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Spitfire R6778 |
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Type : Spitfire Mark : Ia First Flew : 21st June 1940 Built at : Eastleigh Powered by : Merlin III |
| Known information | |
| 01st September 1940 | Damaged by Do17 over Kenley. Pilot Officer Casson ok. |
| Pilots and Aircrew who flew : Spitfire Ia R6778 | ||
| 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 | |
| Casson, Lionel Harwood Buck Click the name above to see a profile of Casson, Lionel Harwood Buck
| Casson, Lionel Harwood Buck Pilot Officer Lionel H.'Buck' Casson D.F.C. / A.F.C. of No 616 Squadron was in combat with a Do 215 over Kenley on the 1st of September 1940 at 14:20hrs. His Spitfire I (R6778) was a write off due do the damage but he escaped injury. Casson was one of the original three trainee pilots to join the newly formed 616 (South Yorkshire) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron at Doncaster in early 1939. Training at weekends and during the annual summer camps, he qualified as a pilot in early 1940 before being sent to France as a reinforcement to 501 Squadron. But, before he could join them, the train on which he was travelling was bombed outside Amiens and he lost all his belongings. Casson managed to escape by boat back to England from Cherbourg. After a brief spell flying Hurricanes with 79 Squadron at Biggin Hill, he rejoined 616 at Leconfield, Yorkshire, just as the Battle of Britain gathered momentum. At lunchtime on August 15, the fighter squadrons based in north-east England were scrambled to face the Luftwaffe's most concentrated attack against industrial targets in Scotland and the north of England. Casson flew one of the 12 Spitfires which met the enemy as they crossed the Yorkshire coast. Within minutes, 616 Squadron had accounted for six of the unescorted bombers, with similar results achieved by other northern-based squadrons. A few days later, 616 flew south to Kenley where the squadron was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the battle as part of Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park's No 11 Group. Casson and his colleagues were scrambled three or four times each day and losses mounted; in a five-day period 10 squadron pilots were killed or wounded. On August 30 Casson was credited with a probable and a damaged Heinkel 111. Two days later he claimed an Me 109 fighter, followed by the destruction of a Dornier 17 bomber. After suffering severe losses, the squadron was withdrawn to Kirton in Lindsay on September 4 with just seven of the original 21 pilots fit to fly. With barely 300 hours flying time, Casson was now a veteran; he remained with 616 to train the new crop of young pilots, and to fly patrols over coastal convoys and during the Luftwaffe's night blitz in December. A steel buyer's son, Lionel Harwood Casson, always known as "Buck", was born at Sheffield on January 6 1915 and educated at Birkdale School and the King's School, Ely, before embarking on a career in the steel industry. Although working in a reserved occupation, he elected to remain with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on the outbreak of war when he completed his pilot training. Once 616 became fully operational again in early 1941, it was transferred and came under the command of the new Wing Leader, the legless pilot Douglas Bader, at Tangmere. The squadron boasted a glittering array of outstanding pilots, including "Johnnie" Johnson and "Cocky" Dundas. With his steadying and mature influence, allied to the experience gained during the hectic summer days of 1940, Casson became a section leader. On May 5, he shared in the destruction of a Junkers 88, but was hit by return fire, and was forced to bale out over Chichester harbour. Throughout the summer of 1941, the Wing was heavily engaged over northern France escorting bombers and flying offensive sweeps when it made regular contact with Adolph Galland's fighters. Casson destroyed a Me 109 on June 22, claimed a "damaged" two days later and in July claimed two Me 109s as probables. The squadron suffered heavy losses, and Casson soon found himself appointed to command B Flight. On August 9, the "Bader" Wing took off for another sweep over France. During a hectic fight in which German fighters surprised them from above, Bader was shot down, and the Wing was forced to scatter. Casson had accounted for an Me 109 when he went to the aid of a lone Spitfire, but before he could join up he was engaged by a German fighter. Cannon shells damaged his aircraft's engine, forcing him to crash near St Omer, where he was captured. Shortly after his arrival at Stalag Luft III at Sagan, it was announced that Casson had been awarded the DFC. During his years in captivity, Casson's outstanding talents as a draughtsman were put to good use by the camp's escape committee. He maintained a detailed and beautifully illustrated diary of events throughout his imprisonment, which he was able to salvage despite the horrors and privation he and his colleagues suffered on the "Long March", during the severe winter of 1945 when the PoWs were driven eastwards ahead of the advancing Soviet Army. On returning home, Casson rejoined the steel industry in Sheffield. In June 1946 he was one of the first to volunteer for service when 616 Squadron was reformed at RAF Finningley. The squadron was initially equipped with Mosquito night fighters but it soon reverted to the day fighter role, flying Meteor F 4s before re-equipping with the F 8 version. In January 1951, Casson was promoted to Squadron Leader and appointed to command 616 Squadron. His outstanding period in command culminated in the award of the Esher trophy, awarded annually to the most efficient Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Casson retired in 1954, when he was awarded the AFC for his service in command of 616. He was also the holder of the Air Efficiency Award with Bar. | |
| Squadrons for : Spitfire Ia R6778 | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have flown Spitfire Ia R6778. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.19 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st September 1915 Possunt quia posse videntur - They can because they think they can | 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.616 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st November 1938 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 South Yorkshire (Auxiliary) Nulla rosa sine spina - No rose without thorns | No.616 Sqn RAF 616 squadron was formed at Doncaster on 1st November 1938 as the last of the Auxiliary Squadrons. Formed initially as a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Hinds, it was re-equipped with Gloster Gauntlets in June 1939 and transferred to Fighter Command. The squadrons first Spitfires arrived in late October. 616 first saw action and claimed its first victories whilst covering the evacuation from Dunkirk in May 1940. Returning to Yorkshire, the squadron claimed further enemy victims with 15th August standing out as a memorable day. 616 intercepted a large force of unescorted German bombers off the Yorkshire coast and claimed eight enemy aircraft destroyed. They moved to Kenley to join 11 Group at the height of the Battle of Britain, and destroyed 15 aircraft and claimed a further 15 as probables or damaged. During February 1941, 616 joined the Tangmere Wing led by Wg Cdr Douglas Bader. Flying Spitfire II fighters, they flew circus and ramrod sweeps over Northern France, and re-equipped with Spitfires Vb during July 1941. For the next two years 616 continued as a front line fighter squadron and was heavily engaged during the Dieppe expedition and later flying beach-head patrols on D-Day. In July 1944, 616 re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jet fighter thus becoming the first and only Allied squadron to operate jet aircraft in World War II. The squadron destroyed a number of V1 flying bombs whilst operating from Manston before joining the 2nd Tactical Air Force. In January 1945, 616 moved to the continent and operated in the ground attack role before being disbanded at Lubeck on 29th August. The squadron was re-formed at Finningley on 31st July 1946 equipped with Mosquito NF XXX night fighters which were replaced with Meteor F 3 day fighters a few months later. 616 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was finally disbanded at RAF Worksop on 10th March 1957 whilst equipped with Meteor F8 aircraft. | |
| Aircraft type : Spitfire | ||
| A profile page including a list of all art prints for the Spitfire is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
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. | |
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Died : 8 / 10 / 2003