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No.615 Sqn RAF |
Name : No.615 Sqn RAF Founded : 1st June 1937 Disbanded : 10th March 1957 Country : UK Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 More Details : County of Surrey (Auxiliary) Conjunctis viribus |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Pilot or Aircrew | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 16th October 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | 15th April 1941 | Killed in Action | |||||
Adj | unknown | 11th March 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Flight Officer | unknown | 14th August 1940 | F/O P.Collard of No 615 Squadron was awarded the D.F.C on the 11th of August 1940. He was shot down and killed off Dover on the 14th of August 1940 in a Hurricane I (P3109) at 12:45hrs. P.Collard is buried at Pye Plage in France, he was 24 years old. | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 5th February 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 15th April 1941 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 20th April 1941 | 29th October 1940 | Killed in Action | |||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Flight Officer | unknown | unknown | |||||
Sergeant | unknown | unknown | 15th February 1941 | ||||
Pilot Officer | 26th February 1941 | unknown | 26th February 1941 | February 26 1941 to No 615 (County of Surrey) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron, stationed at Northolt, he was surprised by Me 109 fighters and shot down in flames. Foxley-Norris baled out of his Hurricane and came down near Ashridge, in Kent. After a heavy parachute landing he was delivered to the local police by a farmer wielding a pitchfork. | |||
Flight Officer | unknown | 12th May 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | unknown | 18th August 1940 | ||||
Flight Officer | unknown | unknown | 14th July 1940 | ||||
Squadron Leader | unknown | unknown | 17th October 1941 | ||||
Flight Sergeant | unknown | 2nd November 1941 | |||||
Adj | unknown | 3rd May 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Sergeant | unknown | 15th August 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 1st October 1939 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 24th August 1940 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 14th July 1940 | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 16th May 1940 | ||||
Wing Commander | May 1940 | 25th June 1941 | Shot down and captured. | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 08th November 1940 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 22nd June 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 18th August 1940 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | |||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 26th August 1940 | ||||
November 1940 | unknown | ||||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | 14th August 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 15th July 1940 | ||||
Flight Officer | unknown | 13th May 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Flight Officer | unknown | unknown | 19th May 1940 | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | unknown | |||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Flight Officer | unknown | 15th February 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flight Officer | unknown | 27th October 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Flight Lieutenant | unknown | 16th May 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 15th August 1940 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 20th May 1940 | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Sergeant | unknown | 18th August 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 05th February 1941 | ||||
Pilot Officer | unknown | unknown | 16th May 1940 |
Pilots and Aircrew for : No.615 Sqn RAF | ||||||||||
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||||||||||
Name | Info | |||||||||
Aldous, E. S. Click the name above to see a profile of Aldous, E. S.
| Aldous, E. S. Pilot Officer E.S.Aldous joined No 610 Squadron on the 27th of July 1940. Pilot Officer Aldous destroyed a He 111 on the 30th of August 1940 . He moved to No 41 Squadron in September and on the 28th of the month force landed his Spitfire I (X4345) after combat over Charing at 10:40hrs. E.S.Aldous was K.I.A. on the 16th of October 1941 in a Hurricane II b (Z3028) of No 615 Squadron, aged 23. | |||||||||
Barnes, L. D. Click the name above to see a profile of Barnes, L. D. | Barnes, L. D. | |||||||||
Blaize, P. M. Click the name above to see a profile of Blaize, P. M.
| Blaize, P. M. P.M.Blaize of No.615 Squadron was killed on April 15th 1941. His Hurricane (Z2694) was shot down off Dover. | |||||||||
Bouquillard, H. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Bouquillard, H. J.
| Bouquillard, H. J. Killed March 11th 1941 | |||||||||
Brewster, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Brewster, J.
| Brewster, J. Killed April 6th 1941 | |||||||||
Brumby, N. Click the name above to see a profile of Brumby, N.
| Brumby, N. Sergeant N.Brumby of No.607 Squadron was killed on October 1st of 1940. His Hurricane (V6686) was shot down by a Me110 over the Isle of Wight. He was 22 and buried in Hull, Yorkshire. | |||||||||
Carter, Eric Click the name above to see a profile of Carter, Eric | Carter, Eric Initially posted to 615 Squadron flying Hurricanes, Eric was then posted to 81 Squadron, again on Hurricanes. In the autumn of 1941 he accompanied the squadron on HMS Argus to Russia as part of Force Benedict, a clandestine operation to defend the strategically important Russian port of Murmansk. As well as operational patrols the squadron escorted Russian bomber missions. | |||||||||
Chandler, Horatio Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Chandler, Horatio Herbert
| Chandler, Horatio Herbert Sergeant H.H.Chandler was a non-flying member of No 610 Squadron before the war. He qualified as a Sergeant-Pilot for the war and re-joined No 610 Squadron in April 1940. On 25th July he destroyed a Me109, on 12th August he damaged a Me109, on the 14th shot down a Me109 and on the 18th he destroyed a Do17 and damaged another. On the 29th he damaged another Do17 and on the 30th he shot down a Me109 and probably destroyed a Me110. On 30th August 1940 flew Spitfire K9818 DW-H 1a He was awarded the D.F.M. on the 22nd of October 1940, with six enemy aircraft destroyed at that time, and also the A.F.C. on the 2nd of April 1943. from Acklington to Westhampnett, until 30th December when Chandler was posted to 2 CFS Cranwell. Commissioned in June 1941, he later served with 65 and 615 Squadrons. Chandler was awarded the AFC (gazetted 2nd April 1943).He left the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant and recommissioned as a Pilot Officer in the RAFVR Training Branch in June 1946. | |||||||||
Clark, Terry Click the name above to see a profile of Clark, Terry | Clark, Terry Terry Clark was born in Croyden on 11th April 1919. Terry Clark joined 615 RAuxAF in March 1938 in Kenley, as an Aircrafthand. Called up in 1939, he joined 615 Squadron, Auxiliary Air force, and flew as a gunner in Hawker Hectors before he qualified as an Air Gunner and also a Radio Observer. He joined No.219 Sqn at Catterick in July 1940 and flew on Beaufighters throughout the Battle of Britain. By September 1940, the conflict had reached its zenith and at night the feared Blitz began in earnest. More radar specialists were needed to deal with the threat so Mr Clark was sent to Beaufighters. He did not receive any training and still wore the AG brevet, but people began to ask why a plane without a gun turret had an air gunner on board, so he was given a badge that said RO. Eventually, in recognition of his new role, Mr Clark was awarded his third flying badge – N for Navigator. His job was to track enemy aircraft and guide the pilot towards the selected contact. It was while flying the Beaufighter that he was awarded the DFM on 8th July 1941 after assisting his pilot to down three aircraft at night. He joined 1455 Flight in 1941, forming at Tangmere with Turbinlite Havocs, then flew the same aircraft with 1451 Flight at Hunsdon, locating enemy aircraft by Radar in the Havoc for accompanying fighters to attack and destroy. Commissioned in May 1942 from Warrant Officer and in May 1943 he was posted to No.488 Sqn RNZAF. | |||||||||
Collard, P. Click the name above to see a profile of Collard, P.
