205357 Sgt. John Wright Royal Air Force 79 Squadron from:Dumbarton (d.5th Sep 1940) Sgt.Wright joined 79 Sqdn in July 1940 at Acklington. The squadron was posted to Biggin Hill on the 28th August 1940. At 1315 hrs on 4th Sept 1940 with Plt.Off.D.Stones DFC, (leading Blue Section) they made a head on attack against a formation of 20+ Me 110s approx 10 miles inland from Beachy head, on a northerly heading. Stones records a direct hit on one ME 110 and then chases the others. At 1325hrs Stones is in the area of Biggin Hiil - lands to refuel and rearm. At the same time, Sgt. John Wright is attempting an emergency landing in a sportsfield at Tolworth - 9 miles west of Biggin Hill. He aborts because children are playing. 2 mins later he crashes at the end of a cul-de-sac - Wentworth Close, Ditton Hill. There were no civilian casualties on the ground.
Sgt Wright was pulled from the wreckage of his Hurricane but died from his injuries the next day. The Hurricane certainly had 'engine damage' before the crash. It is assummed that he was 'shot up' by one of the Me 110s as they forced their way north. He must have 'headed' on a fast descent - on a north westerley course to 'escape' - taking him to Tolworth where he was probably lost? Reports suggest that Sgt. Wright was wounded before the crash, but I have been unable to confirm this. It was a brave decision to abort the landing at Tolworth with a damaged aircraft which only stayed airborne for another couple of minutes. But it may have saved the lives of several children
Ironically the assumption made was that Sgt. Wright was part of the squadron attacking another raid on Brooklands (7 miles west) at the same time. But that squadron was No 253 from Kenley.
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