Bobby Oxpring, DFC**, AFC
Group Captain, Spitfire X4170
The son of a World War I fighter ace, Bobby Oxspring was one of the RAF’s most celebrated World War II Spitfire pilots.
Already a veteran of the Battle of Britain with nine combat victories, on the morning of October 25th 1940 Oxspring was leading a patrol of Spitfires over Kent when he was vectored to intercept an enemy raid approaching North Foreland.
‘I counted six Messerschmitt 109 Es in loose line abreast. I put the flight in line astern and ordered an attack. We peeled down in the bounce and I homed in on the leader. I was just getting into maximum range of about 500 yards when they saw us and my target bunted down in a steep dive. I stuck with my 109 and slowly got more into shooting range.’
‘I was considering whether to open fire or get in closer when all hell broke loose. Something smashed into the fuselage behind me, the stick felt loose in my hand and the Spit violently rounded out of the dive and soared viciously in an upward zoom.’ Oxspring had been hit by the wingman of the Me109 he was attacking.'
‘The resulting G forces blacked me out and I was helplessly pinned down in the seat. The Gs eased off and I saw I was inverted with the aircraft pitching down again into another dive. I confess that near panic took over and I started actions for bailing out.’
‘I reached for the canopy opening bar, but once again the aircraft hit the base of the dive and hurtled into another climb and I blacked out once more. Again I came to in a near inverted attitude and I strove frantically to open the canopy but without success.’
‘Finally with one big heave it shot back and I tried to stand up. I stuck my head into the slipstream, but found myself tied to the aircraft by my RT lead and oxygen tube so I leant back down and ripped my helmet off. As I did so my desire to part company with dear old X4170 was enhanced as I saw flames spreading along the cockpit floor between the rudder bars. It was obviously time to depart. The Spit was starting to dive again as I strove to get upright and as my shoulders cleared the cockpit I was plucked out into space.’
Oxspring returned to combat with 66 Squadron and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on November 8th 1940.
In 1941 Oxspring was given command of 91 Squadron at Hawkinge and later 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill which he led on operations over France. He was awarded a Bar to his DFC.
In 1942 Oxspring led his Squadron to North Africa where under his command it became the highest scoring squadron in theatre. During this time he had further combat victories, was again shot down and was awarded a second Bar to his DFC.
Returning to Britain, Oxspring was promoted Wing Leader. He took part in the Normandy invasion and Arnhem. He destroyed V1 rockets over London and Kent, and flew escort to the Bomber Command daylight offensive on Germany in 1944/5.
Awarded a permanent commission at the end of the war, Bobby Oxspring retired from the RAF in 1968 with the rank of Group Captain.
Bobby Oxspring’s Spitfire - X4170
Spitfire X4170 was a Mk I aircraft built by Supermarine at Southampton. It was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin, V12, 1,030 HP engine. Armament comprised eight Browning .303 wing mounted machine guns.
The aircraft first flew on August 10th 1940, entering RAF service on September 12th with 24 Maintenance Unit where it was readied for front line service. It went into active service with 66 Squadron on September 18th 1940. Piloted by Oxspring, X4170 shot down four Me 109s, one Me 110 and a Heinkel 111.
Following the attack on the morning of October 25th X4170 crashed into an orchard near Capel in Kent, and it is from one of the few fragments of the Spitfire’s Merlin engine later recovered from the crash site by aviation archaeologists that the centrepieces of these cufflinks are made.
Already a veteran of the Battle of Britain with nine combat victories, on the morning of October 25th 1940 Oxspring was leading a patrol of Spitfires over Kent when he was vectored to intercept an enemy raid approaching North Foreland.
‘I counted six Messerschmitt 109 Es in loose line abreast. I put the flight in line astern and ordered an attack. We peeled down in the bounce and I homed in on the leader. I was just getting into maximum range of about 500 yards when they saw us and my target bunted down in a steep dive. I stuck with my 109 and slowly got more into shooting range.’
‘I was considering whether to open fire or get in closer when all hell broke loose. Something smashed into the fuselage behind me, the stick felt loose in my hand and the Spit violently rounded out of the dive and soared viciously in an upward zoom.’ Oxspring had been hit by the wingman of the Me109 he was attacking.'
‘The resulting G forces blacked me out and I was helplessly pinned down in the seat. The Gs eased off and I saw I was inverted with the aircraft pitching down again into another dive. I confess that near panic took over and I started actions for bailing out.’
‘I reached for the canopy opening bar, but once again the aircraft hit the base of the dive and hurtled into another climb and I blacked out once more. Again I came to in a near inverted attitude and I strove frantically to open the canopy but without success.’
‘Finally with one big heave it shot back and I tried to stand up. I stuck my head into the slipstream, but found myself tied to the aircraft by my RT lead and oxygen tube so I leant back down and ripped my helmet off. As I did so my desire to part company with dear old X4170 was enhanced as I saw flames spreading along the cockpit floor between the rudder bars. It was obviously time to depart. The Spit was starting to dive again as I strove to get upright and as my shoulders cleared the cockpit I was plucked out into space.’
Oxspring returned to combat with 66 Squadron and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on November 8th 1940.
In 1941 Oxspring was given command of 91 Squadron at Hawkinge and later 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill which he led on operations over France. He was awarded a Bar to his DFC.
In 1942 Oxspring led his Squadron to North Africa where under his command it became the highest scoring squadron in theatre. During this time he had further combat victories, was again shot down and was awarded a second Bar to his DFC.
Returning to Britain, Oxspring was promoted Wing Leader. He took part in the Normandy invasion and Arnhem. He destroyed V1 rockets over London and Kent, and flew escort to the Bomber Command daylight offensive on Germany in 1944/5.
Awarded a permanent commission at the end of the war, Bobby Oxspring retired from the RAF in 1968 with the rank of Group Captain.
Bobby Oxspring’s Spitfire - X4170
Spitfire X4170 was a Mk I aircraft built by Supermarine at Southampton. It was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin, V12, 1,030 HP engine. Armament comprised eight Browning .303 wing mounted machine guns.
The aircraft first flew on August 10th 1940, entering RAF service on September 12th with 24 Maintenance Unit where it was readied for front line service. It went into active service with 66 Squadron on September 18th 1940. Piloted by Oxspring, X4170 shot down four Me 109s, one Me 110 and a Heinkel 111.
Following the attack on the morning of October 25th X4170 crashed into an orchard near Capel in Kent, and it is from one of the few fragments of the Spitfire’s Merlin engine later recovered from the crash site by aviation archaeologists that the centrepieces of these cufflinks are made.
