his flight commander with two Spitfires from 327 Squadron but was unsuccessful and Flt / Lt Brooke-Taylor was officially declared ‘Missing In Action’. Immediately, Flt / Lt “Blondie” Walker assumed command of “A” Flight in Borgo.
Note: A few weeks later, 6 Squadron found out that Flt / Lt William Michael Brooke-Taylor had been rescued from the water by the Germans near Leghorn (Livorno) and seized as Prisoner of War. He was taken to the Dulag Luft (Oberursel) near Frankfurt, 1,000 km north of Livorno where he was held for interrogation for almost three weeks before being transferred to Stalag Luft III at Zagan in Poland, 700 km north-east of Oberursel. He arrived at Stalag Luft III on the 20th June 1944, three months after the mass escape of 76 POWs, a breakout immortalised in the movie ‘The Great Escape’. Brooke-Taylor remained at Stalag Luft III until the 28th January 1945 when the Russian Army had advanced to within 20 km of the camp. However, instead of being liberated by the Russians, all 10,000 POWs were immediately evacuated on the orders of Adolf Hitler, with the men being force-marched and taken by train deeper into Germany. After six days, Brooke-Taylor arrived at Stalag IIIA, located at Luckenwalde, 50 km south of Berlin and 200 km from Stalag Luft III. The camp was liberated by the Russian Army 11 weeks later on the 22nd April 1945 but the prisoners-of-war remained in the camp until the 20th May 1945 when they were repatriated to England. William Brooke-Taylor returned to his home in Bakewell, Derbyshire. It is not known if he returned to his studies as a law student but he married, remaining in Derbyshire until his death on the 10th October 1982.
From the 28th May to the 30th May, the Vis flight comprising four Hurricanes from 6 Squadron and two Spitfires from either 32 Squadron or 249 Squadron carried out several attacks along the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea on schooners (twelve in one attack alone) and Siebel ferries, the latter used as general landing craft by the German Wehrmacht during WW2.
Note: In reading the entries in the 6 Squadron Operations Record Book from the 29th March 1944 (the date of 6 Squadron’s first operation in Italy) and the 30th May 1944 inclusive, the night before the raid on Brac, there were in excess of 120 sorties flown by 6 Squadron’s Hurricanes from its bases at Grottaglie, Foggia, Borgo and Vis. Surprisingly, not one of those sorties involved engaging with enemy aircraft, though on occasion German warplanes had been sighted high above by observers on the ground. As it was the custom for the ground-attack Hurricanes of 6 Squadron to be escorted by the more maneuverable Spitfire, the lack of enemy fighters to contend with may have accounted for the fact that on several occasions the Spitfires accompanying the Hurricanes were armed with bombs.
Operation ‘Flounced’ in Brief
At 02.00 on the 1st June 1944, just three days before Rome was liberated by the American 5th Army, a Company of the Highland Light Infantry was landed at Brac, the mission being to knock out an observation post on Vidora Gora, the highest point on the island. Achieving this would enable the main attacking force to land on the south coast of the island without being detected. After getting into position, the ‘Jocks’ waited for the rest of the day until midnight when they made their attack. Though they succeeded in cutting the telephone lines, heavy losses made them retreat. In spite of this, the main force landed unobserved at 00.30 on the 2nd June after a short sea voyage from Vis on more than twenty warships and landing craft. The force landed in several locations and fierce fighting took place over the course of the day, with supporting air strikes carried out by the Hurricanes stationed on Vis. More forces were landed overnight and fierce fighting continued into the next day, the 3rd June, until at 06.00 when a complete evacuation of the island was carried out by the allied forces back to Vis. The bloody and costly attempt to seize control of Brac was over. Though the allied forces had failed to destroy the German Command Post, they had achieved the goal in convincing the Germans to maintain the strength of its military presence along the Dalmation coast.
6 Squadron’s Involvement in Operation ‘Flounced’
At 05.40 in the morning on the 2nd June 1944, four Hurricanes from 6 Squadron left Vis to attack gun positions on the island of Brac, in support of an allied raid underway by British commandos and Partisans. They fired rockets in a 40 degree dive but could see no guns through the smoke of the explosions. It was later reported that the target was in fact the German HQ. At 15.00 the same aircraft returned to attack the harbour at Supetar on the northern side of Brac. With no ships in sight, RPs were fired at the dockside buildings and warehouses.
At 12.45 on the 3rd June 1944, two Hurricanes from 6 Squadron at Vis were tasked with attacking two schooners that were unloading supplies at Sumartin on the eastern coast of Brac. When they arrived, no ships were seen, so they strafed the harbour and buildings. The two Hurricanes then flew to Supetar but saw no movement of shipping. The ground station on Brac then redirected them to three enemy gun positions on high ground in the middle of the island and they made twelve passes at 500 ft, firing RPs into woodland, all the while exposed to small arms fire from the ground.
At 15.50 on the 3rd June 1944, two Hurricanes from Grottaglie, 6 Squadron’s main base, were tasked with attacking a gun position on Brac. When they arrived they were unable to spot the guns but fired at the coordinates anyway. Later they were informed by commandos on the ground that the shots fell 15 yards from the guns.
Though the Hurricanes of 6 Squadron were extremely busy in the first week of June 1944, the above incidents are the only recorded actions that specifically involved 6 Squadron and the island of Brac.
Summary
6 Squadron Hurricanes were involved in the build-up to Operation ‘Flounced’ and the raid itself, both in attacking ground targets on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea as well as carrying out sorties against shipping from the squadron’s bases in Italy. However, no casualties were suffered by 6 Squadron during the two days of the actual raid, not on the island nor in the air. As can be seen in the main story on my website, four 6 Squadron pilots lost their lives during the months of May and June in 1944, so they are possible candidates for the memorial to 6 Squadron on Brac. With two of the men who died in known graves, it is more likely that the memorial atop of the highest point on the island is honouring the two 6 Squadron pilots who left Vis on the 23rd May 1944 for a reconnaissance patrol and lost their lives while taking part in the sinking of an enemy ship 160 km NW of Brac but whose bodies were never recovered. Their names were Flying Officer William Tye and Flying Officer John Neville Grey.
Though outside the scope of this document, there is a fascinating entry in 6 Squadron’s Operations Record Book for the 6th July 1944 stating that Flt / Lt A E Walker (aka “Blondie” Walker) led his flight of six Hurricanes from the aerodrome at Pescara and after joining up with four Spitfires from 32 Squadron “. . . . attacked and sank the Italian liner ITALIA which was moored alongside a quay in the ARSA Channel.” The Italia was the 45,000 ton flagship of the Italian Line, formerly the prestigious and luxurious ‘REX’ which held the westbound Blue Riband between 1933 and 1935. In examining the many Internet stories and videos regarding the sinking of the once famous ITALIA, there is no mention of 6 Squadron or 32 Squadron, though there is a general consensus that the ship was sunk by a combination of rockets and 20 mm canon fire, precisely the modus operandi of the 6 Squadron Hurricanes and the many Spitfire squadrons it worked with during the latter part of WW2. It is a shame that “Blondie” Walker is no longer with us to add weight to this claim.