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Bulldog

Name : Bulldog Manufacturer : Bristol Number Built : 400

The Bristol Bulldog was a British Royal Air Force single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by The Bulldog was designed by Frank Barnwell, the Chief Designer of the Bristol company (or Bristol Aeroplane Company,) with over 400 Bulldogs produced, that arguably became the most famous aircraft during the RAF's inter-war period. The Bristol Bulldog never saw combat service with the RAF, though during the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935-36, Bristol Bulldogs were sent to the Sudan to reinforce Middle East Command. one interesting note. Douglas Bader,The second world war ace, lost both of his legs when his Bristol Bulldog crashed while he was performing unauthorised flying Aerobatics at Woodley airfield near Reading. The Bulldog was a Single-seat day and night fighter. All metal construction with fabric covering. Manufactured by Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd, Filton, Bristol. Her engine was a 490 hp Bristol Jupiter VIIF, with a max speed of 174mph and a ceiling of 27,000 ft. She had two synchronised Vickers 0.303in machine guns.

Pilots and Aircrew for : Bulldog
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
BIRKISHAW, Wilfred Click the name above to see a profile of BIRKISHAW, Wilfred    Died : 30 / 9 / 1930	BIRKISHAW, Wilfred Killed at Arundel Park, Sussex, following collision of three Bulldogs of No.17 (Fighter) Squadron.
BORET, John Auguste Click the name above to see a profile of BORET, John Auguste    Died : 26 / 4 / 1964	BORET, John Auguste Commissioned in Army, 1915; seconded to RFC, Lt Boret joined 100 Sqn in Feb 1917; 14th Jan 1924:Flight Commander, No 32 Sqn then Joined 41st Sqd 4th May 1933 Officer Commanding, No 41 Sqn. (Bulldog IIa/Demon) till living sqd on 3rd March 1937 and on 21 Mar 1931 went on Exchange posting with RCAF. 4 Mar 1937 Air Staff, HQ No 22 (Army Co-operation) Group. 21 Oct 1937 Senior Personnel Staff Officer, HQ No 5 (Bomber) Group. 2th5 Sep 1939:Air Staff, HQ Fighter Command. in 1939 became Officer Commanding, No 61 (Fighter) Wing, Air Component. a yearatwer Officer Commanding, No 60 (Fighter) Wing, Air Component.and at the end of 1940 Officer Commanding, RAF Tangmere 23 Mar 1943:Duty Air Commodore, HQ Fighter Command. 15 Nov 1943:Duty Air Commodore, HQ ADGB. 26 Jan 1944 AOC, No 13 (Fighter) Group. and on the 7th May 1945:AOC, No 88 (Fighter) Group. (relinquished 31 Dec 1945) 21 Jan 1946:Director of Air Force Welfare Decorations MC (1917), AFC (1918), OBE (1941) MiD (1942), CBE (1943), MiD (1945), U.S. Legion of Merit (1946) ret Apr 1948, retaining Air Vice-Marchsall
Davis, Edward Simeon Colbeck Click the name above to see a profile of Davis, Edward Simeon Colbeck    Died : 21 / 7 / 1940	Davis, Edward Simeon Colbeck AFC (1931), OBE (1940), MiD (1941) Commissioned on graduation from Cranwell, Dec 1923; KIA as Wg Cdr with 204 Sqn, 21 Jul 1940; Sunderland 9208 of 204 Squadron craft was lost off the coast of Norway, shot down by a Bf109 of 8./JG77. Sunderland A/204 was tasked to do a recce of Trondheim after a report said Gneisenau had left the port. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off in spite being called repeatedly. AIR 25/393 18 Group appendix July 1940. Sullom Voe ORB (AIR 28/775) has this: Sunderland A/204 Squadron failed to return after a reconnaissanse of Trondheim. Included in the missing crew were W/Cdr. E. S. C. Davies OBE, AFC, F/Lt. Phillips DFC, P/O's Macdonald and Pareezer and Corporal Lillie DFM. remembered on Panel 3 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey
