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Auction: 13003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 19

The '1940' Battle of France and Battle of Britain Fighter Aces' D.F.C. Group of Seven to Hurricane and Kittyhawk Pilot, Squadron Leader K.N.T. 'Hawkeye' Lee, 501 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. On His First Day of Operational Flying in France He Single-Handedly Engaged 4 Enemy Aircraft, Shooting Down 2 Of Them Whilst Sustaining 37 Strikes to His Soon To Be Written Off Hurricane. Shot Down and Wounded Over France and Britain in 1940, He Went On To Join the Desert Air Force in 1942. Serving With Distinction in the Western Desert As a Flight Commander With 112 'Shark' Squadron and 260 Squadron, Lee Was Given His Own Squadron to Command in March 1943. Flying From 123 Squadron's Base at Bu Amud He Led Over 100 Hurricanes in a Strafing Attack on the Island of Crete, 23.7.1943. Hit By Ack-Ack Fire He Had to Make a Forced Landing With a Dead Engine. Shot and Taken POW, Lee Was Transferred to Stalag Luft III. Whilst Incarcerated At Sagan He Played a Key Role in Enabling "The Great Escape", 24/25.3.1944
a) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated '1940'
b) 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Bar
c) Air Crew Europe Star
d) Africa Star, with North Africa 1942-43 Bar
e) Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaf
f) Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt. K.N.T. Lee R.A.F.V.R.), generally very fine, mounted as originally worn, with the following related items:
- The recipient's Caterpillar Club gold brooch badge, with ruby eyes, reverse engraved 'P/O K.N.T. Lee'
- D.F.C. Royal Mint case of issue
- Air Ministry Letter concerning resignation of commission, dated 2.10.1945
- A Fine Photograph Album, replete with photographs from recipient's pre-war R.A.F.V.R days, through to service in the Western Desert
- The recipient's Incorporated Sales Manager's Association Certificate, named to K.N.T. Lee, examined in 'Germany whilst Prisoner of War in 1944', and dated May 1945
- A copy of Kenneth 'Hawkeye' Lee DFC, Battle of Britain & Desert Air Force Fighter Ace, by N. Thomas (lot)

D.F.C. London Gazette 22.10.1940 Pilot Officer Kenneth Norman Thomson Lee (72998), 501 Sqn., R.A.F.V.R.
'This officer has led his section and flight with marked success. He has displayed great dash and determination and has destroyed at least six enemy aircraft.'

Squadron Leader Kenneth Norman Thomson 'Hawkeye' Lee, D.F.C. (1915-2008), born Erdington, Birmingham; educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham, and joined the Cadet Corps there; joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a 'weekend pilot', January 1937, 'Lee was a member of the first VR two-month 'ab initio' flying course, which assembled at Perth in Scotland on 25 January 1937. He enlisted first as an AC2 (pilot under training), being promoted to the rank of sergeant on the following day.... It was whilst at No. 11 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School Perth that Lee first met James Harry 'Ginger' Lacey. In many ways the pair were very much alike: both were courageous and determined, plain speaking, quietly unassuming, but not lacking self belief.

While at Perth, Lee learned to fly on Tiger Moth trainers, which had a top speed of 90 mph. An 'outstanding' pilot, he soloed after only 7 hours on dual-control, being narrowly pipped to the post by Lacey on 6 hours and 55 minutes; RAF pilots generally soloed after 12 hours' training.' (Kenneth 'Hawkeye' Lee DFC, Battle of Britain & Desert Air Force Fighter Ace, N. Thomas refers - quotes from which are used throughout the footnote)

After a full years training on other aircraft Lee was issued with Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 16.077, 27.7.1938. In January of the following year he was requested to sign up for six month's regular service. He was posted to 111 Squadron at Northolt, and 'Asked what I had flown so far, I replied, "Hawker Harts and Hinds, sir." I was informed that the squadron was equipped with the new Hawker Hurricane and that it was "like a Hart without a top wing."

And so, without further instruction or sight of a pilot's instruction manual, Lee was in the seat of a Hurricane for the very first time. He took to the aircraft as though he had been flying it since his first day of pilot training:
"I remember standing on the wing-root looking into the cockpit at all the knobs, switches and the array of intruments: an altimeter that went over 30,000ft; a flight speed meter that read in excess of 300mph; the gun-button that brought a deadly rain of fire from eight Browning 0.303 machine-guns; and the throttle that controlled a 1,030hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which I had read could reach 15,000 feet in 6 minutes and 20 seconds. This was the moment I had dreamt of."

Lee very quickly became one of the squadron's best pilots and on '29th March Lee was sitting in the sergeant's mess waiting for a meal and a refreshing cuppa between flights:
"The Station Warrant Officer, a Regular, was reading something. I remember he called out in my direction, asking my initials. Of course I replied K.N.T. Lee."
What followed took Kenneth by surprise: "Congratulations," he was told, "you're an officer. Now bugger off and have your lunch in the officer's mess."

Lee was posted as a Pilot Officer to 43 Squadron at Tangmere, where he carried out further training in Hurricanes. On the 5th of September 1939, with the outbreak of the Second War having been declared two days earlier, Lee was posted to 501 Squadron. The latter was based at Filton in the West Country, as part of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command. Having arrived at Filton Lee found himself once again reunited with 'Ginger' Lacey. On the 27th November the squadron was declared fully operational and moved to Tangmere. Initially tasked with flying patrols in defence of ports and Channel convoys during the 'Phoney War', the squadron was rushed into action with the German invasion of the Low Countries.