| Collard, P. Flight Officer P.Collard of No 615 Squadron was shot down near Dover on the 14th of August 1940 in a Hurricane I (P3109) and killed. Collard is buried at Pye Plage in France, he was 24 years old. He was awarded the D.F.C on the 11th of August 1940 | |||||||||
Cosby, E. T. Click the name above to see a profile of Cosby, E. T. | Cosby, E. T. | |||||||||
Costain, Hank Click the name above to see a profile of Costain, Hank | Costain, Hank Hank Costain was born in Horton on the Gower Coast and was educated at Christ College Brecon. He joined the RAFVR for pilot training in September 1940. He trained in the USA in Arizona at Thunderbird Field and Falcon Field, returning to the UK in 1941 to complete operational training at 53 OTU on Spitfire Mk1s. He flew with No 154 Squadron (Motor Industries Squadron) Spitfire Vbs in the Hornchurch Wing. The Squadron was withdrawn from 11 Group to prepare for the invasion of North Africa, operation Torch. He flew with the Squadron throughout the North African campaign and moved with the Squadron to Malta to prepare for the invasion of Sicily, operation Husky. After moving to Lentini East in Sicily his tour was completed and he was posted back to The Canal Zone 73 OTU Abu Sueir as an instructor. Having completed his instructors tour the Far East were calling for experienced Spitfire pilots and he found himself en route to No 615 Squadron (County of Surrey) R.Aux.A.F. in Burma. He baled out of a Spitfire MkVIII while operating with 615 Squadron and spent several months in hospital in Calcutta before being invalided home. Fit again he became an instructor at 61 OTU Keevil on Spitfires and Mustangs. The next tour was with 245 Squadron at Horsham St Faith flying Meteor 3s. This tour was cut short, as there was a call for the two Spitfire Squadrons in Japan to be reinforced. At the end of 1946 he found himself on No 11 Squadron at Miho in Japan as part of the BCAIR element of BCOF (British Commonwealth Occupation Force). Returning from Japan in 1948 he spent a period ferrying with No 20 Maintenance Unit followed be an appointment as Unit Test Pilot at No9 MU. He completed the CFS Course in 1952 and became Training Officer of No602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron R.Aux.A.F. Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1953, a tour as Chief Ground Instructor and OC Gunnery Squadron at 226 OCU was completed. When 226 OCU was disbanded he took command of No608 (NR) Squadron R.Aux.A.F. at Thornaby on Tees, flying Vampires. He completed his RAF career in Guided Weapons. A tour of Woomera evaluating the Bloodhound Mk2 SAM missile. Then CO of No 33 (SAM) Squadron at Butterworth in Malaysia followed by appointment as CO of No 25 (SAM) Squadron at North Coates and RAF Germany. | |||||||||
Crofts, P. G. Click the name above to see a profile of Crofts, P. G.
| Crofts, P. G. Flight Officer P.G.Crofts of No 605 Squadron was shot down in his Hurricane I (V6699) over Sussex on the 28th of September 1940. Crofts was killed after he baled out but his parachute failed to open. | |||||||||
Crowley-Milling, Dennis Click the name above to see a profile of Crowley-Milling, Dennis
| Crowley-Milling, Dennis He joined the RAFVR in 1937 as a Sgt, joining 615 squadron in France. During the Battle of Britain he was posted to 242 squadron and after winning a DFC joined 610 squadron as a Flight Commander in 1942. But, on 21st August he was shot down over France, evading capture and with the help of the resistance reached Spain, where he was interned for three months. After reaching England he rejoined 610 squadron and in 1942 was awarded his second DFC for operation on Typhoons. In 1943 he went to the USAAF Headquarters in England co-ordinating fighter operations with US heavy bomber raids. Af ter the war he stayed in the R.A.F. and had a very successful career, rising to the rank Air Marshal. He died in late 1996. | |||||||||
Czternastek, S. Click the name above to see a profile of Czternastek, S.