Dawnay, Michael Click the name above to see a profile of Dawnay, Michael    Died : 19 / 3 / 1946	Dawnay, Michael Commissioned May 1931; permanent commission on graduation from Cranwell, Dec 1933; Joined 41 Sqd 6 Dec 1933 and leaving 1st october 1934 16 Jun. 1935; CO (as Flg. Off.), 65 Sqdn., 3 Sep. 1935; rtnd. to HQ Fighting Area, 30 Oct. 1935; 25 Sqdn. PA to AOC-in-C Fighter Command, Air Mshl Sir Hugh Dowding, Jul 1936; died as Wg Cdr, 19 Mar 1946 in Austria; son of late Maj the Hon Hugh Dawnay DSO (2nd Life Guards, KIA Belg., 6 Nov 1914)
Ireland, Noel Arthur Click the name above to see a profile of Ireland, Noel Arthur    Died : 30 / 9 / 1931	Ireland, Noel Arthur Plt Off Noel Arthur Ireland (21) was killed0 in a Bulldog IIA K1674, 23 Sqn, Kenley Crashed during aerobatics, Coulsdon Common
Quill, Jeffrey Click the name above to see a profile of Quill, Jeffrey    Died : 20 / 2 / 1996	Quill, Jeffrey Jeffrey Quill was born at Littlehampton in Sussex in 1913, the youngest of five children. He was educated at Lancing College, overlooking Shoreham aerodrome (then a small grass field with old hangars and a wooden hut for the flying club). The frequent sight of aircraft at close quarters increased Quill’s already burning interest in aviation, and after leaving Lancing in 1931 he was accepted into the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, as an acting Pilot Officer. He learned to fly on Avro Tutor biplanes, and went solo after only 5 hours 20 minutes – well below the usual 9 hours. In September 1932 he joined No.17 (Fighter) Squadron at Upavon, where he flew Bristol Bulldogs. He was then posted to Duxford, to the RAF Meteorological Flight, where they flew open-cockpit Siskins to heights of up to 25,000 feet to collect weather data. In November 1934 Quill became Flight Commander, and set out with his team to achieve 100 per cent regularity in the scheduled climbs (twice every day, except Sundays, at 0700 and 1300 hrs) without missing a single flight, even in “unflyableâ€� weather. For this outstanding achievement he was awarded the Air Force Cross. In January 1936 Jeffrey Quill became assistant to Mutt Summers, the chief test pilot at Vickers (Aviation) Ltd., and his initial task was the testing of the Wellesley bomber. On 26 March 1936 Quill made his first flight in the prototype Spitfire K5054. Much work was needed on the Spitfire before it was eventually cleared for squadron service in July 1938. Jeffrey Quill spent the entire war in charge of development and production flying, but insisted on having first-hand combat experience, and in August 1940 he was assigned to 65 (Spitfire) Squadron at RAF Hornchurch. During that month he shot down a Me109, and shared in a Heinkel He111 before being recalled to Supermarine to test the Spitfire Mk III. The Seafire, the naval version of the Spitfire used by the Fleet Air Arm, was suffering enormous losses in deck landing accidents. During 1944 Quill spent five months with the Royal Navy, and made more than 75 deck landings. By the end of the war, he had personally test-flown all 50-odd variants of Spitfire and Seafire. His personal favourite was the Spitfire Mk VIII. Jeffrey Quill continued as chief test pilot after the war, when Vickers – ever on the cutting edge of development – produced Britain’s third jet aircraft, the Attacker. On 27 July 1946 Quill made the first flight from Boscombe Down, and continued to undertake the testing, until one day the following June he passed out at about 40,000 feet. Fortunately he recovered at about 10,000 ft, in time to land safely. Quill had been flying continuously for 16 years, often at high altitude and without oxygen. He had logged over 5000 hours and flown more than 95 aircraft types. Jeffrey Quill died at Andreas, Isle of Man, on 20 February 1996. Jeffrey Quill after winning his Air Force Cross.

