Around now, exactly 80 years ago today, these gentlemen sat or stood outside the Officer's Mess for a photograph to honour the return of their Station Commander, Squadron Leader George Lott, to @MuseumTangmere: he'd been recovering having lost an eye in combat on July 9th, 1940.

"From left, standing: P/Os HC Upton, AEA van den Hove dÉstsenrijk (Belgium), and D Gorrie; seated, from left, P/O s Frank Carey [Signatory 27] (adjutant), F/L J.I. Kilmartin [Signatory #35], S/L George Lott, F/L RC Reynell and S/L CB Hull DFC (South African)"

Three hours later, Reynell and Hull were killed in action.

Richard Carew Reynell was born in Reynella, Australia on 9 January 1912 & educated @BalliolOxford, @UniofOxford. Attached to 43 Squadron at Tangmere, he claimed a Me109 on 2 September. He baled, wounded, but his parachute failed to open and he fell dead...
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Reynell.htm

His great @commonwealthsec chum, who died trying to protect Richie Reynell, was a @SouthAfrica legend, "the laughing warrior", Caesar Hull, a man beloved by his friends, family - and dogs, too.

This was a war that brought the Commonwealth together in extraordinary ways, and for extraordinary tasks...

(Poster copyright @I_W_M)

The outpouring of affection for Caesar Hull still resonates today...

On Remembrance Day, 2013, at the site of the crash - the former Purley County Grammar School, now @coulsdoncollege - a Memorial sculpture to Caesar was unveiled...

Present were Caesar's sister and brother-in-law, distinguished @RoyalMarines Commando Captain Gerald Bryan CMG CVO OBE MC (who fought at the Litani River Crossing) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/04/04/captain-gerald-bryan-obituary/, both 92, were there, alongside @BritishArmy & @RoyalAirForce representatives, to remember.

My father, who had also been a fighter pilot in 43(F) - "the Fighting Cocks" - was also there, and recalled his reputation as an "effervescent bloke, always looking out for the young squaddies"...

Battle of Britain by Paul Nash (1941)

© IWM Art.IWM ART LD 1550

Yesterday, 80 years ago, looked a bit like this in London: "An Aerial Battle Battle of Britain, 6 September 1940" by Francis Dodd.

© IWM Art IWM ART LD 485

Here's Caesar with Group Captain Peter Townsend CVO, DSO, DFC & Bar - who was well known before @TheCrownNetflix...

And here's Townsend again. 'Sgt. J Arbuthnot, Sgt. R Plenderleith, Sgt. HJL Hallowes, F/Lt. JWC Simpson, S/Ldr. PW Townsend, P/O HC Upton'. (Upton is also in the photo at the top of this thread)...

But let's get back to 80 years ago, around now - the boys are still an hour or so away from that fatal scramble. George Lott is "not fit" for service, but will one day become Air Vice Marshal George Lott, CB, CBE, DSO, DFC - his diaries can be found at http://www.georgelottsairforce.com/ 

According to his son, his greatest regret in life was not scrambling, one-eyed, along with his men...

Later - hopefully, for who knows what might happen in three hours time? - I'll pick up the tale from the scramble... Meanwhile, a reminder that "the first blow, aimed at crushing the British spirit, came on September 7th..."