| Czternastek, S. Pilot Officer S.Czternastek of No.615 Squadron was killed on February 5th 1940. His Hurricane (V7598) was involved in a collision over Dover with another Hurricane (V6618). | |||||||||
Duckenfield, Byron Click the name above to see a profile of Duckenfield, Byron
| Duckenfield, Byron Byron Duckenfield started at Flying Training School on 25th November 1935 in a Blackburn B2 at Brough. As a Sergeant, he joined No.32 Sqn at Biggin Hill on 8th August 1936 and flew Gauntlets and Hurricanes. He joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on 11th April 1940, flying Spitfires, and on 5th May was posted to 501 Squadron flying Hurricanes at Tangmere. On the 11th of May at Betheniville, he survived a crash in a passenger transport Bombay aircraft in an aircraft in which he was a passenger, While comin ginto land the aircraft at 200 feet the aircraft stalled and the aircrfat fell backwards just levelly out as it histhe ground. 5 of th epassengers were killed when the centre section collapsed and crushed them. Duckenfield was fortunate as he had moved position during the flight. as the two passengers sitting each side of where he was sitting had died in the crash. (it was found later that the Bombay had beeb loaded with to much weight in the aft sectiion. ) recovering in hospital in Roehampton. On 23rd July 1940, he rejoined No.501 Sqn at Middle Wallop, then moved to to Gravesend two days later, scoring his first victory, a Ju87, on the 29th of July 1940. During August and September he scored three more victories. After a spell as a test pilot from 14th September 1940, he was posted to command 66 Squadron on 20th December 1941, flying Spitfires. On 26th February 1942 he took command of 615 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Fairwood Common, taking the squadron to the Far East. In late December 1942 he was shot down in Burma and captured by the Japanese. He remained a POW until release in May 1945. After a refresher course at the Flying Training School in November 1949, he took command of No.19 Squadron flying Hornets and Meteors from Chruch Fenton. After a series of staff positions, he retired from the RAF as a Group Captain on 28th May 1969. Duckenfield would write later his details : Burma At first light, 12 Hurricanes IIC aircraft of 615 Squadron, myself in the lead, took off from Chittagong for central Burma to attack the Japanese air base at Magwe, 300 miles away on the banks of the River Irrawaddy. Arriving at Yenangyaung, we turned downstream at minimum height for Magwe, 30 miles to the South and jettisoned drop tanks. Just before sighting the enemy base, the squadron climbed to 1200 feet and positioned to attack from up sun. On the ramp at the base, in front of the hangers, were 10 or 12 Nakajima KI - 43 Oscars in a rough line up (not dispersed) perhaps readying for take. These aircraft and the hangars behind them were attacked in a single pass, before withdrawing westward at low level and maximum speed. A few minutes later perhaps 20 miles away form Magwe, I was following the line of a cheung (small creek), height about 250 feet, speed aboput 280 mph, when the aircraft gave a violent shudder, accompanied by a very lound, unusual noise. The cause was instantly apparent: the airscrew has disappeared completely, leaving only the spinning hub. My immediate reaction was to throttle back fully and switch off to stop the violently overspeeding engine. Further action was obvious: I was committed to staying with the aircraft because, with a high initial speed, not enough height to eject could be gained without the help of an airscrew. So I jettisoned the canopy and acknowledged gratefully the fact that I was following a creek; the banks of either side were hillocky ground, hostile to a forced landing aircraft. Flying the course of the creek, I soon found the aircraft to be near the stall (luckily, a lower than normal figure without an airscrew) extended the flaps and touched down wheels-up with minimum impact ( I have done worse landings on a smooth runway!) My luck was holding, if one can talk of luck in such a situation. December is the height of the dry season in that area and the creek had little water, it was shallow and narrow at the point where I came down: shallow enough to support the fusalage and narrow enough to support wing tips. So I released the harness, pushed the IFF Destruct switch, climed out and walked the wing ashore, dryshod. The question may occur -Why did not others in the squadron see their leader go down? - the answer is simple, the usual tatctic of withdrawal from an enemy target was to fly single at high speed and low level on parallel courses until a safe distance from target was attained. Then, the formation would climb to re-assemble. Having left the aircraft, I now faced a formidable escape problem? I was 300 miles from friendly territory: my desired route would be westward but 80% of that 300 miles was covered by steep north-south ridges impenetrably clothed in virgin jungle; these were natural impediments, there was also the enemy to consider. Having thought over my predicament, I decided the best I could do - having heard reports of mean herted plainspeope - was to get as far into the hills as possible and then find a (hopefully sympathetic) village. I suppose I may have covered about 15 miles by nightfall when I came upon this small hill village and walked into the village square. Nobody seemed surprised to see me (I suspect I had been followed for some time) I wa given a quiet welcome, seated at a table in the open and given food. Then exhaustion took over, I fell asleep in the chair and woke later to find myself tied up in it. Next day I was handed over to a Japanese sergeant and escort who took me back to Magwe and, soon after that, 2.5 years captivity in Rangoon jail. Sadly we have learned that Byron Duckenfield passed away on 19th November 2010.
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Dunning-White, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Dunning-White, Peter
| Dunning-White, Peter Joining 601 Squadron in 1938, Peter Dunning-White was called up to full-time service in August 1939, being posted to 29 Squadron in May 1940, then a few weeks later to 145 Squadron at Westhampnett, flying Hurricanes. He was soon in action over the Channel, sharing in the destruction of an HeIll on 18 July. Transferring to 615 Squadron in March 1941, on 15 April his victory over an Me109 confirmed him as an Ace. In 1942 he was attached to 409 Squadron RCAF, and then to 255 Squadron on Beaufighters. He went to North West Africa with this squadron, being made Flight Commander in March 1943. In July 1944 he was posted to 100 Group, Bomber Command. Sadly, he died on 27th December 2008. | |||||||||
Edmund, N. D. Click the name above to see a profile of Edmund, N. D.
| Edmund, N. D. Pilot Officer N.D.Edmund was a Canadian who flew with No 615 Squadron. Edmund was wounded after his Hurricane I (V6785) was badly damaged in combat on the 29th of October 1940. Edmund was killed on April 20th 1941. His Hurricane (Z2632) was involved in a collision with another aircraft over the Channel. | |||||||||
Edmunds, E. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Edmunds, E. R. | Edmunds, E. R. | |||||||||
Evans, D. Click the name above to see a profile of Evans, D.
