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767:! During this period we lost a lot of good pilots. Attacking the Germans at low-level meant no margin for error. If you were hit you had no time to bail out. German anti-aircraft fire was almost ever-present and we were particularly vulnerable when pulling up after an attack when you became a prime target for the German gunners. After firing my rockets I tended to stay low which worked to my advantage. We also saw the carnage on the ground at close quarters. There is no glamour in war.
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chaps had a bad time of it when
Hornchurch was bombed. Four of them were killed adding to the toll. With no time to grieve we just got on with our job. We had to, we were fighting for our lives, our freedom and that of the country. Despite the casualties, today, when I look back, I recall we also had
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forcing their way into the
American sector. The weather was awful and we were lucky to avoid collisions. Unable to locate the tanks we were ordered split into our individual squadrons and continue the armed reconnaissance. I spotted a train and led the attack. One of my rockets must have entered the
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It was a particularly intense period, moving from one makeshift airfield to another, carrying out regular ground-attack operations in support of the ground troops. Living conditions were very basic and we lived in tents most of the time when conditions were dependent on the weather. Nevertheless, we
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No. 603 Squadron lost 13 pilots during the summer of 1940 with many more seriously injured, most of whom were good friends of
Stapleton. These included Richard Hillary on 3 September, who was shot down, badly burned and wrote his book during recovery, and on 5 September one of the flight commanders,
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was punctured as I flew through the debris. I tried to nurse my aircraft back at low level but simply ran out of height. I force-landed about 2 miles inside the German lines and was taken prisoner. I was initially taken to a rear echelon platoon HQ and from there, ironically by train, to the
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which, unlike my first attack, was possible to confirm. During my dive from altitude I spotted a
Spitfire at about 6,000 feet diving vertically, half inverted, towards the ground, its tail shot away. I then spotted a lone 109 in the same airspace as an RAF pilot descending by
448:. On 16 October 1939, Stapleton's squadron intercepted the first German air raid on the British Isles, during which the first enemy aircraft of the Second World War were shot down. During this raid Stapleton shared two German bombers shot down in the estuary of the
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and had only fifteen hours on
Spitfires while Laurie Cunningham was experienced with over 160 hours. Neither knew what hit them. On our last patrol of the day we were bounced again and Pilot Officer Noel Benson was shot down. Almost certainly killed instantly by
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I was fortunate in many ways not least of which I was never wounded and only shot down once when, on 7 September, my
Spitfire was hit in combat with 109s. Having escaped the melée I managed to nurse my damaged aircraft back over the
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In 2002 an authorised biography was published (co-written by David Ross) in which
Stapleton recounted his wartime experiences. They both also attended many commemorative functions. Ross also wrote a biography of Richard Hillary.
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in 2007, for the next two seasons the Flight's
Supermarine Spitfire IIa, P7350, which fought in 603 Squadron during the Battle of Britain will carry the letters XT-L, Stapleton's personal aircraft.
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on the West
African routes until 1948 when he returned to the United Kingdom. Later Stapleton emigrated to South Africa, where he had a number of very different jobs, including in
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fire, 'Broody' had over 160 hours on type. He had been so eager to get at the
Germans but never had the chance. Experience didn't really count for much when you were bounced.
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385:, he features. Without doubt he was one of the real 'characters' to survive the war and to many the quintessential image of a Battle of Britain fighter pilot, complete with
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Flight Lieutenant Fred 'Rusty' Rushmer, who was killed. But it was not all bad news as Stapleton, 603 and the RAF were scoring kills and inflicting heavy losses on the
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in combat on the 31st was a blow to the whole Squadron. He was my closest friend and the brightest character in the Squadron. We had shared sunny days with the kids at
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In January 1946 he received notification he had been awarded the Dutch DFC for his leadership of 247 Squadron throughout Operation Market Garden, conferred by Queen
599:) during World War II and return to Germany. On 7 September the Luftwaffe changed tactics and began bombing British cities. On that day, Stapleton was shot down,
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468:. This was during the critical phase of the battle, when the fighter airfields were being attacked. Pilot attrition was high, as 603 found out the next day.
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great fun. It was an exciting time and we made the most of our opportunities to live it up. We tended to treat each occasion as if it were our last
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For the first period of the Battle of Britain, 603 Squadron remained in Scotland. On 27 August 1940, 603 were sent south to join 11 Group based at
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603 Squadron arrived at Hornchurch from Scotland on 27 August and were embroiled in the action the very next day, losing three pilots killed.
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In January 1939 he signed up for a short service commission with the RAF, and following pilot training, and after a short period flying
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Laurie Cunningham died when we were bounced by 109s whilst still trying to gain a height advantage. Macdonald was on his first
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in a field. I flew low over the site. The German was soon apprehended, initially by the unarmed cook from the local
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Luck finally ran out for me on 23 December 1944. As part of a force of 16 Typhoons from 247 and 137 Squadrons at
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In the early months of the war, Scotland endured many German bomber raids mainly targeting the shipyards of the
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intermittently so as not to overheat the engine, gradually losing height in the process as I neared the
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did they turn onto the heading given by the controllers towards the enemy but still the losses mounted.
