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- [00:00]
Narrator
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com we've all across the globe been watching the terrible fires in Los Angeles. The hurricane force winds that first fueled their fury made them burn like a blowtorch across the hills and valleys, and it looked like some apocalypse out of an altogether different era. Some time and place that was not that could not be a modern metropolis. I kept thinking of other horrible fires, but they were all over a century ago. The Great Fire of London in 1666, Chicago in 1871, San Francisco in 1906, Tokyo in 1923. Of course, of those, London and Tokyo not only faced immolation in these fires, but again under very different circumstances in World War II. On today's Saturday matinee, we are examining the fight to save London from fiery destruction again, but not on the ground with hoses and ladders, but in the air with wings and bullets. In the first episode from the podcast Face the the Three Battles of Sailor Milan Sailor, which is a confusing nickname for a pilot, was a fighter ace from South Africa whose 10 rules for air fighting helped inform the success of the British against the German Luftwaffe. I hope you enjoy While you're listening, be sure to search for and follow Face the the Three Battles of Sailor Milan. We put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you.
- [01:49]
Jonathan Milan
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- [02:17]
Historian
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Jonathan Milan
World war of the 20th century, a farm boy from the rugged bushland of South Africa took to the bloody skies over Europe during World War II and made history. Embraced as a hero and one of the few by the embattled island of Britain and its king, but considered a traitor by many in his own country. Born in 1910 in Wellington, South Africa, Group Captain A.G. sailor Malan would fight three battles in his life. One would end in victory over Germany.
- [03:39]
Expert
It became known as Sailors Day. On 11 August, at the height of the Battle of Britain, 74 Squadron destroyed 23 enemy aircraft.
- [03:48]
Jonathan Milan
Another would end in defeat as he took on South Africa's apartheid government.
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Historian
One of the reasons they might not have arrested him was that by 1959 he was still very outspoken against apartheid, but it was also clear that he was seriously ill.
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Jonathan Milan
The third would end in death as a result of Parkinson's disease.
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And I was relieved when he died because he was so helpless and so.
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Frustrated with this disease, cutting short a full, promising yet humble life. This journey to Discover Milan started 22 years ago. It is a journey that led me to research across South Africa and the UK to piece together the story. Using original interviews with family, friends and fellow pilots, archival newsreels and sound clips, experts in a variety of fields and drawing on combat reports, newspaper articles and books, let us take a peep inside Europe today.
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Near Berlin, a film is being made based on the life of Kruger in the Boer War.
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Historian
In the immediate years after the war you have extreme antagonism between Afrikaners and English.
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Dr. Helen Doe
We got him arriving in New York and it's described him then at the age of 16 as 5 foot 6.
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Jonathan Milan
And I think the police officer in me kind of went, I want to get to the bottom of this. This six episode series paints a compelling picture of the remarkable life of this in all other respects unremarkable ordinary man. One of Sailor Milan's 10 rules for air fighting was to always turn and face the attack. For him this was not only true in a dogfight, it was true whenever injustice or adversity confronted you in life. Hard on his men, hard on himself, Melan took on the mantle of fighter pilot and all the aggression and determination it required. You've been described as perhaps the greatest fight race of all.
- [05:40]
The night that I was born, I'm told that my dad shot two planes out of the sky.
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John Freeborn
Sitting in a spirit trial is like sitting in a high powered sports car which has been built around you in.
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Jonathan Milan
Thankful remembrance of the pilots of this sector. Who by their sacrifice helped to win a greater victory. He was referred to as the King of the Few in newspapers in the United Kingdom following his death, a term that would have sat uncomfortably with him, given what we know about the man, a humility and sense of principle. An ordinary man so familiar to many, but through various stages of his life, the outsider. He would be denied a military funeral in his home country, be vilified by his own government for his opposition to them. The Torch commando headquarters in Johannesburg were.
- [06:33]
Crispin Trace
Kept visiting very busy organizing the nationwide.
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Jonathan Milan
Protest against South Africa's government.
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Crispin Trace
Do you still disagree with the present.
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Jonathan Milan
South African government's racial policies?
- [06:41]
I disagree with racial policies, yes. I spoke to a lady who said, you know Jonathan, I used to hate your father and everything he stood for.
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And still only be acknowledged in South Africa. Almost three decades after apartheid had come to an end and 60 years after.
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Crispin Trace
His death, he wanted to show me that bagadas, Parkinson's disease, he could still do what he had to do and I knew that I would never see him again and I never did.
