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Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC Signed Naval Art
Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC
Byron Duckenfield started at Flying Training School on 25th November 1935 in a Blackburn B2 at Brough. As a Sergeant, he joined No.32 Sqn at Biggin Hill on 8th August 1936 and flew Gauntlets and Hurricanes. He joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on 11th April 1940, flying Spitfires, and on 5th May was posted to 501 Squadron flying Hurricanes at Tangmere. On the 11th of May at Betheniville, he survived a crash in a passenger transport Bombay aircraft in an aircraft in which he was a passenger, While comin ginto land the aircraft at 200 feet the aircraft stalled and the aircrfat fell backwards just levelly out as it histhe ground. 5 of th epassengers were killed when the centre section collapsed and crushed them. Duckenfield was fortunate as he had moved position during the flight. as the two passengers sitting each side of where he was sitting had died in the crash. (it was found later that the Bombay had beeb loaded with to much weight in the aft sectiion. ) recovering in hospital in Roehampton. On 23rd July 1940, he rejoined No.501 Sqn at Middle Wallop, then moved to to Gravesend two days later, scoring his first victory, a Ju87, on the 29th of July 1940. During August and September he scored three more victories. After a spell as a test pilot from 14th September 1940, he was posted to command 66 Squadron on 20th December 1941, flying Spitfires. On 26th February 1942 he took command of 615 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Fairwood Common, taking the squadron to the Far East. In late December 1942 he was shot down in Burma and captured by the Japanese. He remained a POW until release in May 1945. After a refresher course at the Flying Training School in November 1949, he took command of No.19 Squadron flying Hornets and Meteors from Chruch Fenton. After a series of staff positions, he retired from the RAF as a Group Captain on 28th May 1969. Duckenfield would write later his details :
Burma
At first light, 12 Hurricanes IIC aircraft of 615 Squadron, myself in the lead, took off from Chittagong for central Burma to attack the Japanese air base at Magwe, 300 miles away on the banks of the River Irrawaddy. Arriving at Yenangyaung, we turned downstream at minimum height for Magwe, 30 miles to the South and jettisoned drop tanks. Just before sighting the enemy base, the squadron climbed to 1200 feet and positioned to attack from up sun. On the ramp at the base, in front of the hangers, were 10 or 12 Nakajima KI - 43 Oscars in a rough line up (not dispersed) perhaps readying for take. These aircraft and the hangars behind them were attacked in a single pass, before withdrawing westward at low level and maximum speed. A few minutes later perhaps 20 miles away form Magwe, I was following the line of a cheung (small creek), height about 250 feet, speed aboput 280 mph, when the aircraft gave a violent shudder, accompanied by a very lound, unusual noise. The cause was instantly apparent: the airscrew has disappeared completely, leaving only the spinning hub. My immediate reaction was to throttle back fully and switch off to stop the violently overspeeding engine. Further action was obvious: I was committed to staying with the aircraft because, with a high initial speed, not enough height to eject could be gained without the help of an airscrew. So I jettisoned the canopy and acknowledged gratefully the fact that I was following a creek; the banks of either side were hillocky ground, hostile to a forced landing aircraft. Flying the course of the creek, I soon found the aircraft to be near the stall (luckily, a lower than normal figure without an airscrew) extended the flaps and touched down wheels-up with minimum impact ( I have done worse landings on a smooth runway!) My luck was holding, if one can talk of luck in such a situation. December is the height of the dry season in that area and the creek had little water, it was shallow and narrow at the point where I came down: shallow enough to support the fusalage and narrow enough to support wing tips. So I released the harness, pushed the IFF Destruct switch, climed out and walked the wing ashore, dryshod. The question may occur -Why did not others in the squadron see their leader go down? - the answer is simple, the usual tatctic of withdrawal from an enemy target was to fly single at high speed and low level on parallel courses until a safe distance from target was attained. Then, the formation would climb to re-assemble. Having left the aircraft, I now faced a formidable escape problem? I was 300 miles from friendly territory: my desired route would be westward but 80% of that 300 miles was covered by steep north-south ridges impenetrably clothed in virgin jungle; these were natural impediments, there was also the enemy to consider. Having thought over my predicament, I decided the best I could do - having heard reports of mean herted plainspeope - was to get as far into the hills as possible and then find a (hopefully sympathetic) village. I suppose I may have covered about 15 miles by nightfall when I came upon this small hill village and walked into the village square. Nobody seemed surprised to see me (I suspect I had been followed for some time) I wa given a quiet welcome, seated at a table in the open and given food. Then exhaustion took over, I fell asleep in the chair and woke later to find myself tied up in it. Next day I was handed over to a Japanese sergeant and escort who took me back to Magwe and, soon after that, 2.5 years captivity in Rangoon jail.
