RAF fighter command ww2

[dinomartino1]

I can get emotional when researching the pilots in the photos as many did not survive the war.
In many cases especially those who went down over the Channel their remains where never found which added to the grief of their families.

The casualty rates for the Poles was high.

During the Battle of Britian No. 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron achieved a truly astonishing score of 126 enemy planes, as well as 13 probables and 9 damaged, claiming the title of the best scoring unit of the Battle of Britain. One of their extraordinary feats was shooting down 14 enemy planes, plus four probables, in one sortie over London on 7 September, the first day of the Bitz without a single loss on their side.
n the Battle of Britain, Polish pilots serving in all RAF squadrons achieved a remarkable score of 203.5 destroyed, 35 probables and 36 damaged. Other sources give 131 kills as there is generally variation in figures for claimed 'kills' the entire RAF score was lowered from 2,692 to 1,733 aircraft destroyed due to the discrepancy between British and German official figures.
During some of the most desperate points of the battle, the RAF had ‘only 350 pilots to scramble, of which nearly 100 were Poles’.

 

[dinomartino1]

Four pilots of No. 611 Squadron RAF walking away from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB at Hornchurch, Essex, after a daylight sweep over France. They are (left to right): Flight-Lieutenant E S Lock, Pilot Officer W G G Duncan-Smith, Flying Officer P G Dexter, and Sergeant W M Gilmour. Lock arrived at 611 Squadron as a flight commander, having already shot down 24 enemy aircraft. He was to add a further 2 to his score before he was shot down and killed by ground fire during another daylight sweep near Boulogne, France, on 3 August 1941. Duncan-Smith later commanded No. 64 Squadron RAF and led fighter wings in the United Kingdom, North Africa and Italy. He finished the war with a score of 19 victories. Dexter was killed a week after this photograph was taken, when he collided with an aircraft of 54 Squadron RAF over Boulogne while escorting bombers to Hazebrouck. Gilmour was subsequently commissioned and commanded No. 19 Squadron RAF in 1944.

One pilot relieves another at the controls of Supermarine Spitfire Mark I, X4381 'SD-J', of No 501 Squadron RAF, at Colerne, Wiltshire.

Flying Officer Mirosław "Ox" Ferić of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron being decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross by Air Marshall Sholto Douglas, 15 December 1940. The first four Polish recipients of the DFC received their awards for their participation in the Battle of Britain during a presentation ceremony at RAF Leconfield. Mirosław Ferić was one of them.
Mirosław Ferić was the 11th ranked Polish fighter ace with 8 and 2/3 confirmed kills and 1 probable kill.
On 14 February 1942, he was killed at RAF Northolt after his Spitfire (BL432) broke up at 3,000 feet (910 m) and the resulting G-forces as the aircraft corkscrewed held him inside and prevented him bailing out. He is buried in Northwood Cemetery

A flight of Supermarine Spitfire Mark IIAs of No. 65 Squadron RAF move out of their dispersal at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, for take off.

 

[dinomartino1]

Two fighter pilots of No. 249 Squadron RAF at North Weald, Essex. Flight Lieutenant T F Neil (left) saw action in the Battle of Britain and, by November 1940, had shot down 11 enemy aircraft and shared 2. At the time of this photograph he was a flight commander on the Squadron, soon to proceed to Malta where he increased his score to 17 by December 1941. Flying Officer R G A Barclay (right), had returned to operations with 249 Squadron after being shot down in November 1940 with 5 enemy aircraft credited to him. He commanded No. 601 Squadron RAF in April 1942, and from July, No. 238 Squadron RAF in North Africa. He added a further 2 to his score before being shot down and killed on 17 July 1942.

Australian pilots of No. 452 Squadron relax outside their dispersal hut at Kirton-in-Lindsey, 18 June 1941.

Bristol Beaufighter night-fighter crews of No. 600 Squadron RAF, resting in their crew hut at Colerne, Wiltshire before taking off on patrol. They are wearing darkened goggles to accustom their eyes to night vision before leaving the hut.

American pilots of No 71 'Eagle' Squadron rush to their Hurricanes at Kirton-in-Lindsey, 17 March 1941.