| Evans, D. Pilot Officer D.Evans flew with No 607 Squadron and No 615 Squadrons during the Battle of Britain. He was on patrol on the 5th of October 1940 over Swanage when he was shot down. Pilot Officer D.Evans baled out of his Hurricane I (P3554) and was unhurt. | |||||||||
Eyre, A. Click the name above to see a profile of Eyre, A. | Eyre, A. Flight Officer A.Eyre flew with No 615 Squadron in Hurricane's during the Battle of Britain. | |||||||||
Fotheringham, A. C. Click the name above to see a profile of Fotheringham, A. C. | Fotheringham, A. C. Sergeant A.C.Fotheringham of No.615 Squadron was made a prisoner of war on February 15th 1940. His Hurricane was forced to land at Koksijde in Belgium after combat. | |||||||||
Foxley-Norris, Christopher Click the name above to see a profile of Foxley-Norris, Christopher
| Foxley-Norris, Christopher Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris, (DSO 1945; OBE 1956; CB 1966, KCB 1969, GCB 1973 ) was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire 16 March 1917. Initially wanting to become a barrister, Foxley-Norris read Law at Trinity College, Oxford, but after he had learned to fly with the University Air Squadron his academic career was cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War, and in early 1940 he was piloting Lysanders with 13 Squadron in France. Then, having participated in the Battle of Britian, Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris trained as a flying instructor and applied his newly acquired skills in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Christopher Foxley-Norris was posted to the Middle East where he first teamed up with Pat Tuhill, initially on Beaufighters. Returning to Europe in 1943, he flew Beaufighters on anti-shipping operations over the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Foxley-Norris took command of 143 Squadron flying Mosquito IIs and VIs as part of the Banff Strike Wing, led by Max Aitken, for attacks on enemy shipping off Norway. Hazardous operations against heavily defended ships, using rockets and cannon, were made even more dangerous by the weather and fjords which the Mosquitos often had to negotiate below cliff height. Christopher Foxley-Norris went on to a distinguished career in the post-war RAF. His experience was now broadened with a variety of staff and command appointments, including a spell on the Directing Staff at Bracknell and command of the Oxford University Air Squadron and in 1953 his staff skills were recognised when he took over the air planning in Singapore at the height of the Malayan Emergency. Back home in 1956, Foxley- Norris found himself commanding a fighter station, Stradishall, at the time of the Sandys cuts in Fighter Command and in 1963 he served in the recently formed Defence Staff under Earl Mountbatten of Burma, where he gained invaluable experience of Nato and Commonwealth affairs. He was thus an excellent choice to return to Singapore to command 224 Group during the confrontation with Indonesia in 1964. There he commanded a miniature air force of some 300 aircraft in a joint-service campaign where air mobility was the key; this highly cost-effective exercise, as he called it, contributed much to the subsequent stability of South East Asia. Director-General, RAF Organisation, Ministry of Defence 1967-68, Chief of Personnel and Logistics 1971-74; Commander-in-Chief, RAF Germany and Commander, Nato 2nd Tactical Air Force 1968-70; Chairman, Cheshire Foundation (later Leonard Cheshire) 1974-82 (Emeritus), President 2001-03; Chairman, Battle of Britain Fighter Association 1978-2003. Sadly Air Chief Marshal Christopher Foxley-Norris passed away on 28th September 2003. | |||||||||
Fredman, L. Click the name above to see a profile of Fredman, L.
| Fredman, L. Flight Officer L. Fredman of No. 615 Squadron was shot down and killed in his Hurricane (P2564) whilst on patrol on May 12th 1940 near Liege. | |||||||||
Gaunce, L. M. Click the name above to see a profile of Gaunce, L. M.
| Gaunce, L. M. Missing November 19th 1941 | |||||||||
Gayner, J. R. H. Click the name above to see a profile of Gayner, J. R. H. | Gayner, J. R. H. Flight Officer J.R.H.Gayner of No 615 Squadron was wounded when he crash landed his Hurricane I (P2878) near Portsmouth following combat on the 26th of August 1940. | |||||||||
Giddings, H. S. Click the name above to see a profile of Giddings, H. S.
| Giddings, H. S. Killed January 23rd 1943** | |||||||||
Gillam, Denys Click the name above to see a profile of Gillam, Denys
| Gillam, Denys Flight Lieutenant Denys E.Gillam of No 616 Squadron baled out of his Spitfire I (X4181) on September 2nd 1940. He had been in combat near Tonbridge, Kent. He was uninjured. Gillam later took command of the Typhoon Wing at Duxford in March 1942, which flew their first combat operation in June 1942. He died in 1991. | |||||||||
Gooderham, A. T. Click the name above to see a profile of Gooderham, A. T.
| Gooderham, A. T. Sergeant A.T.Gooderham flew with No 46 Squadron he was wounded on October 15th 1940 when his Hurricane I (V6789) was shot down over the Thames Estuary. Gooderham was killed on November 2nd 1941. His Hurricane (Z3841) was shot down. | |||||||||
Gray, A. P. Click the name above to see a profile of Gray, A. P. | Gray, A. P. | |||||||||
Guerin, C. P. Click the name above to see a profile of Guerin, C. P.
| Guerin, C. P. Adj C.P.Guerin of No.615 Squadron was killed on May 3rd 1941. His Hurricane (V7163) crashed into the sea near ships and after attempting to ditch the aircraft, Guerin went down with the aircraft and died. | |||||||||
Halton, D. W. Click the name above to see a profile of Halton, D. W.
| Halton, D. W. Sergeant D.W.Halton from No 615 Squadron was shot down and killed in his Hurricane I (P2801) by a Bf 109 on the 15th of August 1940. | |||||||||
Hammerton, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Hammerton, J.
