Donald Nijboer reveals the history of Britain’s first jet fighter and its battles against Hitler’s ‘doodlebugs’.
SECOND WORLD WAR | FIRST RAF JETS
It was 2 August 1944 and the pilots of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron were anxious to test their new secret weapon against Germany’s latest aerial assault. Poor weather severely curtailed all operations and only four anti-V-1 flying bomb patrols had been attempted since the squadron traded its Spitfire VIIs for its new mount – the Gloster Meteor jet. They would not have long to wait.