Battle of France - A Test of Mettle
501 Squadron arrived at Betheniville on the 10th May 1940. Lee had been put in charge of the rear party flying the squadron's kit and spares over in three transport planes. As a consequence he arrived on the 11th May. One of the Bombay transport aircraft crashed landed leading to 3 fatalities - the squadron's first casualties of the war. Fortunately for Lee he arrived safely and the following day, after an abortive combat, was to claim his first two victories:
"There were four of us on patrol south of Sedan at 18,000ft - Flg Off Smith and another pilot, led by Flg. Off Malfroy, and myself. Following orders we maintained radio silence.
I was flying in what would become my regular role as rear cover. Below I saw the burst of a bomb. It could have come from an enemy bomber and so I traced the trajectory back and caught sight of four Do 17s of II/KG3. Pulling up in front of the remainder of the formation, I wiggled my wings and pointed down towards the enemy before peeling off to make my attack.
The Dorniers saw me diving in and changed to a tight defensive vic formation with one in the box as I drew ever closer. I went through the combat drill in my head. I lowered the seat and tightened my belt before turning the firing-button to 'on', and set the wingspan for a bomber and adjusted the range to 300 yards.
Closing fast, I looked either side of me, expecting to see the remainder of the section making a Number 1 Attack. But I was completely alone.
By now I was committed and I had to go in, and I got one of them, which was later confirmed by the French artillery, another one going down smoking.
Well, of course I was delighted to have a major victory only a day after arriving in France, and went back to the squadron delighted with myself until they told me how badly my aircraft was damaged; it had to be taken out of service."
Attacked by the bomber's escorting Bf 110s of StabI/ZG2, Lee's own aircraft had suffered thirty-seven strikes, including damage to the engine bearings.
"I was unsure of my position and so I put down on a French airstrip [Mourmelon] where I was given directions. The landing-ground had only recently been hit by German bombers; you could still see blue smoke wafting out of the bomb craters."

Lee's engagement was witnessed by Lt. Watelet of 136 RIF, who reported two aircraft destroyed:
"He was alone among this multitude of aircraft. He was doing a real exercise of aerobatics. We all stopped breathing as we surveyed this delicate operation. He shot down a first bomber [crashing near Messincourt], then a second one [crashing near Matton]... he flew away, chased by German fighters: that one had guts."

The remainder of Lee's formation had interpreted his signal as meaning that he had engine trouble and was returning to base. On the 13th, flying the second sortie of the day, both Lee and Lacey added to their scores, the former recalling the encounter with six enemy aircraft thus:
"We had radio contact with a control centre which told us to go on patrol, but with no indication of where we were to go or what we were to look for, or whether there was any kind of enemy activity in the air. There was no radar, although I heard the RAF had some sort of low-frequency noise detectors which were intended to assist in locating aircraft - but for us it was purely a matter of going up there and trying to find something.
That afternoon we were on patrol. I was flying as rear cover once again. I spotted a formation of Me 110s climbing through cloud. I flew ahead and gave the signal, upon which we broke and dived on the Me 110s.
This time I made a deflection shot at the leading enemy aircraft, which burst into flames. Turning back for a second crack at him I saw that the Me 110 was already plummeting vertically towards the ground, the others being chased by the rest of the squadron."
The Bf 110 flown by Leutnant Ferdinant Dunstheimer crashed near Warmeriville, with both crewmen killed.'

Dunkirk - Setting Up a Perimeter
The squadron was now involved in desperate fighting daily. It had to regularly move back as the Germans pressed on. Arriving at Anglure in the middle of May they discovered that their new temporary base was an emergency landing ground adapted from a few corn fields.
The decision to evacuate the B.E.F. via Dunkirk was made and 501 Squadron was one of the few tasked with providing air cover for the withdrawl of the troops. Lee flew defensive patrols to Dunkirk:
"We never actually flew over Durnkirk; our job was to intercept the enemy before they got anywhere near the beaches, and this we did to great effect... we flew hundreds of hours defending the ports, and virtually abandoned the idea of patrolling our own airfield; this nearly cost us dear."
Setting down at their advanced landing ground, 501 was still refuelling as eighteen Heinkel He 111s approached in perfect formation. High explosive bombs and incendiaries started landing among the Hurricanes:
"We were caught on deck and helpless to defend the airfield. I remember that Sylvo was sheltering among some drums on the other side of the airfield as the bombs began exploding all around. Lacey and Hairs were still out in the open ground and were almost thrown to the floor by the shockwaves.
Sylvo called them over to where he was sheltering. It was only as the last of the Heinkels was pulling away that they noticed the labelling on the drums, which read 'Essence Aviation' - they were sheltering in the fuel dump, and had a bomb landed near them they would have all gone up!"
Shortly after this Lee and the squadron were up and looking for trade, 'Fifteen minutes into their flight and while patrolling the area between Blangy and Abancourt, Kenneth sighted thirty He IIIs... They were escorted by about twenty Bf 110s, which could be made out on the horizon. Closing in from above and behind, Holden placed the squadron in the best attacking position.
Lee recalled the engagement:
"I was flying as a weaver when I spotted a large formation of what turned out to be Heinkel IIIs and Bf 110s. The latter were flying as escort, but turned 180 degrees and disappeared before we closed to within firing range."

'A' Flight made the first pass, with Lee at the head of Red Section, which went for the three rear aircraft; Lacey led Yellow Section. Lee recollected the combat:
"As we came down towards them we expected fire from the rear gunner. It was always very reassuring when you had silenced the rear gunner, as this allowed a clearer shot, but I don't recall any fire.
We selected our targets and hit home. My Heinkel filled the gunsight as I blasted away. But still no return fire, while the pilot failed to take any evasive action even as the bullets ripped into the bomber's fuselage.
Flying straight and level, they were easy targets, you just had to get close enough for your guns to harmonize and they fell out of the sky- we just picked them off at will."
The squadron bagged 11 confirmed and 2 more probables from the engagement, 'later that day Lee was standing just outside a jubilant mess when he heard a couple of pilots talking about the day's events and Lee's unfailing ability to spot the enemy. Somehow they got onto the subject of nicknames. "Everybody in the RAF has one, it is an inescapable fact... Let's call him 'Hawkeye'."

With the situation worsening in the first week of June the RAF were flying almost continuously, with the pilots rarely leaving their cockpits between sorties. Lee had transferred with the squadron to Le Mans and on the 6th June he destroyed a Do. 17 whilst on patrol near Boos.