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Jonathan Milan
Face the attack the Three Battles of Sailor Milan uses the terms and language of the times in which the events took place, which some may find offensive or difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised to receive weekly episodes plus additional content free. Follow this series wherever you find your favorite podcasts. To discover more, visit facetheattack.com Episode 3 Fighter Teacher Leader Milan saw action over Dunkirk as the British tried frantically to evacuate men from the beaches. Day in and day out, he would fly combat missions to destroy prowling German aircraft. It was on one of these that he shot down his first enemy plane at 21,000ft in a clear sky. He yelled Tally Ho and entered the history books. He closed in and opened fire, his incendiary bullets striking the enemy plane's fuselage. The rear gunner in the enemy aircraft stopped shooting at him and the plane went down. Milan would also share in the destruction of another enemy plane that day. He seemed like an elegantly skilled bull terrier with battles raging at 15 to 20,000ft, he would throw his Spitfire around like a toy and in many cases follow his prey down to just a few feet off the ground. Melan's single minded focus of air combat would spur him on. Not to achieve ace status or for the medals, but simply to do the job. He was trained to shoot down German fighters and bombers over Dunkirk and in combat for only one week, Melun and 74 Squadron flew constant, tiring and terrifying missions. By the end of Dunkirk, 74 had lost men but they had shot down 16 German planes in the process. One of his most often quoted recollections tells us how he felt about his first combat experiences. I tasted blood at last. The release from tension was terrific, the thrill enormous. I'd been wondering for so long, too long, how I'd react in my first show. Now I knew everything I had learned had come right. There was hardly any time to feel scared. John Freeborn also recalled those moments of combat vividly.
- [09:34]
John Freeborn
I think that I was extremely frightened on all occasions. But once you got airborne and you know they've got a job to do, then the fare leaves you up. The Dutch feeling of ability comes through. The adrenaline is flying and this keeps you going. Many times the heat of battle, if I can call it that, it is a great desire to do the job you've been sent to do.
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Jonathan Milan
Milan took charge of his men during this year and carved them into killing machines. Practice, practice was his motto. Hard on his men and even harder on himself. He would not stand for failure. He needed to make sure that as many of his airmen as possible survived to fly and fight another day. And he formulated an aggressive fighting spirit to give them the best possible odds.
- [10:31]
Expert
That word was often used because of his approach to them and the way he treated them and the way he respected them and because that respect was returned. He was strict but very fair and he expected everyone to give 100%. But people willingly did that. Certainly never had the chance to talk to Saylor, but I saw written down Mallond saying, the job of killing the Hun is a serious business. When you go up, make your target four enemy planes, every sortie. You won't do it, of course, but it's no use going for just the one and then coming home. I say it's aggressive spirit.
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Jonathan Milan
Milan would hone his flying skills and admonish his men to get in close. He re sighted the guns on his Spitfire to converge at a closer range. This meant you would have to be at a closer firing distance to the enemy to make sure you hit him. His gunsight camera would capture many of his kills and the footage would be used in Allied propaganda and training films. The footage exists to this day and it shows just how close Milan sometimes got to his target.
- [11:45]
Expert
I think it was an article in 1940 in the Daily Telegraph. He himself is as proud as saying, this is the first quality of a successful fighter pilot. His flying characteristics and the way he expresses himself. He must think in terms of offense rather than defense. He must at all times be the attacker. Both his Mind and body must be alert and both must react instinctively to any tactical situation. When you are flying you have no time to think.
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Jonathan Milan
In a combat report later in 1940, Millan clinically describes the intensity of these air to air engagements to the point where he blacked out. Took off at 1510 hours to intercept fighter raids approaching London. I climbed mostly on an up sun course to 26,000ft and flew towards the anti aircraft bursts over the Thames estuary. At approximately 1530 hours we suddenly saw two yellow noses, me 109s and surprised them from the sun. I gave the right hand one a two second burst with quarter deflection from 200 yards and close to 150 yards astern and delivered another two second burst. I then closed to 100 yards and delivered a four second burst which appeared to damage the elevator controls as his nose went vertically downwards very suddenly instead of the usual half roll. My engine naturally stopped when I followed suit, but it picked up again and I closed to 150 yards on a half roll and gave another four second burst. I found myself doing an aileron turn to keep direction and delivered another four second burst. He then started to smoke but I blacked out completely and lost consciousness for a couple of seconds and eventually pulled out at 9,000ft above cloud. My port guns failed to fire during the whole engagement. Like the accounts in Milan's detailed combat reports, John Freeborn described his feelings and experiences of air combat as well as the sense of remorse he felt with the passing of time after the war.
- [13:48]
John Freeborn
But many times you shoot at an aircraft, use all your ammunition on it. I see things flying from it, but it goes on sailing happily back towards northern France. But of course you don't know what damage you've done to it. And if it lands even safely, if the crew were alive, no idea which to me now, in my older years I feel very sad about. But there's no great exhilaration about shooting an airplane down. It's a job of work. The heat of battle is a job that has to be done to the best of your ability with the help of your colleagues, never ever forgetting that they help you to do the job that you've been trained to do. So I don't get this business of heat of the battle, I don't get this feeling of flying against the enemy, dog fighting, etc. Etc. These attitudes are for the magazines, they don't apply to Spitfire bombers.