| Hammerton, J. Killed November 6th 1940 | |||||||||
Hanbury, J C M Click the name above to see a profile of Hanbury, J C M
| Hanbury, J C M Pilot Officer J C M Hanbury was killed when his Gladiator crashed into the ground while on a night patrol. | |||||||||
Hayter, J. C. F. Click the name above to see a profile of Hayter, J. C. F. | Hayter, J. C. F. | |||||||||
Hone, D. H. Click the name above to see a profile of Hone, D. H. | Hone, D. H. Pilot Officer D.H.Hone of No 615 Squadron was injured when he crash landed near Rochford on August 26th 1940. His Hurricane I (V6564) had been damaged in combat. | |||||||||
Howitt, G. L. Click the name above to see a profile of Howitt, G. L. | Howitt, G. L. | |||||||||
Hugo, P. H. Click the name above to see a profile of Hugo, P. H. | Hugo, P. H. | |||||||||
Ingle, Alec Click the name above to see a profile of Ingle, Alec
| Ingle, Alec Alec Ingle was commissioned in June 1940 and joined 615 Squadron at Drem flying Hurricanes before moving to Croydon during the Battle of Britain. He probably destroyed a Do17 in September; in October he shot down an Me109 and probably two more, and yet another victory in November, at which time he was appointed B Flight Commander. He later commanded 609 Squadron at Manston before leading 124 Wing in 1943 flying Typhoons. He was shot down in September 1943 after his Typhoon blew up in combat with an Fw190. Badly burned, he spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Stalag Luft III. Alec Ingle was awarded the AFC and DFC. Sadly Alec Ingle died on 31st July 1999. | |||||||||
Jackson, T. C. Click the name above to see a profile of Jackson, T. C. | Jackson, T. C. Pilot Officer T.C.Jackson of No.615 Squadron was flying in Hurricane (N2338) on May 16th 1940 when he was shot down in combat with a Me109 near Tirlemont and taken prisoner. | |||||||||
Kayll, Joseph Robert Click the name above to see a profile of Kayll, Joseph Robert
| Kayll, Joseph Robert Joe Kayll joined the Auxiliary Air Force in 1934, serving with No. 607 (County of Durham) Squadron rising to become a flight lieutenant. Following the outbreak of the war he volunteered for full-time service and fought in France in early 1940 before taking part in the Battle of Britain, commanding No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron as an acting squadron leader. During the Battle of Britain Kayll was credited with shooting down seven German aircraft with one shared and six unconfirmed destroyed, along with six damaged. For these efforts he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross personally by King George VI. In 1941, he was promoted to wing commander and given command of The Hornchurch wing of three Spitfire squadrons. In 1941 he was mentioned in despatches before being shot down over France in July. He was subsequently captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war. He became Senior British officer at Oflag IX until moved to Oflag VI-B Warburg in October 1941. In September 1942 Wing Commander Kayll escaped in a mass break out and with a companion travelled by foot 90 Kilometres before being recaptured south of Fulda. He was transferred to Stalag Luft III at Sagan in May 1943, and was in charge of the Escape Committee for the East Compound. He remained in captivity for the remainder of the war, co-ordinating numerous escape attempts, for which he was later appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946. After the war he continued to serve, rejoining the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and commanding No. 607 (County of Durham) Squadron. Born in Sunderland and educated at Aysgarth and Stowe, he entered the family timber business but, inspired by flying, he joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1934. Commissioned, he learned to fly with 607 County of Durham Squadron, using Wapiti and Hart biplanes. By early 1939, Kayll was a Flight-Commander in 607 Squadron, which now flew Gladiator biplane fighters. In November 1939, Kayll's squadron was posted to France. The following March, he became commander of 615 County of Surrey Squadron flying obsolete Gladiators. On May 10, the German offensive against the low countries and France began, and 615 Squadron, caught re-equipping with Hurricane 1 fighters, was involved in the intensive air fighting. Kayll nourished 615's fighting spirit by flying up to seven sorties a day from improvised airfields with a mixture of Hurricanes and Gladiators. The squadron inflicted heavy losses on the Luftwaffe while the German army continually overran the squadron's forward airfields. On May 15th, Kayll, flying a Hurricane, shot down two Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin-engined fighters, and on May 20th destroyed a Heinkel 111 bomber. The next day, 615's surviving pilots flew back to Kenley, south of London. By mid-June, 615 had regrouped, and it resumed operations against Luftwaffe-occupied airfields in France. Kayll was awarded the DSO and DFC, and during the Battle of Britain he shot down a Messerschmidt Bf 109E fighter and Do 17 and He 111 bombers. This was in a ferocious seven-day period, which started on August 18th. In late September, the exhausted 615 Squadron was moved to Prestwick to regroup. It was credited with 97 German aircraft destroyed. Kayll's score was seven and one shared destroyed, seven unconfirmed destroyed and six damaged. In October, 615 returned to defend London against German fighter-bomber attacks. In June 1941, after six months at Fighter Command HQ, Kayll returned to operations as a wing-commander flying with the famous Hornchurch Wing, operating three Spitfire squadrons. Fighter Command was mounting numerous sweeps over France and he flew in several Circus operations, which involved a small number of bombers, heavily escorted by fighters, to draw the Luftwaffe into battle. On June 25th, Kayll, while flying with his section near St Omer, was shot down, captured and sent first to Spangenberg Castle POW camp, and later to Wartburg, from which he escaped during the great breakout of September 1942. He was recaptured and sent to Stalag Luft III at Sargan, Silesia, location of the wooden horse escape. Other short-term escapes followed until the Great Escape of March 1944. But after the Gestapo shot 50 allied airmen, all escape plans ceased. Kayll was awarded an OBE for his escape activities, and was demobilised in 1946. He rejoined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, commanding 607 Squadron, and also re-entered the family business, which he later ran with his two sons. He died on 3rd March 2000. | |||||||||
Lafont, H. G. Click the name above to see a profile of Lafont, H. G. | Lafont, H. G. | |||||||||
Landels, L. N. Click the name above to see a profile of Landels, L. N.
| Landels, L. N. Killed January 20th 1942** | |||||||||
Lloyd, J. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Lloyd, J. R.