Coming Down With a Wallop For the First Time
On the 10th June 1940:
"Flying with two or three other pilots from 501, we intercepted and attacked a formation of Heinkel IIIs. I was chasing them as they made for cloud cover. As I followed them in, something hit my aircraft, and to this day I still don't know exactly how I was hit. There was a loud bang and the stick went loose, and I quickly realized that the Hurricane was out of control. A bullet wound to the right hand made things more difficult, as I had no power in it.
I tried to jump, but was initially pushed back into the cockpit by the slipstream. The aircraft began to slew from side to side as it descended. Eventually it turned over and I fell out and struck the tailplane, which damaged my leg as I tumbled past too close to the fuselage. A few seconds later I pulled the ripcord and heard the gratifying bang as the parachute opened above me."

Lee drifted down towards Bernaise, just to the south of the River Seine. It was a sobering experience for Lee, having to call down to the French troops to cease-fire as he prepared to land:
"I had descended to about four or five thousand feet when they opened fire. I could hear bullets whizzing past me. They were shouting, 'Parachutist! Parachutist!' as everyone for miles began shooting at me."
Lee's exertions had diverted his attention from the important job of steering his parachute away from the thicker woodland towards a patch of more open ground:
"I glanced the top of one of the taller trees, an oak, and ricocheted my way down to the lower branches before hitting the ground with a thud, but without doing any further damage to my leg."

Fumbling through the pockets of his battledress top, Lee found his ID card, which he brandished. Thankful for his fluency in their language, he shouted: "Je suis Anglais! Je suis Anglais!" He made his way back to the squadron, but his hand injury meant that he was unable to fly again during the France campaign:
"We all got away with quite a lot, and we had lots of mishaps and lots of being shot down and came back and came back again.
I was only shot down once in France, but Sylvester was shot down at least three times, Lacey was shot down two or three times, Johnny Gibson was shot down a couple of times too. I don't know anyone who had any misgivings; all they wanted to do their own back and have another go at it."

On the 15th June Lee moved with the squadron to Dinard. The French surrendered and as a consequence the squadron had to move to the Channel Islands. 501 Squadron re-assembled at Croydon at the end of the month. Lee had flown over a hundred hours of patrols whilst in France. He claimed 5 victories out of the 45 the squadron had confirmed as destroyed for the period.

No Time For A Rest- The Battle of Britain
The squadron began to build up its strength and personnel once more. Despite being exhausted, and in Lee's case still in bandages:
"We knew we couldn't dwell on our losses, otherwise we would make mistakes and that would be the end of us. When we got back to England we re-formed at Croydon and got new aircraft, and we were just as ready to go as we were beforehand."

Lee was given extended leave to recover from his wounds. The squadron became operational again during the first week of July, and were now to operate out of Warmwell, Hampshire. They flew operational sorties on the first day of the Battle of Britain, with Lee returning to the cockpit two days later, "I was only too glad to be flying again, especially as Gibbo was still adding to his tally; he had raced ahead of me while I was still grounded by the MO."

Initially the squadron was tasked with patrolling the area encompassing the naval bases and installations of Bristol, Millford Haven, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and Cardiff. It was with the Squadron's move to Gravesend (with a forward base at Hawkinge), 25.7.1940, that they were thrust into the forefront of the attacks across Kent. 501 Squadron now formed part of No. 11 Group's Biggin Hill Sector. Coinciding with the move Lee was Mentioned in Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barratt's Despatch of 22.7.1940.

There was no time for settling in, 'The words '501 scramble' would be shouted and we'd all rush out to our aircraft, which were sitting there at absolute readiness. Our parachutes were hanging over the wing or on the tailplane so that we could pull them on quickly, while the ground-crew got the engine fired-up.
We usually scrambled in threes. Sometimes we formed up over the aerodrome into a section, or more rarely at squadron strength.
Our aircraft were dispersed at four points around the grassed airfield to make enemy bombing more difficult. Sitting in our tents waiting for the scramble, we could get into the air in one and a half minutes.
With time, those of us who survived, at any rate, fell into habits. I would 'christen' the tailwheel before taking off, while Lacey was often physically sick by his tailplane whenever he heard the phone ringing at dispersals or when the Tannoy announced a scramble - we all swore that when the war was over we would never have a phone.'

Lee was living up to his nickname again when he spotted an enemy formation flying over Dover Harbour, 25.7.1940, 'The squadron was patrolling one and a half miles north-east of Dover. I sighted enemy aircraft diving onto Dover Docks and immediately led the squadron towards them, when the Dover Defence Barrage opened up. I engaged one Me 109 pulling up from machine-gunning and bombing the docks, at first with a full deflection and then followed it round to take a further shot from full astern. My tracer ammunition passed through the enemy aircraft, which dived steeply towards the sea, followed by Blue 3....There were our Spitfires and other Me 109s engaged in the vicinity.'

Four days later saw a return to Dover, '0725 hours to patrol over Dover at 5,000 feet, which was later changed to 8,000 feet. After flying north-east over Sandwich I led the squadron round south-west towards Hawkinge. At this moment, approximately at 0745 hours, I saw about forty dive-bomber Ju 87s coming out of the sun. As we had been warned not to cross the Dover AA Barrage, I led the formation round on the west of it and then turned to intercept the Ju 87s, which by this time had finished their bombing and had climbed to about 2,000 feet.
The squadron dived to the attack and a general dogfight developed. I chose a Ju 87 and got on to its tail firing at it for 10 secs [1,350 rounds] at about 300 yards, seeing my tracer entering it. It dived down pouring out white smoke.'

Lee claimed another Ju 87, 12.8.1940, when he encountered 30 enemy aircraft attempting to bomb a destroyer between Deal and Ramsgate, 'I attacked dive-bombers returning from attacking shipping in Thames Estuary. Two stragglers, one was attacked by another Hurricane and crashed on fire into the sea. Pilot jumped out. Self attacked other enemy aircraft and closed to seventy-five yards, pulling away to avoid E/A. Saw explosion and flash in E/A, and on turning to engage again, E/A had disappeared. There being no cloud at that height enemy aircraft considered definitely destroyed.'

