HALLOWES, HJL (#14)
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#14
Wing Commander HJL ‘Jim’ HALLOWES DFC DFM* (c. 19+ e/a)
Royal Air Force
17th April, 1912 - 20th October, 1987
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Pilots of No. 43 Squadron RAF based at Wick, Caithness, standing in front of one of the unit’s Hawker Hurricane Mark Is.
Left to right: Sergeant J Arbuthnot, Sergeant R Plenderleith, Sergeant H J L Hallowes, Flying Officer J W Simpson, Flight Lieutenant Peter W Townsend [Signatory #12], Pilot Officer H C Upton.
On 3rd February 1940 Hallowes shared in destroying a He111, the first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil in the war. On 4th April he damaged a He111 and was surprised when it followed him down to the aerodrome at Wick. The pilot believed he was landing on water and after stopping he let go his dinghy and emerged from the aircraft, minus his boots, into the snow, only to be confronted by a soldier with a fixed bayonet. Both rear gunners were dead.
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First enemy aircraft shot shot down in England: “This Heinkel was first picked up by the Danby Beacon Chain Home system at 09.03hrs whilst sixty miles out to sea. Allied fighters were scrambled to intercept these aircraft flying at around a thousand feet and located them at 09.40hrs. This Heinkel had just made an attack on a trawler when it was intercepted by three Hurricanes piloted by F/Lt Peter Townsend (L2116) [Signatory #12], F/O Patrick Folkes (L1723) and Sgt Jim Hallowes (L1847) of 43 Squadron based at Acklington. Townsend made the first attack and damaged the HeIII’s starboard engine, his attack also killed one of the German crew, Uffz Leushake. Folkes was next to attack, his bullets also found their mark damaging the fuselage and hitting another German crewman in the stomach, Uffz Meyer, who later died from these injuries. Hallowes positioned himself clear but heading off any possible escape which the Heinkel’s crew may have hoped for. During the attacks that followed another airman, Uffz Missy, was shot in the leg, these injuries would later result in his leg being amputated. The Heinkel was by now severely damaged and was on it’s way down, the Luftwaffe pilot had no choice but to make a forced landing on land. The aircraft flew very low across Whitby and out into the countryside beyond. By all accounts it had been shot at until it was on the ground, where upon it ploughed through a snow covered field, a hedge and a tree and came to rest near the farm cottages at Bannial Flat Farm, Whitby. Locals had already started to follow the stricken bomber even before it was on the ground, it was apparently so clear that it would crash soon after. Unfortunately with one airman dead and the other dying soon afterwards it was the first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil.” (Yorkshire Aircraft)
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There are three They Were There signatories in this photograph: No 43’s last days with the Fury. (L to R) Sgt J Hallowes [Signatory 14]; Fg Off G Christie; PO Frank Carey (adjutant) [Signatory 27], Sgt J.I. Kilmartin [Signatory 35],; FO J Rotherham, C Hull; FL Pennington-Legh; FO Sullivan; FO Carswell, SL R Bain; FL F Rosier [Signatory 17]; FO J Simpson; FO P Folkes; FO P Cox; FO F Berry.
On 8th August Hallowes claimed two Me109’s destroyed, on the 13th a Ju88 and a Do17 destroyed, another Ju88 probably destroyed, and another damaged, on the 15th a Ju88 probably destroyed, on the 16th three Ju87’s destroyed, on the 18th another three and destroyed a He111 and shared another on the 26th. Hallowes was awarded the DFM and Bar (gazetted 6th September 1940).
Commissioned in September 1940, he was posted away on 18th December to 96 Squadron, then being formed at Cranage. He returned to 43 later in the month. In early 1942 Hallowes was with 122 Squadron at Scorton. He got a probable Fw190 and damaged another on 5th May, damaged a Fw190 on the 9th, got another probable Fw190 and damaged two others on the 17th.
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ROYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTER COMMAND, 1939-1945. (C 3193) Stills from camera gun footage taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark V flown by Sergeant Miroslav Liskutin [Signatory #130] of No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF, as he shot down a Dornier Do 217 over the English Channel, while on patrol over a convoy of returning vessels from the Dieppe raid. Copyright: © IWM C3193
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Flight Sergeant Robert Mehew “Zip” Zobell, from Raymond, Alberta, and a member of 401 Squadron, RCAF, returned from Dieppe with a wound on his forehead and his Spitfire damaged by enemy fire. According to the original caption, “his only complaint was that the medical officer would not allow him to fly during the rest of the day. ‘I missed a lot of fun,’ he said bitterly.” Photo: DND Archives, PL-10629
Sketches by B J Mullen of 4 Commando courtesy of Frank Sidebottom. His late father in law, Ben Clifton, served alongside the artist. Left to Right; Zero Hour, Through the German Minefield, Withdraw from Beach, Rescue of US Airman in Channel and Ben Clifton of 4 Commando, Ex York & Lancaster Regiment. (Source: Combined Ops)
Hallowes was given command of 222 Squadron at North Weald in June 1942. In August he took command of 165 Squadron and led it in the Dieppe operation on the 19th, destroying a Do217 and damaging another and on 8th November he damaged another Fw190. Hallowes was awarded the DFC (gazetted 19th January 1943). In October 1943 he took command of 504 Squadron at Peterhead.
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An Aerial Battle by Francis Dodd (6 September, 1940). “Artist Francis Dodd was born in Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art where he was awarded a travelling scholarship, venturing to France and Italy. He was commissioned as a war artist in both the First and Second World Wars and became a member of the Royal Academy in 1935. He lived in Blackheath, London, until his death in 1949. “a black cat sits on a garden wall seemingly unaware of the recent aerial dogfight which has taken place in the skies above. The aircraft themselves are not visible but their weaving white contrails reveal the tight manoeuvres made between the RAF Fighter Command and German Luftwaffe. Dodd’s scene conveys the simultaneous proximity and distance of the Battle of Britain; aerial combat is evident in the sky but life goes on below. History The RAF pilots who fought during the Battle of Britain were supported by thousands of servicemen and women on the ground. In this painting, numerous barrage balloons are shown floating above the trees. Operated by RAF Balloon Command, barrage balloons were used to protect cities from air attack. They forced German aircraft to operate at higher altitudes, reducing the accuracy of their bombing and bringing them within range of anti-aircraft guns.”
Hallowes was promoted to Acting Wing Commander in March 1944 and became Station Commander at Dunsfold. He stayed on in the RAF, in the Secretarial Branch, and retired on 8th July 1956 as a Squadron Leader, retaining the rank of Wing Commander. He went to work for the Ministry of Transport.
Hallowes died on 20th October 1987.” (Obituary via the excellent Battle of Britain London Monument website)
RAF 1940 Fighter Pilot (War Ministry)
Dieppe Raid (1942)
High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Jr. (9 June, 1922 – 11 December, 1941)
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.