Pilots of the Hornchurch Wing attend a briefing by the Intelligence Officer prior to a fighter sweep over France, at Hornchurch, Essex.

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk Is of No. 264 Squadron RAF based at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, August 1940.

Acting Squadron Leader F J Soper, Commanding Officer of No. 257 Squadron RAF, sitting in the cockpit of his Hawker Hurricane Mark IIB night fighter at Coltishal, Norfolk, after shooting down his 14th enemy aircraft. Known as "The Marshal from Budenny" because of his long moustaches, Soper was reported missing in action on 5 October 1941.

 

[Steve27752]

I have put some on from korea, new thread

Thank you WW11 if possible?

 

[dinomartino1]

Ground crew service a Spitfire LF Mark VB of No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF at Hawkinge, 1 February 1944.

Fighter pilots of No. 111 Squadron RAF relax with a pet dog outside outside their caravan at a dispersal at Wick, Caithness, alongside a Hawker Hurricane Mark I of the Squadron

A Spitfire LF IX of No 313 Squadron undergoing an oil change at Appledram ALG (advanced landing ground), near Tangmere, 19 April 1944. Many fight squadrons were operating from temporary strips in southern England, their pilots and attached servicing echelons getting used to 'roughing it' in the open as preparation for future deployment on the Continent. The three Czech-manned Spitfire squadrons flying escort operations from Appledram at this time (Nos 310, 312 and 313) formed part of No 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. Personnel include Frantisek Fronc (far left) and Jan Kucharik (second left).

One of Fighter Command's top night-fighting teams was that of Wing Commander J R 'Bob' Braham (right) and his navigator Flight Lieutenant W J 'Sticks' Gregory. Braham had shot down 19 enemy aircraft, mostly in Beaufighters, with another 10 claimed on daylight Mosquito sorties. Although the pair had staff appointments when this shot was taken at Benson on 19 May 1944, Braham still flew operationally whenever possible. It was on one such freelance excursion over Denmark on 25 June that he was shot down and captured.

Flying Officer J R Cullen of No. 486 Squadron RNZAF, standing in front of his Hawker Tempest Mark V at Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire. Cullen became a successful Operation DIVER pilot with the Squadron,, shooting down around 16 flying bombs launched against the United Kingdom. Between February and October 1945 he commanded No. 183 Squadron RAF, flying Hawker Typhoons.

Pilots of No 122 Squadron RAF enjoying some trap-shooting while relaxing between sorties at Scorton, Yorkshire. The rifleman on the left is the Squadron Commander, Acting Squadron Leader H J L Hallowes.

Wing Commander Alan Deere with Squadron Leader Denis Crowley-Milling DSO DFC.
Air Commodore Alan Christopher "Al" Deere, DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar ( was a New Zealand fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War 2, and the author of the war memoir Nine Lives.
On 28 May Deere was shot down by a Dornier Do 17 he was attacking near Dunkirk. He was knocked unconscious when making a forced landing on a Belgian beach. Rescued by a soldier, Deere made his way on foot to Oost-Dunkerke where his head injuries were dressed. He hitched a ride on a British Army lorry to Dunkirk, and (after receiving some criticism from soldiers about the effectiveness of the RAF's fighter cover), boarded a boat to Dover from where he took a train back to London, 19 hours after taking off from RAF Hornchurch with his squadron.
Deere finished the war as New Zealand’s second-highest-scoring air ace behind Colin Gray –with 22 confirmed victories, 10 probable victories and 18 damaged.

Spitfire Mark IX, BS546 MT-J O Guarany, of No. 122 Squadron RAF, seen with its Free French pilot, Pilot Officer G le Gall at Hornchurch, Essex, on the evening of 29 December 1942. BS546 was presented to the RAF by the Fellowship of the Bellows Fund of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Converted from a Mark V, it served solely with 122 Squadron from 27 October 1942 to 28 February 1943, when it was shot down by Focke Wulf Fw 190s over Cassel, France.

 

[dinomartino1]

Thank you WW11 if possible?

I will look for some when I finish this thread.

 

[Smithy]

The casualty rates for the Poles was high.

