SQUADRON LEADER BG "STAP ME" STAPLETON OBITUARY

This refers to one of the pilots of Spitfire N3196 (see previous post) and is reproduced by kind permission of the Daily Telegraph.  The photograph was given to me locally but, if you can convince me that the copyright is yours, I will gladly credit you.

The Telegraph

April 2010

Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton, who has died aged 89, was one of the outstanding RAF fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain.



Tall, blond and sporting a splendid handlebar moustache, Stapleton was the epitome of the dashing fighter pilot. As the Battle of Britain opened in July 1940, he was flying Spitfires with No 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron and saw action off the east coast of Scotland. He shared in the destruction of two German bombers before his squadron moved to Hornchurch in late August as the Battle intensified.

Within a few days Stapleton had engaged the enemy fighter force escorting the Luftwaffe's bombers, and was credited with probably destroying two Messerschmitt Bf 109s. By the beginning of September No 603 was one of the most heavily involved squadrons, and Stapleton accounted for a Dornier bomber on September 3 and a Bf 109 two days later – the latter flown by Franz von Werra, who later became famous as "The One who Got Away", being generally regarded as the only Axis PoW to escape from Canada and make it back to Germany.

On September 7 Stapleton's Spitfire was hit by enemy fire, but he managed to force-land his badly damaged aircraft. A young couple having a picnic in an adjacent field gave him a restorative cup of tea before driving him back to his airfield.

On September 15 (Battle of Britain Day) Stapleton shot down a Dornier bomber and damaged a fighter. By the end of the Battle on October 31, he had destroyed two more Bf 109s and probably a further three. On November 11 he gained his final success when he shot down a Bf 109 over Ramsgate. A few days later he was awarded a DFC.

During that summer of 1940, 13 of his colleagues were killed and others seriously wounded – including his friend Richard Hillary (later the author of The Last Enemy), who was badly burned.

When reflecting on the Battle in later life, Stapleton observed: "Despite the casualties, when I look back, I recall we also had great fun. It was an exciting time and we made the most of our opportunities to live it up. We tended to treat each occasion as if it were our last."

Basil Gerald Stapleton was born in Durban, South Africa, on May 12 1920 and educated at King Edward VI School in Totnes, Devon. He entered the RAF on a short service commission in January 1939 and, after a brief spell flying Blenheim night fighters, joined No 603 Squadron.

It was while he was with 603 Squadron that Stapleton got his nickname, "Stapme". It derived from the exclamation habitually uttered by the newspaper cartoon hero "Just Jake" whenever he spotted an attractive girl. Much to the irritation of his flight commander, Stapleton would pin the daily cartoon strip to the squadron's notice board.

In March 1941 Stapleton was rested, but he soon volunteered to fly Hurricanes catapulted off the deck of a merchant ship sailing with the North Atlantic convoys. He completed four trips without seeing any action before embarking on a second tour of operations as the flight commander of a Hurricane squadron (later Typhoon), flying bomber escort operations over France.

In August 1944, after a period as a gunnery instructor, he was put in command of No 247 Squadron, operating from advanced landing grounds in Normandy – where he discovered ample supplies of Calvados; he not only enjoyed drinking it, but also found it effective fuel for paraffin lamps and his Zippo lighter.

He soon arranged for the squadron intelligence officer, an excellent artist, to paint a logo on the nose of his Typhoon. It showed a Nazi swastika topped by a burning eagle – the result of a strike by a 60lb rocket in the centre of the swastika. He named it "Excreta Thermo", but the more prudent intelligence officer did not include this wording in case Stapleton crash-landed in enemy territory. In the event, this proved a wise decision.

Stapleton flew his first operation on August 27, when his rocket-firing Typhoons attacked barges on the river Seine. Within days, No 247 started heading eastwards to occupy abandoned German airfields as the Allied armies advanced towards Paris and Brussels. Stapleton and his pilots attacked enemy transports and armour against fierce anti-aircraft fire.

On September 17 the squadron was briefed for "a very important task": the support of the airborne operations at Nijmegen and Arnhem. Stapleton led the initial attack by eight Typhoons against German gun positions threatening the British Second Army's advance along the road to Eindhoven.

Over the next two days Stapleton led more formations against the enemy, but bad weather forced some sorties to be aborted. The squadron then moved to Eindhoven, where the Typhoons landed between the bomb craters.

After a rowdy night, when much champagne was consumed, his Jeep ran out of fuel returning from the officers' bar and he had to jump clear as the following vehicle failed to stop in time. Stapleton hit his head on the kerb and needed eight stitches above his eye.

For the next two months Stapleton led many formations against gun emplacements, road and rail traffic and ferries before the German Army launched its counter-attack in the Ardennes on December 17. For days the weather prevented any flying; but finally it cleared sufficiently for eight Typhoons to carry out an armed reconnaissance sortie on December 23.

Despite still dreadful weather, Stapleton pressed on and attacked a train at low level with rockets; but the flying debris from the exploding steam engine punctured the radiator of his Typhoon and his engine failed. He was fortunate to find an area of open farmland in which to make a forced landing.

