SQUADRON - Bomber, Fairey Battle
AASF | Bomber Command, 1 Group
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
On 2nd September 1939, its 16 Battles landed at Rheims, France, as part of No.72 Wing of the Advanced Air Striking Force. During the German invasion of Belgium and France the squadron fought hard, bombing motor transport columns and other tactical targets in an attempt to delay the enemy's advance. It withdrew to England in mid-June 1940, crossed to Northern Ireland later in the month and from July onwards shared with No. 88 Squadron - also equipped with Battles - the task of flying regular dawn and dusk patrols along the entire coast of Northern Ireland as a precaution against possible landings by enemy agents.
After moving to Wattisham, Suffolk, in May 1941, the squadron converted to Blenheims and subsequently made an excellent name for itself during anti-shipping operations and Circuses against fringe targets in North-west Europe. It stood down from operations towards the end of October 1941, and when it resumed them early in the New Year it was flying Bostons.
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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with losses are.
10/05/1940: Luxembourg. 2 Planes lost, 2 DOW, 4 POW
13/05/1940: Breda, NL. 2 Planes lost
14/05/1940: Sedan, F. 4 Planes lost, 4 KIA, 4 MIA, 1 POW
16/05/1940: ground, F. 4 Planes lost
20-21/05/1940: Battle Area, F. 1 plane lost, 1 MIA, 2 POW
31/05/1940: ?, UK. 1 KIA or DOW
11/06/1940:
Vernon, F. 1 plane lost, 3 KIA
13/06/1940: Battle Area, F. 1 plane lost, 2 KIA
14/06/1940:
Battle Area, F. 1 plane lost, 1 KIA
15/06/1940: German bombing of Souge airfield, F, ? KIA
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16/08/1940, ?, F. 1 KIA or DOW
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Fatalities 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (incomplete)
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: L2265, MQ-B
Operation: Night training exercise
Lost: 10/05/1940
F/S W.A. Dunn - injured head
Sergeant (Obs.) John R. Branton, RAF 564122, 226 Sqdn., age 27, 07/04/1940, Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France
Leading Aircraftman (W. Op) Percy K. Davies, RAF 540572, 226 Sqdn., age 23, 07/04/1940, Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France
Lost control and abandoned near La Preve, 22.00 hrs. F/S Dunn baled out.
Sources: CWGC; Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
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10/05/1940: Luxembourg
The overall British commander, Air Marshal Barratt, acting on his own initiative, orders 32 Battles from Nos 12, 103, 105, 142, 150, 218 and 226 Squadrons to attack German troops advancing through Luxembourg at noon. As it was impossible to provide fighter escort the bombers were briefed to make a very low approach to target and attack from as little as 250 foot (80 meters) using bombs with a delayed fuse.
Intense small arms fire was encountered and three Battles of the first wave were shot down. A similar fate befell the second wave during the afternoon. Of the 32 Battles that took part that day, 13 were lost and all the rest damaged.
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: L5247, MQ-?
Operation: Luxembourg
Lost: 10/05/1940
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Brian R. Kerridge, RAF 39199, 226 Sqdn., age 27, 15/05/1940, Luxembourg (Hollerich) Communal Cemetery, Luxembourg
Sgt Anthony, POW
Cpl G.H.Dixon, POW
Airborne 1700 Reims/Champagne. Shot down ground fire during dive-bombing attack on enemy columns between Wallendorf and Diekirch and crashed in the northern suburbs at Faubourg de Luxembourg, Weimerskirch 6.30 p.m. Flight Lieutenant B. R. Kerridge captured badly wounded, died May 15. Corporal G. H. Dixon captured badly burned. Sergeant D. I. Anthony captured unhurt. Aircraft a write-off.
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: K9183, MQ-R
Operation: Luxembourg
Lost: 10/05/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) Douglas A. Cameron, RAF 39455, 226 Sqdn., age 25, 10/05/1940, Diekirch Communal Cemetery, Luxembourg
Sgt C.S. Hart PoW
AC1 J.G. Ward PoW
Airborne 1700 from Reims/Champagne. Hit by ground fire during dive-bombing of enemy columns between Wallendorf and Diekirch and crashed at Hirzenhaff Farm, south of Bettendorf, 18.30 hrs.