Actually have a look at the proportion of casualties that Australia suffered during the Battle. Although they had a relatively small contribution in Fighter Command (and even though the exact number varies slightly) Australia aircrew during the BoB period endured roughly around a 33% killed in action ratio, much, much higher than most other nations involved.

I'm actually doing research at the moment for an Australian publishing company into serials and codings of the aircraft flown by Kiwis and Aussies in the BoB. Hopefully something might come out of it next year.

 

[dinomartino1]

Portrait of Wing Commander Alan Christopher 'Al' Deere, RAF, July 1944.

Flight Lieutenant P S Turner of No. 242 Squadron RAF, rests on the tail elevator of his Hawker Hurricane Mk I, after landing at Fowlmere, near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, September 1940.
Percival Stanley "Stan" Turner, DSO, DFC & Bar (3 September 1913 – 23 July 1985) served with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He holds the record of the most combat hours flown of any Canadian pilot

​

25 May 1940 28 May 1940 29 May 1940 31 May 1940 1 June 1940 8 or 9 June 1940 7 Sept 1940 15 Sept 1940 8 Feb 1941 25 June 1941 14 July 1941 23 or 29 July '41 22 Feb 1942 18 Mar 1942 8 Feb 1944

3 Me109Es 1 Me109 1 Me109 1 Me109 1 Me109 2 Me109s 2 Me109s 1 Me109 1 Do17 1 Me109 1 Do17 0.33 Do17 1 Me109E 1 Me109E 1 Me109E 1 Me109 1 Me109 2 FW190's

destroyed destroyed destroyed damaged destroyed destroyed destroyed damaged destroyed probable destroyed destroyed damaged damaged destroyed damaged damaged damaged

(1 unconfirmed) East of Ostend, Belgium (unconfirmed) Dunkirk area, France Dunkirk area, France (1 unconf.) Dunkirk area Over Rheims, France Thames Haven, England Southwest of London, England Hornchurch area, England East of Hornchurch, England 40m East of Clacton, England Le Touquet area, France Southwest of Calais, France Off Belgian coast, near Dunkirk South of Filfola, Malta South of Delimara, Malta Anzio area, Italy

13.33 - 10.33 / 1 / 8 (3 unconfirmed)

(his logbook claims 3 probables)​

Armourer Fred Roberts re-arms Supermarine Spitfire Mark IA, X4474 'QV-I', of No. 19 Squadron RAF at Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, while the pilot, Sergeant B J Jennings, has a word with his mechanic. Manor Farm can be seen in the background

Electrician was one of the many ground trades open to RAF airmen and airwomen alike. These three are testing and charging aircraft batteries at Ford in May 1943. The fighter station's sole resident squadron at this date was No 256, operating with Beaufighters and about to re-equip with Mosquitos.

Pilot Officer A V "Taffy" Clowes of No. 1 Squadron RAF, standing by the nose of his Hawker Hurricane Mark I, P3395 'JX-B', at Wittering, Huntingdonshire. The wasp emblem was painted on the nose of his aircraft during the Battle of Britain, Clowes adding a new stripe to the body for each enemy aircraft which he shot down. His final score was at least twelve.

A group of pilots of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron walking towards the camera from a Hawker Hurricane (probably Hurricane Mk.I, RF-F, V6684) after returning from a fighter sortie at RAF Leconfield, 24 October 1940. Left to right, in the front row are - Pilot Officer Mirosław "Ox" Ferić; Flight Lieutenant John A. Kent "Kentowski" (the CO of 'A' Flight); Flying Officer Bogdan Grzeszczak; Pilot Officer Jerzy Radomski; Pilot Officer Witold "Tolo" Łokuciewski; Pilot Officer Bogusław Mierzwa (obscured by Łokuciewski); Flying Officer Zdzisław Henneberg; Sergeant Jan Rogowski; Sergeant Eugeniusz Szaposznikow. In the centre, to the rear of this group, wearing helmet and goggles is Pilot Officer Jan "Donald Duck" Zumbach.

