Photo : Kevin Buckland
Joseph Berry was born in Quarrington, County Durham, 28th February 1920 the son of Arthur Joseph Berry, [born 14th September 1890], a Colliery Engineer and Mary Rebecca Charlton, [born 18 Nov 1892]. In 1939 they were residing at 3 Elmfield , Alnwick. Northumberland. Joseph was educated at the Duke's Grammar School in Alnwick, Northumberland.
Later he moved to Hampeth near Alnwick, Northumberland where from 1931 to 1936 he attended the Duke Grammar School. Leaving school in 1936 as a 16-year-old Joe moved into lodgings in Carlton, Nottingham for his work in the Inland Revenue, two years later he met Joyce, his future wife, who was working at the same branch.
He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve on the 8th August 1940 as aircraftman 2nd class with service number 1177137. In 1942, after completing pilot training, he was appointed to the rank of Sergeant and posted to a night fighter unit, No. 256 Squadron RAF and flew Boulton Paul Defiants, followed by twin-engined Bristol Beaufighters. Berry was married after being commissioned as an officer on the 14th March 1942. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 1st October 1942.
From the 8th May 1943, Berry flew Beaufighters with No. 255 Squadron RAF, which in August 1943 moved to Western Sicily, where sorties were flown over the Salerno invasion fleet and beachhead in September 1943. Berry shot down three enemy aircraft: on the 9th September 1943 a Messerschmitt Me 210, on the 10th September 1943 another Me 210 in the Salerno area, and on the 24th October 1943 he destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 over the Naples area. Following the second kill, Berry was forced to bail out of his Beaufighter Mk VIF (squadron code YD-F).
Transferred to night operations on Beaufighters in North Africa from the 30th January 1943, Berry flew initially with the unit No. 153 Squadron RAF. Detachments flew from Bone, Setif, Souk el Arba, Souk el Khemis, and Tingley.
Squadron Leader Joe Berry (Service Nš 118435) was killed in Hawker Tempest EJ600 SD-F of 501 Sqn on October 1st 1944. He was taking part in a 'Dawn Ranger' sortie, attacking ground targets of opportunity between Bad Zwischenhan in northern Germany, and the Rhine. He was hit by small arms fire near Veendam that ruptured the Glycol tank on the Tempest, and after attempting to gain height in order to bale out, his Tempest crashed near Sheemda. Two locals rushed to the crash site, but Sqn Ldr Berry was found dead in the wreckage.
On the 3rd October 1943 while serving with 255 Squadron, Berry was involved in the "Great E-Boat Raid" at Cos, Greece. Sixty aircraft were involved, several Beaufighter squadrons and one Beafort squadron attacked the German Invasion Force North of the Allied occupied Island. The German invasion force consisted of several large vessels used as troop ships, destroyers, e-boats and landing barges. The attack had mixed results due to heavy enemy fire and bad weather with head winds on the return journey, the Squadrons took overall losses of 27%. The Beaufighter had a range of 370 miles, and due to heavy fuel consumption 25 got back, most of the others ditched or were shot down.
Berry was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on the 3rd March 1944 while serving with 255 Squadron, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 14th March. His citation reads :
This officer is an exceptionally capable pilot who has destroyed three enemy aircraft in the course of a long and strenuous tour of duty. During operations at Salerno in September 1943, he shot a Junkers 88 down in flames, and on the following night destroyed a Messerschmitt 210 over the Italian coast. His third victory took place over Naples in October 1943 when he shot down another Junkers 88. Flying Officer Berry has been forced to abandon his aircraft on two occasions and has operated with coolness and courage in the face of heavy enemy action.
In 1944, Berry was posted to the elite Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Wittering in East Anglia as a temporary Squadron Leader, and began flying night sorties against V-1s in single-engined Hawker Tempests and was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross on the 1st September 1944.
Berry quickly became the pilot most successful in destroying V-1s. He claimed 52 in less than two months, including seven destroyed in one night (23 July 1944). His successes were: 28th June 1944, 2 V-1s; 29th June 1944, V-1; 30th June 1944, 3 V-1s at night; 2nd July 1944, V-1; 3rd July 1944, V-1; 5th July 1944, 2 V-1s; 6th July 1944, 4 V-1s at night; 8th July 1944, 3 V-1s at night; 9th July 1944, V-1; 17th July 1944, 2 V-1s at night; 19th July 1944, 4 V-1s; 21st July 1944, V-1; 23rd July 1944, 7 V-1s at night; 25th July 1944, 4 V-1s at night; 27th July 1944, shared V-1; 29th July 1944, 2 V-1s; 3rd August 1944, 5 V-1s at night; 5th August 1944, 5 V-1s; 7th August 1944, 4 V-1s; 12th August 1944, 2 V-1s at night; 13th August 1944, V-1 at night; 15th August 1944, 2 V-1s at night; 20th August 1944, V-1; 31st August 1944, V-1.
On 23 August 1944 the Tempest flight from FIU was merged into an existing fighter unit, No. 501 Squadron RAF, at RAF Manston. Berry was appointed commanding officer of 501 Squadron.
For his service with 501 Squadron Berry was posthumously awarded a 2nd Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross on the 13th February 1946. His citation reads: Since the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, this officer has flown on many operational sorties and has destroyed a further 41 flying bombs bringing his total to 58 bombs destroyed at night. On several occasions his aircraft has been damaged by the explosion of the bombs. As Squadron Commander, Squadron Leader Berry has displayed courage and devotion to duty of a high order and under his inspiring leadership the squadron has attained many successes.
Allied ground forces began to overrun the V-1 launch sites and 501 Squadron began to undertake ground attack missions over the Netherlands and Germany. On the morning of the 2nd October 1944 Berry was flying a "dawn ranger" patrol south-west of Assen in a Tempest Mark V (serial number EJ600, squadron code SD-F). His aircraft was hit by small arms fire while he was flying at 50 feet over Veendam, in Groningen, leading two other Tempests on a sortie against an airfield and rail yards near Bad Zwischenahn. His final radio message was 'I've had it chaps; you go on.'. Berry was apparently flying too low to bail out and he was killed when his aircraft crashed near the village of Kibbelgaarn.
Acknowledgments: Simon Glancey
Research: James Pasby
Joseph Berry is remembered at Alnwick on A11.17 and A11.53 and possibly at Shilbottle on S18.01
Traces of War
Wikipedia entry
Hawker Tempest page
The CWGC entry for Squadron Leader Berry