- [15:09]
Jonathan Milan
It was during the Battle of Britain that Melan would endear himself to the British. Like so many of the few he would cut loose or in his words, cut some cake in the skies above London and the English Channel, face inconceivable odds, and return each day to take the battle to the enemy. By this time he had become acting flight lieutenant and had been awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by the King for his action over Dunkirk.
- [15:37]
Expert
Cuthbert Ord, the artist who painted and drew sketches of so many fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain, he produced some great sketches of him. He said, I've seldom been more impressed by anyone as I was for the first time I saw Salem Alan. A very quiet manner and an air of authority made it obvious that he was a leader of great determination and ability. He would undoubtedly improve a squadron, however good. Not by sword waving, by strength of mind and integrity.
- [16:14]
Historian
He was very, very good at his job. He was generally guarded as an excellent leader. He wasn't a chest thumping, speech giving, self grandizing kind of leader. He lived to a standard and he expected other people to do the same. And he cared very much for his pilots and those who flew with him. They spoke of him with great affection and admiration and they respected the fact that he was soft spoken, that he led from the front, that he protected his junior pilots. He never asked someone to do something he wouldn't do himself. He was fair. He didn't play favorites. He treated the ground crew with great respect. He saw everybody working at the airfield as being part of the war effort and that really created a great deal of respect and support for him.
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Jonathan Milan
The battle would rage during the English summer. Milan would fly four or five sorties a day against waves of Luftwaffe bombers and fighters crossing the Channel to bomb England into submission and soften it up for Germany's Operation Sea lion invasion. Cities burned, and all that stood between victory and defeat were a group of boys, the few, the men of the RAF's Fighter Command. Daily Hurricanes and Spitfires would head into the contrails left by the enemy in the blue skies over in England. Many would never return. Milan would command some of these men. The responsibility and extreme stress of leadership of trying to prepare these untested pilots weighed on him and certainly had both emotional and mental effects both during the war and after the war, until his death. The term PTSD was not a term in use at that time, and certainly men of Milan's generation were not given to openly expressing their fear and emotions. The impact of these physical and psychological stresses would become more and more apparent, as we will see later in his life. Driven to give these men the best fighting chance to survive, he was determined to and helped evolve RAF tactics.
- [18:31]
Expert
He was constantly looking at ways of improving the way the squadron could fly and fight, both formation wise and the setting up of the cannon and so forth, to get the optimum setting for the cannon fire, to concentrate the cannon on enemy aircraft, all that sort of thing. He never stopped doing that, I don't think. But mainly in tactics, which he was always trying to refine. You must always go up thinking you're going to score. And again and possibly again and possibly again. You know, don't give up. Very evident that they've regarded as his squadron. He was going to make his squadron the best. I think that's very much the case.
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Jonathan Milan
One of the main attributes of Sailor Milan was the care he took to ensure that he could make combat as safe as possible, which is almost a contradiction in terms. He achieved this by employing tactics which he himself evolved.
- [19:27]
Expert
He did take less experienced pilots up and by the tactics that he did evolve, he was able to ensure that an eye could be kept, if you like, some sort of protection could be afforded these new acquirers whilst they gained experience and became more experienced in air trailer fighting and so forth. And those tactics is something which Sailor was always looking at, trying to find better ways of doing that. That was part of Sailor's ethos, after all, was to preserve his squadron, preserve the guys on the squadron as best he was able to, given the various dangerous things they were doing. You know, he was trying to make it as safe for them as it was possible to do.
- [20:11]
Jonathan Milan
According to some accounts, he steadfastly and stubbornly challenged RAF command when it came to tactics. He would give everything in the fight to stop London becoming an inferno. Sometimes he would shoot down a German bomber or fighter and it would plunge into the English soil. Other times he would land and have to watch as the bombers wreaked havoc. His score would rise steadily over time and he would shoot down one of Germany's great aces, Werner Molders, damaging his plane even though he lived to fight another day. This encounter was immortalized in a painting by Tiro Forster. According to the background story, the painting was commissioned by another ace, Johnny Johnson. What we believe to be his combat report of the Molders encounter reads as follows. I was leader on interception patrol on reported enemy raid on dover. Climbed to 18,000ft. Having been ordered to engage enemy fighters and leave bombers to Hurricanes. Met up with 6 or 9 me 109 at 18,000ft, coming from the sun towards Dover to attack. Some Hurricanes turned on their tails without being observed and led Red Section into attack. Gave one enemy aircraft about five two second bursts from 250 yards, closing in to 100 yards. He attended no evasion tactics except gentle right hand turn and decreasing speed, by which I concluded he had at least had his controls hit. Shot away. I then turned on another ME109 which had turned past my nose and delivered three deflection bursts. At 100 yards range he went down in a spiral. I then returned as my munition had run out. During one bombing raid in particular, the war got very personal for Melan. His son Jonathan had just been born outside of London. Linda and Jonathan were at a nursing home awaiting their return home when a German night bombing raid came over. Without thinking twice, Melan called his ground crew and demanded that they ready his Spitfire for action. The raid came over his airfield and the bombers then continued on their bombing run. This did not stop Melan. He got into his Spitfire, powered up its monstrous Merlin engine and headed off in pursuit. Within minutes Melan shot down two bombers. He had used the searchlights from anti aircraft batteries to help highlight the enemy. Again. His combat report recalls this incredible night. During an air raid in the locality of Southend. Various enemy aircraft were observed and held by searchlights for prolonged periods. On request from squadron, I was allowed to take off with one Spitfire. I climbed towards enemy aircraft which was making for the coast and held in search light beams at 8,000ft I positioned myself as stern and opened fire at 200 yards and closed to 50 yards with one burst. Observed bullets entering enemy aircraft and had my windscreen covered in oil. Broke off to the left and immediately below as enemy aircraft spiraled out of beam, climbed to 12000ft towards another enemy aircraft held by searchlights in northerly course. Opened fire at 250 yards. Taking good care not to overshoot this time. Gave 52 second bursts and observed bullets entering all over enemy aircraft with slight deflection. As he was turning to port, enemy aircraft emitted heavy smoke and I observed one parachute open very close. Enemy aircraft went down in spiral dive. I followed him right down until he crashed in flames over chop. Chelmsford.