A group of pilots of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF standing by the tail elevator of one of their Hawker Hurricane Mark Is at RAF Leconfield, 24 October 1940. Left to right: Pilot Officer Mirosław "Ox" Ferić, Flying Officer Bogdan Grzeszczak, Pilot Officer Jan "Donald Duck" Zumbach, Flying Officer Zdzisław Henneberg and Flight Lieutenant John A. Kent "Kentowski", a Canadian who commanded the 'A' Flight of the Squadron at that time.

An Avro Anson Mark I, air-sea rescue aircraft of No 276 Squadron RAF, based at Harrowbeer, Devon, dropping a dinghy container over the English Channel.

West Indians in the Royal Air Force: West Indian members of the Bombay Squadron who took part in Fighter Command sorties over enemy-occupied territory. From left to right: A O Weekes of Barbados and Flight Sergeant C A Joseph of San Fernando, Trinidad.

 

[dinomartino1]

Flying Officer Arthur O. Weeks, from Barbados, and Flight Sergeant Collins A. Joseph of Trinidad, photographed while serving as pilots with No 132 Squadron RAF Fighter Command in 1943.

Pilots of No. 132 City of Bombay Squadron (Detling, 1943-1944), featuring three Caribbean Spitfire-pilots:

F/Sgt James Joseph Hyde (from Trinidad) – front row, third from left.

F/Sgt Arthur O. Weeks (or Weekes, from Barbados) – back row, fourth from left.

F/Sgt Collins Alwyin Joseph (from Trinidad) – back row, sixth from right.

Other identified pilots are:

F/Lt Harold Edward ‘Harry’ Walmsley (British) – front row, eight from left.

F/O John Jeremy Caulton (from New Zealand) – front row, fifth from right.

Henry Lacey Smith (Australian) – front row, fourth from right.

Flight Sergeant James Hyde of San Juan, Trinidad, a Spitfire pilot who arrived in Britain in 1942 to begin his training, here pictured in 1944 with his Squadron’s mascot, a dog called ‘Dingo’.

Flight Sergeant Collins A Joseph of Trinidad

 

[dinomartino1]

BOMBER COMMAND BUT WORTHY OF A POST
Sgt LO Lynch from Jamaica, winner of the Air Gunner’s Trophy for 1944 standing by the rear gun turret of a Lancaster bomber,

 

[Lorenzo_l]

What a great thread this is. Many thanks for sharing the pictures and related info, Dinomartino!

 

[dinomartino1]

Gun harmonisation board at Biggin Hill, Kent, set up for a Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXB of No. 341 (Free French) Squadron RAF, which has been jacked up into a level flying position in the Blister Hangar fifty yards beyond by armourers of No. 3101 Servicing Echelon. The discs on the board have placed in order to harmonise the guns so that their lines of fire converge on a point 250 yards from the aircraft. The four small outside discs are the harmonising points for the four .303 Browning machine guns, while the larger discs inboard of these are for the two 20mm cannon. The upper centre spot is for the pilot's reflector sight, and the lower spot to the left of centre is for the camera gun.

Flying Officer Frank Brinsden, a New Zealander with No 19 Squadron, at ease in the spartan living accommodation at Fowlmere, the satellite airfield of Duxford, late September 1940. Brinsden had been shot down on 31 August 1940, but baled out safely.

A Bell Airacobra Mark I of No. 601 Squadron RAF is inspected by interested ground personnel at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, shortly after the squadron re-equipped with the type. Its short period of service with the RAF was not successful and 601 Squadron, the only operational unit to fly the Airacobra, converted to the Supermarine Spitfire in December 1941

A trainee fighter pilot (right) and his instructor discuss his progress after a flight, at No. 61 Operational Training Unit, Rednal, Shropshire.

Wing Commander Richard 'Dickie' Milne, wing leader at Biggin Hill, in the cockpit of his Spitfire IX, February 1943.