Known Individual Aircraft : Bulldog :
Type	Serial	Codes	First Flew	Squadron History	Aircrew History	History Notes	Engine	Factory
Bulldog IIA	K1674		-	details	details	details

Squadrons for : Bulldog
A list of all squadrons known to have flown the Bulldog. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.17 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st February 1915 Excellere contende - Strive to excel Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.17 Sqn RAF	No.17 Sqn RAF No 17 Squadron was formed at Gosport on 1 February 1915 and after a period of training embarked for Egypt in November. On 24 December, it began to make reconnaissance flights over the Turkish lines in Sinai, also flying in support of troops engaged with Turkish army units in the Western Desert. Detachments were also to be found in Arabia until July 1916, when the Squadron was sent to Salonika as a mixed unit of twelve BE2cs for reconnaissance and a scout component of two DH2s and three Bristol Scouts. At first it was the only RFC unit in Macedonia but was later joined by others in April 1918, handed over its fighters to a newly-formed No 150 Squadron. For the rest of the war, it was engaged in tactical reconnaissance and artillery spotting on the Bulgarian border. In December 1918, the squadron re-equipped with twelve DH9s and six Camels, sending A Flight to Batum to support the White Russian forces and B and C Flights to Constantinople in January 1919. On 14 November 1919, No 17 was disbanded. Reforming at Hawkinge on 1 April 1924, with Snipes No 17 formed part of the fighter defence of the UK until the outbreak of World War Two. Successively equipped Woodcocks, Siskins, Bulldogs and Gauntlets, the squadron remained in the UK during the Abyssinian crisis but lost most of its Bulldogs as reinforcements for squadrons moving to the Middle East and had to fly Harts for a period. In June 1939 Hurricanes were received and flew defensive patrols until the German attack on France in May 1940. Fighter sweeps were then flown over the Netherlands, Belgium and French airfields to cover the retreat of allied troops. In June the squadron moved to Brittany as the remnants of BEF and RAF units in France were evacuated, retiring to the Channel Islands two days before returning to the UK. No 17 flew over southern England throughout the Battle of Britain, being moved to northern Scotland in April 1941. In November 1941, the squadron sailed for the Far East where war broke out in December. Diverted to Burma, it arrived in January 1942, as Japanese troops neared Rangoon. Defensive patrols were flown until the Rangoon airfields were overrun and No 17 moved north, eventually being cut off from India while operating from Lashio. The surviving aircraft were flown out and the ground personnel made their way across Burma to the Indian border. By the end of May, the squadron had re-assembled at Calcutta and in June received aircraft again for the defence of the area. Ground attack missions began in February 1943 and continued until August, when the squadron moved to Ceylon. Spitfires began to arrive in March 1944 and were taken back to the Burma front in November to fly escort and ground attack missions. In June 1945, it was withdrawn to prepare for the invasion of Malaya and was taken by carrier to the landing beaches near Penang in early September soon after the Japanese capitulation. On 11 February 1949, No 691 Squadron based at Chivenor for anti-aircraft co-operation duties was renumbered No 17 Squadron, being officially disbanded on 13 March 1951, passing its tasks to No 3 CAACU which was formed five days later. No 17 reformed at Wahn on 1 June 1956 as a Canberra photographic reconnaissance squadron in Germany, disbanding on 31 December 1969. On 1 September 1970, No 17 reformed at Bruggen with Phantoms, which were flown until December 1975. Conversion to Jaguars began in September. In January 1985 the squadron began to convert to Tornado GR1s, the Jaguar element disbanding on 1 March 1985 when No 17 became fully equipped with Tornados. In 2003 No 17 became the first RAF squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon. Based a Warton it's responsibilities include the evaluation of the new aircraft and its integration into full squadron service. On 19 May 2005, the Squadron officially reformed with the presentation of the Squadron Standard at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, to become No 17 (Reserve) Squadron, the Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit.
