Gloster Gladiator ww2

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1942:
With a chart spread on the wing of a Gloster Gladiator, the Commanding Officer of the squadron gives pilots of Blackburn Skuas and Rocs their instructions before taking off from HMS SPARROWHAWK, the Royal Naval Air Station at Hatston, Orkney. The radio operator (rating with headphone on sitting in cockpit) is receiving last minute messages.

Squadron Leader P H "Paddy" Dunn, the Commanding Officer of No. 80 Squadron RAF, sitting in the cockpit of his Gloster Gladiator at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, a few days after leading 'B' and 'C' Flights in a major engagement with Italian fighters over Bir el Gobi, Libya, on 8 August 1940, in which they claimed nine Fiat CR.42s shot down for the loss of two Gladiators. Dunn himself was credited with two CR.42s shot down within a few minutes of the start of the fight.

Pilot Office S Linnard of No. 80 Squadron RAF, views the artwork on his Gloster Gladiator from the cockpit. at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, a few days after taking part in a major engagement with Italian fighters over Bir el Gobi, Libya, on 8 August 1940, in which the Squadron claimed nine Fiat CR.42s shot down for the loss of two Gladiators. Dunn himself was credited with two CR.42s during the fight.

A meteorological pilot, Flying Officer J B Gordon of No. 521 Squadron RAF, prepares to don the many layers of clothes he wears for high-altitude weather flying, which are hanging from the radio aerial of his Gloster Gladiator Mark II, N5897 'E', at Bircham Newton, Norfolk. A ground crewman stands by with Gordon's SD jacket and parachute. A psychrometer and an aneroid barometer, which will be attached to the aircraft for the THUM (Temperature and Humidity) flight, have been placed on the elevator.

Pilot Officer L L Bartley, a Canadian pilot of No. 112 Squadron RAF, climbs into his Gloster Gladiator Mark II, probably at Sidi Heneish, Egypt.

A Gloster Gladiator of No. 521 Squadron RAF takes off over a four-door saloon car at Bircham Newton, Norfolk.

Flight-Lieutenant L S M Bailey preparing to write his report on his return from his 849th meteorological flight in a Gloster Gladiator Mark II of No 1401 (Meteorological) Flight, at Bircham Newton, Norfolk.

France:
Pilots of No. 607 Squadron RAF are briefed on the day's patrol route by their Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader L E Smith (second left), at Mourmelon-le-Grand. Behind them is one of the Squadron's Gloster Gladiators, shortly to be reliquished in favour of Hawker Hurricanes.

France;
Pilots of No. 615 Squadron RAF gathered together in front of their Gloster Gladiator Mark IIs at Vitry.

Arab Legionnaires guard the landing ground at H4 pumping station on the Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline in Transjordan, as Gloster Gladiators of No. 94 Squadron RAF Detachment refuel during their journey from Ismailia, Egypt, to reinforce the besieged garrison at Habbaniyah, Iraq. On arrival at Habbaniyah these aircraft formed No. 1 Flight of 'A' Squadron for operations against the Iraqi rebels.

 

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Seven Gloster Gladiators of No. 3 Squadron RAAF make a low pass in loose line abreast formation over the Squadron's mobile operations room at their landing ground near Sollum, Egypt, from which they operated during Operation COMPAS

Gladiator Mark II, N5786, of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, airborne from their landing ground near Sollum, Egypt, during the last stages of the British assault on Bardia (Operation COMPASS).

Flying Officer A C Rawlinson, Flight Lieutenant B R Pelly and Flying Officer A H Boyd of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, walk away from Gloster Gladiator Mark II, N5752 'NW-G', at LG 10/Gerawala, Egypt, on the day following their major engagement with 17 Italian fighters over Bir Enba, Libya, during which a fourth pilot, Squadron Leader P R Heath, was shot down and killed. Boyd scored three victories in N5752 before it was shot down by Italian fighters near Sollum on 13 December 1940.

Gloster Sea Gladiator Mark I, N5520, on the ground at an airfield in Malta, probably while being flown by No. 261 Squadron RAF at Ta Kali. The aircraft has been refitted with a Bristol Mercury engine and three-bladed Hamilton propeller salvaged from a Bristol Blenheim. N5520 is the only surviving Gladiator of the Malta-based Fighter Flight, and was presented to the people of Malta as "Faith" in 1943

Pilots of No. 3 Squadron RAAF study a map on the tailplane of one of their Gloster Gladiators at their landing ground near Sollum, Egypt, before an operation over Bardia during the closing stages of Operation COMPASS. Left to right: Flying Officers J R Perrin, J McD Davidson (squatting), W S Arthur and P St G Turnbull, Flight Lieutenants G H Steege and A C Rawlinson, Flying Officer V East, (unknown), Squadron Leader I D McLachlan (Commanding Officer) and Flying Officer A H Boyd.