Joseph Berry (RAF officer)

Squadron Leader Joseph 'Joe' Berry, DFC** (28 February 1920 – 2 October 1944) shot down 59$1/2$ V-1 missiles ("flying bombs") during World War II, more than any other fighter pilot.

Early life
Berry was born in Quarrington, Teesdale, County Durham and attended Dukes Grammar School in Alnwick, Northumberland. He lived at 55 Ramsey St, Quarrington, Teesdale (12 miles east of Crook, Co Durham. 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.

Royal Air Force fighter pilot
He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve on 8 August 1940 as aircraftman 2nd class with service number 1177137. In 1942, after completing pilot training, he was posted to a night fighter unit, No. 256 Squadron RAF and flew Boulton Paul Defiants, followed by twin-engined Bristol Beaufighters. Sergeant Berry married after being commissioned on 14 March 1942.

He was promoted flying officer on 1 October 1942. Berry later flew Beaufighters during the North African campaign, from 30 January 1943 with the night fighters units No. 153 Squadron RAF and from 8 May 1943 with No. 255 Squadron RAF. Detachments flew from Bone, Setif, Souk el Arba, Souk el Khemis, and Tingley. August 1943 brought a move to Western Sicily, where sorties were flown over the Salerno invasion fleet and beachhead in September 1943. Berry shot down three enemy aircraft, on 9 September 1943 a Messerschmitt Me 210, on 10 September 1943 another Messerschmitt Me 210 over the Salerno area, and on 24 October 1943 a Junkers Ju 88 over the Naples area, and the second occasion in which he had to bail out of his aircraft (letter code YD). On the 3 October 1943 while serving with No. 255 Squadron RAF in the Mediterranean Berry was involved in the “Great E-Boat Raid” at Cos Greece. Sixty aircraft were involved; several Beaufighter 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. He claimed his first three victories in North Africa, the only conventional aircraft he would destroy in his career. Berry was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 3 March 1944 while serving with No. 255 Squadron RAF. and promoted flight lieutenant on 14 March 1944. 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.

V-1 flying bomb killer
In 1944, Berry was posted to the elite Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Wittering in East Anglia as a temporary squadron leader where be began flying night sorties against V-1s in single-engined Hawker Tempests and was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross on 1 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 28 June 1944, 2 V-1's; 29 June 1944, V-1;  30 June 1944, 3 V-1s at night;  2 July 1944, V-1; 3 July 1944, V-1; 5 July 1944, 2 V-1's;  6 July 1944, 4 V-1's at night;  8 July 1944, 3 V-1's at night;  9 July 1944, V-1; 17 July 1944, 2 V-1's at night; 19 July 1944, 4 V-1's;  21 July 1944, V-1; 23 July 1944, 7 V-1's at night;  25 July 1944, 4 V-1's at night;  27 July 1944, shared V-1;  29 July 1944, 2 V-1's;  3 August 1944, 5 V-1's at night; 5 August 1944, 5 V-1's; 7 August 1944, 4 V-1's; 12 August 1944, 2 V-1's at night; 13 August 1944, V-1 at night; 15 August 1944, 2 V-1's at night; 20 August 1944, V-1; 31 August 1944, V-1.

On 23 August 1944 the Tempest flight from FIU was hived off into a new unit, No. 501 Squadron RAF, at RAF Manston, with Berry as its commanding officer. For his service with No. 501 Squadron RAF Berry was posthumously awarded a 2nd Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross on 13 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.

Death in action
Allied ground forces began to overrun the V-1 launch sites and 501 Sqn began to undertake ground attack missions over the Netherlands and Germany. On the morning of 2 October 1944 while flying a "dawn ranger" patrol south-west of Assen in Tempest Mark V (serial number "EJ600" code letter "F" Berry's 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 bale out and he was killed when his aircraft crashed near the village of Kibbelgaam.  he was buried in Scheemda Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.