Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 235 Squadron
01/01/1940 - 30/06/1940

235 SQUADRON - Bomber, Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Coastal Command

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



On 30 October 1939, No 235 reformed at Manston as a fighter squadron and received Battles for training purposes in December. In February 1940, it equipped with Blenheims and was transferred from Fighter to Coastal Command on 27 February 1940 for fighter-reconnaissance duties.

When the German invasion of the Low Countries began in May 1940, the squadron flew patrols over Holland and during the Battle of Britain was engaged in convoy protection and reconnaissance missions over the North Sea.

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Operations and losses 01/01/1940 - 18/07/1940 (incomplete)
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.

08/05/1940: Training, UK. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA
09/05/1940: Training, UK. 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA
10/05/1940: Reconnaissance, NL. 1 Plane lost
12/05/1940: Escort Duties, NL. 2 Planes lost, 5 KIA, 1 POW
18/05/1940: Shipping protection Oostende, B. 1 Plane lost, 3 MIA
20/05/1940: Escort. 1 Plane lost
24/05/1940: Escort. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA, 1 MIA
26/05/1940: Reconnaissance. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
29/05/1940: Patrol. 4 Planes lost, 5 KIA, 3 MIA, 1 DOI
16/06/1940: (-) 1 died of pneunomia
27/06/1940: Search & Rescue, North Sea
27/06/1940: Patrol, Netherlands. 4 Planes lost, 9 KIA, 2 DOW, 1 POW
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18/07/1940: Convoy Patrol. 1 Plane lost, 3 MIA

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08/05/1940: Training, UK

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: P4844, LA-A
Operation: Training
Lost: 08/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Victor Allison, RAF 519436, 235 Sqdn., age 23, 08/05/1940, Boyndie (St. Brandan) Old Churchyard, UK
Sergeant (Nav./Obs.) Eric O.F. Schmid, RAFVR 746761, 235 Sqdn., age 27, 08/05/1940, Great Bircham (St. Mary) Churchyard, UK
Leading Aircraftman (W. Op./Air Gnr.) Victor C.E. Neirynck, RAF 645692, 235 Sqdn., age 19, 08/05/1940, Southend-on-Sea (North Road) Cemetery, UK
Took off from Bircham Newton. Lost height at night and dived into the ground about 2 miles from the aerodrome just after midnight.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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09/05/1940: Training, UK

Type: Bristol Blenheim I
Serial number: K7136, LA-?
Operation: Training
Lost: 09/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Walter F. Smith, RAF 41958, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 09/05/1940, Hartlebury (St. Mary) Churchyard, UK
Took off from Bircham Newton at 23.00 hrs. for solo flying practice and suffered an engine failure, swung, stalled and crashed.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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10/05/1940: Reconnaissance, NL

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: N6193, LA-N
Operation: Reconnaissance
Lost: 10/05/1940
P/O R.L. Patterson, RAF 77529
Lt. Ogilvie (RN)
LAC A.G. Smith, RAF 552170
Took off 19.30 hrs Bircham Newton. Night recoinnassance sortie to the coast of the Netherlands from Texel to the German isle of Borkum.
Ross McNeill: 'The accident was attributed to the pilot being short of stature, encumbered by his Mae West [life jacket], being unable to operate the fuel cocks resulting in an engine failure. P/O Patterson believed that there was insufficient fuel in the tank of the live engine to remain airborne while he manually pumped down the undercarriage and flaps, so he belly landed at 22.30 hrs, the aircraft catching fire in the crash after the undercarriage collapsed.' The crew was unharmed.

