Hurricanes attacking Heinkel head-on

RAF Squadron Leader David Pemberton begins a diving break after his head-on attack on a German bomber on 16 August 1940.

Pemberton, flying Hawker Hurricane MK1 P2751, which had the codes JX-L, led the dozen Hurricanes of No 1 Squadron in an attack on a wave of Heinkel He 111s over Surrey. He reported sending Heinkel He111P-4, G1+HP of 6/KG55, down "in flames", but his attack was followed up by Pilot Officer KT Lofts of 615 Squadron, and they are both credited with the victory.

Based at Chartres in northern France, the Heinkel was part of a raid to Feltham that was intercepted by British fighters. It turned out that the oil system had been hit, causing an engine to fail, and the bomber made a good wheels-up landing at Annington Barn Hill, near Bramber, at about 1715 - still carrying sixteen 50kg bombs.

Three of the crew were taken prisoner; another died at the time and the pilot died from his wounds three days later. After the bombs had been defused, the Heinkel was taken away on lorries. It was reassembled and put on display in Brighton.

What happened next: unknown to Pemberton there were two armour piercing bullet holes in his Hurricane's engine cowling. He came up to make a second attack - without seeing any results - whereupon his engine caught fire. He was getting ready to bail out when the flames subsided, and he was able to return to base at RAF Northolt.