Saved By a Parachute Again- "Playing Through"
On the 18th August Lee was to be on the receiving end of an extraordinary piece of flying. Flying over Canterbury at 17,000 feet Lee's formation was bounced by a Bf 109 flown by Oberleutnant Gerhard Schopfel. Schopfel had been newly promoted to the command of the elite Luftwaffe Jagdeschader 26 II Gruppe. Ordering his men to keep altitude Schopfel dived down, unseen, onto the Hurricanes:
'What happened in the next five minutes was to cost the life of one pilot and effectively put three more out of the fighting for much of the remainder of the battle, at the same time earning Schopfel the Ritterkreuz.
Lee picked up the story:
"We were all flying in a very tight formation climbing up to a rendezvous given by the radar people, and I was flying in the very centre of the squadron; if anything I would have thought that I was very safe from attack.
For the one and only time that I flew with the squadron, I was not acting as weaver. This role was being performed by two new pilots, who apparently did not see their attackers."
Of the 'weavers', Plt. Off Kozlowski was badly wounded, his aircraft crashing on Raynham's Farm, near Whitstable. Plt. Off John Welburn Bland was killed, his Hurricane burying itself in the ground at Calcott Hill, Surrey. Next in Schopfel's gunsights was Sgt. Don McKay, who was shot down over Dargate. McKay was burnt before he managed to parachute to safety; receiving further injuries when he landed in a tree; his aircraft crashed in Clapham Hill.
Three pilots had been shot down in rapid succession, none having time to call out even a warning to the rest of the formation, let alone take evasive action or fire their own guns.'

Lee was the last to fall:
"A bullet hit my leg, which shot up in the air, and then another explosive bullet struck the metal behind me and filled my shoulder with little fragments, and a moment later a big burst of oil, smoke and flames came up between my legs from the main tank.
I tried the controls but it was obvious my Hurricane was finished - there was too much smoke and flames. So, with the experience of my previous effort when I had bailed out and struck the tailplane, I rolled the aircraft on its back and pushed the stick foward and released my Sutton harness before pulling the canopy back. I had forgotten to disconnect the oxygen, which I quickly did, and baled out. My aircraft continued to dive earthward-bound, streaming flames and smoke.
Landing in a cornfield near Whitstable, I felt my flying-boot filling up with blood; it was like wearing a wet Wellington. I was immediately 'captured' by an old chap who was wearing a uniform cap from the 1914-18 War. He levelled a rifle at me, which I later learned he had captured from the Turks at Gallipoli. I was out of uniform and wasn't carrying ID, and so he wouldn't believe that I was British. It was such a beautiful day that I had taken my flying-jacket off and put it in the tail and was flying in shirtsleeves and with no means to identify myself.
The London Irish arrived and took me to the Golf Club, where I was given brandy to 'encourage' me a little bit. Some of the members were coming in from playing golf and complained about an aircraft coming in low and disturbing them from their putting. I heard in the background: 'And who is that chap over there with the dirty shirt... and I don't believe he's even a member.'
They brought up an ambulance eventually. I was able to hobble to the transport, and was taken to Leeds Castle, where they took the bullet and shrapnel out and patched me up.'

Lee was placed on recuperation leave and was non-effective until the end of September. 501 Squadron, and Lee, moved to RAF Kenley, 10.9.1940, with their role to be primarily the defence of London against daylight attacks. On the 28th September Lee was back in the air:
"We were still in the front line and seeing almost daily losses. I had only just been declared 'operational' and was a little 'rusty'; I hadn't flown for nearly six weeks.
The CO gave me permission to make a solo sortie, which I flew between noon and 1250 hours. I didn't make contact with the enemy, but I felt a certain sense of satisfaction at having got my first flight under my belt. It was good to be back in a Hurricane again. I was eager to do my bit; it was what I had trained to do."

October brought with it the award of the D.F.C. for Lee and he was back in the thick of it again, 11.10.1940, when intercepting thirty Bf 109s near Robertsbridge, 'I was at the rear of the formation, acting as spotter. I picked out the enemy and radioed to my CO. It was a pretty ferocious dogfight. We were used to being outnumbered three, four, or five to one - it just meant there was no shortage of enemy targets. You'd get a squirt at one or two, but you couldn't hang around to make certain of a 'kill', otherwise one would get on your tail and that would be it.'

Two days later Lee was promoted to Flying Officer. He flew his last operational sortie with the squadron 16.10.1940, and the Luftwaffe arranged a parting gift for him at Kenley the following night, 'We never got used to the glow in the night skies over London. That night, however, we got a little taste of what the city was suffering when at about 8pm one of the bombers flew directly overhead. I heard the sound of bombs dropping from altitude before and knew to take cover; a stick of five or more fell directly on Kenley, with one blast following another in rapid succession.

You felt so helpless on the ground. I'd rather have been in the air in a Hurricane taking on any odds than sitting there waiting for the next explosion.'

Lee was given a day's leave to go to Buckingham Palace for the investiture of his D.F.C., 'The King stood at a doorway; discreetly behind him was an officer who handed the King each medal for presentation as the names and respective awards were called out. After what seemed an age I was at the front of the queue and my name called out. As I approached His Majesty I managed somehow to catch my shoe on the marker on the carpet where I was supposed to halt in front of the King. It was an embarrased FO who glanced at the King, picking up on his severe expression.'

At the same time that Lee was awarded the D.F.C., Percy Morfill (another member of 501 Squadron) was awarded the D.F.M. In more comfortable surroundings Lee had a better day, 'we took advantage of the lull and celebrated the double award in style. Kenley's Station Administration Officer was a theatrical agent before the war, and he somehow arranged for Ralph Lynn and the girls from the Windmill to perform songs and dance numbers in the officers' mess - it was quite a night!'

