An extremely fine and well-documented Second World War Spitfire Pilot’s D.F.C. awarded to Squadron Leader R. C. “Kitch” Kitchen, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who achieved several air-to-air successes in a long operational career of cross-Channel sweeps: He also witnessed the demise of Esmonde, V.C’s Swordfish in the “Channel Dash”

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1942, in its Royal Mint case of issue, extremely fine £2000-2500

D.F.C. London Gazette 6 October 1942. The original recommendation states:

‘This officer has served both in 72 Squadron for eight months, ending as a Flight Commander, and also in 65 Squadron where he is acting in a similar capacity. He has 71 operations over enemy territory to his credit and did some most valuable work during the Gneisenau and Scharnorst episode. His present score stands at 2 destroyed and 2 damaged. He has always shown the greatest keenness, enthusiasm and judgment in his work, and is much esteemed by both his leaders and subordinates alike.’

Rene Charles “Kitch” Kitchen commenced flying training on D.H. 82’s in November 1940 and after attending No. 52 Operational Training Unit, he was posted to No. 72 Squadron based in Gravesend. By December 1941 he had completed several sorties and on 12 January 1942, he and other members of the Squadron provided close escort to the Swordfish formation which attacked the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen during the famous “Channel Dash”, an action which resulted in the award of a posthumous Victoria Cross to Lieutenant-Commander Eugene Esmonde, Fleet Air Arm.

Of the five Spitfire squadrons which were meant to have rendezvoused with the six gallant Swordfish crews, only No. 72, under Brian Kingcome, made it, having swept ‘balls out right through the gate’ at Gravesend and taken only ten minutes waiting around, in case any other support turned up. Esmonde led his intrepid force over the water at 50 feet, while Kingcome and No. 72 set off to provide advance protection at 2,000 feet. Some 20 miles away, the German battleships were waiting, with six Destroyers, 34 E-Boats and an overwhelming chunk of the mighty Luftwaffe. Kingcome, Kitchen and the remaining Spitfire pilots still had no idea what the “flap” was about, but then no one had bothered to tell them.

Within a matter of minutes, Kingcome and Esmonde were in contact with the enemy, the former leading his brave band of Spitfire pilots against vastly superior numbers of the Luftwaffe. The sky was swarming with Fw. 190s and Me. 109s and every time No. 72 broke up an enemy formation, another was upon them. Soon the Spitfires were all but lost in a furious melee, and Esmonde’s Swordfish pilots made their final approach in the face of an impossible barrage. Of the 18 men involved, only five would survive. Meanwhile, one or two of the other Spitfire Squadrons began to arrive, subject to poor weather and inefficient groundwork. They were too late. As No. 72 Squadron returned to base to refuel, they could content themselves with having notched up the biggest score of the day (for further details, see Fiasco, by John Deane Potter).

For the next six months, Kitchen and No. 72 flew numerous sweeps out of Biggin Hill, frequently providing fighter cover for Blenheims and Bostons despatched to France for precision targets. On 28 February, during the course of one such patrol, Kitchen’s hood blew off, and on another to St. Omer on 4 April, he claimed one Fw. 190 and one Me. 109 damaged. Then on 4 May, he claimed a confirmed Me. 109 during a sweep over Le Havre. However, his most notable “kill” was that claimed on 27 July during a sweep over St. Omer and Calais. It was Biggin Hill’s 900th victory. He actually had to share this distinction with two other pilots operating from the Station, since no-one could prove the exact timing of their individual successes. Leigh-Mallory immediately signalled the Station: ‘Heartiest congratulations on your 900th Hun. Keep it up.’

In August 1942, Kitchen joined No. 65 Squadron, which was operating out of satellite airfields such as Gravesend, East Church, and Lympne, and on 19th he flew four sorties in support of the Dieppe raid. In October, a richly deserved D.F.C. was gazetted and Kitchen was invested at Buckingham Palace by King George VI - it was about this time that he had landed back at base with over 250 bullet holes in his Spitfire, having lost contact with the Squadron and been jumped by four enemy fighters.

Kitchen remained with the Squadron until October 1943, continuing to fly numerous fighter cover and “Ramrod” sorties across the Channel to occupied France and Belgium. There were one of two rest periods but even these proved fairly unrelaxing, one such involving a deck-landing course with Seafires on H.M.S. Argus. Not popular!

At the end of 1943, after an outstanding period of operational flying, Kitchen was posted to No. 9 H.Q. Group at Preston and then in July 1944 he joined No. 1697 A.D.L.S. at Northolt, crossing over to France in his Hurricane in September. In the new year he joined the 2nd T.A.F. Command Squadron and travelled with it to Brussels and Germany, logging a flight in a captured Fw. 190 on 16 May 1945.

Kitchen remained in the Royal Air Force after the War, firstly with No. 85 Group at Hamburg and latterly at R.A.F. Prestwick. However, the effects of such a lengthy operational record were soon apparent, when, in 1947, he contracted tuberculosis. He never flew again. Rather fittingly, his last recorded flight had been on a Spitfire Mk. XIV.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Flying Log Book, covering the period November 1940 to November 1947; a contemporary photograph of Maurice Chevalier, signed and inscribed to ‘Rene Kitchen, My Liberator, With Thanks’, dated at Paris, 5 October 1944, together with another of Rita Raya, signed and inscribed to ‘Rene Kitchen, With Whom I Would Fly Around The World’, and further inscribed by Maurice Chevalier, ‘Hoping I’ll be around!!’ (1944); several contemporary photographs depicting aircraft and fellow Squadron members (one signed), and other subjects including the recipient after sharing the distinction of winning Biggin Hill’s 900th victory; a copy of The Sphere magazine for 16 May 1942, with front page illustration of No. 72 Squadron members, including the recipient; and other wartime newspaper cuttings, the majority concerning the award of the recipient’s D.F.C. and Biggin Hill’s 900th victory.