- [23:41]
Narrator
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- [24:46]
Jonathan Milan
Reese's Peanut Butter cup sound experiment. We're looking to find the perfect way.
- [24:50]
Narrator
To hear Reese's so you'll buy more of them. Here we go.
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Jonathan Milan
Reese's Reese's Reese's Reese's Reese's hey, get out of here you little stinker. Reese's, Reese's.
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Narrator
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that.
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Jonathan Milan
Breathy one sounded very creepy. Am I right? Jonathan Milan recalls hearing of his father's exploits that night.
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I'm told that when my mother was in a nursing home about to give birth to me, it was at a place outside London for safety reasons. It was a nursing home near the Thames river and my dad started to get jittery and I'm told that he went up at night when there was a bombing raid and shot two aircraft down. So the night that I was born, I'm told that my dad shot two planes out of the sky. Overlander.
- [25:52]
During this sortie, Milan became the first pilot to shoot down two enemy bombers at night and was awarded a bar to his dfc. Yet another accolade. This would have been enough were it not for something that happened a few months later. Also concerning Milan's son. Later in the war, with all that he had been going through, he remarked that one of the scariest things he had done was to ask Winston Churchill to be his son's godfather. Churchill readily agreed, and with that statement we perhaps get an inkling of Sailor's humorous side. Churchill had introduced us to the few in one of his greatest ever speeches when he commented on the Battle of Britain. As a visitor to the many Fighter Command airfields that lay scattered over England during the war, he knew more than most the sacrifices airmen were making. In August 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Milan was promoted to commander of 74 Squadron.
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Expert
74 Squadron was very successful during the Battle of Britain, I think. Sailor became commander of the squadron on 8 August 1940. Within three days of that, at the height of the Battle of Britain, the Squadron was launched four times during the day on 11 August, and it became known as Sailors Day because during the course of those four launches, 74 Squadron destroyed 23 enemy aircraft, one probable with 14 damaged, all within the course of one day on the 11th of August 1940. So that really set the tone of Spader's command of the squadron. They had had success before that, but not on that scale. I mean, that was a tremendous effort. Certainly a day like the 11th of August, you know, they realized that really they had cemented their place in history with that sort of success.
- [27:52]
Jonathan Milan
His coolness under fire showed when he saw one of his pilots get shot up by a German fighter. He shouted for him not to bail out and pulled in close to escort the stricken plane back to the airfield. His temper also showed when armorers were not quick enough in getting the planes ready again for combat. He angrily admonished them as the squadron was on constant alert and planes needed to be able to take off to intercept bombing raids at a moment's notice. Regardless, the ground crew's respect for him was firm, as Bob Cossey found during his research of personnel who had served with 74 Squadron and those who had had first hand experiences with Milan.
- [28:34]
Expert
One of the grand crew I taught was a guy named Bill Felstead. He long departed, I'm afraid, but he said to me those were the days. Churchill was so right. What marvelous men they were. Milan was the most wonderful man I ever met. Certainly in all my long service in the raf, I never met another like him. And that was repeated several times with other grand crew I met. It's almost hero worship, isn't it?
- [29:02]
Jonathan Milan
The airfields were being bombed constantly by the Germans and RAF Fighter Command was taking a pounding. Young new pilots were continuously being trained and many would be sent up with minimal time spent in a Spitfire. Melan would once comment that he could see when a pilot was not going to come back.
