Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry 264 Squadron - Mosquito operations - locomotives destroyed


Returning to operational duties, Alington joined 264 Squadron, a Mosquito unit, on 21 March 1943. After a short period familiarising himself with the ‘Wooden Wonder’, he began flying Ranger sorties over enemy territory, one of which, on 11 May, prompted him to observe in his logbook, ’passed two 190s at opps, they went on! Met two more and had a mild dog fight, fired quite a bit of ammo but missed all the time. Collected one bullet hole in port wing. Made cloud cover and returned to base.’ Another Ranger sortie on 22 May was more productive, ‘No aircraft seen. 7 locos attacked. 3 blew up. 4 severely damaged.’


‘Instep 184’ - Biscarosse Lake raid - Bar to D.F.C.


The following month, Wing Commander Alington led a team of his four most experienced mosquito crews on the highly successful ’Instep 184’ raid on the German seaplane base at Biscarosse Lake on the Bay of Biscay, France. Departing from R.A.F. Predannack in Cornwall on 20 June 1943 at 2015 hours, Alington, in company with Flying Officer E. E. Pudsey, Squadron Leader L. T. Bryant-Fenn, Flying Officer J. L. Mason and their respective navigators approached the target at 2217 hours, having between them already destroyed an airborne Blohm und Voss 138 encountered en-route. Identifying the shapes of moored aircraft on the lake, the Mosquitos of 264 Squadron then began to systematically strafe the stricken seaplanes with cannon fire. The secret Final Intelligence Report of the raid (Alington’s original copy with lot) describes the action on the lake from the perspective of each pilot in some detail, with Alington in Red 1 orchestrating proceedings and also very much partaking:


‘Red 1 had headed towards the two aircraft farthest from the Hangars and, as he did so, saw Cannon tracer going down towards these aircraft which were in front of him. He called out to say he was coming in from the East and then saw two large E/a beam on to him. He opened up with cannon fire from approximately 600 yards on the nearer aircraft aiming a little high. Strikes were seen all over it and a fire started. He pulled up his nose to get his sights on the further one and again fired seeing strikes all along causing flames. He pulled up to the left and, looking back, saw both aircraft which he had attacked burning nicely.


...After Red 1 had pulled up to the left he had noticed that the flak was becoming unpleasantly accurate so he dodged and climbed to the level of the cloud which was 5/10 at 1000 feet. Just before reaching it he felt a hit. He went into cloud where he steadied and looked over his engine instruments all of which he found to be O.K. He then came out of cloud and saw tracer going both ways from the ground and becoming fairly heavy so he called everyone to break off their attacks. He called all the crews individually and all reported O.K. He then ordered them to return separately to base. He, too, had seen at least three fires burning on the lake. At 2232 hours Red 1 set course for base, followed very shortly afterwards by our other aircraft all of whom headed in the direction of Ushant. When they were about 2 miles from the target there was an explosion followed by a very large and bright glow over the lake.’


The raid had been an unmitigated success with no allied casualties, 4 Blohm und Voss 138s destroyed (1 in the air), 1 Blohm und Voss 222 damaged and 1 Hangar damaged. (Intelligence received in February 1944 revealed that actually 2 BV 222s were completely burnt out). Flying Officer Mason also managed to strafe and severely damage a German R.17 Minesweeper on the return leg. Alington’s confirmed claim for his personal tally was 1/2 BV 138 (airborne) destroyed and 2 BV 222s (on water) destroyed. He was awarded a bar to his D.F.C. for the Biscarosse Lake raid together with the earlier ground attack operation on 22 May.


Five days later, Alington was invited to meet and escort H.M. the King. This appointment was never kept due to a scheduling error but on 28 June he did visit the B.B.C to ‘make a recording of the Biscarosse show’. On 2 August he ‘attacked two armed trawlers’ on an outing to the Gironde Estuary, noting that he ‘beat them up pretty well’ and ‘probably sank’ them. He survived the third plane crash of his career on 24 November 1943 when the engine of his Mosquito cut out while on approach to landing at Coleby Grange and in May 1944 he was posted again to an instructor role at the Empire Central Flying School, R.A.F. Hullavington. Relocating to South Africa in September 1944 he served as an instructor at Commonwealth Flying Training Schools in Bloemfontein until April 1945 and he saw out the remainder of the war attached to R.N.A.S. Wingfield training naval pilots mostly on Harvards and Oxfords. His final logged flight was on 12 September 1945. Remaining with the R.A.F. Reserve of Officers post-war, he relinquished his Squadron Leader commission with effect from 10 February 1954, retaining the rank of Wing Commander. Wing Commander Alington flew 57 types of aircraft, landed at 176 different airfields and flew a total of 4278 hours during a distinguished flying career, over the course of which he was consistently assessed to be a pilot of exceptional ability. He died in 1969 and is commemorated together with other members of his family on a tablet in St. Helen’s Church, Swinhope, Lincolnshire.


Sold together with two of the recipient’s Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Books: Volume 6, with damaged cover and spine but contents sound, covering the period 14 November 1938 to 16 July 1941 and Volume 7, covering the period 17 July 1941 to 12 September 1945. (A note at the start of Volume 6 states, ‘No. 5 Log Book destroyed by fire, total to 27 October 1938 approx 1970 hours.’); the recipient’s copy of the ‘Final Intelligence Report Instep 184’ marked ‘Secret’ which delivers a detailed account of the Biscarosse raid together with a hand drawn technical map of the target area on lake Biscarosse - 5 foolscap pages; the recipient’s Fighter Pilot’s Gunnery Record for the period 23 August 1942 to 5 February 1944 showing all rounds fired and and all enemy aircraft and ground targets engaged; a fine portrait photograph, 158mm x 205mm, of the the recipient’s father, Lieutenant-Colonel A. C. M. Alington, in East Lancashire Regiment uniform; a portrait photograph, 160mm x 205mm, of the recipient as a youth - damage to the edge; an informal portrait photograph, 104mm x 132mm, of the recipient circa 1955; a photograph, 164mm x 215mm, of the recipient’s wife and baby daughter.


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