Description
In the early hours of 10 May 1940, Hitler's armed forces launched their invasion of France and the Low Countries. Shattering the tense peace of the Phoney War, German troops poured west over the borders of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, supported throughout by the Luftwaffe. Having been deployed to the Continent on the outbreak of war in 1939, the aircrew of the RAF's Advanced Air Striking Force had long trained and planned for, as well as anticipated, such a moment. Consequently, at 17.15 hours on that fateful Friday Flight Lieutenant William Simpson took off at the controls of his 12 Squadron Fairey Battle having been ordered to attack enemy transport advancing near the town of Junglinster, some ten miles from Luxembourg. It would prove to be Simpson's only offensive sortie of the Second World War. As they rained their bombs down on the German column, Simpson and his crew were met by a ferocious hail of anti-aircraft fire. They pressed home the attack, scoring f