- [29:21]
Historian
Sailors often mischaracterised by the media and historians alike as aloof and cold blooded. In fact, he was soft spoken and reserved, although he had little patience for hogwash and injustice. As one newspaper article written after the war noted, he is a fellow who hates noise and fuss, hugs his privacy and never really thaws out in a crowd. Although those who flew with him describes him as reserved and almost Impossible to know those he warmed up to find a fiercely loyal friend in him. One of the officers who flew with him at 74 Squadron wrote, I found the most endearing thing about him was that apart from being an exceptional shot, he was just an ordinary chap.
- [30:02]
Jonathan Milan
Perhaps it was his reserved outward nature that helped him rationalise everything he had been able to do, to be able to fly endless sorties without appearing to be concerned about the threat to his own mortality, which was always one burst of well directed mishismet. GUNFIRE AWAY Retired South African Air Force radar operator Christo Dutoy, now chairman of the South African Air Force Association's branch in Kimberley, recalls coming across a quote attributed to Milan as told by reporter Quinton Reynolds in the book Glorious Summer.
- [30:35]
Crispin Trace
He asked Melan, if you would like to borrow some books. No, replied Milan, I've never read a book in my life of pleasure to.
- [30:42]
Jonathan Milan
Enjoy reading it seems to me a.
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Crispin Trace
Man requires a lot of imagination. And then he replied, I have no imagination at all. Maybe that's why I'm still alive. When you're up there fighting, you've got to be realistic and when you come back, you've got to put it all out of your mind. A lot of youngsters go to bed at night and then you fight the scrambles. Thank God I'm not a woring kind. They are the first to go.
- [31:11]
Jonathan Milan
Jonathan was told about his father's ability to compartmentalize his work and role as, as a leader from all other aspects of his life.
- [31:19]
I'm told that during the war he was very sociable, except when he was in command. He stepped into another Persona when he was in command. He knew he had a job to do, he had a responsibility, he would not take any lances. He was a very honest man and he became what many people in wartime situations had to be. Kept very strong for the sake of others. Very ruthless. They'll haul you. And they backed him up a bit. They were happy to follow him as their leader. He taught them to become cold, calculated killing machines.
- [32:01]
Milan had led since May 1940, and the strain was showing. Time and again, he would chase planes around the sky, scoring kills, running out of ammunition, getting tagged by bullets from enemy 109s. But he would always land and then return back into the fray on the rare times his squadron wasn't in action. Milan was frustrated and anxious to get back into the fight. But everyone is human, especially facing the relentless pressure and intensity of warfare. In one account, we get a glimpse of Milan allowing his emotions to get the better of him, he had returned from a sortie and sat alone in one of the barracks. Tears streamed down his face as everything caught up with him. The terror of trying to kill another man who is trying to kill you. The weight of command, the solitary hours of boredom waiting for the enemy. The seconds of extreme fear when they arrived and a dogfight ensued. The comrades that never returned to fight another day. Crispin Trace met Milan a few years after the war and they became close friends.
- [33:22]
Crispin Trace
He never talked about the war at all. But looking back afterwards and knowing what it must have been like for a sailor to have had to accept these young inexperienced pilots and put them in a plane and send them up to aerial battle. It must have been very hard for him. It made me realize that he must have been like that during the war. He was in charge of Squadron 74, which was one of the busiest squadrons that there was. He, I think, was cut up and got his syndrome from knowing that the young pilots that were replacing the old ones were going to last about a week to two weeks, that's all. It wasn't in his nature to do that. He would have liked to have trained them up somehow, taught them how to stay alive. And he wasn't able to do that because they were flying five or six sorties a day at the time and they had to get every airplane in the sky. That made me realize that he really was a kind hearted chapter. He, he certainly didn't like his pilots getting killed. You know, he was in a situation which didn't call for any kind heartedness, it caused for attack, which he did damn well. But I'm sure that that's what got at him.
- [35:07]
Jonathan Milan
This unerring duty of care for his men is a trait that stood out as Milan continued his path through the ranks, each of which brought different responsibilities.
- [35:19]
Dr. Helen Doe
When I investigated leadership in the RAF in the Second World War, there was no training for it.
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Jonathan Milan
Historian Dr. Helen Doe Whereas today you.
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Dr. Helen Doe
Go to all sorts of management schools and everything else, then there was no direct training. It was you learnt on the job or you learned by the mistakes previous commanding officers made. And that to me is the thing that comes through about Milan, that he understood management, he understood leadership and he understood how to drive and get the best out of his men. And he was much loved for that.
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Jonathan Milan
Part of the job of managing, of course, is managing upwards, not just managing down, getting what you think is best. And when you're on the front line doing everything you can to maximize the chance of bringing your men back, such as challenging outdated tactics, they'd taken all.