| Lloyd, J. R. Pilot Officer J.R.Lloyd of No.615 Squadron was killed on June 22nd 1940 when his Hurricane (P2764) was shot down by Me109s and He111s whilst on patrol over Rouen in France. | |||||||||
Lofts, K. T. Click the name above to see a profile of Lofts, K. T. | Lofts, K. T. Pilot Officer K.T.Lofts of No 249 Squadron crash landed his Hurricane I (V6566) at West Malling after combat on September 15th 1940. The aircraft was later repaired. Lofts survived when he force landed his Hurricane I (V6878) again, near Tenterdern, Kent after combat with a Bf 109 on the 16th of October 1940. The aircraft was also repaired. | |||||||||
Looker, D. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Looker, D. J. | Looker, D. J. Pilot Officer D.J.Looker of No 615 Squadron was wounded on August 18th 1940 in his Hurricane I (L1592) following combat with a Bf 109 near Sevenoaks in Kent and he was also shot at by the airfield defences at Croydon. | |||||||||
Madle, S. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Madle, S. J. | Madle, S. J. Pilot Officer S.J.Madle flew with No 605 Squadron and No 615 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. He damaged his Hurricane I (L2075) on August 18th 1940 when he landed at Kenley at around after combat. He ran into a bomb crater. He was injured on the 28th of August 1940 after force landing his Hurricane I (R4116). He had been over Sandwich and was hit by the return fire. | |||||||||
McClintock, J. A. P. Click the name above to see a profile of McClintock, J. A. P.
| McClintock, J. A. P. Killed in flying accident November 25th 1940 | |||||||||
McColl, J. B. Click the name above to see a profile of McColl, J. B. | McColl, J. B. | |||||||||
Mcgibbon, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Mcgibbon, J.
| Mcgibbon, J. Killed September 29th 1940 | |||||||||
Merewether, Hugh Click the name above to see a profile of Merewether, Hugh | Merewether, Hugh Born in South Africa, he joined the South African Navy during WWII and after secondment to the Royal Navy was taught to fly by the US Navy in 1944. From 1948 to 1953 he worked under Sir Barnes Wallis at Vickers Armstrong in research and development and during this time flew with 615 Squadron on Meteors. After spending a year as a freelance pilot he joined Hawker as a test pilot in 1954 where his aeronautical engineering background led to development flying of the Hunter. He had a deep involvement in a comprehensive inverted spinning programme and all aspects of the Hunter development. In 1967 he became Chief Test Pilot at Hawker and worked extensively on the P.1127 and its derivatives, the Kestrel and the Harrier. Awarded a Queens Commendation in 1963 and OBE in 1965 he retired in 1970. | |||||||||
Millard, Jocelyn G P Click the name above to see a profile of Millard, Jocelyn G P
| Millard, Jocelyn G P Volunteering for the RAFVR in August 1939, J G Millard was called up for full time service the following month. Converting to Hurricanes, he was posted to 1 Squadron at Wittering in October 1940, and shortly after transferred to Douglas Bader's 242 Squadron at Coltishall. In November he moved to 615 Squadron at Northolt. After the Battle of Britain he spent time as an instructor, going to Canada. He later became Squadron Commander of 35 SFTS. Sadly, Jocelyn Millard passed away on the 10th of May 2010. | |||||||||
Millist, K. M. Click the name above to see a profile of Millist, K. M.
| Millist, K. M. Killed April 7th 1941** | |||||||||
Montgomery, C. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Montgomery, C. R.
| Montgomery, C. R. Pilot Officer C.R.Montgomery of No 615 Squadron was shot down over the Channel off Dover and killed on August 14th 1940 in a Hurricane I (P3160). C.R.Montgomery is buried at Pye Plage, France, he was 26. | |||||||||
Mouchotte, R. G. O. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Mouchotte, R. G. O. J.
| Mouchotte, R. G. O. J. Killed August 27th 1943 | |||||||||
Mudie, M. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Mudie, M. R.
| Mudie, M. R. Pilot Officer M.R.Mudie from No 615 Squadron flying a Hurricane (L1584) was shot down on the 14th of July 1940 while he was on convoy patrol. He baled out over Dover and was rescued but he died on the 15th of July 1940. | |||||||||
Murton-Neale, P. N. Click the name above to see a profile of Murton-Neale, P. N.
| Murton-Neale, P. N. Flight Officer P.N.Murton-Neale of No.615 Squadron was in Hurricane (L2035) when it was shot down near Namur whilst on escort on May 13th 1940 and killed. He was 23 and was buried at Courriere. | |||||||||
Orzechowski, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Orzechowski, J. | Orzechowski, J. | |||||||||
Peacock-Edwards, S. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Peacock-Edwards, S. R. | Peacock-Edwards, S. R. | |||||||||
Perrin, G. C. Click the name above to see a profile of Perrin, G. C. | Perrin, G. C. | |||||||||
Pexton, R. D. Click the name above to see a profile of Pexton, R. D. | Pexton, R. D. Flight Officer R.D.Pexton of No.615 Squadron was wounded on May 19th 1940 when flying in Hurricane (N2331), he baled out north of Cambrai following combat with Me109s. | |||||||||
Porter, J. A. Click the name above to see a profile of Porter, J. A. | Porter, J. A. Sergeant J.A.Porter flew with No 615 Squadron & No 242 Squadron flying Hurricane's & No 19 Squadron in Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. Porter was with No 19 Squadron when he was shot down in his Spitfire I (X4070) after chasing a enemy aircraft to the French coast on September 15th 1940. Potter was wounded and taken prisoner. | |||||||||
Roberts, R. Click the name above to see a profile of Roberts, R. | Roberts, R. Pilot Officer R.Roberts of No 64 Squadron was forced to land his Spitfire I (R6990) SH-W at Calais-Marck on August 15th 1940 after combat and was taken prisoner. | |||||||||
Rogers, E. B. Click the name above to see a profile of Rogers, E. B. | Rogers, E. B. | |||||||||
Sanders, J. G. Click the name above to see a profile of Sanders, J. G. | Sanders, J. G. Flight James G.Sanders was with No 615 Squadron flying Hurricane's in France and during the Battle of Britain. He was awarded the D.F.C. by the King on June 27th 1940. | |||||||||
Saward, C. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Saward, C. J. | Saward, C. J. Sergeant C.J.Saward of No 501 Squadron was on patrol on September 18th 1940. He baled out of his Hurricane I (V6600) safely after being shot down over Tonbridge. | |||||||||
Smyth, Ron Click the name above to see a profile of Smyth, Ron | Smyth, Ron Flight Lieutenant Ronald H Smyth joined the RAFVR in May 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Called up at the outbreak of war he was stationed at several different locations. With his course completed, Smyth had several short term postings, where eventually at 5 OTU, Aston Down, he converted to Hurricanes. Flight Lieutenant Smyth continued flying Hurricanes with 111 Squadron, 249 Squadron, and later with 615 Squadron. In May 1941 Smyth attended an instructors course and was commissioned in August. Later he was posted to No.1 Glider Training Squadron, a newly formed Development Unit. He qualified for his 2nd Class Air Navigators Licence while posted at the School of General Reconnaissance. Ronald H Smyth commanded the PRU in Gibraltar where he was awarded the DFC. He also ferried communications between London and Churchill at Biarritz and Atlee in Berlin for the Postdam Conference. Smyth was released from the RAF in January 1946, as a Flight Lieutenant.
