5 September 1940 Northern Front Following the events of the day before, No.203 (RAF) Squadron is responsible for providing air cover for a maritime convoy accompanied by H.M.A.S. Hobart. HMAS Hobart – Source : Wikipedia Around noon, the Blenheim Mk IVF L9042 (Pilot Officer Heslop M.F. Barnitt, Sergeant Albin J. Finch, Leading Aircraftman Blackburn) attack…
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11 May 1940 There is little information regarding No.615 Squadron activity during this day, except for the mention of patrols between Abbeville and Le Touquet [1]. It is likely that the lack of pilot training, the transformation on Hawker Hurricane Mk I, and the low number of available aircraft have helped keep the unit in…
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10 May 1940 The pilots of the A Flight, based at Le Touquet, are awakened very early in the morning due to a bombing by Heinkel He 111 (II./KG 27). Three Hawker Hurricane Mk I [1] are damaged, two of which are quickly repaired [2], while the Leading Aircraftman Alan Brooks is burned by the…
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First fights, First losses On 18 December 1939, Flight Lieutenant Leslie T.W. Thornley is ordered to join Saint-Inglevert Airfield with Flying Officer Peter Collard and Pilot Officer David J. Looker and Stanley M. Wickham. They were joined shortly thereafter by Flying Officer Leonid Ereminsky and Herbert S. Giddings, as well as Pilot Officer Thomas C.…
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First Patrols (18 November 1939 – 17 December 1939) This 18th of November marks the Squadron’s real entry into the war with its first operational missions after the training series of the previous months. In the morning, a section of B Flight is deployed on Le Touquet airfield : Flying Officer Hedley N. Fowler (N2303)…
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4 September 1940 Northern Front After several false alarms the day before, several Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 of 44bis Gruppo BT, based in Dire Dawa, attack Aden with some efficiency since the ship SS Velko is damaged, the advanced terrain of Kamaran strafed by eight aircraft, as well as various damage in the harbor. Two Gladiator Glosters:…
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Transfer to France (10 November 1939) On 4 October, No.615 Squadron learns its imminent transfer to France to join the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force. This choice may seem odd due to the lack of pilot experience and obsolete equipment with the Gladiator Gloster. This is not a coincidence, if several regular pilots…
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3 September 1940 Northern Front The RAF has more and more difficulty organizing “massive” attacks, except by regrouping all its Squadrons. For example, No.47 (RAF) Squadron aligns only two Vickers Wellesley during a bombing raid on Kassala, where bombs are reported falling on several buildings. However, an additional aircraft (K7729) is flown from Egypt by…
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First trainings, first losses The entry into action of No.615 Squadron is fast with a series of alerts in the early days of September. Thus, on 6 September, the A Flight receives the order to take off at 06h00 and to orbit for thirty minutes above the airfield of Kenley, before being recalled. But after…
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First reinforcements (4 October 1939) The day of 4 October 1939 is marked by the arrival of several pilots to reinforce the No.615 Squadron. However, the majority of them are relatively inexperienced either from flying schools or through rapid promotions as part of the RAF’s wartime expansion. Squadron Leader Hedley N. Fowler 14 December 1943…
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