Weather: fine.

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

  • Blenheim – 52
  • Spitfire – 200
  • Hurricane – 410
  • Defiant – 29
  • Gladiator – 9
  • Total – 700

Park realised the Luftwaffe was concentrating its attack on factories – particularly those producing aircraft. He therefore ensured that Brooklands where Hurricanes were manufactured and the Supermarine factory down near Southampton, which manufactured Spitfires, were both protected. The day proved he was right. Brooklands was the subject of a fierce attack but the squadrons were there to fend it off. No serious damage was done. Affording this protection was costly. During the day the RAF lost 23 aircraft from which 12 of the pilots were safe. A similar number of German aircraft were destroyed.

An intelligence report stated that a German soldier dressed in civilian clothes had been captured at Denton, Northamptonshire. He was carrying a wireless and had a British identity card.

73 Squadron Unofficial War Diary – 6 September, RAF Castle Camps
Another bright day and everyone looking forward to more hunting. About 0755 all our serviceable machines, seven in all, took off on a “scramble” to Gravesend. Contact was made near Maidstone. Blue Section, led by Mike Beytagh, waded into a pile of 109s. Chubby Eliot unfortunately was shot down, and is now in Twickenhurst Hospital after baling out, the nature of his injuries is not known. P/O Marchand got a fairly definite Me109 and gave us a bit of heart flutter when he failed to return. He landed at Tunbridge and had a bath and a shave. “Mike” also got a probable. Green Section did not make contact being too low.

Once again at 12.55 hrs nine machines, six from “B” Flight and three from “A” Flight. The order was to scramble Gravesend, and look for bandits at 36,000!! Then two other Squadrons were vectored on to 100 bandits. We did see a solitary EA but so high that white vapour was all we could make out.

No rest for the wicked! At 18.10 hrs nine machines scrambled for Chelmsford and were vectored out to sea. Nothing was seen, so Sergt. Webster is firmly convinced that there are no Hun aircraft left, he complains that he’s been with us three months and hasn’t seen an EA. Well, live and learn!! “A” Flight have been released, and we all went to sample the night life in Castle Camps, Helions Bumpstead, the nearby villages.

Cyril Shoesmith, 14 years old, Bexhill-on-Sea, Diary – Friday 6 September
Had 4 air raids today. In the 1st which was from 8.40am-10, I saw 9 planes. The 2nd was at 12.50-2. During this 3 “Spitfires” were seen and others heard. The siren sounded at 6.10pm and planes were heard. The “all clear” went at 7.17. At 9.50pm-1.10 there was a 4th raid. Planes came over and there were several heavy explosions.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 6th September 1940):

*  Enemy: 44 confirmed, 20 probable, 14 damaged
*  Own: 22 aircraft with 7 pilots killed or missing.

Todays’s theme: The Squadrons – 242 Squadron