On the night of 20/21 October 1943, Avro Lancaster DS726 of RAF 408 Squadron flown by Pilot Officer Charles Rankin took off from RAF Linton 0n Ouse to bomb the city of Leipzig in Germany. The crew successfully bombed the target and returned to base. Whilst DS726 was taxing around […]
RAF 620 Squadron was formed at RAF Chedburgh, near Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, on 17 June 1943. The squadron was part of No 3 Group of RAF Bomber Command flying 20 Short Stirling four-engine heavy bombers. It served not only as a bomber squadron, but was also used for airborne parachute […]
The eldest son of W B Thomas, 4 County Place, Pitcairngreen, Leading Aircraftman Benjamin Thomas was on leave following his internment in Casablanca when he died 10 February 1943. Thomas joined the RAF six years prior and he was served in the Middle East from the outbreak of war. He was on his […]
On 9 July 1941, seven Bristol Blenheims from RAF 110 (Hyderabad) Squadron took off from RAF Luga in Malta to attack Axis shipping in the harbour of Tripoli, Libya. The Blenheims claimed several direct hits on four merchant vessels. One vessel was estimated at 12,000 tons, two at 10,000 tons and one at 7,000 tons. During the raid, the Blenheims were attacked by Reggia Aeronautica Fiat G.50 bis and Fiat Cr.42 fighter aircraft. […]
At 1630 hrs on Wednesday, 14 January 1942, Vickers Wellington IC X9742 took off on a mission to bomb the city of Hamburg in Germany. Most of the squadron, RAF No 40 had transferred to Malta where they operated as night bombers, attacking targets in Italy and North Africa. The […]
Sergeant Joseph MacCrae Chambers was the son of Dr Walter Duncanson Chambers and Eva Annabella Chambers, Murray House, Perth. Dr Chambers was well known as the superintendent of James Murray’s Royal Asylum in Perth. Sergeant Chambers completed his training with RAF 56 OTU at RAF Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, England […]
Pilot Officer (Under Training) William John Henderson was undergoing training at RAF No 2 Air Observer School at RAF Millom in Cumbria. On 10 January 1942, at 0420 hours, Avro Anson Mk.1 AX536 crashed soon after hitting an obstruction during take-off. It crashed into the sea and all on board were killed. The accident report stated that […]
The situation in Europe in the summer of 1939 was deteriorating and as a prudent measure, Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War, persuaded the cabinet of Neville Chamberlain to introduce a limited form of conscription on 27 April 1939. The Military Training Act being passed the following month. Only […]
Seven Italian aircraft, Savioa-Marchetti S.73s belonging to the Belgian Societé Anonyme Belge d’Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne (SABENA) were flown to Britain in May 1940 and pressed into service for the RAF. On 23 May 1940, RAF 271 Squadron Pilot Officer John Robertson McLaren RAFVR (78975) took off in an S.73 from Merville Airfield […]
On 16 November 1944, Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, Mk. III, HB787, call-sign BU-J of RAF 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron took off at 22.30 hours on ‘Special Duty’ from RAF Oulton, three miles west of Aylsham, Norfolk. RAF Bomber Command had tasked a mission to bomb Düren, Jülich and Heinsburg […]
