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Squadron Leader Jefferson Heywood WEDGWOOD (37645) DFC and Bar
92 (East India) Squadron Royal Air Force Date of birth: 28th May 1917 Date of death: 17th December 1942 Killed on active service aged 25 Buried at Malta Naval Cemetery Officer’s Section Row E Collective Grave 4
Jefferson Heywood Wedgwood was born at 42 Regents Park Road, London on the 28th of May 1917 the only son of Jefferson Wedgwood and Mary Heywood (nee Jones) Wedgwood of “Wenonah”, Aldwick near Bognor Regis in Sussex. He was educated at Holyrood School, Bognor Regis and at Lancing College where he was in Sandersons House from May 1931 to 1935. He was a member of the Cricket XI in 1934 and 1935, the Boxing Team from 1932 to 1935 and the Hockey XI in 1934. He was appointed as a House captain in 1934 and became a Prefect and Head of House in 1935. He gained his School Certificate in 1934. He went on to the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell where he began his flying career on the 6th of January 1936. On leaving he was granted a short service commission as an Acting Pilot Officer on probation in the Royal Air Force 9th of March 1936 being confirmed in that rank on the 6th of January 1937. On the 21st of March 1936 he was posted to No. 5 Flying Training School at Sealand. On the 11th of October 1936 he was posted to 65 Squadron at Hornchurch and on the 15th of April 1937 he was posted to No. 2 Air Armament School based at North Coates, Fitties. He was married on the 4th of April 1938 at St Richard’s Church, Aldwick to Ruth May (nee Cloekte) and they had a son, Jefferson C., who was born at his grandparent’s home on Aldwick on the 29th of December the same year. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 6th of July 1938 and moved to the Staff at RAF Lee-on-Solent on the 3rd of September the same year. He was later posted to 65 Squadron. On the 31st of October 1939 he was posted to 12 Group Pool (later 5 Operational Training Unit) at Ashton Down where he served as an instructor. He also spent a period as a test pilot for the development of one of the Spitfire variants. On the 3rd of June 1940 he was landing in Spitfire Mk 1 K9814 when he collided with Gladiators K7943 and K7951 on the ground; his aircraft was damaged beyond repair. On the 18th of June 1940 he was posted to 253 (Hyderabad State) Squadron based at RAF Prestwick in Scotland operating Hurricanes where he became known by the nickname “The Colonel”. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 6th of July 1940. On the 30th of August 1940 the squadron moved south to RAF Kenley to join the Battle of Britain. Later that day he returned to base in Hurricane Mk 1 P3412 with severe damage from 20mm cannon fire inflicted during an engagement with Messerschmitt 109s over Dungeness at 5.20pm. He was unhurt and the aircraft was repairable. On the 1st of September 1940 he took off from Kenley at 1.30pm, as the leader of A Flight, in Hurricane Mk 1 P5179 as one of nine aircraft from the squadron. Soon after takeoff they were vectored towards Dungeness and where they saw a formation of one hundred and fifty enemy aircraft ranged between 15,000 and 22,000 feet over Ashford. The enemy formation was estimated as being made up of fifty Dornier 215's and Heinkel 111's escorted by one hundred Me109's and Me110's. The squadron attacked the bombers but were forced away by their escorts and returned towards their base where they encountered another enemy formation. During the subsequent action Jeff Wedgwood claimed to have damaged a Dornier 215 before landing back at base at 2.20pm. On his return to base he filed the following combat report: - "I was leading Red Section flying on the right in Squadron Vic. We were vectored from Base on to 120 degrees Angels 15 later Angels 20. We did a squadron attack from the quarter to beam out of the sun. I fired 3 two second bursts at a Dornier 215 and apparently silenced the gunner. I was forced to take evasive action from ME.109's. Later I heard over the R/T that the base was being bombed so I climbed up round and came down out of the sun on to a formation of bombers slightly to the west of the aerodrome, probably Dornier 215's. I put in 3 two second bursts in to one and observed small fragments break off the bomber. I was again forced to take evasive action from ME.109's" On the 4th of September 1940 he took off from Kenley at 1.05pm, leading A Flight in