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 […]
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 […]
Sergeant Thomas Kaye RAFVR, (1051935), pilot, died age 22 in an accident at RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire on 31 August 1941. He was the pilot of Bristol Beaufort Mk. I AW213 of RAF 86 Squadron attached to Coastal Command. Kaye was killed when his Beaufort crashed into a parked Lockheed […]
Andrew Beattie Sneddon RFC born in 1898 was the son Andrew M (Solicitor) and Sophie E Sneddon of Bellwood Park, Perth. On Wednesday 3 October 1917 he lost his life when he flew his Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e, A8641, aircraft out over the North Sea and did not return. Sneddon […]