F/O Cameron was very badly wounded and died three days later during surgery to save arm in Diekirch hospital .
This aircraft was reportedly shot down by small arms fire whilst flying at five feet.
Sgt C.S.Hart was interned in Camps 8B/L1, PoW No.13092. AC1 J.G.Ward in Camp L1, from whence he subsequently escaped 17Apr41, safe return to UK via Odessa 21Mar45. Awarded MC.
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Battle P2180 was the only plane to make it back. It returned damaged by ground fire during dive-bombing attack on enemy columns between Wallendorf and Diekirch 6.20 p.m. Sergeant H. J. Barron wounded in left leg. Sergeant D. E. Bingham and Corporal L. Smith unhurt. Aircraft damaged but repairable - destroyed on evacuation 16 May.
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13/05/1940: Breda, NL
The overall British commander, Air Marshal BarrattBarratt despatched The Battles on only one small operation, during which No. 226 Squadron brought a factory down over a cross-roads near Breda.
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: P2353, MQ-?
Operation: Rijsbergen (Breda)
Lost: 13/05/1940
P/O W.M. Waddington Inj
Sgt G. Stephenson
LAC J. Hope
Airborne Reims/Champagne with orders to block roads in the Boeimeer/Rijsbergen area, SW of Breda (Noord-Brabant), Holland. Forced landed near Brussels.
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: ?, MQ-?
Operation: Rijsbergen (Breda)
Lost: 13/05/1940
Pilot F.O. Barrett, Inj.
Frederick Oliver (known universally as Barry) Barrett's participation in the Battle of France came to an end on May 13, when aircraft of his flight were attacked by Me109s, as they emerged from cloud cover. Barrett's Fairey Battlewas hit by cannon fire and he was severely wounded in one of his arms. His engine cut out but he managed to bring his aircraft down to wheels-up crash-landing in a field, near a column of French troops.
Bleeding copiously, he was taken to a French field hospital, where an orderly patched him up well enough for him to be able to join the headlong flight to the coast in an ambulance driven by a resourceful young Englishwoman. He was to remember her name 'Penny Otto' (obituary, Penny Phillips, March 16, 2007) for the rest of his life.
After many vicissitudes, including interception by a German column, from whose clutches he and other wounded escaped thanks to the quick-thinking of their female ambulance drivers, he was eventually evacuated to Britain via La Baule-Escoublac near the mouth of the Loire.
He spent six months in hospital, after which he was passed fit for flying and posted to a flying school in South Africa where he spent the next three years. Returning to the UK in 1944 he was posted to a Mosquito squadron, No 613, in which he undertook bombing and strafing operations in north west Europe both before and after the Normandy landings.
He was subsequently posted to 305 Squadron, a Polish bomber unit (which had some British crews) also flying Mosquitoes. On one occasion over the Low Countries he carried out a low-level attack with his cannon on a train carrying munitions which blew up with a huge explosion that badly damaged his aircraft with debris. With engine power lost, he ordered his navigator to bale out, but at that moment the Mosquito's engines picked up, and Barrett hauled him back into the cockpit. They limped back towards friendly territory, and Barrett was able to bring the aircraft down to a belly landing on a Dutch airfield. He was awarded the DFC.
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14/05/1940: Sedan, F
The French High Command called for a supreme effort at Sedan, where the ground forces massing for counter-attack had been rudely scattered. Arrangements were accordingly made for the whole strength of the Allied bombers in France to be hurled against the Sedan bridgehead in a series of waves, and soon after noon the few French aircraft available went into action. Attacking bridges and columns of troops, they suffered losses so severe that their remaining operations for the day were cancelled.
In the afternoon all available Battles and Blenheims were despatched to the same target. This time BF109's were present and the losses were:
No. 12 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of five
No. 88 Squadron (Battle) - lost one out of ten
No. 103 Squadron (Battle) - lost three out of eight
No. 105 Squadron (Battle) - lost six out of eleven
No. 114 Squadron (Blenheim) - lost one out of two
No. 139 Squadron (Blenheim) - lost four out of six
No. 142 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of eight
No. 150 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of four
No. 218 Squadron (Battle) - lost ten out of eleven
No. 226 Squadron (Battle) - lost three out of six
In all, from the seventy-one bombers which took off, forty did not return. No higher rate of loss in an operation of comparable size has even been experienced by the Royal Air Force.