Lee's operational tour was over. 501 Squadron had been on continuous operational service (apart from the brief period of re-equipping at Croydon after the fall of France) since the 10th May:
"We lost more pilots killed or wounded than any other RAF squadron [engaged in both air battles], all of which were rested.
By the end of 1940 there were still eight of the twenty people who started in France left in the squadron; all the rest were replacements of one type or another.
And most of those eight had been wounded and come back to the squadron several times, and men like Lacey and McKay had been in action from the very start... While we were at Gravesend and in the thick of the battle Keith Park said, 'No. 501 will stay at Gravesend and pilots who want a posting can have one', but of course, none asked.
I remember talking to my pal Gibbo at one of our reunions at Filton. He had met Keith Park after the war and asked him why we were never rested. Park simply replied, 'I always knew I could depend on 501.'

A Well Earned Rest- Before a Sortie Over the Jungle
At the end of November 1940 Lee was posted to a Special Duties Flight at Stormy Down. Here he was supposed to work as a test pilot for Rolls-Royce, carrying out altitude tests for the development of Spitfires. This posting was extremely short lived as the Air Ministry had made a basic clerical error. Whilst they had picked an excellent pilot, they had also picked a pilot who had never flown a Spitfire before! As a consequence Lee was posted as 'C' Flight Commander to the newly formed No. 52 O.T.U. at Crosby-on-Eden. His instructorial duties encompassed combat techniques and air-air fighting in Hurricanes. Whilst he was stationed at Crosby-on-Eden his efforts during the Battle of Britain were recognised when he was Mentioned in Despatches for a second time (London Gazette 1.1.1941).

Lee moved with the unit to Aston Down in August 1941, where he undertook a conversion course to Spitfires. He was promoted Flight Lieutenant, 3.9.1941. Fully recuperated Lee requested a transfer back to a fighter unit. In December 1941 it appeared that his wish had come true as he was to be posted to 79 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Pembrey. His hopes, however, were dashed at the last minute when an experienced pilot was required to lead fifty-plus pilots on the Takoradi - Cairo delivery route. Having reached Sierra Leone by boat Lee and his command embarked on suppyling aircraft to the Middle-East theatre of operations flying by the West African route.

Under Lee's 'charge was a group of British and Commonwealth pilots... There would be a brief period for acclimatization while their Hurricanes were made ready for the long haul.

The crated aircraft arrived by sea, some in the same convoy in which Kenneth had travelled, and were reassembled before being given a test flight. Once declared airworthy, they were assigned to a ferry pilot and flown through the heart of West Africa to the Sudan. The journey of some 3,500 miles was a treacherous one, taking the pilots over almost impenetrable swamp and jungle and the blistering heat and sand of the Sahel desert. There were landing stages every 400-500 miles along the way, where the aircraft were refuelled and the pilots grabbed a brief rest before continuing on the next leg of their journey. There was little margin for error, and engine failure or a slip-up in navigation meant almost certain death.'

Having delivered his cargo to Egypt, Lee decided to take matters into his own hands and requested a meeting with Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham. As a consequence Lee was posted as Flight Commander to 112 (Shark) Squadron (Kittyhawks), Gambut No. 2, June 1942.

The DAF- 112 Squadron
Lee's new squadron was a fighter-bomber squadron commanded by his old friend Billy Drake. The squadron was part of No. 239 Wing and were tasked with flying escort missions and ground-attack operations in support of the 8th Army throughout the campaign in the Western Desert. Having experienced swamps and jungles, this was something new for Lee to contend with, 'After thirst, the greatest enemy was the climate. The seemingly endless barren sands were baked by the scorching sun by day, while a cloudless sky meant near-freezing temperatures at night. A full moon might help illuminate a target for the enemy.

There were the dust-storms too, which would whip up apparently without warning, getting sand into the aircraft's engines and hydraulic systems and rendering them useless. Despite the use of special filters, which had to be changed after every flight, the average life span of an aero-engine was only forty to sixty hours, after which it had to be completely stripped down and rebuilt.'

With the 8th Army being in general retreat flying close air-support was especially hazarduous due to the frequently changing position of the front line. On the 12th of June Lee was introduced to his new type of aircraft:
'My first close-up sight of one of No. 112's Kittyhawks left me with a good impression. It was comfortable and had a bigger cockpit compared with the Hawker Hurricane.... I took one up for a familiarization flight. I soon discovered that the electrical systems, unlike the hydraulics of the Hurricane, could be tempremental, while there were thirty switches to turn on before you even got airborne!

Throwing the Kittyhawk around, I realized that it was quite sluggish compared to the Hawker Hurricane. Its handling was not as good, which meant that you couldn't turn into the Messerschmitt Me 109 - a manoeuvre I'd used to save my life more than once during 1940. I hated to think what its flying characteristics would be like when carrying a 250lb bomb.'

Having carried out several training flights and moving air-strip twice due to the rapidly advancing Germans, Lee made his first operational sortie on the 19th June. The latter was an armed reconnaissance over the area between Sidi Omar and Bardia, 'from high above the Front, Lee could see that the German advance had nearly overrun Sidi Azeiz and Fort Capuzzo, the British retreating ahead of them and congesting the coast road. A pall of smoke hung over Tobruk, the acrid smell filling his cockpit.'

Two days later Lee took part in a raid led by Flight Lieutenant Leu on the landing-ground at Sidi-Azeiz, having dropped his bomb, 'I immediately came under intense ground-fire, with great arcs of red tracers passing all around my Kittyhawk. I lined up on one of the ack-ack guns and opened up with my six 0.50 calibre machine-guns, seeing the bullets churning up great clouds of sand that enveloped the gun position.'

One aircraft from the formation was shot down, whilst Leu had to make a forced landing a short distance away from the target. Lee assumed command and oversaw an attempt for one of the Kittyhawk's to make a rescue landing to pick Leu up. Despite providing covering fire and circling several times the German fire pinned Leu down so that he was unable to make a dash for the Kittyhawk. The formation returned to base, rearmed and set off to have another go at rescuing Leu. When they arrived he was no longer there. On the same day news of the fall of Tobruk reached the squadron.

The German forces crossed the Egyptian border and Lee's squadron were ordered to locate the enemy's advanced columns. Once they were aware of the positions they were to fly bomber-escorts against the hundreds of German vehicles on the move, 23.6.1942, 'We accompanied the Douglas A-20 Bostons to the target area before peeling off for independent dive-bombing, our 250lb bombs peppering the concentrations.'