- [36:12]
Dr. Helen Doe
The First World War stuff. They'd been doing all these wonderful big formation flying over London to defend London, pre war, very fixed formation. When it actually came to combat in the air, they rapidly realized, you're going to get killed doing that. If Milan's fighting on behalf of his men and he's developing his tactics, not in isolation, by the way, because they are learning from other people. They're talking to one another. You know, these, the squadrons Horn shows you've got four squadrons in one place. So the commanding officers are certainly talking to one another and they're learning from this, they're learning these examples. And if you need to change things, you've got to fight the hierarchy. My father used to call the call, the officers who didn't fly as penguins because they flapped a lot but didn't fly. They tended to stick to rules rather than realizing that the fighter pilots who had engaged knew what they were talking about.
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Jonathan Milan
Management is really what it came down to. And Milan proved himself to be a natural manager. He had a style about him. With his background in the Merchant Navy and what he'd learned and developed through active combat, it all came together to help him manage everyone. He came into contact with the senior leadership as well as the new recruits.
- [37:38]
Dr. Helen Doe
In air warfare and in warfare generally, you always have those, the specialist few like Milan Tuck and others who were the hunter killers, who could go out there and down several enemy planes. But the percentage of people who could do that was actually really tiny because there were plenty of fighters on both sides who didn't actually shoot anything down. I mean, let's not assume that every single fighter pilot that went up, you know, shot something down. They didn't. But what you have in the sky is you have the hunter killers on both sides who are really good at shooting others down, and the rest are targets. So what he's doing here is he's trying to stop some of his men from being pure targets and giving them advice on that as well.
- [38:29]
Jonathan Milan
Milan once likened air combat to entering a dark room with a madman waving a knife about. Coping with that fear wasn't something that came natural to anyone. The fighting man he had become, however, simply took over and took control. It used his strengths and buried his weaknesses, an approach that he instilled in those who flew with him. Milan's individual combats during the Battle of Britain are too numerous to mention, and by the time it ended, he had more than played his part. He achieved recognition in the UK for his achievements and as a key participant, he would lead Battle of Britain anniversaries and commemorations at Biggin Hill and elsewhere in the following years. Surprisingly, as John Freeborn remarked, Milan didn't have a strong South African accent. His many years at sea, away from the country at such an early age, had taken it away from him, as we hear in a news clip from a Biggin Hill commemoration where Milan dedicated a memorial. The unveiling of the memorial was carried out by that famous ace, Group Captain Malan, in thankful remembrance of the pilots.
- [39:35]
Of this sector from Great Britain, the British Dominions and Allied nations who by their sacrifice helped to win a greater victory. I unveil this memorial in their honor and to the glory of God.
- [39:50]
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- [40:28]
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- [41:10]
Fighter and bomber command went on the offensive and took the air war to occupied Europe. Probing and attacking with formations of hundreds of planes, Milan would fly protection for these and chase down enemy fighters that threatened them. By 1941, Milan had become a squadron leader and then a wing commander and had added to his middle role. He had shot down numerous enemy aircraft and inflicted damage on many others. He had been on active service and in command as a leader for nearly 13 months and had taken part in many of the offensive combat missions over Hitler's Europe since the end of the Battle of Britain. He was also a household name and had reluctantly given many interviews and broadcasts, but he was physically and mentally exhausted. Milan had tried to shun the limelight, but a thankful country hadn't allowed him. Neither had his superiors, insisting on wartime tours and news clips to aid the battle, to win hearts and minds. He had even recorded messages and met the press from his own country. The press in South Africa, however, was unsurprisingly divided when it came to covering Milan. Depending where on the political spectrum the newspaper fell, he would either be praised, ignored or vilified.
- [42:32]
Historian
The Afrikaans press were obviously fairly negative. In contrast, the English language press in South Africa, they towed the party line. They supported the Allied cause very openly. Publications like the Cape Times August, so they had very different takes on it. But even so, Saylor was more celebrated in the British press because he flew for the raf.
- [42:53]
Jonathan Milan
Saylor would later face relentless attacks from the South African government, ridiculed as a flying poodle and labelled as a traitor to his people. Quite unlike the very clear perception back in Britain, where one London journalist referred to him as the South African Springbok who had become a British lion. But it was never adulation that he sought.
- [43:16]
My father always felt uncomfortable as a hero because he was gentle, friendly man, he was a quiet man and he was embarrassed by the attention.
- [43:34]
In late 1940, 1941, it was decided that Milan should take a break and go on a publicity and educational tour of the usa. America had not entered the war and the RAF had a lot of combat experience to share. Sir Harry Broadhurst, who would become Air Chief Marshal, accompanied Milan and others, including Stanford Tuck, on the tour. His private film collection includes footage of the month long tour. A rare glimpse of the pilots relaxed in lighter moments, but also meeting fellow USA PIL pilots and flying with them. He said that Milan's fellow travelers got much pleasure out of introducing him to the Americans by his first name, Adolf. Milan never used Adolf. Instead he was referred to as John and this is how he introduced himself to Linda. When they first met, he did the usual public talks, but not much flying. This frustrated him and finally, on a tour to a US base, he insisted that he went up. Historian Dr. Helen Doe picks up the story.
