141 SQUADRON - Fighter, Boulton Paul Defiant
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
On 4 October 1939, No 141 reformed at Turnhouse and by the end of the month had received some Gladiators followed shortly afterwards by Blenheims and these two types formed the training equipment of the until the arrival of Defiants in April 1940. Becoming operational on this type on 3 June 1940, the first operational patrol was flown by No 141 on 29 June and in July it moved to West Malling.
The maintenance flight was based at Biggin Hill while the Defiants used Hawkinge as an advanced airfield and it was from the latter that the Squadron had its first and last daylight encounter with the enemy. Six out of nine aircraft were lost over the Channel to Me 109s and the sqauadron was withdrawn to Prestwick two days later as the ineffectiveness of the Defiant against single-seat fighters became evident. In September, a detachment was sent back to southern England but this time for night patrols and the whole squadron moved there in October.
Stations
Turnhouse 28 June 1940
West Malling 12 July 1940
Prestwick 21 July 1940
Dyce and Montrose (D) 22 August 1940
Turnhouse 30 August 1940
Biggin Hill (D) 13 September to 18 September 1940
Gatwick (D) 18 September to 22 October 1940
Drem 15 October 1940
Gatwick (G) 22 October 1940
Gatwick (A) 24 October 1940
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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.
15/05/1940: ?, UK. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
29/06/1940: first operational sortie
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Losses 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (incomplete)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Harrison, RAF 313113, 141 Sqdn., age 56, 13/01/1940, Hillingdon and Uxbridge Cemetery, UK. See: RAF Commands Forum
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15/05/1940: ?, UK
Type: Defiant
Serial number: ?, TW-?
Operation: ?
Lost: 15/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Steven F.H. Keene, RAF 514292, 141 Sqdn., age 27, 15/05/1940, Grangemouth (Grandsable) Cemetery, UK
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Air Gnr.) David Wightman, RAF 903325, 141 Sqdn., age 24, 15/05/1940, Lockerbie (Dryfesdale) Cemetery, UK
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Sources
Air of Authority - 141 Squadron
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
Bail-outs for 1940
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
RAF Battle of Britain - 141 Squadron
RAF - Campaign Diary - The Battle of France (May-June 1940)
RAF Museum: British Military Aviation in 1940
RAF Order of Battle, France, 10th May 1940
Royal Air Force History Section
The Royal Air Force, 1939-1945
The Second World War - a day by day account
The War in France and Flanders, 1939-1940, by Major L.F. Ellis, 1954
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Books
Michael Allan 'Pursuit through darkened skies'
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Links
Air Aces
Airwar over Denmark
Allied World War II Casualties in the Netherlands
Armée de l'Air - Order of Battle,
10th May 1940
Australian Wargraves
Axis History Factbook
Battle-of-Britain.com
De Belgen in Engeland 1940-1945 (in Dutch)
Belgian Aviation History Association Archaeological Team
British Aircraft Directory
British Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
HMS Cavalier
Ciel de Gloire (in French)
RAF Squadrons
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in
the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots
Dutch Pilots in RAF Squadrons
Eagles Squadrons (American pilots in the RAF)
Håkans aviation page (from Sweden, in English)
'High flight', poem by John Gillespie Magee
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, poem by W.B. Yeats
Jagdgeschwader 27 (in German)
Luchtoorlog ('Arial War', in Dutch, with many photos)
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945
Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
The National Ex-Prisoners of War Association
Naval History.net
Nordic Aviation during WW2
Pilotfriend.com: aircraft of WW2
Polish Air Force 1940-1947 Operations Record Books
RAF Battle of Britain
RAF Upwood
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de
Bills-Bunker.de
The Lancastershire Aircraft Investigation Team
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and
Leicestershire
The Aerodrome -
Aces and Aircraft of World War 1
WW1 Cemeteries
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This page is dedicated to the men of 141 Squadron.
© Bart FM Droog / Rottend Staal Online 2008. Permission granted for use of the data gathered here for non commercial purposes, if this source is mentioned with a link to http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/index.html
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