Ivor Markman
Ken Bind's Wartime Exploits
HEADING OUT . . . A Royal Air Force Hudson from 206 Squadron (VX) takes off on a mission from Bircham Newton air base in Norfolk. Photo: Ken Bind.
Ivor Markman
Port Elizabeth born and educated Ken Bind, sat quietly in the lounge of his home in Walmer as he reminisced about his RAF bomber pilot days in the Second World War and the friends he had lost.
In February 1937, at the beginning of his matric year at the Grey High School, he won a 50-hour flying bursary at the Port Elizabeth Aero Club from the Weekend News (forerunner to the Weekend Post).
George Haller, the owner of Haller Aviation, had been contracted by the club to teach aspiring pilots to fly.
Bind's instructor was an ex-RFC pilot, Captain Percy Ginn, Haller Aviation's Chief Flying Instructor.
Bind learned to fly in a Ryan STA, and obtained his license after 40 hours.
The following year he won a second bursary worth £50 from the Weekend News for 60 hours’ flying time.
Ken Bind learned to fly in Port Elizabeth in a Ryan STA belonging to the Port Elizabeth Aero Club.
Ken Bind in England before war broke out.
By July 1938, he was in England and applied to the Air Ministry to join the Royal Air Force.
He was accepted and sent to Brough in Yorkshire in August.
Pilot Ken Bind in his Royal Air Force uniform.
“During the early stages of the war, when we were still flying Ansons, we carried out convoy escorts and anti-submarine patrols,” he said.
“Late one afternoon we flew alone down the Bristol Channel into the Atlantic to escort a convoy from the Atlantic.
“It was very hazy and as it got dark there was no visibility, it was just black.
“We couldn't find the convoy so we set course for home.
“Our wireless operator couldn't make contact with anybody so we couldn't get any (direction finding) bearings. We had to fly on dead reckoning,” he said.
“When we reckoned we must be somewhere near the coast again there was no sign of our beacon, the only light on the airfield,” he said.
After flying around, searching unsuccessfully for the beacon, Bind, who was the second pilot, decided to swap places with the flight sergeant, an experienced pilot, and fly the plane.
“We decided to try and find a bit of coastline where we could land on the beach.
“We were running low on fuel because we had been out for a long time.
"Then, eventually, we could just see the outline of the coast.
“We didn't know (where) it was but the flight sergeant decided we should fly away from the coast, come in and try and land on the beach.
“We went out and did a 180-degree turn, came back towards the coast and started to descend, flaps down.
“We put on our landing light, and, lo and behold, there was a cliff right in front of us.
“I rammed the throttle right up through the safety gates and climbed.
"We literally scrambled over the top.
"That was a really close shave.
“We went on climbing.
"We'd gone up to about 3,000 feet when, there in the distance, we spotted the beacon.
“We arrived back safely but without much fuel left.
“We had a trailing aerial underneath which was used for radio communications but that was left on the cliff-top,” he said.
A Lockheed Hudson prepares to take off for a night raid. Photo: Ken Bind.
A year before war broke out Bind joined 206 Squadron at RAF Bircham Newton, in Norfolk.
He was serving there when the war was declared.
After the Lockheed Hudsons, which were lightweight search and attack bombers, arrived from the United States, Bind was assigned to them.
“When invasion threatened, our job was (to undertake) reconnaissance over the North Sea, attacking targets around the Dutch coast and even into Germany, escort convoys and strike against shipping.
We were very active then,” he said.
“The Hudson was a very sophisticated aircraft for its time.
“It was a very nice aircraft to fly but did have nasty habits,” he said.
“It carried 1,000lbs (453kg) of bombs, generally four 250lb (113kg) anti-submarine bombs.
“It had two fixed Vickers K guns in the nose, a Boulton Paul dorsal turret with two Vickers K guns and a gun out either side windows,” said Bind.
The Hudson had a crew of four which consisted of the pilot, a second pilot, a wireless operator and an air gunner in the turret.
“(The Battle of Britain) was a very tense period.
Being at a station in Norfolk, we were really on the fringe because most of the action was in the south of England.
We used to see the odd moments of combat when the aircraft strayed further north.
“We were on high alert because of the threat of invasion.
The Germans were massing barges all around the Dutch and Belgium coasts.
We did a lot of flying when they evacuated the British forces from Dunkirk.
We had to provide fighter protection to the ships coming back from Dunkirk,” he said.
“From about March (or) April 1940, we provided cover for shipping crossing the Channel.
“We had to be very careful. Although we had letters of the day, and could signal by Aldis lamps, the Navy didn't trust us. If you got too near they were inclined to take a pot-shot so we had to steer clear of them.
In March 1940, the new Lockheed Hudsons arrived at 206 Squadron.
Ships returning from Dunkirk had to be protected by the RAF from attacks by the Luftwaffe.
“We were very active around the Dutch coast looking for E-boats.
"We had to attack them if we spotted them.
"We did spot some (but) didn't sink any.
"They were nasty things, heavily armed.
"One had to use extreme caution if you attacked them.
“You'd have to get down fairly low, probably between 500 (153m) and 1000 feet (305m) to try (bomb them),” he said.
A German E-Boat speeds through the water.
Just before the Battle of Britain, Bind experienced one of the scariest moments in his flying career.
“We were taking off late one afternoon with a full bomb-load when (the aircraft) developed a bad swing,” he said.
The aircraft was carrying four 250lb (113kg) anti-submarine bombs.
“Usually when the second pilot was operating the throttle the pilot would control the steering,” he said.
“On this particular evening the second pilot was a little bit hasty on the throttles and we got too much power too quickly.
"We developed a bad swing and one leg of the undercarriage collapsed.
"We hadn't lifted off yet and the aircraft went down,” he said.
As the plane skidded and spun on the ground and caught fire.
“I knew it was going to happen,” said Bind.
“I leapt out, quickly as I could.
"The crew ran like hell for the hangar because the aircraft was on fire.
"It blew up with the four bombs plus all the ammunition.
"There were just bits of aircraft and a big hole left in the ground afterwards.
“I never heard a thing (from the authorities).
"They gave me a couple of days off and I had a very nice weekend with an English family nearby.
"Then it was back to the squadron,” he said.
