30 Squadron RAF Association

The Battle of Ceylon

Eyewitness Recollections of 5th April 1942 By D A McDonald, then a 30 Sqn Pilot Officer, at Ratmalana

"We knew that the Jap fleet was out and bound for Ceylon a week before the raid.

"On Saturday 4th April we knew that the Catalina squadron had sighted the Jap fleet. We stood at readiness from about 2am on in bright, brilliant moonlight. About 6am half of us went for breakfast and we had just arrived back in front of the control tower when we heard engines roaring (overhead) and looked up to see formations of Japs (aircraft) coming over the tops of large cumulus clouds. We later found that the radar shut down regularly on Sunday mornings for maintenance. Apparently no one alerted them to the emergency.

"Why the Japs did not keep us on the ground I will never know. We took off in sections of two and never did have an opportunity to operate as a squadron unit. I took off flying number two to Flight Sergeant Paxton. We started into a cloud to gain height. In one clear spot I saw a line of T99 dive bombers. I broke off and attacked the last one in line. All our aircraft were loaded with straight ball type ammunition because a couple of weeks before, the 4E incendiary started to explode in one of our aircraft due to the intense heat, (when) sitting uncovered in the sun. I was not able to see whether I was hitting the Jap or not, but finally noticed some liquid pouring out from under his wing. I then looked around and saw two very nasty looking aircraft above me, rolling to attack. I figured that they would likely out-turn me so I dove for the deck hoping to outdistance them. I saw tracers going by each side of the cockpit and I was almost immediately covered with oil and glycol. By this time I was quite low and heading across the harbour, which was full of ships. Some of them - possibly all of them - took pot shots at me. I knew I would have to crash land and the Galle Face Green appeared to be my best bet.

Don and his wife review the 30 Sqn Memorial at Kanatte Cemetery during the Royal British Legion Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka in Oct 2002
"The next day we found that Flight Sergeant Paxton was in hospital, severely burned. The CO and Frank Bush went to see him. First he confirmed that the Jap I shot at went down in flames. He took one of the Zero’s off my tail, but was attacked himself and set on fire. He was ready to jump when another Jap flew in front of him. He stayed in long enough to shoot at him and then baled out. George Chater (the CO of 30 Squadron) asked him if there was anything he wanted and he said “A bottle of Scotch”. They arranged to get a bottle and took it back to the hospital. When they left Paxton was quite happy with his bottle. Unfortunately he died shortly after. Frank Bush drew picture of Paxton’s Hurricane on fire with him shooting at a Jap; I have often wondered what happened to it, along with the other pictures Frank painted.

"Before we landed in Ceylon a B17 Flying Fortress overshot the runway at Ratmalana and could not be flown out. It was sitting at the edge of the field without any engines. Apparently every Jap that attacked the field shot at the B17. After, we wondered how many B17’s were claimed as destroyed by the Japs that got back.

"Our communications system was very inadequate. The signal for the Squadron to scramble was for the control tower personnel to fire a Very pistol. That morning whoever was to fire the pistol was so excited that he forgot he was in the tower under the roof when he fired. Apparently it was pretty exciting for them dodging the flare. I believe that the only casualty among the ground crew was a chap standing under a palm tree being hit by a coconut shaken loose by a bomb blast.

"Flying Officer Cartwright was being chased by a Jap Zero. He was on the deck turning around trees when one wing hit a tree. Cartwright said that the aircraft cartwheeled three times and he ended up still strapped in his seat, but jammed back in the tail. He had a slight scratch on one shin, Cartwright was later OC “A” Flight from August 1942 to some time in 1944."