In January 1944, No. 610 "County of Chester" Squadron became one of the first RAF units to operate the powerful Rolls-Royce Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV. By June, the squadron was actively engaged in countering the growing threat of V-1 flying bombs, codenamed "Diver" by the Allies. Squadron Leader Richard Newbury DFC, commanding the unit, personally destroyed nine V-1s while flying Spitfire XIV DW-D (RB159). By September 1944, 610 Squadron had claimed 50 V-1 kills.
The V-1, officially the Fieseler Fi 103A-1, was known as the "Doodlebug" or "Buzz Bomb" due to its distinctive sound. Over 2,400 V-1s reached England, with the first striking Swanscombe, Kent, on June 13, 1944. The name V-1 stood for Vergeltungswaffe 1—"Revenge Weapon No. 1"—marking Germany’s retaliatory campaign against Britain.
