Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 224 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

      home - latest update 23 June 2008


224 SQUADRON - Bomber, Lockheed Hudson
Coastal Command

History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks



On 1 February 1937, No.224 reformed at Manston personnel being supplied by No.48 Squadron. Ansons were receiced after moving to Boscombe down two weeks later and in May 1939 were replaced by Hudsons. These became operational in August and the squadron moved to its war station at Leuchars to fly patrols over the North Sea in search of German ships. Convoy patrols were also flown and after the German invasion of Norway anti-shipping operations began.

Station
RAF Leuchars

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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.

14/06/1940: Special Coastal Recce, Norway. 1 Plane lost, 2 MIA, 2 POW
15/06/1940: Sola, Norway. 3 Planes lost, 2 KIA, 10 MIA
21/06/1940: Convoy Escort. 1 Plane lost, 4 MIA

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FATALITIES 01/01/1940-09/05/1940 (incomplete)

Pilot Officer Andrew Barkley, RAF 41246, 224 Sqdn., age 21, 11/01/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Rickard C. Lloyd, RAF 41594, 224 Sqdn., age 22, 11/01/1940, missing
Aircraftman 1st Class Robert S. Morton, RAF 551834, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 11/01/1940, missing
Corporal Daniel Turner, RAF 526986, 224 Sqdn., age 24, 11/01/1940, missing

Flying Officer Sydney D. Slocum, RAF 28166, 224 Sqdn., age 29, 03/03/1940, Micheldever (St. Mary) Churchyard, UK

Flying Officer (Pilot) James L. Atkinson, RAF 37340, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/03/1940, Hampstead Cemetery, UK
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Albert A. Greenberg, RAF 41919, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/03/1940, Leuchars Cemetery, UK

Sergeant Thomas Gosling, RAF 566256, 224 Sqdn., age 23, 15/04/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Alexander Murcar, RAF 532866, DFM, 224 Sqdn., age 23, 15/04/1940, missing
Aircraftman 1st Class Eldred G. Newby, RAF 622865, 224 Sqdn., age 24, 15/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Laurence G. Nolan-Neylan, RAF 41455, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 15/04/1940, missing

Pilot Officer Hector G. Webb, RAF 43154, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 23/04/1940, missing

Flying Officer Anthony A.T. Bulloch, RAF 33224, 224 Sqdn., age 23, 24/04/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Alfred W. Hallam, RAF 534748, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 24/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Robert G.M. Harmston, RAF 41845, , 224 Sqdn., age 19, 24/04/1940, Bergen (Mollendal) Church Cemetery, Norway
Leading Aircraftman Stanley Lane, RAF 528628, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 24/04/1940, missing

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14/06/1940: Special Coastal Recce

Type:
Lockheed Hudson I
Serial number: N7359, QX-Q
Operation: Special Coastal Recce
Lost: 14/06/1940
P/O Talbot N.C. 'Tolly' Rothwell, RAF 41475, POW
P/O R.C. wood, RAF 41514, POW
Sergeant Charles L. Hand, RAFVR 544342, 224 Sqdn., age 22, 14/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Walter E. Harding, RAF 627362, 224 Sqdn., age 20, 14/06/1940, missing
Took off from Leuchars at 09.35 hrs. Shot down northwest of Stavanger by Flak of the 3. Räumbootsflottille while on a special coastal reconnaissance
P/O Rothwell (1916-1981) was held in German captivity at Stalag Luft III

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941)'


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15/06/1940: Soma, Norway

Type:
Lockheed Hudson I
Serial number: N7217, QX-W
Operation: Soma, Norway
Lost: 15/06/1940 (1)
Sergeant Thomas H. Nicholls, RAF 561837, 224 Sqdn., age 28, 15/06/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Ralph B. Askquith-Ellis, RAF 42477, 224 Sqdn., age 26, 15/06/1940, missing
Aircraftman 1st Class Samuel J.W. Baines, RAF 630891, 224 Sqdn., age 18, 15/06/1940, missing
Sergeant John Long, RAF 621505, 224 Sqdn., age 20, 15/06/1940, missing
Took off at 06.25 hrs from Leuchars. Tasked to bomb an ammunition dump, but was shot down at 09.00 hrs by either ofw A. Hackl or Fw Petermann of 5./JG77 off Sola, Norway.

