M.L. Hulton-Harrop, 1939, War Grave, North Weald, RAF
Pilot Officer
M.L. Hulton-Harrop (Montagu Leslie)
Pilot
Royal Air Force (56 Sqdn.)
6th September 1939 Age 26
In memory of John.
"Gone to the singing
And the gold
Beyond the end".
Service nos: 40116
Son of Cyril Charles Montagu and Edith Priscilla Hulton-Harrop of Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
He was the first fighter pilot to be killed in WW2, shot down by a Spitfire!. www.removablemedia.com/northweald/battleof1.htm
(Cgwc)
On 6th September, 1939, a technical fault at the RDF station at Canewdon, compounded by a series of mistakes within RAF Fighter Command's fighter control system, led to friendly aircraft being plotted as an incoming raid. No. 56 Squadron (Hawker Hurricanes) were scrambled to intercept this 'phantom' raid, only to be plotted as hostile in their turn. Further squadrons were now scrambled and, tragically, a section of 72 Squadron (Supermarine Spitfires) misidentified two Hurricanes of 56 Squadron as Messerschmitt Bf 109's and shot both of them down, one pilot (Pilot Officer M. L. Hulton-Harrop) being killed. 'The Battle of Barking Creek', as the events of 6th September were later to become known, led to a wholesale review of RAF Fighter Command's plotting system.
M.L. Hulton-Harrop, 1939, War Grave, North Weald, RAF
Pilot Officer
M.L. Hulton-Harrop (Montagu Leslie)
Pilot
Royal Air Force (56 Sqdn.)
6th September 1939 Age 26
In memory of John.
"Gone to the singing
And the gold
Beyond the end".
Service nos: 40116
Son of Cyril Charles Montagu and Edith Priscilla Hulton-Harrop of Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
He was the first fighter pilot to be killed in WW2, shot down by a Spitfire!. www.removablemedia.com/northweald/battleof1.htm
(Cgwc)
On 6th September, 1939, a technical fault at the RDF station at Canewdon, compounded by a series of mistakes within RAF Fighter Command's fighter control system, led to friendly aircraft being plotted as an incoming raid. No. 56 Squadron (Hawker Hurricanes) were scrambled to intercept this 'phantom' raid, only to be plotted as hostile in their turn. Further squadrons were now scrambled and, tragically, a section of 72 Squadron (Supermarine Spitfires) misidentified two Hurricanes of 56 Squadron as Messerschmitt Bf 109's and shot both of them down, one pilot (Pilot Officer M. L. Hulton-Harrop) being killed. 'The Battle of Barking Creek', as the events of 6th September were later to become known, led to a wholesale review of RAF Fighter Command's plotting system.