Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb, AX-K, BD888, “Lady Shirley”, N° 1 Squadron, L.G.15, Egypt, June 1942. This aircraft was piloted by Capt. Peter Meterlekamp.
Peter Meterlekamp had named all his aircraft after his wife, "Lady Shirley". This aircraft was destroyed on the 26th June 1942, when Captain Peter Meterlekamp, landed on L.G. 15, in the early evening, without undercarriage. It was a perfect belly-landing and the aircraft suffered only slight damage. However, later that evening a Fairey Albacore, ignored his own flarepath and landed short of it. He subsequently taxied into the Hurricane, and severely damaged both aircraft. Late in the evening, the squadron received a message from Wing, that they were to be ready to move without delay, to L.G.104 via L.G.92, as the Germans had broken through the Allied lines near Mersa Matruh. The movement order came through the following morning at 06:00. Shortly afterwards, ten of the squadron aircraft had taken off and departed for L.G.92. After Rommel's capture of Tobruk, and the Afrika Korps victory at the Battle of Gazzala, the British Eighth army was now in full retreat back to El Elamein. So as not to leave any aircraft for the advancing Germans to plunder, both the Hurricane "Lady Shirley" & the Albacore were set alight and destroyed in the resulting fire.
Peter Meterlekamp had named all his aircraft after his wife, "Lady Shirley". This aircraft was destroyed on the 26th June 1942, when Captain Peter Meterlekamp, landed on L.G. 15, in the early evening, without undercarriage. It was a perfect belly-landing and the aircraft suffered only slight damage. However, later that evening a Fairey Albacore, ignored his own flarepath and landed short of it. He subsequently taxied into the Hurricane, and severely damaged both aircraft. Late in the evening, the squadron received a message from Wing, that they were to be ready to move without delay, to L.G.104 via L.G.92, as the Germans had broken through the Allied lines near Mersa Matruh. The movement order came through the following morning at 06:00. Shortly afterwards, ten of the squadron aircraft had taken off and departed for L.G.92. After Rommel's capture of Tobruk, and the Afrika Korps victory at the Battle of Gazzala, the British Eighth army was now in full retreat back to El Elamein. So as not to leave any aircraft for the advancing Germans to plunder, both the Hurricane "Lady Shirley" & the Albacore were set alight and destroyed in the resulting fire.
