BELOW: Flt Lt Ronald Nicholas Selley, DFC.
Portrait: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW: Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) to Flight
Lieutenant R N Selley.
Image: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW: An example of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
Image: courtesy, Wikimedia Commons
Ju87 Strike Report
(mentioned in above newspaper article)
SELLEY, FLYING OFFICER RONALD NICHOLAS.
In June, 1940, this officer was captain of one of
a flight of three aircraft engaged in protecting
shipping evacuating the British Expeditionary
Force. A formation of some forty Junkers 87s was
encountered and immediately attacked. F/O.
Selley shot down two of the enemy aircraft with
his front guns. By skilful manoeuvring he also
enabled his rear gunner to shoot down a third and
to damage two other enemy aircraft.
Courtesy,
Flight Global (from London Gazette 14 June 1940)
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34873/pages/3622/page.pdf
BELOW: Avro Ansons on patrol.
Avro Ansons were used by the RAF and flown by Flt Lt Selley
before being replaced by Lockheed Hudsons.
Photo: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW: Newspaper tagline proclaims "First German Submarine to be
Sunk from the Air."
This Avro Anson was being flown by Flt Lt Ronald N Selley when
the attack took place.
Photo: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW: Another report of the above incident
Photo: courtesy, Ron Selley
The sidebar above right reads:
EPIC SERIES, No 4
Passed for Publication by Ministry of
Information.
FIRST GERMAN SUBMARINE
TO BE SUNK FROM THE AIR.
Reported September 19th, 1939.
Young South African Pilot in Royal Air Force claimed war's first
sinking from the air of a German Submarine. Diving out of cloud at
1,500ft., his first salvo of bombs fell twenty yards from the
target, whilst second salvo burst only 6ft. from the conning tower,
throwing the submarine out of the water by force of explosion. It
sank in a whirlpool of bubbles and oil.
Submarine Strike Report
First bomb hit the water 30ft ahead and appeared to lift the bow of
the submarine.
Second bomb hit water two yards on starboard side of submarine.
Stern of submarine was lifted out of the water and submarine dived
steeply and quickly.
Bubbles and small whirlpools together with dark patches indicated
the spot where the submarine disappeared. No ill effects from the
bombs were experienced by Aircraft. As the submarine was
approached from astern and ahead, no [identification] marking or
number was observed on the side of the submarine. [Pilot's
Report]
BELOW: Flt Lt Selley launches an attack on 13 German warships,
comprising two destroyers and eleven patrol vessels.
Image: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW: Close-up of handwritten remarks on left-hand-side of above
page.
Image: courtesy, Ron Selley
The first part of the above remarks reads:
"How is this for some fun and games I had
the other day."
[Flt Lt Ron Selley referring to newspaper headlines.]
BELOW: On this occasion, Flt Lt Selley had to make a forced landing
when his aircraft ran out of fuel after chasing enemy aircraft and
submarines.
Photo: courtesy, Ron Selley
BELOW (driving): Also named Ron Selley, a nephew of Flt Lt
Ronald Nicolas Selley.
Ron Selley kindly contributed many of the
photographs and newspaper excerpts for these two pages.
Photo © 2011 Ron Selley
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