At 10am, on the 20th December, James Lambert took off from Kenley with his squadron on Ramrod 375, under the command of W/C Godefroy. When they reached Merville, they were attacked by 18 Me.109s and 20 FW.190s - a huge dogfight ensued.
On 15th May 1943, 403 squadron R.C.A.F. lost two more young pilots while escorting a bombing mission to Poix. Pilot Officer William Thompson Lane, flying Spitfire BR986, was shot down in a dogfight at around 5 p.m.