Book Excerpt

Shortly before coming in to land at Deeleen on 29 April 1944, after a ferry flight from St. Trond, Major Jabs spotted six single-engined fighters circling above the airfield. Initially he assumed that they were German, but as they turned towards him and his wingman he recognised them as Spitfires. Jabs’s only form of defence was attack. The Spitfires dived on the nightfighter at a shallow angle in a head-on attack; Major Jabs opened fire with his heavy cannons and machine-guns, and hit two of the six Spitfires, forcing them to land. Jabs’s aircraft was also hit and he too was forced down when the rest of the British flight from 132 Squadron, attacked him. The leader of the British unit was the well-known ace Squadron Leader Geoffrey Page, DSO, DFC and Bar. Jabs is seen here inspecting the Spitfire Mk IXB flown by Flying Officer John Coulton [Caulton], a New Zealander.

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