During World War Two, more than 30,000 men served with the Airfield Construction (AC) Wings of the RAF (also known as Works Squadrons). An AC Squadron member consisted of every known trade and profession from the construction industry and their task was to repair bomb-damaged airfields and build new ones. As the war progressed, there was a requirement for longer and heavier runways as […]
On the night of 2/3 August 1941, Bomber Command sent 80 bombers to Hamburg, 53 to Berlin and 50 to Kiel, alongside 25 other operations. Eleven bombers were lost that night. David Hodge of RAF 104 Squadron was onboard Vickers Wellington W5580 (EP-K) when it was lost over the North Sea and ditched off the coast of the Isle of Sylt, […]
RAF Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina Mk.IVa JX257, callsign Q/210, from RAF 210 Squadron took off from RAF Sullom Voe, Shetland, on 2 April 1945 at 1030 hours on an anti-submarine patrol north east of the Faeroe Islands. The crew are thought to have completed the patrol and were on their way home. At 0038 hours, a signal was received from the aircraft, ‘S.O.S. – KJOR 1515′. This was repeated at 0046, 0047, […]
RAF 144 Squadron’s first WW2 attack on a German land objective was on 6 March 1940. It involved attacking the German minelaying and seaplane base at Hornum, on the island of Sylt. Just over two months later, 10 May 1940, Germany invaded the Low Countries and France and on that […]
Twenty-five-year-old Flight Sergeant Eric Cooke from Grimsby came to Perth when war broke out to train at RAF Perth 11 EFTS. Cooke was employed in the Admiralty chart department when war broke out. On 26 July 1941, he married Daphne May Ferris, 8 Stanley Place, Perth. Daphne and her twin sister Betty joined the Auxiliary Territorial […]
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 […]