Over the course of the next week 212 Squadron were in constant action often flying over twenty escort missions combined with mulitple solo bombing sorties a day. On the 25th June Drake led Lee and four other Kittyhawk's on a dive bombing mission, 'Drake led us in. As we released our bombs, each of us immediately pulled up and came around again to draw the ack-ack gunners' fire while the next Kittyhawk made its approach. It was a hairy business at times.'

With the arrival of the next day, 'we were all exhausted by the previous day's flying. Little did we then know, but that day we would set a new DAF record, completing sixty-nine bomber escort and dive-bombing sorties, mainly aimed at the enemy advance around Charing Cross junction... It was all about a quick turn-around: we took off; located the enemy; dive-bombed; and landed. We hadn't even stopped moveing before the ground crews descended on the aircraft. Our ground crews were some of the best in the RAF. Starved of spares and using old tools that would have been long since discarded back in the UK, they kept the aircraft at an amazing eighty per cent serviceability.

They would eagerly ask if you'd hit anything with your bomb or during a strafe, and commiserate if you'd no claims to make, and tell you that you'd have better luck next time. And then they would ask if anything needed seeing to. As we climbed out and went to debriefing, the aircraft was rapidly refuelled and rearmed.'

The enemy had advanced to within 12 miles of the squadron's base, and so they were forced to move again on the 27th June. On the same day Lee flew on another bombing mission, 'Our target was a concentration of artillery and their support vehicles, which were located on an escarpment around LG 102. Our bombs all landed in the target area, and we scored at least one direct hit and left a second vehicle in flames. I think another nine or ten were reported as 'damaged'.'

Over the next few days Lee led formations on countless sorties, things started to take their toll on the 7th July, 'It was about this time that Lee fell ill, complaining of severe headaches and nausea. He was confined to his tent, and a visit from the MO resulted in a diagnosis of Sand Fly Fever, one of the many scourges of the desert. Grounded, Lee was hospitalized in Alexandria and taken off squadron strength.'

260 Squadron
Lee was bed-ridden for a number of weeks and was unable to return to active duty until September 1942. He was posted to 260 Squadron, as part of No. 233 Wing. Arriving at LG 97 in the desert he was reunited with Kittyhawks for a second time. Lee was a Flight Commander, and he flew his first operational sortie with the squadron 12.9.1942. He carried out a large number of sorties against a now retreating Afrika Korps, including 7th October, flying at the head of eight Kittyhawks targeting 200 dispersed motor vehicles and troop encampments located on the El Taqa plateau:
"We had released our bombs from about 1,500ft, destroying one vehicle and damaging several others, and were just beginning our strafing runs when Sgt. Harttung's aircraft was hit. I immediately flew a decoy attack while Harttung wrestled with his controls, managing to pull out of the danger zone. As he did so I ordered the withdrawal. I was determined we would give him the best chance, and so we flew at reduced speed and escorted him back to base."

Two days later he took part in a multi-squadron attack on an enemy aerodrome west of El Daba:
"The ack-ack was pretty 'hot' and I had to throw my Kittyhawk about in order to avoid the tell-tale puffs of grey smoke with their deadly shrapnel. The mission was a great success and we damaged about fifteen transports and sprayed the whole temporary encampment. It was exhilarating, but quite frightening, too."

On the 20th October he led an escort of seven Kittyhawks in a dogfight against ten Bf 109s. He was engaged in a similar action three days later whilst flying a fighter sweep over the Daba area.

El Alamein
260 Squadron were heavily involved in the battle of El Alamein, 23rd October - 11th November 1942. Lee was in action throughout, mainly leading top cover escort missions fending off Axis fighter attacks. On the 24th and the 25th his formation saw off fighters, whilst escorting Bostons to attack the 15th Panzer Division, 'Four MC 202s approached our formation, but this time they hung around to fight, and we damaged two of them without loss'. On the 26th he led an armed reconnaissance, during which his formation dive-bombed and strafed sixty motor transports whilst under heavy ack-ack fire. On the same day whilst flying escort on a bombing raid on Fuka, 'As we left the target area the five MC 202s re-engaged. I put our Kittyhawks into position and we delivered our attack. While I fired at several enemy aircraft without results, some of the other pilots were more successful. Flg Off Aitchinson destroyed one and Sgt Meredith another. But he was shot down south-west of Daba as we withdrew and was taken prisoner.'

On the 29th Lee's tactical abilities came to the fore again, when he led his formation on a dive-bombing attack, 'while preparing to strafe, I sighted fighters lining up to catch us unawares. I immediately radioed to disengage, and led the squadron in a battle-climb. The combat was frantic but we had the upper hand on this occasion and destroyed three Bf 109s, with another two reduced to 'probables' by our intelligence officer, while another was claimed as damaged; all without loss.'

On the 1st November Lee led a squadron strength dive-bombing sortie against the 90th Light Division HQ:
"We made the normal approach to target, flying out over the Mediterranean to prevent the enemy mapping our progress westwards across the desert, and then making landfall roughly north of our intended target. Climbing to around 8,000ft, we made our approach, looking out for enemy aircraft and ack-ack as we got closer. I led our Kittyhawks, dropping to between 2,500 and 1,500ft before releasing my 500lb bomb, flying across the target from south to north. We scored a number of direct hits and some near-misses both on the railway track and on the nearby fork in the road.
Once we had cleared the target area the ack-ack died down. There was no sign of enemy fighters, although our controller vectored us onto possible enemy aircraft in the El Alamein Box; we patrolled but saw nothing and landed back at base."

On the 3rd November Lee had a close shave:
"We descended to 9,000ft over the target area, dropping our bombs and observing bursts straight across the runways and the dispersal point. There were no aircraft visible on the deck, which was dissapointing.
I went around again at low level, hitting a truck and 88mm gun as great arcs of tracer came up over my head. One shell hit my aircraft in the windscreen and entered the cockpit, which was momentarily filled with a blinding light. The round passed through the canopy above my head; I was shaken but uninjured."