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: K9343, MQ-?
Operation: Sedan
Lost: 14/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Victor H. Moseley, RAF 580085, 226 Sqdn., age 26, 14/05/1940, Choloy War Cemetery, F
Sergeant Stanley D. Hibberd, RAF 564714, 226 Sqdn., age 26, 14/05/1940, missing
Corporal Herbert F. Little, RAF 530918, 226 Sqdn., age 27, 14/05/1940, missing
Airborne 1525 from Reims/Champagne to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Crashed at les Grandes Armoises (Ardennes) 19 km SSW of Sedan, France. Sgt Hibbert and Cpl Little are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: K9383, MQ-?
Operation: Sedan
Lost: 14/05/1940
Sgt E.E. Hopkins
Sgt J. Callaghan
AC1 D. Barber
Airborne from Reims/Champage to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Badly shot about but returned to base safely. Burnt 20May40 when the Squadron withdrew. Sgt Callaghan died on 13/06/1940.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: L5438, MQ-?
Operation: Sedan
Lost: 14/05/1940
Flight Sergeant (Pilot) William A. Dunn, RAF 563086, 226 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/05/1940, Choloy War Cemetery, F
Sergeant (Obs.) Arthur F. Sedgwick, RAF 523566, 226 Sqdn., age 31, 14/05/1940, Choloy War Cemetery, F
Aircraftman 2nd Class (W. Op. Air) Michael B. Millar, RAF 616790, 226 Sqdn., age 24, 14/05/1940, Choloy War Cemetery, F
Airborne 1525 from Reims/Champagne to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Crashed in allied territory.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: P2267, MQ-?
Operation: Sedan
Lost: 14/05/1940
S/L C.E.S. Lockett PoW
Sergeant Frederick J. Percival, RAF 562846, 226 Sqdn., age 27, 14/05/1940, missing
Corporal Robert S. Clark, RAF 537378, 226 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/05/1940, missing
Airborne 1525 from Reims/Champagne to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. The two missing airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. S/L C.E.S.Lockett was interned in Camps 9AH/L1/04C, PoW No.409.
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16/05/1940: ground
Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: K9180, MQ-?
Operation: -
Lost: 16/05/1940
One of four battle damaged Battles destroyed on the ground at Reims/Champagne prior to the withdrawal of the Sqdn to Faux-Villecerf.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: P2180, MQ-?
Operation: -
Lost: 16/05/1940
One of four battle damaged Battles destroyed on the ground at Reims/Champagne prior to the withdrawal of the Sqdn to Faux-Villecerf.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: P2255, MQ-?
Operation: -
Lost: 16/05/1940
One of four battle damaged Battles destroyed on the ground at Reims/Champagne prior to the withdrawal of the Sqdn to Faux-Villecerf.
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Type: Fairy Battle 1
Serial number: K9330, MQ-?
Operation: -
Lost: 16/05/1940
One of four battle damaged Battles destroyed on the ground at Reims/Champagne prior to the withdrawal of the Sqdn to Faux-Villecerf.
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20-21/05/1940: Battle Area, F (or 21-22/05/1940)
Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: K9176, MQ-?
Operation: Battle Area
Lost: 21 or 22/05/1940
Sgt R.S. Annan PoW
Sergeant Alexander Livingston, RAF 562187, 226 Sqdn., age 29, 22/05/1940, missing
AC2 R.J. Jones PoW
Airborne from Faux-Villecerf. Shot down and crashed Montcornet. Sgt R.S.Annan was interned in Camps 8B/L1/L6/357. PoW No.13101. AC2 R.J.Jones in Camps 8B/L1, PoW No.13105.
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31/05/1940: ?
Corporal Gordon W.E. Jacobs, RAF 519291, 226 Sqdn., age 24, 31/05/1940, Norwich (the Rosary) Cemetery, UK
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11/06/1940: Vernon, F
Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: K9176, MQ-?
