Weather: rain in the north, scattered showers in the south.

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

  • Blenheim – 53
  • Spitfire – 240
  • Hurricane – 396
  • Defiant – 22
  • Gladiator – 7
  • Total – 718

The weather restricted activity this day. Nevertheless there were small raids on Oxford and Southwold. There was also reconnaissance over Hatfield and Northolt airfields.

Later bombs were dropped on oil installations on Pembroke Docks. In the afternoon there were small raids on Manston and Eastchurch. There were also raids on a convoy off East Anglia.

Due to the difficult weather, 11 Group Squadrons had limited success during their interceptions. The RAF flew 450 sorties and lost 2 aircraft but shot down 6 German aircraft. Amongst these latter was the first success by one of the Polish squadrons, 302(P), which shot down a Ju88.

54 Squadron Operational Record Book – 20 August
Score to date – 69 destroyed, 41 probable, 27 damaged.

PO DH Wissler Diary – 20 August
I took off from Debden at about 10.15 and flew to Tangmere. I navigated my way ok but being on the coast this wasn’t very hard. Tangmere is in a shocking state the buildings being in an awful shambles. Several 1000lb bombs having fallen. We were put to 30 mins at 1, and did nothing for the rest of the day. The dispersal hut is most cozy and puts outs at Debden to shame.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 20th August 1940):

*  Enemy: 7 confirmed, 4 probable, 5 damaged.
*  Own: 3 aircraft of which two pilots are safe.

Todays’s theme: Historical Documents – Obituary of Pilot Officer W.L.M. Fiske, The Times, August 20th 1940