Later the same afternoon:
"We released our bombs on the motor transport from about 1,500ft. They were putting up light ack-ack and some small-arms fire, but we made a second pass to strafe. My aircraft suffered minor damage, while Flt. Sgt Barber was slightly wounded and his aircraft damaged.
Our tally included one tank, a wireless tender, several lorries, a tented encampment and a gun-pit. We started several fires and left the scene in a pall of smoke."

Towards the end of the battle 260 Squadron had a new Intelligence Officer posted to them - one Pilot Officer Christopher Lee, of later acting fame. In his biography Christopher described his namesake as 'nerveless' and a 'phenomenal shot'. On the 10th November Lee reaffirmed his shooting ability, 'while on their return flight and making a low-level strafe of the enemy's positions, Lee spotted an MC 202 positioning itself above and behind his aircraft ready for an attack. Kenneth manoeuvred his way out of danger with a really sharp turn:
"He went straight on and so I dived behind him, placing the Italian fighter in my sights."

For a pilot of Kenneth's ability, it was an easy shot, and the MC 202 quickly went down in flames... While flying at very low level down a narrow pass, Lee had spotted a German pointing his rifle towards his Kittyhawk:
"I thought some chance, and flicked the 'v's as I sped overhead. Flying on, a few minutes later I noticed the engine began misfiring. Suddenly it seized-up. I was flying at under 1,000ft, too low to bale out, and was forced to make an emergency landing. I guess he had the last laugh, although he would never have known the damage he inflicted.'

123 Squadron- Operation Thesis, Shot Down Over Crete
On the 19th November Lee was posted to No. 22 P.T.C. After a brief rest he was posted to 123 Squadron (Hurricanes), Mehrabad, Tehran, at the end of December 1943. Lee was promoted Squadron Leader and given command of 123 Squadron at the end of March 1943. The squadron also moved to Bu Amud, near Tobruk, having been given a new role in shape of the defence of the Eastern Mediterranean. Throughout April-June the squadron flew a number of shipping and convoy patrols in the lead-up to the invasion of Sicily.

On the 21st July Lee received orders from Group Captain Max Aitken (the son of Lord Beaverbrook) that he was to lead a large strafing attack of 109 Hurricanes on the island of Crete:
"He told me we were to fly a bombing and strafing raid to 'stir up the Germans in Crete'. I asked who was leading the raid, to which Aitken replied, 'You are.' It was the first I had heard of it, although planning was clearly already well advanced, and although we weren't provided with any maps or photographs of enemy positions."

Operation Thesis was planned as direct response to the killing of hostages following the Commando raid on the island on the night of 4th July. The air attack would mean a gruelling 500 mile round trip for Lee and his formation. Leaving Bu Amud at 0730hrs on the 23rd July, 'it took longer than anticipated for the aircraft from Bu Amud to form-up with the other squadrons involved in the operation, the Derna and Sidi Barrani wings, both of which were navigated by two Beaufighters of 227 Squadron.

The Derna Wing would cross the south coast of the island, while the Sidi Barrani Wing was to attack the eastern end of the island, hitting transport, storage dumps, RDF stations and barracks... Meanwhile, sweeping in at ground-level, the Hurricanes attacked targets along the Tymbaki-Lykastos road. No. 123 Squadron shot-up and set alight between four and six lorries, along with an ammunition dump, while two large houses were hit, one of which was believed to be the OCs house. The operation was carried out at zero feet...

Lee had been told to expect only light ack-ack, but it proved to be very heavy between Mandia and Tymbaki aerodromes on the way out. Sqn Ldr K.N.T. Lee, Flg. Off J.D. Le Mare and Flt. Sgt F.W. Farfan were all shot down, along with ten Hurricanes from other squadrons... No. 123 Squadron landed back at base at 1015 hours and in the middle of a sandstorm. During the debrief the carnage became clear; last reports of Lee were that he had dived down to strafe an ack-ack position and not been heard from since... On the return journey Lee's aircraft was hit, by what he wasn't sure, only that his shoes were covered in oil, which was spraying around the cockpit... His Hurricane engine soon began to overheat, and the aircraft rapidly lost power. It was only a matter of time before the engine seized. Moments later he was wrestling with the controls of his damaged aircraft, the engine now dead.

Seeing a small gap in the olive trees and other obstacles, Lee went through the dead-engine drill that he had practised so many times before, though under non-combat conditions and with the knowledge that he could pick up the engine should he fluff it. Training, skill, luck, all played their part, and Lee's damaged aircraft bounced and slid before it ploughed to a halt; he had executed a perfect wheels-up landing.

Having destroyed his Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment, Lee set his aircraft alight using the thermite bomb. Racing from the wreckage before the petrol tanks blew and the ammunition started detonating, he turned back to check that the flames had caught hold. Suddenly a shot rang out and he was struck down by a blow. Felled to the floor wounded, he was amazed to find that there was no sign of blood, the bullet having gone through his webbing and buckle, and embedded itself in an ammo pouch. There had been no time to draw his Service revolver and shoot it out - and there was nowhere to make a break for, anyway. When Lee picked himself up he found a figure standing over him brandishing a gun:
"I handed over my revolver and was marched off. My guard proceeded to discharge my gun as we walked along. It was something of a relief to be handed over to the Wehrmacht who were in a local village."

Stalag Luft III- The Great Escape
Lee was taken to the Army HQ at Heraklion before being flown to Athens. He was next transported to Vienna before being delivered to the interrogation centre at Obeursel near Frankfurt, 'initially Lee was denied food and water and placed in solitary confinement. His guards had orders to check on his cell every half-hour or so and to use any necessary force to ensure he was unable to steal even a moment's sleep. Then came the face-to-face questioning, which followed a pattern familiar to many:
"First of all I was handed a fake Red Cross form which I was instructed to complete. The questions included my squadron number, base, type of aircraft flown, etc. I refused to even acknowledge the document.
Next they tried a different tack and fired questions at me, looking for any response. But I played them like a bridge opponent and gave not hint of emotion.
They took me out of my cell and into a nearby wood, where there was an inn. We had a drink and they tried befriending me. That failed, too, and they eventually took me back to the camp."