Operation: Battle Area
Lost: 21 or 22/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Gerald P. McLoughlin, RAF 580205, 226 Sqdn., age 19, 11/06/1940, St. Pierre-D'Autils Communal Cemetery, F
Sergeant (Obs.) Ernest Marrows, RAF 522870, 226 Sqdn., age unknown, 11/06/1940, St. Pierre-D'Autils Communal Cemetery, F
Flight Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Jack A. Russell, RAF , 226 Sqdn., age unknown, 11/06/1940, St. Pierre-D'Autils Communal Cemetery, F
Airborne from Artins. Crashed at St-Pierre-d_Autile (Eure), 3 km NW of Vernon, France.
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13/06/1940: Battle Area, F
Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: P2161, MQ-?
Operation: Battle Area
Lost: 13/06/1940
Sgt E.E. Hopkins
Sergeant (Obs.) James B. Callaghan, RAF 565694, 226 Sqdn., age 25, 13/06/1940, La Chapelle-Moutils Communal Cemetery, F
Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Leslie Turner, RAFVR 751657, 226 Sqdn., age 21, 13/06/1940, . La Chapelle-Moutils Communal Cemetery, F
Airborne from Artins. Shot down in the battle area near la Chapelle- Moutils (Seine et Marne), 30 km NNW of Provins, France.
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14/06/1940: Battle Area, F
Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: ?, MQ-N
Operation: Battle Area
Lost: 14/06/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) Kenneth N. Rea, RAF 40260 (NZ), 226 Sqdn., age 27, 14/06/1940, Breux-sur-Avre Communal Cemetery.
Sergeant Frank Nixon, RAF 580437, 226 Sqdn., age 21, 14/06/1940, missing
Fate and name of the other possible crew member unknown - or if there was a third crew member (sometimes Battles were flown by a crew of two men).
Serial number not recorded. Airborne from Artins. Crashed at Breux-sur-Avre (Eure), 15 km SE of Breteuil, France.
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15/06/1940: German bombing of Souge airfield, F
All airfield light and heavy anti aircraft guns left Souge during the day leaving the airfield and 12, 103 and 226 Squadrons to be defended by a few Lewis machine guns. Most of the ground staff had departed with surplus spares and equipment and remaining the ground staff tried to make some aircraft serviceable by stripping parts from other damaged machines.
At 07:00 a German reconnaissance aircraft circled the base out of range of the Lewis gunners much to their annoyance and, with the possibility of further raids, Wing Commander Dickens sought permission to move to an alternative site or withdraw. At 10:00 three Battles from 103 Sqdn. were despatched to carry out a reconnaissance of the area and look for an alternative and secure base. All returned and reported that there seemed to be no immediate danger and the airfield looked unoccupied from the air. Orders were received from 76 Wing to destroy all remaining stores, equipment and damaged aircraft pending withdrawal to Britain and these instructions were carried out and the petrol dump set on fire. At 12:00, 20 Battles from the three squadrons were considered flyable, although many were rather the worse for wear and the crews were instructed to fly these back to the England. Most of the Battles had left when the airfield was subjected to another raid by 9 Dornier 17 bombers.
There were 9 casualties from 12, 103 and 226 Squadron personnel. Bombs fell all over the airfield destroying more of the Battles and, without any opposition, the Dorniers were able to circle the airfield machine gunning everything in sight.
Wing Commander Dickens ordered the rear parties from 12 and 226 Squadrons to leave and he then made a final inspection of the airfield with Squadron Leader Tait during which another attack was made on the airfield.
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16/08/1940
Sub-Lieutenant (A) Henry L. Greenshields, RNVR 16/08/1940, H.M.S. Daedalus, serving with 266 Sqdn., RAF, age 22, 16/08/1940, Calais Southern Cemetery, F
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Sources
Air Force POWs 1939-1945
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fairey Battle
Lost Bombers
Milestones - Sedan area - 14 th May 1940
Obituary Air Commodore Barry Barrett, Times, 24/12/2007
Royal Air Force - 226 Squadron
RAF - Campaign Diary - The Battle of France (May-June 1940)
RAF History - Bomber Command
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
War over Holland
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Books
Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
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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 226 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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