Granted Gillan's downwind advantage,but any mark of Spitfire would be quite significantly faster!Hurricanes were fairly sluggish by comparison!Furthermore in todays world and from the 50s onwards Training would immediately kick in,and you would be a clot with a red endorsement,but look at those times with Pilots going into combat with only a few hours on type,and only Master training on any long distance if any-Land aways were usually for the QFI to lunch with friends on other squadrons.The late Pete Thorn had loads of stories from WW2 Pilots he had met through Reunions and Displays,and most contained fairly frightened images of what occurred.I rest my case.