German casualties included a Dornier Do 17, which fell to the guns of Flight of No 238 Squadron reconnaissance sortie and came down on Nutford Farm, Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Despite the arrival on the scene of a number of people, including the farmer’s daughter Marion Davis, who was carrying a shotgun, the crew, all wounded, managed to set the aircraft on fire before being taken prisoner.

In a combat south of The Needles at about 3.15pm, a Bf 109 and a Hurricane of No 43 Squadron collided. Pilot Officer Ricardo de Mancha (whose father was Italian and mother English) and his Luftwaffe opponent, Leutnant Kroker, were both killed.