The mention of Sir Archibald McIndoe's special burns unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead has made me think of another one of 53 Squadron's "Army" pilots. Lt Bernard Brian StG Daly of the Lancashire Fusiliers joined as a Hector pilot in 1937. He went off to France with the rest of the squadron on the outbreak of war (now equipped with Blenheim IV aircraft) and ended up based at Poix in Picardy. Now a Flt Lt in the RAF, he became OC "A" Flight on 01 January 1940.
Life was reasonably peaceful until the Germans invaded the Low Countries on 10 May. Part of the problem of flying Blenheims in a war situation was its similarity, from some directions, to the Ju-88. On 15 May, Brian Daly and his crew flying L4847 were set upon by a 73 Sqn Hurricane. They managed to escape but their aircraft was damaged. On the same day, P/O P K Bone and his crew flying L9399 were attacked by a 504 Sqn Hurricane. They were shot down and killed.
The very next day, Brian Daly and his crew were on a photographic sortie in L4852 when they were bounced by an 85 Sqn Hurricane. They tried to land at the Hurricane's base at Glisy but they were attacked again on final approach. Brian was forced to overshoot but finally managed to land wheels-up but by now the aircraft was on fire. Flt Lt Daly, Sgt W R B Currie and AC2 P J Blanford were all badly burned and sent back to UK for medical treatment.
Incidentally, when the Hurricane pilot was asked as to why he ignored the firing of the colours of the day by the Blenheim, he replied that he thought they were firing a cannon at him.
So it was that Brian Daly became a customer of Sir Archibald McIndoe. He was eventually cleared to return to flying duties despite his disfigurement.
The powers that be offered him a job teaching pilots to fly Blenheims at 2 SAC (School of Army Co-operation) at Andover but he was determined to finish what he had started and insisted on returning to 53 Sqn.
By now the squadron was part of Coastal Command and based at Thorney Island. The main occupation was attacking shipping and the Channel ports. On his very first operation after returning to 53 Sqn, he set off in T1992/X in company with 7 other Blenheims on 04 February 1941 to attack Cherbourg. Flt Lt B B StG Daly, Sgt J L Jones and Sgt R H Trafford failed to return and are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.