The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. T G Oldfield
 

Sergeant Pilot Trevor Guest Oldfield, joined No.92 Squadron (call sign ‘Ganic’) at RAF Biggin Hill in mid-September 1940, having spent the previous few weeks with No.64 Squadron at RAF Leconfield in Yorkshire to gain operational experience on the Supermarine Spitfire.

The youthful 21 year old Trevor had originally joined the Auxiliary Air Force in early 1938 serving as an Aircrafthand/Air-gunner at RAF Kenley with No.615 ‘County of Surrey’ Squadron. A year later Trevor elected to change his trade to qualify as an armourer and with the onset of war he was called up to full-time service in August 1939. He was evidently recognised for his ability and earned a recommendation for pilot training and soon began his ab-initio training at No.5 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Meir near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. In early August 1940 Trevor completed his flying training and was awarded his pilot wings brevet, and soon afterwards was posted to convert to fly Spitfires at an Operational Training Unit.

Sgt Oldfield is recorded as having flown on his first operational sortie with No.92 Squadron during the late afternoon of Saturday 21st September 1940, but the patrol proved uneventful. On Thursday 26th September, Sgt Oldfield accompanied Pilot Officer Allan Wright on a patrol over Tenterden at around 16:00 hours, in which they stalked a Dornier Do17 that kept dodging in and out of cloud before P/O Wright put in a sustained burst of fire at very close range. Their prey disappeared into cloud, but P/O Wright submitted a claim for a destroyed Dornier.

The action for ‘Ganic’ Squadron began early on the following morning of Friday 27th September with a ‘Scramble at 08:45 hours, but in the ferocious combats that ensued, the Squadron lost Flight Lieutenant ‘Jimmy’ Paterson and Flight Sergeant Charles Sydney, both tragically killed when shot down by enemy fighters.

Just before midday, No.92 Squadron were scrambled again and Sgt Oldfield flying as Green 4, found himself in the unenviable position of ‘weaver’. The following is taken from Sgt Oldfield’s subsequent combat report:-

"I was Green 4 detailed to weave above the Squadron formation. When in the Canterbury area I was weaving approximately 1000 feet above the Squadron when the Squadron split up and engaged the enemy. (Me.109’s). Owing to my being above the Squadron I was able to turn sharply to the left and attacked a Me.109 from quarter astern. I saw pieces fly off the enemy aircraft near to the wing roots after I had given him a 3 second burst. I had only time to see him half roll and dive away before I spun out. I could not see whether the aircraft crashed but about 2 minutes later I saw someone making a parachute descent "

After the Squadron had returned from the patrol, the weary pilots hastily sought a steaming mug of tea and something to eat, whilst the Squadron Intelligence Officer pestered them for their respective accounts of the combat. The consensus among the pilots was that as no one else could stake a claim to having ‘bagged’ an enemy fighter, the individual making a parachute descent must have been Sgt Oldfield’s victim. The young fighter pilot had broken his ’duck’.

Barely on the ground for more than 90 minutes since landing from the last patrol, there was scant opportunity for any lengthy rest for the pilots of ‘Ganic’ Squadron as the order came through from ‘Ops’ for yet another Squadron ‘Scramble’. Sgt Oldfield once more jumped into his trusty Spitfire coded R6622 and he along with ten others from the Squadron zoomed off at 14:45 hours to gain height to patrol above base.

In the ensuing interception of a formation of Junkers Ju88’s and the inevitable high-flying Messerschmitt fighter-escorts, the Squadron managed to gain a good number of claims against the Junkers – but only nine Spitfires of No.92 Squadron returned to Biggin Hill at around 15:50 hours. Eventually one of the missing Spitfires appeared but was in a spot of bother and it crash-landed, though gladly the pilot was unhurt. Sgt Oldfield however, never returned.

The Squadron later learnt that their missing young Sergeant Pilot had fatally crashed onto Hesketh Park in Dartford at about 15:15 hours, after presumably becoming a victim of the German fighter-escorts. Some witnesses on the ground professed that the brave RAF pilot had stayed with his doomed fighter to avoid the houses. Sgt Oldfield had no chance of escape in the ensuing crash as the Spitfire wrecked itself across the park, with parts of the aircraft scattering widely. The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine ended up in a nearby front garden of a house situated along the adjacent Park Road.   

Latterly making a typed copy of Sgt Oldfield’s combat report, the Squadron Intelligence Officer had to add a sad but explanatory footnote:-

“Sgt Oldfield was killed in the engagement which took place at 1445 hours later in the day”

There was never time for Sgt Oldfield to proudly sign his combat report for his first ‘kill’. The Messerschmitts had exacted quick revenge.

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On 27th September 2007, exactly 67 years to the day of his tragic loss, a memorial to Sergeant Trevor Oldfield was unveiled at Hesketh Park by the Shoreham Aircraft Museum (see the 2007 news page here).

TO THE TREASURED MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SON

SGT.PILOT TREVOR GUEST OLDFIELD

KILLED IN ACTION

SEPT. 27TH 1940. AGED 21 YEARS

NOT JUST TODAY, BUT EVERY DAY IN SILENCE

WE REMEMBER

Dean Sumner: September 2007