Last month saw the official commemoration of the Battle of Britain. Below, we print an extract from Bob Ogley's Surrey at War, which traces the making of the legend of Cats Eyes Cunningham.
"November 1940 was the month in which one young, fresh-faced, virtually unknown Addington-born fighter pilot earned a place in aviation history and went on to become a rather reluctant hero.
"On the night of November 19, Flight Lieutenant John Cunningham, flying a new Beaufighter from Middle Wallop, shot down a Junkers 88, which limped on for a few miles before crashing in open farmland near East Wittering in Sussex, the crew having abandoned the burning aircraft. It was a few minutes after midnight.
"The death-delivering salvo of cannon shells and bullets released by Cunningham that night - and on many more occasions to follow - was so accurate that the pilot was to earn the nickname of Cats Eyes. Newspapers eagerly followed up reports that he ate carrots to give exceptional night vision and, like a cat, he could see his prey in the dark. Cunningham, an Old Whitgiftian, tolerated such headlines as 'Carrots DFC is Night Blitz Hero' to keep a special secret from the enemy.
"His night victims were nothing to do with his ability to see in the dark but due entirely to the introduction of Airborne Interception Radar, or simply AI - and it was born on November 19.
"On patrol with John Cunningham that night was his crewman Sergeant JR Phillipson, who was carefully watching the glowing cathode ray tube and waiting for the AI contact, having encountered a number of enemy aircraft streaking towards Birmingham. The contact was made, the crewman steered the Beaufighter onto a single target, Cunningham loosed off his salvo and the legend was born.
"The villagers of Addington and the boys of Whitgift were delighted with the feats of their hero who received a public presentation from the Mayor of Croydon in November 1941, when he had 18 victories to his credit. He ended the war a group captain and went on to become de Havilland's chief test pilot."
l Taken from Surrey at War, written by Bob Ogley and published by Froglets Publications (1995), priced £10.99.
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