The Sea Shall Not Have Them

During the early evening of July 27, 1943, Wg Cdr Dal Russel led the Spitfires of 411 and 412 Squadrons on a ‘Rodeo’ sortie to Poix, in northern France. Crossing the French coast at Ault they pursued an enemy aircraft that could not be caught. However, as the formation began to head for home, the aircraft flown by 412’s CO, Sqn Ldr George Keefer, developed a glycol leak causing the engine to seize; he was forced to bale out into the Channel five miles off France.

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