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I joined the RAF in 1935 and was selected for pilot training a year later. On completion I was posted to 32 Squardron in May 1938. This is an account of one patrol taken from my combat report and released by the Air Ministry to the author Graham Wallace who wrote the book "RAF Biggin Hill".

"While escorting a squadron of Blenheims over Arras, NO32 Squadron encountered a lone Henschel 126, a two-seater army co-operation machine. As the terrified partridge seeks to elude the hawk, the Henschel dropped to earth with Squadron Leader Worrall and Sergeant North diving after it. Twisting and turning at tree top height, the German tried desperately to shake off the two Hurricanes. After some minutes Worrall broke away and North fired a long burst at a hundred yards. The rear-gunner of the Henschel replied with tracer. North was closing to fifty yards when a violent explosion in the port petrol tank sent the Hurricane lurching sideways with smoke pouring into the cockpit. Too low to bale out or even lower the undercarriage, North had to belly-land in a ploughed field.

Without the roar and vibration of the Merlin engine it seemed deathly quiet; just the sinister crackle of flames and the fading sound of the squadron winging its way home to Biggin Hill. North felt all alone and, momentarilly, very afraid. He knew that he had landed about ten miles south-east of Arras, but had no idea if the town was still in the hands of the Allies. After making sure the Hurricane would continue to burn, he started walking to Arras and met a friendly farmer who told him that the Germans were barely a mile away, advancing towards the canal whose south bank North had reached. The other side, however, was still held by the French who had blown up all the bridges. Some miles farther on North came to a sluice-gate guarded by a handful of poilus, awaiting the moment when they could drown the greatest number of Germans. Arras had fallen and North was advised to make for Vimy. Tired and hungry, he arrived there at midnight and was thankful to find the British Army in occupation.

All night long the guns roared; the concussion of exploding shells and the vibration of tanks on the move made sleep impossible. At dawn North quit the hayloft where he had sheltered and set off in borrowed Army transport for Merville where he knew 79 Squadron had been based. The roads were jammed with an endless stream of refugees, many shouted brave words of encouragement in French when they recognised the Sergeant pilot's uniform, others spat and reviled him. North found the aerodrome at Merville abandoned, evidently in a great hurry for thousands of petrol tins, tool-kits, guns and boxes of ammunition littered the field. Sadly he wandered around, looking at the wrecks of Hurricanes belonging to 79 Squadron. He wondered if he would see Biggin Hill again.

From Merville North drove to St Omer where he met another sergeant pilot shot down four days previously. As they reached the aerodrome, a squadron of Dornier 215s flew over. North and his companion took to the woods and walked to an air-strip on the other side of St Omer, used by and army co-operation squadron. Here they were bombed by some Heinkel 111s. When an ammunition dump blew up only a hundred yards from their shelter, the two sergeants decided it was time to stop chasing the Royal Air Force and head for Calais. They entered the port at the height of a raid. The Luftwaffe had the sky to itself, unmolested by fighters or ack-ack fire. Next day North reached Dover on a destroyer, shaken by all the mines which exploded during the crossing. Forty-eight house after being shot down he reported back to Biggin Hill, convinced that the battlefield was no place for a fighter pilot".

On collecting my mail in the Sergeant's Mess I found an official looking envelope for my wife which had been sent from our temporary private address in Birchington-on-Sea. When she opened it she found it was the official letter of sympathy from the RAF confirming that I was missing. There cannot be too many pilots who returned to hand over the 'gone missing' letter to their spouses! A very special delivery.

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