After nearly a week of further interrogation and confinement Lee was transferred by train and truck to Stalag Luft III, at Sagan in Poland. Upon arrival 'all were fingerprinted and photographed before the further indignity of delousing. The final part of the process was assigning of a POW number. For the next twenty months Sqn Ldr K.N.T. Lee, D.F.C., R.A.F.V.R., would be Prisoner No. 1861. Lee and his companions queued to receive a one-off issue of bedding, a face towel, cup and cutlery, before release into one of the compounds, where a small reception committee awaited them; Lee would later be moved into the North Compound.

All new POWs were 'grilled' by the camp's Intelligence Committee; credentials had to be verified before they could enter a mainstream hut, as collectively and individually, those incarcerated were not unnaturally wary of newcomers and the possibility of enemy infiltration - and at Stalag Luft III the stakes could not have been higher.

Kenneth's introduction was smoother than many; his identity was quickly confirmed, probably by Ken Mackenzie of 501 who had been 'in the bag' since 1941. Mackenzie had been one of the designers of the wooden vaulting-horse, only recently deployed to cover the tunnelling exploits of Michael Codner, Flt Lt Eric Williams and Oliver Philpot. The equipment had to appear heavy, while being both strong and light. The tunnel excavation would take 114 days, the trio eventually escaping on the night of 29th October 1943, and making neutral Sweden on 15th November.'

Lee had arrived at Sagan when the whole of the North Compound was involved in a major escape plan. The plan had been devised by Squadron Leader Rodger Bushell, a man with several escape attempts to his name and as Lee comments, 'Bushell's plan was audacious, and if it was successful, would involve the mass escape of over two hundred officers. There would be not one but three tunnels, all dug simultaneously, and codenamed 'Tom', 'Dick' and 'Harry'; in the event only 'Harry' would be used.'

The excavation of the three tunnels led to the problem of what to do with the tons of soil and sand. A plan 'was devised by Lt. Cdr Peter Fanshawe, FAA, to conceal long bags of sand in the POWs' trouser legs. The withdrawal of a pin opened one end of the bag, and the tunnel spoil emptied-out and could be blended into the existing soil by the airman's feet… Lee was one of the so-called 'Penguins', the men whose job it was to dispose of a few pounds of sand every trip:
"We waited for the all-clear and made our way to the tunnel entrance from where the sand was continually being brought up. The sausage shaped bags were filled over sheets so any spillages could be tidied away immediately in the event of a raid.
The movements of the guards were monitored while they were inside the compound. This way we knew when the route out of Barracks No. 104 was clear.
On the given signal, I'd step out and head for the area we used for sports and Appel. There'd be one activity or another carefully staged to stir up the earth and help us 'hide' the sand, mixing it up with the grey topsoil.
There were deep latrines, and these were filled, too; anywhere that you could think of became a dumping-ground, but it was crucial the Germans didn't spot the bright yellow sand, otherwise they would know we were digging."

In January 1944 prisoners were allowed to move between huts until 2200 hours. This allowed tunnel digging at night, and more time for the dispersal of waste, 'Kenneth and the other 'Penguins' were able to take kitbags to Barracks No. 104, where they exhanged them for those filled with sand.
Picking up the 50lb load and throwing it over his shoulder, Kenneth made certain there were no holes which might leave an incriminating trail in the snow. Waiting on the threshold, he looked for a signal to make a dash for Barracks No. 109, which lay opposite. If there were reports of German guards, or 'Goons', in the vicinity, the bag would be stashed under a bunk, otherwise he would skirt around Barracks No. 120 to the theatre and seat 13, under which was concealed a trap-door. The kitbag would be carefully lowered down to the men in the void under the seating whose job it was to empty and compact the sand. Meanwhile, Kenneth was handed an empty kitbag which he hid under his coat before stepping out into the night air ready to repeat the journey.The damp sand had an odour to it, which could be disguised by cigarette smoke, and so the theatre became the smoker's dayroom. Meanwhile rehearsals began for Pygamlion which was due to run from 25 to 29 March; the performance provided cover for additional activity in the theatre and the costume department."

Lee split his time between disposing of the sand and acting as a look-out:
"It was important that you performed more than one task otherwise you would be noticed. I sometimes sat on guard reading a book, but really watching the German movements. If there was a guard heading for a sensitive area, I would close the book, and this signal would be seen by another POW in an adjacent hut, and the word would be passed.
I ventured down 'Harry', but wasn't a part of the digging team: they were all expert tunnellers. The sides of the shaft were shored-up using our bed-boards, but fine grains of yellow sand came down from between the timbers at the slightest touch."

With the escape attempt planned for the 24/25th of March, Lee was one of the unlucky ones to miss out from the names drawn out of a hat. On the night of the escape:
"As the hours passed, all of us wondered how the night would end. How many would get out? Would the tunnel be discovered?
A little before 0500 hours our questions were answered when a shot rang out, followed by several seconds of silence. Everyone in my room froze, waiting for what would happen next.
Then the 'balloon went up'. One of the guards blew his whistle, and the occupants of the guardroom descended on the tunnel exit and the woods beyond."

Despite the tunnel being discovered seventy-six prisoners escaped. However, as Lee and his fellow officer's left behind in the camp were to find out fifty of the escapers were later shot.

With the advance of the Russians in January 1945, Lee and his fellow residents of Sagan began their forced march and transportation away from the nearing front line. This culiminated with their liberation at Lubeck at the beginning of May 1945.

After the War- Time for Something Exotic
Lee returned to England at the end of May 1945. He resigned his commission in the R.A.F.V.R. in December of the same year, and 'he decided to emigrate, and initially travelled to Africa, settling in Tanganyika Territory... where he worked as a commodities trader with the United Africa Company, dealing in cattle skins, beeswax, cotton and later still in rubber.'

His travels took him to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda before moving to Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, in 1955. After two years in Canada Lee returned with his family to Ireland and continued with the business he had set up there. He lived out the rest of his life between Spain and the north of England.

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