Hurricane N2588 as one of nine aircraft from the squadron and was ordered to patrol Croydon at 8,000 feet. They sighted a formation of twenty to thirty enemy aircraft at 8,000 feet, to the south of Brooklands airfield and climbed to 12,000 feet from where they dived down to engage them. During this action Jeff Wedgwood claimed to have shot down a Me 110 Jaguar with a ten second burst of fire at 1.36pm. He landed back at Kenley at 1.45pm where he filed the following combat report: - "I was leading Red Section flying in the right hand section in squadron vic, with one section in echelon starboard. On sighting 20-30 Me110's or Jaguars bombing Brooklands Aerodrome, I took my section and turned off slightly from the squadron and took the rear and highest section of Jaguars. I got onto the tail of Jaguar and started firing at about 250 yards and closed to point blank range, the enemy caught fire, climbed steeply for a second and then crashed into a wood. Previously I had observed Sgt. Dredge (Green 3) attack and destroy another aircraft. The one I attacked crashed close to his." In all the squadron claimed six enemy aircraft as having been destroyed with a further aircraft damaged. On the 9th of September 1940 he took off from Kenley at 5.45pm in Hurricane N2588 to patrol above the airfield and over Biggin Hill below the cloud at 6,000 feet. An enemy formation of seventeen bombers with a fighter escort was seen through a gap in the clouds at 15,000 feet and the squadron were ordered to climb to 14,000 feet to engage with them. During the climb they were vectored onto a bigger formation of thirty four Ju88 fighter bombers at 15,000 who were being shadowed by a large number of fighters gathered some five miles away. The Hurricanes climbed to 16,000 feet where they attacked the bombers, forcing the formation to disperse and the enemy bombers to jettison their bomb loads as they turned and headed for the coast. A second attack on the bombers was prevented by enemy fighters but the squadron claimed five Ju88's as destroyed. He landed at 6.10pm. On the 11th of September 1940 he took off from Kenley in Hurricane N2588 at 3.15pm with nine other Hurricanes as the leader of A Flight with orders to orbit the base at 5,000 feet. Shortly after takeoff they were vectored on a course of 090 degrees for Dover and ordered to climb to 20,000 feet to intercept an incoming raid. At 16,000 feet, between Maidstone and Ashford, they sighted thirty Dornier 215's and Heinkel 111's accompanied by some fifty Me109's and Me110's as a fighter escort. As the squadron passed through 17,000 feet they turned and attacked the bombers leaving three in flames and others seen smoking badly. Jeff Wedgwood claimed to have damaged a Dornier 215 at 3.45pm having fired four bursts of five seconds from a range of 250 yards, closing to 50 yards and, after landing safely at 4.35pm, he filed the following report of the action: - "I was yellow leader flying in the starboard section of the squadron vic. On sighting the E/A he squadron was put into echelon starboard, sections in line astern. I attacked a Do 215 and before I broke away I observed black smoke pouring from its port engine. Later I observed three Do 215's on fire and coming down rapidly also about five enemy airmen descending by parachute, one parachute being on fire." During this action the squadron claimed two Me109's and three Dornier 215's as destroyed with one He111 as probably destroyed and with one Me110, one Do215 and 2 He111's as damaged. On the 24th of September 1940 he was posted to the Flying Flight of the Czech Depot at Cosford to act as an instructor and arrived there on the 10th of October. On the 21st of October he was posted to 8 Flight Training School. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 1st of September 1941 and in January 1942 he was appointed as Officer Commanding 92 (East India) Squadron based at Digby which was about to move to the Middle East. They departed for the Middle East in February and arrived at Fayid in Egypt in April 1942. The squadron had no aircraft when they arrived and were attached to 80 Squadron to gain operational experience. On the 27th of July 1942 he shot down a Ju87 and damaged a Me Bf109. On the 14th of August he shot down another Me Bf109. On the 14th of August he took off with the squadron at 6.50am in Spitfire Mk VC R4756 in order to provide an escort to some bombers who were returning from a raid on Fuka. During the mission he claimed a Messerschmitt 109s as destroyed to the north of Alamein. He landed at 8.05am.During the rest of the month of August 1942 he damaged four more Me Bf109s and shot down two more, one of which was on the 19th of August when the squadron was providing top cover to the Hurricanes of 274 Squadron and 1 Squadron, South African Air Force over the front at El Alamein. