The Hardest Day 18th August 1940

Lest we Forget

The Battle of Britain will be remembered as one of the largest military campaigns of the Second World War in which the Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Luftwaffe, Germany's air force.

Whilst this ran between the 10th July to the 31st?October with many crucial turning points, the history books would deem the 18th August 1940 'The Hardest Day'?

On this day the Luftwaffe launched an all-out aerial attack to destroy RAF Fighter Command along with our fighter airfields flying 850 sorties involving 2200 aircrew. The RAF resisted with equal vigor flying 927 sorties involving 600 aircrew.

With rumours of war abound, the twenty-year-old Alexander Girdwood was eager to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. It was here he became an ‘Airman’ in name and began training to be a pilot at Prestwick in Scotland. Called into active service on 1st September 1939, the same day that Nazi Germany invaded Poland and initiated WW2, Girdwood entered Flight Training School to polish his technique and fine-tune his skills.

Posted to RAF Hendon on the 17th May 1940, where the historic 257 Squadron was about to reform, he was one of the first arrivals alongside two other freshly trained Sergeant Pilots. 257 Squadron was battle-ready with Hawker Hurricanes and fully operational by the 1st July

During one sortie Sgt "Jock" Girdwood was shot down and bailed from the plane in those final moments, P3708 entered an ever steeper and faster dive, lasting just over 30 seconds before she plunged into the soft soil of Nazewick Farm on the northwest corner of Foulness Island. The contents of her tanks erupted in an orange and yellow mushroom, quickly resolving into a pall of black smoke. But apart from leaving a blackened and smoldering crater, there were few fragments to tell of the aircraft that had crashed there.

Like so many brave and valiant men and women, Sergeant Pilot Girdwood served his country and paid the ultimate sacrifice at 22 when he was tragically killed in combat over North Weald airfield on 18th August 1940