​

7 May 1940 18 May 1940 22 May 1940 9 July 1940 12 July 1940 29 July 1940 13 Aug 1940 15 Aug 1940 18 Aug 1940 27 Sept 1941 13 Oct 1941 20 Jan 1943 10 Mar 1943 14 Mar 1943​

one Ju87 one Me110 one Ju87 one Me109E 1/2 Do17 one Me110 two Do17s one Me109E one He111 one Me109 one Me109 two Me109Fs one Me109E one Me109E one FW190 one Me109F one FW190 one FW190

destroyed unconfirmed * destroyed destroyed destroyed damaged destroyed destroyed destroyed [1] probable & damaged destroyed, destroyed & damaged destroyed & destroyed destroyed destroyed

14.5 / 2 / 11

* Shown here as a probable in his final score



​

As part of the war effort, private individuals and organisations were encouraged to donate money towards the cost of a new aircraft, an example of which would then be marked with an appropriate acknowledgement and 'presented' to the RAF. Spitfire II P8448 was funded by NAAFI canteen workers and bore the name 'Counter Attack'. It is seen here being officially handed over to No 152 Squadron at Portreath in Cornwall on 8 August 1941 by 19-year-old Nora Margaret Fish.

Hawker Sea Hurricane Mark I, V6733, of the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit, on the fo'c'sle catapult on board Catapult Armed Merchantman (CAM ship) SS EMPIRE DARWIN, in a convoy heading for North Africa. Note the flaps pre-selected in the take-off position. The catapult was angled to starboard over the ship's bows to prevent the blast from its rockets hitting the superstructure, and to reduce the risk of the pilot being run over by the ship, should the aircraft ditch after launch

A Bristol Beaufighter Mark VIF, MM849 'VA-I', of No. 125 Squadron RAF, being prepared for a night sortie at Exeter, Devon as aircrews stand b

Wing Commander I R "Widge" Gleed sitting in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB, AA742 'R-G', at Ibsley, Hampshire, when leading the Ibsley Wing. Note Gleed's personal emblem, depicting "Figaro" the cat swatting a swastika, beneath the cockpit

Ian Richard Gleed DSO, DFC nicknamed "Widge," was aRAF) pilot and flying ace credited with the destruction of 13 enemy aircraft during the Second World War. He served in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain before being shot down and KIA in Tunisia In 1943 Gleed participated in Operation Flax, a series of fighter sweeps over the Cap Bon area intended to intercept transport aircraft attempting to evacuate Axis personnel from Tunisia to Sicily. Gleed led one such operation on 16 April. The RAF destroyed seven SM.82 fast bombers and a Bf 109, both Gleed and his wingman were killed. Gleed was likely shot down by the high-scoring Luftwaffe ace Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert. Gleed's final "score" was thirteen destroyed, seven probables, four damaged, one destroyed on the ground and one damaged on the ground.

The OVERLORD DIVER Plan. Flying Officer E Topham (left) and Flight Lieutenant R Nash of No. 91 Squadron RAF give their reports to the Squadron Intelligence Officer, Flying Officer C Kember (right), at West Malling, Kent, after an anti-'Diver' patrol (sortie against flying bombs) over south-east England. Topham, a New Zealander, and Nash, from London, were among the top-scoring pilots in this work, shooting down 15 and 16.5 flying bombs respectively.

 

[dinomartino1]

 

[Smithy]

Brinsden was one of the founding members of 485(NZ) Sqn in March 1941 being the flight commander for B Flight upon establishment. He went to live in WA after the war.

Gleed's memoir "Arise to Conquer" is well worth picking up. It used to cost an arm and a leg up until about 10 years ago when Grub Street republished it. The first half/two thirds of it are especially good as it tails off a bit in the latter stages, no doubt due to the ramped up offensive operations that Fighter Command were undertaking at the time.

 

[dinomartino1]

Flight-Lieutenant M H Brown and Pilot Officer Chatham of No. 1 Squadron RAF standing by the nose of a Hawker Hurricane Mark I at Wittering, Huntingdonshire. Mark Henry Brown was the first Canadian fighter pilot of the war to become an 'ace'. He had, by the time this photograph was taken, shot down at least 18 enemy aircraft over France and Great Britain, and in the following month, was appointed Commanding Officer of No. 1 Squadron. One year later, flying from Malta, he was killed in a fighter sweep over Sicily

Flight-Lieutenant J A Plagis, the top-scoring Rhodesian fighter pilot of the war with 16 confirmed victories. This photograph was taken on his return to the United Kingdom from Malta, where he shot down 11 enemy aircraft while flying with Nos. 249 and 185 Squadrons RAF. He returned to operations in 1943, commanding No. 64 Squadron RAF, to be followed by the command of No. 126 Squadron RAF in June 1944.