- [44:42]
Dr. Helen Doe
Both Tuck and Milan by now are both wing commanders, so they've been leading wings both out of Biggin Hill at various times. Milan takes a group of pilots, Tuck takes a group of pilots and they show them what it's like in the air because the US pilots are desperate to get their firsthand experience and knowledge of what it's really like happening now in the skies over Europe. And so these two men are so highly regarded as being absolutely top of their game, are there to show the sorts of very real tactics that will keep them alive and winning when and if at that stage the US actually enters the war.
- [45:30]
Jonathan Milan
On one occasion, the US commander mentioned that at that very time there were 12 US planes in the air on a training mission. Milan got into a P39, took off and proceeded to mock shoot down all 12 in under 10 minutes. The gun camera footage from the plane provided the proof of this incredible feat and proof for Milan that his concern that the Americans were not ready for air combat was well founded. He had experienced firsthand that they still used outdated tactics they would need to learn quickly. This became more evident once Pearl Harbour had been attacked. Soon after, a virtually unknown part of his story is the deep respect and admiration many in America had for Milan, not only because of his fighting prowess, ability and character, but also because of his stance after the war. Years later, when the South African government refused to give Milan a military funeral and banned all public service, including military members, from attending, the United States sent a representative to honor Milan's contributions.
- [46:38]
Historian
The U.S. air Force military attache was Flight Lieutenant Thurman. I'm not sure whether he actually met Sailor during the war when he was in the US he goes to the ambassador and he says, we need to honor this man. So the US sent this military attache to attend the funeral in full uniform with a colleague.
- [47:05]
Jonathan Milan
After four years with 74 Squadron, Milan had left to become wing commander at Biggin Hill fighter station. It was a very sad farewell. He had been through so much with his beloved tigers of 74.
- [47:21]
Expert
When he was rested. At the time, he was. He was the wing commander at Biggin Hill. His score was 27 enemy aircraft destroyed, 7 shared, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged. At the time, he was the Royal air Force's leading fighter.
- [47:49]
Jonathan Milan
8 Biggin Hill is one of the most famous locations of the war. It was from here that hundreds of planes were commanded and flew into combat. While at Biggin Hill, Mellon would spend many happy evenings at the nearby White Hart Inn, a favorite of many pilots at the time. His signature would be inscribed, along with others, on black art boards used to cover windows during bombing raids. His command, however, didn't stop him from joining the missions into Europe. He would join up with wings from other airfields and head into battle. When the German fighters didn't come up to fight, fight, he would supposedly taunt them by producing contrails in the sky with his Spitfire as if to say, here we are. What are you waiting for? He also had a free Polish squadron under his command and apparently when one of its pilots was shot down, and taken prisoner. He received a letter from the pilot warning him that the Germans were keen to get their hands on the famous sailor. This being said, we came across a German article on Milan of unknown origin, written following his death. It captures his character in a simple the Fighting Gentleman. Ironic, considering who it came from. But Malone's willingness to still lead his men in combat irked the High Command. They did not want to lose him. So in March 1942, he was moved to the Central Gunnery School, where he formed a fighter wing to train pilots in the deadly art of air combat. For Milan, this began with the attitude and mindset a fighter pilot must have in the cockpit. He has to be cold, he must have an aggressive nature. He must at all times be an attacker. He fights with his head, not his heart. It is against the nature of a Spitfire to run away.
- [49:39]
Expert
It was obviously primarily in terms of aggression. And that was why he's saying, don't be defensive, be aggressive all the time, but also imbued in. Some of the rules that he formulated were aimed at protecting the squadron itself as far as possible. When it was dog fighting, which was a terribly, terribly dangerous business, Milan would.
- [50:00]
Jonathan Milan
Describe his own experiences and make them part of the lessons he would use for training his young airmen. It was at this time that he created his famous 10 Rules for Air Fighting, a mantra that would be stuck up on the walls of fighter bases around England. Dr. Helen Doe takes us through each one.