He had come down two miles on the wrong side of the battle lines and was taken prisoner. He was taken to Stalag Luft I, and remained a PoW until May 2, when the camp was liberated by the advancing Russian Army.

On January 1 1946, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands awarded Stapleton a Dutch Flying Cross for his part in the operations at Arnhem. A month later he left the RAF, believing that he would not fit in with a peacetime air force.

Stapleton joined BOAC, flying West African routes for three years before returning to South Africa. There he spent six years as a technical representative with Dunlop, then seven years as works engineer with Sprite Caravans. Whilst living in Botswana he escorted tourists on photographic safaris in southern Africa before returning to Britain in 1994.

To many people Stapleton was one of the real "characters" to survive the war. His favourite aircraft was the Spitfire, and when a colleague described it as "beautiful and frail, yet agile, potent and powerful" Stapleton responded: "I always wanted a lady like that."

He was a great supporter of the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and in 2007 one of the Flight's Spitfires carried his personal markings. He was also a regular at many Battle of Britain commemorative events; but his greatest devotion was to the No 603 Squadron Association. With his flamboyant ties, large floppy hat and luxuriant moustache, he was immensely popular at the many events he attended.

A biography, Stapme by David Ross, was published in 2002.

Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton died on April 13. He is survived by his wife, Audrey, a son and his elder brother, Air Vice-Marshal Deryck Stapleton. A second son predeceased him. 

SPITFIRE N3196 AT KILN PIT HILL

Supermarine Spitfire N3196 had an illustrious career that almost outshines the men who flew it!  What follows is a description of its working life from its first flight on 27th November 1939 through its delivery to 41 Squadron on 14^th April 1940, to its final destruction in a crash at Kiln Pit Hill on 25^th April 1943.

It was built at the Supermarine factory at Woolston, Southampton and had its test flight on 27^th November 1939, finally being delivered to 27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire on 2^nd January 1940.  After extensive testing it was delivered to 41 Squadron at RAF Catterick, Yorkshire on 14^th April 1940.

On 26^th April 1940, whilst returning from a patrol, the plane struck a sector light and damaged its undercarriage which in turn caused it to crash land and overturn.  The pilot, Sgt Isaac E Howitt, was unhurt in the incident.  However the aircraft was badly damaged and had to be dismantled and returned to the factory, at Hamble, Hampshire, for repairs on 5^th May 1940.

After repair, on 26^th August 1940, it was sent to 9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford, Shropshire who in turn allocated it 603 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch on 3^rd September 1940 from where it was to take part in the Battle of Britain.  Only four days later it was in the thick of the fray, piloted by Sgt (later Squadron Leader) B G “Stap Me” Stapleton when it was badly shot up by a Messerschmidt Bf109.  He nursed it back over the Channel and crash landed in a ploughed field near Sutton Valence  in Kent.  He achieved a score of 6 kills, 2 shared kills, 8 probables and 2 damaged – several of them in this aircraft.  However, the aircraft was salvaged and returned to the Hamble factory for repairs just three days after the accident.

After the war he wrote the following:

".......During my dive from altitude I spotted a Spitfire at about 6,000' diving vertically, half inverted, towards the ground, it's tail shot away. I then spotted a lone 109 in the same airspace as an RAF pilot descending by parachute. I latched onto the German and pursued him at low-level over the Kent countryside. As I fired short bursts he attempted to shake me off but I could see my tracer striking his aircraft and I closed in. I remember at one stage being concerned that there was a village in my line of fire. He had nowhere to go but down and eventually force-landed in a field. I flew low over the site. The German was soon apprehended, initially by the unarmed cook from the local searchlight battery!"

This relates to the well supported, but unproved, story that he was the one who shot down Leutnant Franz von Werra – the only German POW ever to escape from British custody (in Canada) and make it home.  This was the subject of the Hardy Kruger film “The One That Got Away”.  He was not officially credited with the kill but he was flying this aircraft at the time.

On 8^th April 1941 it was re-issued to 57 Operational Training Unit at RAF Hawarden, Flintshire where it appears to have suffered unknown damage which caused it to be returned to the factory yet again.  In September 1942 the unit moved to RAF Eshott in Northumberland and, in December 1942, it suffered further damage but was quickly repaired and back in action.

On 9^th April 1943, piloted by an Australian, Sgt Theo Gilson Ross, the plane crashed, and was totally destroyed, at Fairley Farm, Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland; the pilot was killed and is buried in the churchyard of St Mary at Stamfordham in Northumberland.

In a private publication, Alan Storr – a former WW2 Australian airman – wrote the following:

On the 9th April 1943, Spitfire N3196 took off from RAF Ouston to carry out a day flight training. During the flight the aircraft was engaged in a height climb, and was last seen doing aerobatics, Eye witnesses were of the opinion that the Pilot executed aerobatics at no great altitude and finally stalled for reasons unknown. The aircraft crashed into the sea near Fairlie Farm, Shotley Bridge, one and a half miles west of Whittonstall, Northumberland, and the Pilot was killed.”

The report is otherwise accurate, but I have no idea where he got the idea that the plane crashed into the sea!