Armourers clean out the cannon of a No 245 Squadron Typhoon (JR311/MR-G) at Westhampnett, 18 January 1944. Like most Typhoon squadrons, No 245 had converted to the fighter-bomber role and was now taking part in an intensive period of dive-bombing attacks against 'Noball' targets (V-1 flying-bomb storage and launch sites) in northern France. Rangers and medium-bomber escorts were also regular activities.

An armourer of No. 3101 Servicing Echelon uses a periscope unit to adjust one of the .303 Browning machine guns on a Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXB of No. 341 (Free French) Squadron RAF, jacked up before a gun harmonization board at Biggin Hill, Kent.

De Havilland Mosquito FB Mark VI, HX811 'TH-K' of No. 418 Squadron RCAF, in a blister hangar at Holmesley South, Hampshire, after suffering fire damage following the explosion of a flying bomb which HX811's crew shot down during a 'Diver' patro

Pilots and gunners of No 264 Squadron RAF, pass the time with a game of draughts while waiting at readiness outside their dispersal tent at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

Hawker Hurricane Mk I of No. 601 Squadron RAF being serviced at dispersal at Exeter, November 1940.

Westland Whirlwinds of No 263 Squadron in flight, December 1940.

Squadron Leader N G Squadron Leader N G Pedley, the Commanding Officer of No. 131 Squadron RAF assisted by his ground crew, prepares to set out on a sweep in his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB, BM420 'NX-A' "Spirit of Kent/Lord Cornwallis", from Merston, a satellite airfield of Tangmere, Sussex.

 

[dinomartino1]

Flight-Lieutenant J Sterne RCAF of No. 174 Squadron RAF standing beside his Hawker Hurricane Mark IIB, HV894 "Our John" (named after Wing Commander John Gillan, and paid for by a fund set up by his mother after he was reported missing in 1941), at Odiham, Hampshire.
Sterne himself was KIA over France in 1943

Flying Officer Leonard Haines of No. 19 Squadron sits by the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia at Fowlmere, September 1940. Haines shot down six enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain
Over Dunkirk on 1st June he destroyed a Me109 and on a later patrol damaged a He111. On 19th August Haines shared a Me110, on 3rd September he destroyed a Me110, on the 5th a Me109, on the 11th a Me110, on the 15th two Me109's and a Me110 and on the 18th he shared a Ju88 and probably destroyed a Me109.
Haines shared a Me109 on 5th November, shared a Me110 on the 15th and destroyed a Me109 on the 28th. He was posted away in late 1940 to be an instructor at 53 OTU, Heston and was killed in a flying accident on 30th April 1941 whilst flying Master T8771 which spun into the ground at Hounslow Barracks, Middlesex.

 

[dinomartino1]

Flying Officer C "Cheval" Lallemant, a Belgian pilot of No 609 Squadron RAF receiving the congratulations of members of his squadron after being decorated with the DFC at Manston, Kent. Lallemant finished his first tour of operations shortly afterwards. Later, in mid-1944, he returned to 609 Squadron as its commanding officer.

Raymond A. "Cheval" Lallemant was a flying ace who served in the (RAF) during World War II. He was credited with destroying six aircraft, making him one of the highest scoring Belgian aces of the conflict. Lallemant, who was nicknamed "cheval" ("horse" in French), flew Hawker Typhoons in No. 609 Squadron in a ground attack role. Promoted to Squadron Leader and commanding officer of No. 609 Squadron in late 1944, Lallemand was shot down over the Netherlands in September 1944 but survived despite his injuries. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and bar

A Czech Spitfire pilot of No 313 Squadron in conversation with his rigger and fitter at Hornchurch, 8 April 1942. His aircraft is BL581 Moesi-llir, a Mk VB presented by the Netherlands East Indies Fund.