Sadly we have learned that Byron Duckenfield passed away on 19th November 2010.
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Byron Duckenfield at a signing session in 2010. |
Byron Duckenfield's Hurricane P3059 (SD-N) of 501 Squadron. |
Byron Duckenfield signing the print Quartet by Gerald Coulson at a signing session in February 2010.
Cranston Fine Arts extend our many thanks to Byron Duckenfield for spending the day (21/2/2010) signing a number of our art prints.
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| Text for the above items : |
Open Assault by Robert Taylor. The Junkers Ju87 Sturzkampfbomber, known to the British simply as the Stuka, had already acquired a deadly reputation across Europe, its siren screaming as the ungainly dive-bomber struck terror into the hearts of those below. In 1940 its pilots crossed the Channel with their grim-looking aircraft to terrorise the southern towns and ports of England. Robert Taylors painting Open Assault, depicts Hurricanes of 501 Squadron attacking a force of Ju87 Stukas as they dive-bomb naval vessels and installations in the port of Dover on 29 July 1940. High explosive bombs detonate within the sheltered anchorage as escorting Bf109s from JG51 race in to protect their lumbering charges. Four Stukas and two Me109s are despatched, for the loss of just one RAF aircraft. |
Ground Force by Ivan Berryman. Routine, though essential, maintenance is carried out on a 501 Sqn Hurricane at the height of the Battle of Britain during the Summer of 1940. Hurricane P3059 SD-N in the background is the aircraft of Group Captain Byron Duckenfield. |
Straggler's End by Ivan Berryman. Byron Duckenfield is recorded as having shot down a Stuka near Dover, but the exact circumstances are not clear. 501 Sqn did encounter Stukas in this area on a number of occasions - depicted here is a 501 Sqn Hurricane on the tail of a Ju.87. |
Spitfire! by David Pentland. Sussex Coast, England, 16th August 1940. For Donald MacDonald, Squadron leader of 64 Squadron, this particular day was fairly eventful. Catching the JG54 fighters and III/KG55 bombers on the coast, he personally accounted for one Me109E destroyed, another damaged, and a third probable. Continuing his attack he shared in the destruction of a He111P-2, and heavily damaged a second. |
Victory Above Dover by Ivan Berryman. Adolf Galland claimed his 16th victory on the afternoon of 25th July 1940 when Spitfires of 54 Sqn were bounced by Messerschmitt Bf.109s of Gallands III/JG26. A fierce battle ensued off Dover during which F/Lt Basil Wonky Way, flying R6707, found himself the subject of the great German aces attention, his stricken aircraft being observed to plunge into the sea after receiving numerous hits from the Bf.109s guns. F/Lt Way lost his life in the crash, presumed drowned. |
Merlin Roar by Anthony Saunders. The Hawker Hurricane powered by the powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine is shown in combat with Luftwaffe aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane played a major role in the aerial victory along with its companion the Spitfire. |
Last of the Luck by Ivan Berryman. Following a violent collision with a Bf.109 over northern France on 9th August 1941, Douglas Bader found himself trapped in the cockpit of his Spitfire, now missing its entire tail, as it plunged toward the ground. Only by releasing one of his artificial legs was he finally able to make his escape, leaving the leg behind. |
Hard Hitter by Ivan Berryman. Whilst in command of 609 Sqn in January 1944, F/Lt (later Wing Commander) J R Baldwin, leading a small formation of Hawker Typhoon 1Bs, encountered thirty Focke-Wulf Fw190s and engaged them in a furious battle. Nine enemy aircraft were shot down in the action, Baldwin accounting for two of them himself. He went on to finish the war as the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here, flying DN360 with the codes PR-A. |