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Stewart, D. G. A. Click the name above to see a profile of Stewart, D. G. A.
| Stewart, D. G. A. Flight Officer D.G.A.Stewart of No.615 Squadron was killed on February 15th 1941. His Hurricane (P3231) was shot down at Zeebrugge. He was 27 and buried in Belgium. | |||||||||
Storie, J. M. Click the name above to see a profile of Storie, J. M. | Storie, J. M. | |||||||||
Strickland, C. D. Click the name above to see a profile of Strickland, C. D.
| Strickland, C. D. Flight Officer C.D.Strickland of No.615 Squadron was killed on October 27th 1941. His Hurricane (Z3826) by was shot down by ground fire over Belgium, he was buried there. | |||||||||
Thomson, Thomas R Click the name above to see a profile of Thomson, Thomas R
| Thomson, Thomas R Battle of Britain Pilot, who flew with 213, 607 and 615 Squadrons during the Battle of Britain. Sadly, he died on 31st March 2008. | |||||||||
Thornley, L. T. W. Click the name above to see a profile of Thornley, L. T. W.
| Thornley, L. T. W. Flight Lieutenant L.T.W.Thornley of No.615 Squadron was killed on May 16th 1940 whilst flying in Hurricane (N2335), it was shot down near Tirlemont. | |||||||||
Thorogood, Laurence Click the name above to see a profile of Thorogood, Laurence
| Thorogood, Laurence Joining 87 Squadron on June 14th 1940, Laurence Thorogood was thrown straight into the Battle of Britain, destroying a Ju88 on 25th August. Commissioned in 1941 he then was posted to India and remained in the Far East until the end of the war. He served with No 9 Sqn Indian Air Force (Hurricane IIc) and 67 Sqn RAF (Spitfire VIII) in the campaign down the Arakan Coast. Staying in the RAF after the war, he served in Singapore and Sumatra with 155 Sqn before converting to Vampires on 130 Sqn, after two years instructing on Oxfords at Middle Wallop, we was Adjutant with 615 Sqn, Biggin Hill before moving to Germany in 1951 to fly Vampires with 118 and 94 Sqns. He served on the Thor missile system before finishing his career as a civilian in Whitehall. Sadly Laurence Thorogood passed away in December 2005. We would like to thank Dr John Thorogood for supplying the photo of his father. | |||||||||
Truran, A. J. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Truran, A. J. J.
| Truran, A. J. J. Pilot Officer A.J.J.Truran of No.615 Squadron was on patrol in his Hurricane (P2581) on August 15th 1940 when it was damaged in combat with a Me109 near Folkestone. | |||||||||
Verity, V. B. S. Click the name above to see a profile of Verity, V. B. S. | Verity, V. B. S. Pilot Officer V.B.S.Verity of No.615 Squadron crash-landed his Hurricane (L2060) following combat with Me110s on May 20th 1940. | |||||||||
Walker, N. McD. Click the name above to see a profile of Walker, N. McD.
| Walker, N. McD. Missing June 11th 1941** | |||||||||
Walley, P. K. Click the name above to see a profile of Walley, P. K.
| Walley, P. K. Sergeant P.K.Walley of No 615 Squadron was killed when he crashed at Morden Park on August 18th 1940 in a Hurricane I (P2768). He was in combat with a Bf 109 near Sevenoaks in Kent. | |||||||||
Wheeler, N. J. Click the name above to see a profile of Wheeler, N. J. | Wheeler, N. J. | |||||||||
Wydrowski, B. Click the name above to see a profile of Wydrowski, B. | Wydrowski, B. | |||||||||
Young, B. P. Click the name above to see a profile of Young, B. P. | Young, B. P. Pilot Officer B.P.Young of No.615 Squadron was flying in Hurricane (P2577) on May 16th 1940 when he was shot down near Brussels, Young was badly burned. | |||||||||
Young, C. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Young, C. R.