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Type: Lockheed Hudson I
Serial number: N7270, QX-V
Operation: Sola, Norway
Lost: 15/06/1940 (2)
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Clifford S. Greenaway, RAF 43638, 224 Sqdn., age 25, 15/06/1940, Sola Churchyard, Norway
Sergeant Sydney G.H. Stephens, RAF 566150, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 15/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Adam F. King, RAF 546844, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 15/06/1940, missing
Corporal Alfred J. Hull, RAF 358791, 224 Sqdn., age 34, 15/06/1940, Sola Churchyard, Norway
Took off at 06.25 hrs from Leuchars. Tasked to bomb an ammunition dump. Shot down at 09.00 hrs by flak off Stavanger.

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Type: Lockheed Hudson I
Serial number: N7279, QX-U
Operation: Sola, Norway
Lost: 15/06/1940
(3)
Pilot Officer Niel Ewart, RAF 41838 (NZ), 224 Sqdn., age 23, 15/06/1940, missing; according to Cenotaph Database his name was 'Neil Ewart'; click here for his photo.
Pilot Officer Francis S. Crawford, RAF 41558 (NZ), 224 Sqdn., age 20, 15/06/1940, missing - see his page on the Cenotaph Database for a picture.
Sergeant Edgar Pearce, RAF 624941, 224 Sqdn., age 25, 15/06/1940, missing
Aircraftman 1st Class Thomas Morton, RAF 615295, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 15/06/1940, missing
Took off at 06.25 hrs from Leuchars. Tasked to bomb an ammunition dump, but was shot down at 09.00 hrs by either Ofw A. Hackl or Fw Petermann of 5./JG77 off Sola, Norway.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941)'


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21/06/1940: Convoy Escort

Type:
Lockheed Hudson I
Serial number: N7287, ZS-P
Operation: Convoy Escort
Lost: 21/06/1940
Flight Lieutenant Albert E. Williamson, RAF 37370, 224 Sqdn., age unknown, 21/06/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Arthur S.T. Cargill, RAF 43197, 224 Sqdn., DFM, age 26, 21/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Christopher F. Fennell, RAF 531039, 224 Sqdn., age 21, 21/06/1940, missing - His sister, Pamela Mary Fennell, also died on service.
Sergeant Percival W. Weightman, RAF 533027, 224 sqdn., age 22, 21/06/1940, missing
This Hudson was borrowed from 233 Squadron. Took off from Leuchars at 17.05 hrs. Failed to return from escorting Convoy 18CS.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941)'

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Sources

Air of Authority - 224 Squadron
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
Bail-outs for 1940
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Royal Air Force - 224 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
Royal Air Force Officers 1939-1945 - R
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

Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
Errol Martyn, For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services Since 1915 (Vol One: Fates 1915-1942)
Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941), Midland publishing, 2003. ISBN: 1 85780 128 8

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Links

Discussion Groups
Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
RAF Commands Forum

Other
Abbreviations used in the Royal Air Force
Code Names & RAF Vocabulary

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
Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War
British Aircraft Directory
British Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
Canada's Air Force History
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)
Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939-1946
'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
Order of Liberation (in French/English/Spanish)
Pilotfriend.com: aircraft of WW2
Polish Air Force 1940-1947 Operations Record Books
RAF Battle of Britain
RAF Upwood
RAF WWII 38 Group Squadrons Reunited
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
Test Flying Memorial
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de

Aircraft crashes on the North Yorkshire Moors, England
Bills-Bunker.de
The Lancastershire Aircraft Investigation Team
Luftfahrt-Archäologie in Schleswig Holstein (in German)
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 224 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