Walter (your #8092),
...The pitot head (a tube device that measures airspeed by means of the airflow) was stuffed with grass and earth...
Must have been tough to still be on the aeroplane ! (Reminds me of the tiny Welsh Folk Dancer girl found swinging on the pitot head of our static display Spitfire at our BoB "At Home" Day at Valley in '50).
...As soon as "bandits" were spotted by Ground Control - usually when they were quite a long distance away, rookie pilots like me were recalled to Base, and an experienced pilot (e.g. Squadron Leader Wight-Boycott) was hastily "scrambled" and vectored to the enemy aircraft...
That was a bit hard ! (IMHO). How are the chaps going to learn unless you let them "have a go"? By all means bring on the ace, but let walter and his mates have a crack first ! Otherwise, what was the point of having them on patrol at all ?
Keep the stories coming !,
Cheers, Danny.