Weather: another dull day.

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

  • Blenheim – 67
  • Spitfire – 237
  • Hurricane – 331
  • Defiant – 20
  • Total – 659

The day was relatively quiet with just a few desultory attacks both in the Channel and the North Sea. There were 253 sorties during which the RAF lost 1 fighter and managed to shoot down 2 Luftwaffe aircraft.

PO DH Wissler – Diary, 17 July
The weather was filthy again this morning so we stayed in bed as long as possible. We did nothing all day although “A” flight were called to readiness about lunch time. We are going to lose S/L Mcdougal as our CO today, in place S/L Williams, and first impressions of the latter aren’t good. We all went to the Mead Hall and a terrific party ensued. Everyone got plastered and I did not get to bed until 2, having helped bring the ex-CO home.
(Reproduced with kind permission of the Imperial War Museum and Copyright holder)

Today’s theme: Top Gun Gallery – Alan Deere