An air gunner in the turret of a Boulton Paul Defiant Mark I of No. 264 Squadron RAF, trains his four .303 Browning machine-guns skywards at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

Sergeant Desmond Ibbotson of No. 54 Squadron RAF in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB at Castletown, Caithness. Ibbotson was posted to the Middle East early in 1942 where, flying initially with No, 112 Squadron RAF, and later with No. 601 Squadron RAF (with whom he became a flight commander) he achieved a victory score of 11 enemy aircraft destroyed, with 5 probables,

Flying Officer John Allen of No 54 Squadron recieves the DFC from the King at Hornchurch, 27 June 1940. Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, AOC-in C Fighter Command, stands in the centre, hands clasped behind his back.
John Laurance Allen joined the RAF in June 1937.
On 21st May 1940 between Dunkirk and Calais Allen probably destroyed a Ju88, 54 Squadron's first victory. Two days later he and Alan Deere escorted Sqn Ldr. J Leathart, in a Miles Master, to Calais-Marck airfield to pick up the CO of 74 Squadron, who was stranded there. Twelve Me109’s attacked the Master but were engaged by Allen and Deere, who between them shot three down and badly damaged three more. Allen destroyed one and damaged two others.

On 24th May Allen shot down a Me109 in the Calais area, on the 25th he destroyed two Me110's and on the 26th another Me110 with another probable. In the last engagement his engine was hit by a cannon shell and he baled out over the Channel near a destroyer. He returned to the squadron that evening dressed in a naval officer's uniform, carrying a kitbag.

On the 27th May he shared a Ju88 over Dunkirk. Allen destroyed a Ju88 on 17th June and shared in destroying a He59 on 9th July.
His engine was damaged in a combat with Me109’s over Margate on 24th July 1940. He stalled while trying to reach Manston. He was then seen making for Foreness in a controlled descent with a dead engine, which suddenly restarted, causing him to again make for Manston.

The engine stopped again and trying to turn for Foreness a second time he stalled and spun in and was killed when his Spitfire, R6812, crashed and burned out near the Old Charles Inn at Cliftonville.

Allen was 24.

A pilot of No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF, runs up the engine of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB in a sandbagged revetment at Hornchurch, Essex

Spitfire VBs of No. 453 Squadron at Drem in Scotland, 14 August 1942.

 

[dinomartino1]

A Czech Spitfire pilot of No 313 Squadron in conversation with his rigger and fitter at Hornchurch, 8 April 1942. His aircraft is BL581 Moesi-llir, a Mk VB presented by the Netherlands East Indies Fund.

Flight Lieutenant Walter Dring, commander of B Flight, No. 183 Squadron RAF, with his Typhoon Mark IB, R8884 HF-L, in a dispersal at Gatwick, Sussex.

An air-gunner of No. 264 Squadron RAF about to enter the gun-turret of his Boulton Paul Defiant Mark I at at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire. He is wearing the GQ Parasuit, supplied exclusively to Defiant gunners, which incorporates a parachute harness and life-saving jacket within a smock overall. Four .303 Browning machine-guns are mounted in the Boulton Paul power-operated turret.

Pilots of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF and their British flight commanders grouped in front of Hawker Hurricane Mark I, P3143 'NN-D', at RAF Duxford, 7 September 1940.
Standing, left to right: Pilot Officer Svatopluk Janouch, Sergeant Josef Vopalecky, Sergeant Raimund Puda, Sergeant Karel Seda, Sergeant Bohumir Furst and Sergeant Rudolf Zima. Sitting, left to right: Pilot Officer Vilem Goth, Flight Lieutenant Josef Maly, Flight Lieutenant Gordon L. Sinclair DFC, Flying Officer John E Boulton, Flight Lieutenant J Jefferies (who commanded the Squadron in January-June 1941, having changed his name by deed poll to Latimer), Pilot Officer Stanislav Zimprich, Sergeant Jan Kaucky, Flight Lieutenant Frantisek Rypl, Pilot Officer Emil Fechtner and Pilot Officer Vaclav Bergman

 

[dinomartino1]

Group Captain J E Rankin, when leader of No. 125 Wing RAF. Having begun the war as an instructor, Rankin was given the command of No. 64 Squadron RAF in 1941, leaving that unit in August 1941 with a score of at least 14 victories. Then, in two tours leading the Biggin Hill Wing (separated by a spell as wing commander in charge of training at No. 11 Group of Fighter Command from December 1941 to April 1942) he increased his score to 21. He was promoted to Group Captain in 1944 and led 125 Wing of No. 83 Group RAF into Europe.