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Stapleton left 603 Squadron in April 1941 and served in various units, including flying 'Hurricats' (
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On 23 December 1944 Stapleton was forced to land behind enemy lines and became a prisoner of war.
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to that given by the controllers after take-off. Only when he believed they had gained sufficient
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striking his aircraft and I closed in. I remember at one stage being concerned that there was a
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made the most of it and the spirit was good. On that note, not only did we drink the local
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countryside. As I fired short bursts he attempted to shake me off but I could see my
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made him one of the outstanding pilots of that battle and he was revered as one of
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code B.6, northern France in August 1944. Initially the squadron helped close the
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Stapme: The Biography of Squadron Leader Basil Gerald Stapleton DFC, DFC (Dutch)
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During the same patrol in which Rusty lost his life, I managed to shoot down a
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South African recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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in which we had been fighting for our lives just a short time before!
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on 15 November 1940 and in December the unit returned to Scotland.
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where I remained until May 1945 when I was repatriated as part of
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fighters converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts) with the
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in my line of fire. He had nowhere to go but down and eventually
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A short time after the war Stapleton learned that the pilot was
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just weeks earlier. During the day while we were airborne, our
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910:'Aces High, Shores and Williams, (Grub Street 1994), page 564
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Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain
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To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the
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No. 247 Squadron provided aerial support throughout the
585:, whose exploits were made famous in the book and film
842:He left the RAF in April 1946 and went to work for
642:parked close-by. As I approached I was joined by a
620:-garden. On climbing out of my aircraft I slid the
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
718:forces moved inland, so they followed: from B.6 –
1037:Pub: Grub Street Publishing, London (22 Jul 2002)
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504:, employed a system of climbing on a reciprocal
646:-pilot who had landed by parachute in a nearby
1111:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
795:, we were ordered to seek out 15-plus German
888:List of World War II aces from South Africa
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804:as there was a terrific explosion and my
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
624:shut and turned to look for the nearest
409:, Stapleton was educated in England, at
1106:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
1096:South African World War II flying aces
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433:night fighters, he was transferred to
1121:British World War II prisoners of war
16:South African World War II flying ace
921:"Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton"
844:British Overseas Airways Corporation
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435:No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron
341:(12 May 1920 – 13 April 2010) was a
49:adding citations to reliable sources
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1126:British expatriates in South Africa
632:in the gateway to the field, their
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867:Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
650:. The couple offered us a cup of
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696:No. 247 (China-British) Squadron
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379:'s contemporaries in whose book
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36:needs additional citations for
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662:. What a contrast to the
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817:. I was then taken to
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45:improve this article
952:The Daily Telegraph
925:The Daily Telegraph
658:but to the nearest
387:handlebar moustache
1101:Shot-down aviators
479:Don Macdonald and
345:(RAF) officer and
60:"Gerald Stapleton"
547:Messerschmitt 109
481:Flight Lieutenant
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373:Battle of Britain
367:published in The
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56:Find sources:
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34:This article
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929:. Retrieved
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678:Other duties
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369:Daily Mirror
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325:Basil Gerald
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264:Battles/wars
185:(2010-04-13)
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1071:2010 deaths
1066:1920 births
714:but as the
712:Falaise Gap
608:, applying
572:searchlight
529:ground crew
357:during the
347:fighter ace
163:12 May 1920
145:Nickname(s)
1060:Categories
899:References
393:Early life
192:Allegiance
159:1920-05-12
71:newspapers
1012:24 August
931:24 August
873:Biography
825:, on the
815:Frankfurt
811:Oberursel
789:Eindhoven
732:Eindhoven
722:to B.68 (
708:beachhead
684:Hurricane
656:aerodrome
552:parachute
539:Luftwaffe
364:Just Jake
351:Spitfires
349:who flew
333:Stapleton
307:(brother)
301:Relations
987:24 April
959:23 April
882:See also
860:Botswana
838:Post-war
806:radiator
757:Calvados
720:Coulombs
644:sergeant
610:throttle
574:battery!
525:Tarfside
510:altitude
431:Blenheim
355:Typhoons
254:Commands
200:Service/
148:"Stapme"
101:May 2013
1116:The Few
856:Dakotas
813:, near
802:firebox
648:orchard
606:Channel
564:village
506:heading
215:1939–46
85:scholar
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852:Herons
744:Arnhem
724:Amiens
716:Allied
640:saloon
634:Austin
630:picnic
622:canopy
597:Canada
560:tracer
490:cannon
485:patrol
415:Totnes
399:Durban
329:Stapme
286:Awards
202:branch
166:Durban
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848:Doves
823:Barth
797:tanks
761:Zippo
728:Glisy
614:coast
466:Essex
446:Clyde
419:Devon
403:Natal
318:pilot
235:41879
170:Natal
92:JSTOR
78:books
1031:ISBN
1014:2013
989:2013
961:2010
933:2013
854:and
700:Wing
637:Ruby
626:road
556:Kent
353:and
316:BOAC
240:Unit
220:Rank
180:Died
153:Born
64:news
734:).
660:pub
652:tea
618:hop
593:PoW
464:in
437:at
413:at
338:DFC
47:by
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