SPITFIRE BL817 FL-G at DAISY HILL - F/Lt HUSBAND

On 13^th May 1942 a Spitfire of 81 Squadron, BL817, was doing aerobatics over County Durham when his engine failed at 2,000 feet and he plummeted towards the ground.  The pilot recovered control at 25 feet and managed a crash landing at  Daisy Hill near Medomsley. 

The aircraft was taken to 45 MU (maintenance unit), Kinloss, Moray for repairs.  In the final analysis, the aircraft was written off as unrepairable but no blame was attributed to the pilot.  He was a Canadian, Sgt Douglas Franklin Husband, who went on to become an Ace – scoring 5 kills and credited with a one third share in damaging another enemy aircraft.  He was also to become an Officer and won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was born on 5^th November 1920 in Toronto, Canada.  He arrived in Britain in September 1941 and was posted to 81 Squadron.  He moved on to 401 Squadron before being discharged, alive and well, on 2^nd June 1945.  He had also been promoted to Flight Lieutenant at this stage.

Douglas Franklin Husband (J17192) was awarded his DFC as an acting Flight Lieutenant; this was reported in The London Gazette of 26th January 1945 whilst he was serving in 401 Squadron RCAF.

The citation for his DFC reads:   “This officer is now on his second tour of operations, having completed his first tour in Africa where he destroyed one enemy aircraft and assisted in the destruction of a second. Flying Officer Husband joined this squadron on June 4th, 1944. His ability and daring were soon recognized by his fellow pilots and his eagerness to attack the enemy both in the air and on the ground, no matter what the odds, was admired by all.

Flying Officer Husband's devotion to duty, regardless of the task, has been an inspiration and an example to the other pilots in the Wing.”

During the first three months of the invasion he destroyed another enemy aircraft, and through his persistent attacks against ground targets destroyed or damaged over 50 enemy vehicles, often against extremely heavy flak opposition. During the hectic days of the Arnhem parachute dropping operations, he destroyed a further two enemy aircraft on one sortie, bring his total number of aircraft destroyed to 4 1/3. Latterly, this officer has been engaged in dive-bombing railway communication and ground staffing locomotives, which are among the most heavily defended enemy targets. However, his fearlessness and dauntless courage have again come to the fore and he pressed home his attacks with absolute disregard for his personal safety, achieving remarkable results.

My thanks to Steve Brew and Allan Hillman for pointing out two of my errors (which have now been corrected). 

SURPRISING AUDIENCE

It’s nice to know that people here are reading my blog but who would believe that this local stuff would have a much wider interest.  A recent report shows that it has been viewed in Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Singapore and the United States!

De HAVILLAND MOTH DH60G - G-ABRD - AT KNITSLEY

Lieutenant Colonel Hereward Sprot was a distinguished former soldier who retired and became a partner in the family business, Sir S A Sadler Ltd, which was a coal company who operated several mines between Consett and Bishop Auckland.  This company held the mines right up until nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947. Hereward Sprot was also a licensed pilot. 

His younger son, Samuel Edward Sprot, known as Ted, was a Pilot Officer in 607 Squadron RAF; he was gazetted as such on 29^th August 1934.  He gained his pilot’s licence, No 10445, on 6^th May 1932.  He was just 22 years old when he died. 

His older brother, Alexander Sprot, was a licensed civil pilot and a mining engineer who worked for the family company.  The original family name was Sadler but was changed by Deed Poll on 17^th January 1931.  This was done for inheritance purposes after the death of Hereward Sadler’s mother in law in a car accident – she had only daughters – on New Years Eve 1930.  Her husband, Sir Alexander Sprot MP had collapsed in the House of Commons on 4^th February 1929 and died four days later.

The total inheritance was £6,658.00 which wouldn’t buy you a new car today.  However, that much money, in 1931, was worth just under £320,000.00 in terms of today’s spending power!

According to local reports, and the Operational Record Book of 607 Squadron, on the evening of 24^th April 1935, they were flying on a civilian De Havilland Moth DH60G G-ABRD out of Cramlington (Newcastle Airport at the time), piloted by Alexander.  He made a low pass over Woodlands Hall at Knitsley, Consett, Co Durham to wave at their father and sister in the grounds below.  The aircraft stalled during a low pass over the grounds and Alexander lost control and crashed killing his brother and badly injuring himself.

The distressed family moved on to Colepike Hall at Hollinside near Lanchester and later to St John’s Hall, Wolsingham – both in County Durham.

The remnants of the aircraft were kept and it was eventually rebuilt and was subsequently purchased by Brooklands Flying Club and operated by its subsidiary, the South Coast Aero Club at Shoreham, Sussex until 23^rd June 1940 when it was impressed for war service in the RAF.  It went first to 46 MU (Maintenance Unit) at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland.  It then went to 8 RAF Gunnery School, as a target tug, at RAF Evanton, Easter Ross, Scotland on 14^th May 1941.  The only reference after that is “Probably written-off in accident” on 11^th August 1942.  During its military career it was re-registered as AW134.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a photograph of this aircraft.