Wing Commander H A C Bird-Wilson, when leader of the Bentwaters Wing, standing by the tail of his North American Mustang Mark III, KH500 'HB-W', at Bentwaters, Suffolk. The rudder bears the mailed gauntlet badge of No. 17 Squadron RAF, with whom Bird-Wilson commenced his operational service, fighting with them in France and during the Battle of Britain until he was shot down and seriously wounded on 24 September 1940. In April 1941 he joined No. 234 Squadron as a flight commander, and after a period as an instructor, was posted to command No. 152 Squadron RAF in March 1942. He took over No. 66 Squadron RAF in November 1942, and became Wing Leader of Nos. 121 and 122 Airfields in succession in 1943. In January 1944 he attended a course at the Command and General Staff School, Leavenworth, USA. On returning to the United Kingdom in July 1944, he led the Perranporth Wing, and became Wing Leader at Bentwaters in December 1944. He was appointed to the Air Staff of No. 11 Group the month after this photograph was taken, having shot down 11 enemy aircraft..

Three men and a boat. On the evening of 8 April 1940 a raid on Scapa Flow was intercepted by Nos 43 and 111 Squadrons, based at Wick. Three Heinkel He111s were claimed, one of which put down on the airfield itself. Thinking they had ditched at sea, the surviving crew members deployed their dinghy, which was soon liberated by the victors!

Spitfire pilots of No. 19 Squadron RAF gather at Manor Farm, Fowlmere, near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, September 1940

Pilots and Hurricanes of No 56 'Punjab' Squadron at Duxford, 2 January 1942. The official caption reads: 'Fighter aircraft donated by the Province of the Punjab have been in action and have scored numerous victories

Squadron Leader J M Checketts RNZAF, standing in front of a Supermarine Spitfire when commanding the Air-to-Air Combat Squadron of the Central Gunnery School at Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire. Checketts joined No. 485 Squadron RNZAF, shooting down his first enemy aircraft on 30 May 1943. He then joined No. 611 Squadron RAF, becoming a flight commander, and then, on returning to 485 Squadron in September as its commanding officer, was shot down over occupied Europe after his 11th victory. He evaded capture and returned to the United Kingdom in five days, after which he was posted to the CGS. Following this he commanded No. 1 Squadron RAF for a short period, and then led the Westhampnett Wing until the end of the war, bringing his score to 14.

WAAF flight mechanics pull the chocks from the wheels of Bristol Beaufort Mark I, N1022, of No. 51 Operational Training Unit before a training flight from Cranfield, Bedfordshire. A Bristol Beaufighter Mark VI of the same unit can be seen parked behind th Beaufort.

Pilots and ground crews of No. 132 Squadron, RAF pose for the photographer with their Supermarine Spitfire Mark VBs, lined up at Newchurch, Kent.

 

[dinomartino1]

Flight Lieutenant J Pattison of No 485 Squadron, RNZAF, graphically recounts a combat to Squadron Leader 'Reg' Grant (left), and Flight Lieutenant R Baker (right), in front of a Spitfire at Westhampnett, 21 January 1943

Reginald Joseph Cowan "Reg" Grant, DFC & Bar, DFM (3 June 1914 – 28 February 1944) was an officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and a flying ace of the Second World War destroying eight enemy aircraft.
He was killed iflying a Mustang in 1944
In November 1942, Grant's younger brother, Ian, was posted to No. 485 Squadron. On 13 February 1943, the squadron took off for a mission across northern France and shortly after crossing the French coast the Spitfires sighted and engaged a force of Fw 190s. However, a further 20 German fighters attacked out of the sun Ian Grant was killed during the attack, one of three Spitfires to be shot down. Reg Grant saw the threat but was unable to warn his brother in time. He immediately engaged the Fw 190 that had carried out the attack and shot it down