| Young, C. R. Killed December 5th 1940 |
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Aircraft for : No.615 Sqn RAF | ||
A list of all aircraft associated with No.615 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
Aircraft | Info | |
Gauntlet
Manufacturer : Gloster | Gauntlet Full profile not yet available. | |
Gladiator
Manufacturer : Gloster Production Began : 1935 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 746 | Gladiator GLOSTER GLADIATOR: A continuation form the Gloster Gauntlet aircraft the Gloster Gladiator (SS37) becoming designated the F.7/30 was named Gladiator on the 1st July 1935. The first 70 Gladiators had Under wing machine guns (Vickers or Lewis) before the browning became standard The first aircraft arrived at Tangmere airfield on in February 1937 to no. 72 squadron. at the outbreak of world war two a total of 218 Gladiators had been received by the Royal air force with a total of 76 on active service. They served also in the Middle eats and in 1940 when Italy joined the war was nearly the only front line fighter in the middle east. Between 1939 and 1941. the Gloster Gladiator flew in many war zones. flying in France, Greece, Norway, Crete Egypt Malta and Aden. The Aircraft claimed nearly 250 air victories. It stayed in front line duties until 1942, then becoming fighter trainer, and other sundry roles. It continued in these roles until the end of world war two. The Naval equivalent the Sea Gladiator a short service in the Middle east and European waters. A Total of 746 aircraft were built of these 98 were Sea Gladiators.. Performance. speed: 250mph at 17,500 feet, 257 mph at 14,600 Range 430 miles. Armament: Two fixed .3-03 browning machine guns | |
Harvard
Manufacturer : North American Aviation Production Began : 1935 Retired : 1995 Number Built : 15495 | Harvard The Texan originated from the North American NA-16 prototype (first flown on April 1, 1935) which, modified as the NA-26, was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat" aircraft competition in March, 1937. The first model went into production and 180 were supplied to the USAAC as the BC-1 and 400 to the RAF as the Harvard I. The US Navy received 16 modified aircraft, designated the SNJ-1, and a further 61 as the SNJ-2 with a different engine. The BC-1 was the production version of the NA-26 prototype, with retractable tailwheel landing gear and the provision for armament, a two-way radio, and the 550-hp (410 kW) R-1340-47 engine as standard equipment. Production versions included the BC-1 (Model NA-36) with only minor modifications (177 built), of which 30 were modified as BC-1I instrument trainers; the BC-1A (NA-55) with airframe revisions (92 built); and a single BC-1B with a modified wing center-section. Three BC-2 aircraft were built before the shift to the "advanced trainer" designation, AT-6, which was equivalent to the BC-1A. The differences between the AT-6 and the BC-1 were new outer wing panels with a swept-forward trailing edge, squared-off wingtips, and a triangular rudder, producing the canonical Texan silhouette. After a change to the rear of the canopy, the AT-6 was designated the Harvard II for RAF/RCAF orders and 1,173 were supplied by purchase or Lend Lease, mostly operating in Canada as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Next came the AT-6A which was based on the NA-77 design and was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine. The USAAF received 1,549 and the US Navy 270 (as the SNJ-3). The AT-6B was built for gunnery training and could mount a .30 in machine gun on the forward fuselage. It used the R-1340-AN-1 engine, which was to become the standard for the remaining T-6 production. Canada's Noorduyn Aviation built an R-1340-AN-1-powered version of the AT-6A, which was supplied to the USAAF as the AT-16 (1,500 aircraft) and the RAF/RCAF as the Harvard IIB (2,485 aircraft), some of which also served with the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Canadian Navy. No. 1340 Flight RAF used the Harvard in Kenya against the Mau Mau in the 1950s, where they operated with 20-lb bombs and machine guns against the rebels. Some operations took place at altitudes around 20,000 ft above mean sea level. A Harvard was the longest-serving RAF aeroplane, | |
Hector
Manufacturer : Hawker | Hector Full profile not yet available. | |
Hurricane
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1936 Number Built : 14533 | Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built. | |
Meteor
Manufacturer : Gloster Production Began : 1944 Number Built : 3947 | Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, and built by the Gloster Aircraft Company, Armstrong-Whitworth, the Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Gloster Meteor was not an aerodynamically advanced aircraft but the Gloster design team succeeded in producing an effective jet fighter that served the RAF and other air forces for decades. Meteors saw action with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the Korean War and other air forces used the Meteor. The Royal Danish Air Force, The Belgian Air Force and Isreali Air Force kept the Meteor in service until the early 1970's. A Total of 3947 meteors were built and two Meteors, WL419 and WA638, remain in service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds. | |
Spitfire
Manufacturer : Supermarine Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1948 Number Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. | |
Thunderbolt
Production Began : 1943 Number Built : 15683 | Thunderbolt Alexander Kartveli was a engineer with Seversky Aircraft who designed the P-35, which first flew in 1937. With Republic Aviation Kartveli supervised the development of the P-43 Lancer. Neither of these aircraft were produced in large numbers, and neither was quite successful. However, the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also nicknamed the Jug, was quite a different story. The Jug was the jewel in Kartvelis design crown, and went on to become one of the most produced fighter aircraft of all time with 15,683 being manufactured. The P-47 was the largest and heaviest single seat fighter of WW II. The P-47 immediately demonstrated its excellent combat qualities, including speed, rate of climb, maneuverability, heavy fire power, and the ability to take a lot of punishment. With a wingspan of more than 40 feet and a weight of 19,400 pounds, this large aircraft was designed around the powerful 2000 HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. The first P-47 prototype flew in May of 1941, and the primary variant the P-47D went into service in 1943 with units of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The Jug had a maximum speed in excess of 400 MPH, a service ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet, and was heavily armed with either six or eight heavy caliber machine guns. With its ability to carry up to a 2,500 pound bomb load, the Jug saw lots of use in ground attack roles. Until the introduction of the N model, the P-47 lacked the long range required for fighter escort missions which were most often relegated to P-51 Mustangs or P-38 Lightnings. In his outstanding painting entitled Bridge Busting Jugs, noted aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts Eighth Air Force Jugs in a ground attack mission in the Alps in June of 1944. The top P-47 ace was Francis Gabreski who had flown with the 56th Fighter Group, the first unit to be equipped with the P-47. In August of 1943 Gabreski attained his first aerial combat victory (over an Fw-190) and by years end he had reached ace status with 8 confirmed victories. As Commander of the 61st Squadron, Gabreski continued to chalk up victory after victory, and on seven different occasions he achieved two victories during the same mission. However, in July of 1944 Gabreski damaged the prop on his Jug during a low level attack on an airfield near Coblenz. Forced to make a crash landing, he was captured and remained a prisoner of war until Wars end in 1945. Following the War Gabreski returned to military service with the Air Forces 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea. Flying the F-86 Sabre Jet, Gabreski attained 6.5 more aerial victories in 1951 and 1952 becoming an ace in two different wars |
No.615 Sqn RAF Artwork |
No.615 Sqn Hurricane over Burma by Brian Bateman. (P) | Burma - Arrival of 615 Squadron by Brian Bateman. (P) | Clipped Signature - Jocelyn Millard. |
Clipped Signature - Percival Leggett. | Clipped Signature - Ralph Roberts. |
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