- [50:20]
Dr. Helen Doe
Milan's 10 rules for air Fighting are famous, really famous. I think they're famous because they're clear, they're short, and there's just 10 of them. Because in the First World War, there were also air fighting rules developed by the aces then, and some of them were quite long and quite complicated. So Malone comes along and essentially it's just giving the fighter pilot something simple and straightforward to focus on and really basic. You know, he's being absolutely direct. Number one, wait until you see the whites of his eyes. Fire short bursts of one to two seconds and only when your sights are definitely on. Some pilots had a tendency through nerves or anxiety and stress to start firing as soon as they saw the enemy, which wasted ammunition and time. So what he is saying is get in as close as you can and just, you know, hold back until you can get in as close as you can. Number two, whilst shooting, think of nothing else. Brace the whole of the body, have both hands on the stick, concentrate on your ring sight. It's about how you are in that aircraft, so your brain just think of nothing else and Then physically brace the whole of the body. So it's your body that is part of this shooting. Have both hands on the stick, concentrate on your ring sight so you're not just pressing a button. Your mind and body are there as well. I mean, this is Olympic training really, isn't it? Number three, always keep a sharp lookout. Keep your finger out when you're in the sky. You've got this multi dimensional game going on, dangerous and deadly game. You don't know what's going to happen or where it's going to come from. One minute you're in empty sky, next minute you're surrounded by planes with crosses on, as my father put it. So you've got to keep a very sharp lookout, but also not for you, just for yourself. But very often what they began to develop was flying in pairs. So you would have a wingman and they would look out for you and you'd look out for them. Four, Height gives you the initiative. When they were given their vector, very often, rather to begin with, the pilots would go up to the level at which the enemy was going to be. The enemy could then see them coming. What they needed to do was get above the enemy and come down, and especially come down in out of the sun. So as he puts it, height gives you the initiative and that's really crucial. That's why sometimes the big wing initiative, the idea of getting everybody together was so criticized because you couldn't be as flexible as Malayan is suggesting. Five, Always turn and face the attack. So in other words, just make sure that when you are attacked, swing fast. That's the joy of Spitfires. Hurricanes not so much, but a Spitfire, what a joy. You could just whiz it round, it just makes sense. But he just needed to underline it. 6. Make your decisions promptly. It is better to act quickly even though your tactics are not the best. So he's not saying this is about the fine art, this is about achieving something. Your tactics may not be the best, but make a quick decision. Seven, never fly straight and level for more than 30 seconds in the combat area. You risk being a target. Eight, when diving to attack, always leave a proportion of your formation above to act as top guard. So just make sure you've always got that extra bit of protection if you can. Couldn't always happen because sometimes they split up and they didn't know where everybody was, but just try and do that. 9. Initiative, aggression, air discipline and teamwork are the words that mean something in air fighting. It's not about blind flying to rules or this formation of flying they'd all been trained on, or the pre war pilots. It's thinking, aggression, air discipline. And part of air discipline was radio discipline. Really, really important. And that was something that so many of them, so many of the leaders had to keep banging on about. Radio discipline. Make sure you're clear on that. And teamwork, you're part of a team. There were a lot of individualists who would go off and just decide to pick off somebody here and there. But if you worked as a team, you're far better. And these are the words that mean something in air fighting. So he summarizes all of this in number 10. And this isn't an extra rule. This is simply summary. Go in quickly, punch hard, and then the crucial bit, get out. These are powerful rules that anyone today can read and understand. And that's what it was about. So no wonder they were so taken up and used in so many places and deservedly famous. But it says so much about the man and his style of management.
- [55:57]
Jonathan Milan
These rules belie much of Milan's character. Ever focused on the job in hand to defeat the enemy, but underpinned by the desire to bring as many of his boys safely home again. Coming up on episode four of Face the the Three Battles of Sailor Milan. Wartime life brings challenges for the Milan family as Sailor is a hero to many, but just dad to his son.
- [56:25]
I remember sitting on his lap, I remember playing games with him, but I don't remember him being at home as often as he would probably like to be.
- [56:34]
A friend of Sailor and fellow South Africans recollect their own and their country's involvement in the war. I just looked up on this the first time I'd see the swastika in my life.
- [56:44]
Expert
Sort on the tail of this, the.
- [56:48]
Jonathan Milan
Family returns to South Africa and one battleground is switched for another as the national party wins the 1948 election and institutes new laws that change the face of a nation.
- [56:59]
Historian
The National Party begins using this word that slides into its circles and this word is called apartheid.
- [57:06]
Jonathan Milan
Melan is drawn into politics for the first time, only to reject it with distaste, trying to replace it with the family life he never had.
- [57:14]
My father made his choice. I'm going, Father. Cheers.
- [57:17]
And the government pushes even further.
- [57:20]
Historian
To this day, I have come across people who refer to the removal of the coloured franchise as the Great Betrayal.
- [57:32]
Jonathan Milan
Face the Attack. The Three Battles of Sailor Milan was written and produced by Protea Rose Originals to receive weekly episodes plus additional content. Follow this series wherever you find your favorite podcast. To discover more, visit facetheattack.com.
- [57:54]
Narrator
On January 5, 2024, an Alaska Airlines door plug tore away mid flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of a plane that carried 171passengers. This heart stopping incident was just the latest in a string of crises surrounding the aviation manufacturing giant Boeing. In the past decade, Boeing has been involved in a series of damning scandals and deadly crashes that have chipped away at its once sterling reputation. At the center of it all, the 737 Max, the latest season of Business wars explores how Boeing, once the gold standard of aviation engineering, descended into a nightmare of safety concerns and public mistrust. The decisions, denials and devastating consequences bringing the titan to its knees. And what, if anything, can save the company's reputation now? Follow Business wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge Business the Unraveling of Boeing early and ad free right now on Wondery plus.