No.19 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st September 1915 Possunt quia posse videntur - They can because they think they can Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.19 Sqn RAF	No.19 Sqn RAF o. 19 Squadron was formed from a nucleus provided by No. 5 Reserve Squadron at Castle Bromwich on 1 September 1915. It was almost a year later that the Squadron went to France, flying contact patrols with BE12s before re-equipping with French-built Spads. These were used to strafe ground troops during the battles at Arras, Messines Ridge and Ypres. Early in 1918, Sopwith Dolphins arrived and these were used in bomber escort duties. A year after the end of the War, the Squadron was disbanded reforming on 1 April 1924 at Duxford. The Squadron remained at Duxford throughout the inter-war years with a succession of fighters: Siskins, Bulldogs and Gauntlets receiving Spitifre on the 4th August 1938 The Squadron was stationed in the UK after the outbreak of the Second World War,the Squadron fought well over the evacuation at Dunkirk where they lost 4 aircraft for the destruction of 13 E.A.'s. The Squadron destroyed 2 He 111's on the night of the 19th of June 1940, and was part of No. 12 Group RAF, RAF Fighter Command, during the Battle of Britain. 19 Squadron formed part of the Duxford Wing, 12 Group's 'Big Wing' formation. Later versions of Spitfires were flown until the arrival of Mustangs for close-support duties in early 1944. After D-Day, No. 19 briefly went across the English Channel before starting long-range escort duties from RAF Peterhead for Coastal Command off the coast of Norway. After world war two the squadron flew at first de Havilland Hornets and later a variety of jet fighter aircraft including the Hawker Hunter fighter then re-equipping with English Electric Lightning, (1962 - 1964) at that time 19 Sqdn was based at RAF Station Leconfield. The Squadron and the sister Squadron 92 were called upon as fast response interceptors during the "cold war", later being disbanded on 9 January 1992. Their final location before being disbanded was RAF Wildenrath in Germany near Geilenkirchen
No.23 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st September 1915 Fate : The squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009, when it amalgamated with No 8 Squadron. Semper aggessus - Always having attacked Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.23 Sqn RAF	No.23 Sqn RAF o. 23 Squadron formed at Fort Grange, Gosport on 1 Sep 1915 under the command of one of the RAF's most experienced operational pilots - Captain Louis Strange. After a brief period attempting to counter German airship flights over London, the Squadron moved to France with its FE2Bs initially employed on escort duties. By early 1917, Spad single-seaters had arrived, and were being used on offensive patrols over the front and low-level strafing attacks against German troops By the end of the War, the Squadron had converted to Dolphins, and flew these until disbanded at the end of 1919. On 1 July 1925, No. 23 Squadron reformed at Henlow with Snipes, but these were replaced shortly after with Gloster Gamecocks. In 1931, the Squadron was tasked with carrying out trials on the new Hawker Hart two-seaters, taking the production version, known as Demons, on strength in 1933 n 1938 it became a night-fighter squadron using the Bristol Blenheim. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, these were replaced by the Douglas Havoc and later the de Havilland Mosquito. Between 1942 and 1944 the squadron was based on Malta. It then returned to England and served as an intruder squadron, targeting German night fighters, over western Europe. 23 Sqn was disbanded, following the war's end, in September 1945 The squadron was reformed on 1 September 1946 as a night fighter squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito.[8] It received jet aircraft in the form of de Havilland Vampire NF.10s in 1953, replacing them with de Havilland Venom NF.2s in June 1954. The squadron acquired Venom NF.3 in 1957.but was soon replaced with Gloster Javelin all-weather fighter, beginning a long period operating in the air defence role. The squadron has a strong heritage in the air defence role, operating Gloster Javelins, Lightnings, Phantoms and Tornado F3s. The squadron first acquired Phantoms on 1 November 1975 at RAF Coningsby before moving to RAF Wattisham for just under 10 years. Then in October 1983 the squadron deployed to Stanley airfield, Falkland Islands after their recapture from Argentina, arriving there on 1 November. They remained here until 31 October 1988 when its duty was assumed by 1435 Flight. The squadron then reformed on 1 November 1988 at RAF Leeming with the Panavia Tornado which it operated until 26 February 1994, when the unit was disbanded. The squadron assumed the Airborne Early Warning role upon reformation in April 1996, sharing the RAF's Sentry AEW1 fleet with No. 8 Squadron. The squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009, when it amalgamated with No 8 Squadron.
No.41 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 15th April 1916 Seek and destroy Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.41 Sqn RAF	No.41 Sqn RAF Founded in 1916, 41 Squadron was disbanded at the end of World War One, but reformed on 1st April 1923.
