August 1940 story
Flip Moran has been killed, horribly burning to death and there is an awkward moment when his family arrive at the aerodrome and ask to see the body. The squadron's generally poor standard of marksmanship becomes apparent and Intelligence Officer Skelton is skeptical about the numbers of enemy planes it is claiming to shoot down. Skelton is appalled when Moggy refuses to show any remorse when a Spitfire he has bailed out of crashes into a town, killing four civilians. Fitz is killed in action and, in her grief, his pregnant widow Mary begins lurking around the edge of the aerodrome, which the other pilots find disturbing. Zabarnowski is killed, followed by Gordon. On 7 September, the German air-force stages a massive raid on London and every available RAF fighter squadron is flown into action. Hornet squadron has only five Spitfires left intact and Barton, Patterson, Moggy, Haddy and Hart fly into battle. They inflict heavy damage on the enemy but suffer in return. Haddy is the first to be killed. Hart pursues a crippled German fighter but decides to spare it, only to be shot down by another from behind. Hart's parachute catches fire and he plummets to his death. Moggy shoots down three German planes, getting the third right over his own aerodrome, but is surprised and killed from behind by another. Barton and Patterson are the only two survivors. A postscript describes how the battle on 7 September marked a turning-point in the Battle of Britain and the aerial campaign soon ended in defeat for the Germans.
12 total · 1 choice · 4 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | choice | The episode is set in the early part of the Second World War and tells the story of a squadron of Spitfire pilots as they take on the German Luftwaffe. Featured is Hornet Squadron defending England from regular attacks by the German Luftwaffe. |
| coping with a massive loss of comrades | major | Hornet Squadron suffered heavy casualties. The surviving members were completely demoralized. In the end, Barton and Patterson were the only two surviving pilots. |
| life in late modern Britain | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the Second World War. The story focuses on Hornet Squadron engaging the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| military related work | major | The viewer is shown what it might have been like to serve in the air force of the United Kingdom in the early stages of the Second World War. The story focuses on Hornet Squadron engaging the formidable German Luftwaffe. |
| the horrors of war | major | A point of the story is to contrast the jovial pre-hostilities behavior of the Hornet Squadron heroes, and their hangers-ons, with the morally devastated and somber lot who remained alive some time after the Battle of Britain had begun in earnest. In particular, at the end of the story every pilot of the original Hornet Squadron had been killed and only new recruits remained. |
| civilians suffering in war | minor | A Spitfire that Moggy had bailed out of crashed into a town, killing four civilians. |
| coping with the death of a spouse | minor | Mary went into denial upon being informed of her husband Fitz' near-certain death. In grief, Mary began spending her days at the airbase, as if waiting for Fitz' miraculous return. |
| delivering bad news | minor | Kellaway made a personal visit to Mary's flat to break the sad news that her husband, Fitz, was missing and almost certainly dead. |
| denial | minor | Mary went into denial upon being informed of her husband Fitz' near-certain death. In grief, Mary began spending her days at the airbase, as if waiting for Fitz' miraculous return. |
| human mental condition | minor | Gordon, despondent after losing his wife in a strafing run, was formally assessed for fitness to serve. |