F/L Henry M "Mike" Ferriss (left) of No 111 Squadron RAF waits at readiness outside a caravan on dispersal at RAF Wick, Caithness alongside Hurricane Mk I JU-K sometime during February-May 1940.
On Saturday 18 May No.111 Squadron’s “A” Flight moved from Vitry to Lille/Marcq and was ordered off at 1525 hours in conjunction with No.253 Squadron’s “B” Flight to escort a Blenheim raid. En route to Valenciennes they encountered nine Bf 110s of ZG 26. Flying Officer ‘Mike’ Ferriss was flying in Hurricane L1822 as Yellow 1. He attacked the Bf 110s head-on with a three second burst from his guns. Ferriss later reported: “Front of e/a [enemy aircraft] collapsed and it dived out of control. A further three second burst was given in a beam quarter attack and pieces fell out of port engine. Aircraft spun down out of control. Crew baled out but as they were over enemy territory, I shot them both.”
Ferriss then attacked a second Bf 110 from astern at 300 yards range closing to 200 yards. He scored hits to the port engine and the enemy machine dived out of control with smoke pouring from its damaged engine. Ferriss engaged a third Bf 110 with a long burst of six seconds and reported that he saw pieces break away from one engine before it issued volumes of black smoke. The enemy dived into cloud and out of sight. Ferriss was not finished. He went after a fourth Bf 110 and expended the rest of his ammunition and scored hits. On the way back to Lille he was bounced by two Bf 110s, but they soon left him alone when he performed feint attacks at them.
He was awarded a DFC on 21 June for 7 recorded victories.
On 13 August he shot down a Dornier 17 and damaged another. Two days later he claimed another Dornier as probably destroyed.
At 1245 hours on 16 August, Ferriss attacked a formation of Dornier 17s in a head-on attack over Marden but he collided with one of the enemy bombers. Ferriss was killed and his Hurricane R4193 crashed on Sheephurst Farm. The Dornier he hit belonged to KG 76, which crashed at Moatlands, Benchley, Paddock Wood.
Flight Lieutenant Henry Michael Ferriss, DFC, is buried in St Mary’s churchyard, Chislehurst in Kent. He was a brave pilot who demonstrated great ability and fighting spirit in combat.
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http://intotheswarm.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/mike-ferriss.html)
(Photo source - © IWM (CH 106)
Daventry, Bertrand John Henry (Flight Lieutenant)
Royal Air Force official photographer
Colour by RJM