- Type of Memorial
- Street
- WMR Reference Number
- 111189
- Description
- The memorial takes the form of a length of promenade running in a roughly south-easterly direction from the far end of the Seacombe Ferry car park to the point where it meets the fence for the dock entrance. At both ends of the section of promenade is a rectangular white metal street sign with black lettering.
At the further end of the promenade is a square, stone/brick built base on which sits a rectangular stone slab. Inset into this slab is a rectangular black metal plaque with a white inscription. In the top left of the plaque is a representation of the badge of 19 Squadron, RAF. Top right is a representation of Jack Potter in RAF uniform. Bottom left is a depiction of a Supermarine Spitfire ditched in the sea. Bottom right is a depiction of the French fishing vessel "Jolie Mascotte". The text appears in two parallel columns of three paragraphs each and gives a brief overview of the story behind the reason for the memorial
- Inscription
- Jack's 'day out' at Dunkirk / The 2017 film 'Dunkirk' drew in part on the life of Sergeant Pilot Jack Potter, whose experiences are highlighted below. /
Left hand column:-
// Jack was born in Wallasey and educated at Oldershaw School / and his father was a Captain and Commodore of the / Mersey Ferries Fleet in the 1930s. Jack joined the RAF in 1935 / and, after pilot training, was posted to 19 Squadron (at Duxford, / Cambridgeshire), which was the first to be equipped with / Spitfires, from August 1938. In May and June of 1940 / Jack was part of Red Section, 19 Squadron, lying across the / channel to stop the Luftwaffe bombing British troops on/ the beaches of Dunkirk. On 1 June, shortly after / reaching the patrol line, they encountered / two ME 110 fighter-bombers. // Following a dogfight, Jack noticed that his oil cooler had / been hit and his engine then seized up as was heading / home. Spotting a small boat below, he decided not to / parachute out but to ditch his Spitfire (K9836) near to it / to enable him tom be picked up safely. Having taken the / precaution of opening his canopy and unfastening his harness / when he hit the water, he was flung forward, and hit his forehead / and nose on the reflector sight. The Spitfire sank within 10 seconds. / The small boat was the French fishing vessel 'Jolie Mascotte'. / Jack gave them a course to steer back to Dunkirk in return / for some dry clothing, food and drink // On arrival at the area of La Penne, Belgium the 'Jolie Mascotte' was approached / by motor boat from British Destroyer with a RNVR Naval Lieutenant aboard / who said that his ship was the 'Basilisk' a B class / British Destroyer (H11) which was out of action / having been previously / bombed and was loaded with troops. / It was agreed / that the destroyer / would be towed out to / sea to avoid further / enemy bombers. /
Right hand column:-
/ The 'Jolie Mascotte' attached a tow rope and / succeeded in starting to turn the destroyer when / a large number of German aircraft including ME 109 / Fighter Aircraft, Dornier and Heinkel Bombers were / seen approaching. The 'Jolie Mascotte' cast off and held off approximately three quarters of a mile away / as the 'Basilisk' was bombed again but without further / damage. 'Jolie Mascotte' returned to the 'Basilisk' and / commenced towing operations but had to cast off / again as twenty JU87 Stukas came in for another / attack. Once this attack had finished the / 'Jolie Mascotte' returned once again to the 'Basilisk' / to assist in towing operations. // The 'Basilisk' was found to be sinking and the order / to abandon ship was given. The 'Jolie Mascotte' / picked up approximately 200 survivors who were / then returned to Dover, and 'HMS Whitehall' a / W Class Fleet Destroyer (D94) took on the remaining / survivors and destroyed the damaged 'Basilisk' with / shellfire. Once outside Dover, Jack and the survivors / boarded a coastal patrol boat to take them / ashore at Dover. 'HMS Whitehall' had arrived / before them and had landed all the survivors / they had been forced to leave. // Jack was shot down on 15 September / 1940, this time parachuting from his / plane to be picked up by the / Germans and spent the rest / of the war in Prisoner / of War Camps until he was / freed by the advancing / Russian Army / in April 1945. /