No.54 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 15th May 1916 Audax omnia perpeti - Boldness to endure anything Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.54 Sqn RAF	No.54 Sqn RAF No. 54 Squadron was formed on the 5th of May 1916 at Castle Bromwich. The squadron was equipped with BE2C's and Avro 504's and was part of the home defence force. Shortly after 54 squadron changed to day fighter duties and moved to France then equipped with Sopwith Pups. Their role was to escort bombers and attack observation balloons. Near the end of the great war 54 squadron was re -quipped with Sopwith Camels and tasked with ground attack as well as fighter sorties. In February 1919, the squadron returned to RAF Yatesbury and on 2nd October 1919 54 squadron was disbanded. On the 15th of January 1930, 54 squadron was reformed at RAF Hornchurch as a fighter squadron equipped initially with Siskin aircraft. The Siskins were subsequently replaced with Bulldog fighters and in September 1936 54 squadron was re-equipped with Gloster Gauntlets and in April 1937, they recieved Gloster Gladiators. In March 1939 the squadron recieved the new Supermarine Spitfire. After the outbreak of world war two, 54 Squadron was given the duties of patrolling the Kent coast, until having to support and give air cover to the evacuation of Dunkirk in May and June 1940. The squadron was heavily involved during the Battle of Britain until November 1940 and after the Battle of Britain had ceased the squadron moved in November 1940 to RAF Castletown where its duties were coastal patrols. In June 1942 the squadron moved to RAF Wellingore to prepare for the squadron moving to Australia. In January 1943 54 squadron joined No.1 Wing of the Royal Australian Air Force. The Spitfires of the squadron were given the role of air defence duties against Japanese air attacks in the Darwin area. After the war had ended 54 squadron was disbanded in Melbourne on the 31st of October 1945, although the squadron name continued when on the 15th of November 1945 No.183 Squadron was renumbered 54 Squadron and flew initially Hawker Tempests. Taking up jet aircraft, the squadron subsequently used Vampires, Meteors, Hunters, Phantom and Jaguars before disbanding on 11th March 2005. 54 Squadron reformed on 5th September 2005 as an ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance ) unit equipped with Sentry, Nimrod and Sentinel aircraft.
No.56 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 9th June 1916 Punjab Quid si coelum ruat - What if heaven falls Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.56 Sqn RAF	No.56 Sqn RAF 56 Squadron was formed on 8th June 1916 and in April 1917 was posted to France as part of the Royal Flying Corps. 56 squadron was equipped with the new SE5 fighter. One of the major aerial combats of the squadron was the shooting down of Lt Werner Voss. By the end of the first world war 56 Squadron had scored 402 victories, and many famous fighter aces flew with 56 Squadron including James McCudden, Reginald Hoidge, Gerald Maxwell, Arthur Rhys-Davies, Geoffrey Hilton Bowman, Richard Mayberry, Leonard Monteagle Barlow, Cyril Crowe, Maurice Mealing, Albert Ball, Harold Walkerdine, William Roy Irwin, Eric Broadberry, Kenneth William Junor, Cecil Leiws, Keith Muspratt, Duncan Grinnell-Milne, William Spurret Fielding-Johnson, William Otway Boger, Charles Jeffs, and Harold Molyneux. The squadron lost 40 pilots during the first world war with another twenty wounded and thirty one taken prisoner. When world war two broke out on the 6th of September 1939, 56 Squadron was based at North Weald. 56 Squadron flew Hurricanes during the Battle of France and during the Battle of Britain. 56 Squadron claimed just over 100 enenmy aircraft shot down during 1940. In 1941 as part of the Duxford Wing it was the first squadron to be equipped with the new Hawker Typhoon and during 1942 and 1943 was based ay RAF Matlaske as part of No.12 Group. No 56 Squadron was the frist squadron to confirm a victory while flying the Hawker Typhoon. In 1944 56 Squadron moved to RAF Newchurch and was re equipped with the new Hawker Tempest V, becoming part of the No.150 Wing under the command of the Ace Wing Commander Roland Beamont. 56 Squadron's new role was to defend Britian against the V1 flying bombs, and the squadron shot down around 75 V1s. The squadron moved to Europe on the 28th of September 1944 to Grimbergen in Belgium as part fo 122 Wing of the Second Tactical Air Force. During this period to the end of the war 56 Squadron became joint top scorers with a total of 149 aircraft cliamed. Over its history the squadron flew, SE5's Sopwith Snipes, Gloster Grebes, Armstrong Whitworth Siskins, Bristol Bulldogs, Gloster Gauntlets, Gloster Gladiators, Harker Hurricanes, Hawker Typhoon, and Hawker Tempests. Battle of Honours of the Squadron are : Western front 1917 - 1918 , Arras, Ypres 1917, Cambrai 1917, Soome 1918, Amiens, Hindenburg Line. During World war two : France and the Low Countries 1940, Battle of Britian, Fortress Europe 1942 - 1944, Dieppe, France, Germany 1944 - 1945, Home Defence 1942 - 1945 and Arnhem.

Last edited : 21:53, July 9, 2016
Last editor : HMS

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