Danger Over Dieppe by David Pentland. While on an early morning sortie over Dieppe to support the allied landing Operation Jubilee, the Hawker Hurricane IIc of Alex Thom sustained flak damage to its engine. Despite a severe oil leak he nursed his aircraft safely back to England where he made a successful forced landing. |
Byron Duckenfield by Brian Bateman. (P) A No.501 Sqn Hurricane pilot during the Battle of Britain, Byron Duckenfield later took command of No.615 Squadron, taking them to Burma where his Hurricane was shot down. Once captured by the Japanese, he spent more than two years in Rangoon jail. |
Charity by David Pentland. Malta, 22nd June 1940. Some 12 days after the air battle for Malta began, the recently raised ad hoc Gladiator flight claimed its first confirmed victory. Flt. Lt. George Burges, and Flg. Off. Timber Woods were alerted to a lone S.79 from 219 Squadriglia on a reconnaissance sortie. They managed to intercept the intruder over Valetta, and although Timber's first attack was unsuccessful, Burges in Charity shot off the Savoia's port engine sending it crashing into the sea at Kalafrana. |
41 Squadron Spitfires by Ivan Berryman. Spitfires of No.41 Sqn during the Battle of Britain. The lead aircraft is EB-J, flown by Sqn Ldr Maurice Brown. |
Douglas Bader by Stephen Doig. (P) No text for this item |
The Longest July by Ivan Berryman. Posted to 64 Squadron on 1st July 1940, the tragically short relationship of Sub Lt F Dawson Paul with the Spitfire was crammed with victories. He immediately shared a Dornier Do17 off Beachy Head and, just four days later claimed a Messerschmitt Bf.109. Further kills were confirmed over the next two weeks, among them five Bf.110s and another Do.17. His final victory was a Bf.109 on 25th, but on this day he fell to the guns of the German ace Adolf Galland. Dawson Paul was rescued from the English Channel by a German E-boat, but died of his wounds five days later as a prisoner of war. |
A Pickle for Pickering by Brian Bateman. (P) September 11th 1940. The 501 Squadron Hurricane of Tony Pickering dives through a formation of 300 German bombers as they head for London. Smoke begins to pour from his Hurricane as a German gunner hits his oil sump, forcing Tony to make a hasty escape from the doomed aircraft. |
No.615 Sqn Hurricane over Burma by Brian Bateman. (P) Hurricane Mk.IIc of 615 Squadron during late 1942 on a sortie over the Burmese jungle. |
Wounded Eagle by Ivan Berryman. Gerald Stapme Stapleton in his 603 Sqn Spitfire despatching the Bf109 of Franz von Werra of III/JG 3. |
Kerr's Last Combat by Ivan Berryman. Spitfire L1000 (DW-R) of No.610 Sqn is terminally damaged by an Me109 over Dunkirk on 29th May 1940. The Spitfire pilot, Flying Officer Gerald Kerr is listed is missing after this combat. |
Freedom Fighters by Simon Smith. A pair of Royal Air Force Spitfires fly over the hay fields of southern England as the farmers toil. A tranquil scene which will soon be spoilt with the German Luftwaffe aircraft as the Battle of Britain begins. |
Dornier's Demise by Ivan Berryman. Maurice Peter Brown damages a Dornier Do.17 in his 41 Squadron Spitfire on 30th September 1940. |
Lone Gladiator by Ivan Berryman. A Gloster Gladiator MkII of 247 Sqn is depicted patrolling off the Cornish coast in August 1940 during which time this squadron became the only one to operate the Gladiator in the defence of the South of England during the Battle of Britain. |
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