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 2nd of October 1942 and the citation read:- “In August, 1942, whilst patrolling the battle area, this officer led his squadron brilliantly in an attack against a superior number of enemy fighters. Despite the odds, Squadron Leader Wedgwood so disposed his squadron that, during the combat, at least 4 enemy aircraft were destroyed and several more were damaged. Throughout, this officer who, in the fighting, shot down a Messerschmitt 109F, displayed great tactical ability. Squadron Leader Wedgwood has always set a most courageous example. He has destroyed at least 6 and damaged many more hostile aircraft.” On the 1st of September 1942 he took off with the squadron at 2.40pm in Spitfire Mk VC R476 for an offensive sweep over the battle area. The mission ended in what the squadron operational diary describes as a "Stuka party" during which he damaged four more Me Bf109s and a Ju87 before landing back at base at 3.50pm. On the 9th of October he took off with his squadron at 9.34am in Spitfire Mk VC R476 for an offensive sweep of the Fuka area. During the mission he claimed two Messerschmitt 109s as destroyed and returned to base at 11am. On the 22nd of October 1942 he took off with the squadron in Spitfire Mk VC R476 for an offensive sweep of the forward battle areas and claimed one Messerschmitt 109F as destroyed before landing safely at 12.14pm. On the 29th of October 1942 he took off with his and another squadron at 9.55am in Spitfire Mk VC R476 as No. 2 to Wing Commander Long for an offensive sweep in the Daba area. While at 15,000 feet near Alamein the formation engaged a number of enemy fighters and he claimed a Messerschmitt 109s as destroyed, his thirteenth and final victory. He landed at 11.05am. As a result of his continued success he was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 5th of February 1943. The citation read:- “Since being awarded the DFC this officer has destroyed a further four enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to thirteen. He has displayed great coolness and determination in his attacks against the enemy, and has continued to lead his squadron with skill and courage.” He served with 253, 80, (operating Hurricanes) and 92 Squadrons (Spitfires) and was officially credited with thirteen victories of which three were shared. On the 2nd of December 1942 he handed over command of the squadron as his tour of duty had finished. He was returning to the UK, and was on board Halifax Mk II DT542 NF-Q of 138 Squadron, which took off from Luqa in Malta bound for Gibraltar. The aircraft crashed just after takeoff between Il-Bajjada and Ta'San Girgor, on the edge of Zejtun at 4.05am killing all of the seventeen passengers and crew on board. There is some speculation that the aircraft was the victim of "friendly" anti-aircraft fire. The crew was:- Flying Officer Krzysztof Leon Dobromirski (Pilot) Flying Officer Stanislaw Pankiewicz Flying Officer Zbigniew August Idzikowski Flight Sergeant Alfred Edmund Kleniewski Sergeant Roman Wysocki Sergeant. Alexander Clubb Watt (Flight Engineer) Flight Sergeant Oskar Franciszek Zielinski The passengers were:- Major, (Lord Apsley) Allen Algernon Bathurst DSO MC TD 1st Gloucestershire Hussars Leading Aircraftman Cyril Dennis Browne Ground Crew, 138 Squadron Royal Air Force Leading Aircraftman Richard Clegg Ground Crew, 138 Squadron Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Jefferson Heywood Wedgwood DFC and Bar 92 Squadron Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Peter Earle 462 Squadron Royal Air Force Corporal Douglas Sidney Hounslow Ground Crew, 138 Squadron Royal Air Force Aircraftman 1st Class Stanley Edward Kelly 244 Wing Royal Air Force Major Arthur David Curtis Millar Indian Army Sergeant Dennis Spibey Ground Crew, 138 Squadron Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Leonard Arthur Vaughan DSO DFC 40 Squadron Royal Air Force He is commemorated on the Battle of Britain Memorial in London.

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