Source: Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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12/05/1940: Escort Duties, NL

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9189, LA-0
Operation: Escort duties
Lost: 12/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Norman A. Savill, PoW
Sergeant (Obs.) Henry R. Sunderland, RAFVR 755141, 235 Sqdn., age 23, 12/05/1940, Oostvoorne Protestant Cemetery, NL
Leading Aircraftman (W. Op./Air Gnr.) Roy H. Tyler, RAF 552475, 235 Sqdn., age 19, 12/05/1940, Oostvoorne Protestant Cemetery, NL
This plane took off at 05.00 hrs from Manston in company with other aircraft of the squadron to cover troop landings at The Hague and was attacked by eight Me109s of II/JG27 at 07:55 hrs. Both the observer and the air gunner were killed in the attack and P/O Norman A. Savill ('Norm') baled out of the burning aircraft at low altitude. On landing on farmland along the Kloosterweg between Brielle and Oostvoome, P/O Savill was captured by Dutch soldiers who were convinced that he was German and made preparations to shoot him. Despite being badly wounded and covered in bums he managed to convince them that he was an RAF officer and was taken to Vlaardingen hospital. He spent the war in German captivity.

In August 1967 parts of Blenheim L9189 were recovered (recovery RNLAF-29(27)) at Rozenburg.

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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9324, LA-P
Operation: Escort duties, NL
Lost: 12/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (U/T Air Gnr.) Thomas J. Lowry, RAF, 553205, 235 Sqdn., age 17, 12/05/1940, Hook of Holland General Cemetery, NL
Sergeant (Obs) John C. Robertson, RAFVR, 749443, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 12/05/1940, Hook of Holland General Cemetery, NL
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Norman A.L. Smith, RAF, 40950, 235 Sqdn., age 25, 12/05/1940, The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, NL
Took off from RAF Manston at 05.00 hrs on Escort duties to cover troop landings at the Hague and was attacked by Me109s of H/JG26 at 0755. The aircraft was last seen with its starboard engine on fire and crashed into a small field in the Nieuwlander Polder near Hoek van Holland.

Sources: CWGC, War over Holland, Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003


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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9395, LA-?
Operation: Shipping protection Ostende
Lost: 18/05/1940
Pilot Officer Curran S. Robinson, RAF 41470 (Canada), 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 18/05/1940, missing
Sergeant Donald V. Moseley, RAFVR 755471, 235 Sqdn., age 22, 18/05/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Albert E. Waddington, RAF 638743, 235 Sqdn., age 21, 18/05/1940, missing
Shot down by S/Lt Jacquemet, Adj Marchais, and Sgt Dietrich of GC II/8, French Air Force, and crashed in the sea off Nieuport 7.10 p.m.
Adj Henri Mir of GC II/8 who recognised the aircraft as a Blenheim tried to alert attacking pilots who took it for an He111. Some accounts suggest that it was also attacked by an RAF Hurricane but no corresponding claim has been traced.

Source: CWGC, Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003


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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9256, LA-?
Operation: Escort
Lost: 20/05/1940
Sgt Bessey
Sgt Westcott
LAC A.G. Smith, RAF 552170
Took off 17.25 hrs from Bircham Newton. Engine failed on take-off and the plane hit Anson N9897 from 206 Squadron, killing AC1 L.G. Curry. The crew of Blenheim L9256 escaped unharmed

Source: Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003


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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9259, LA-?
Operation: Escort
Lost: 24/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Michael E. Ryan, RAF 42154, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 24/05/1940, Schiermonnikoog (Vredenhof) Cemetery, NL
Sergeant (Obs.) William Martin, RAFVR 748313, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 24/05/1940, Schiermonnikoog (Vredenhof) Cemetery, NL
Leading Aircraftman Albert G. Smith, RAF 552170, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 24/05/1940, missing
Took off 04.15 hrs from Bircham Newton to escort Hudsons of 206 Sqdn from Borkum to the mouth of the Ems. P/O Ryan lagged behind the leader and was attacked by two Me 109's and was shot down by Oblt Emmerich of II(J)/186 at 08.30 hrs. the Blenheim was seen to disappear into the sea off Schiermonnikoog by the air gunner of a Hudson.

Source: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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26/05/1940: Reconnaisance

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: P6956, LA-?
Operation: Reconnaissance
Lost: 24/05/1940
P/O C.D. Warde - safe
Pilot Officer Alfred H. Murphy, RAF 78255, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 26/05/1940, Great Bircham (St. Mary) Churchyard, UK
Leading Aircraftman (W.Op.) Ernest P. Armstrong, RAF 573130, 235 Sqdn., age 18, 26/05/1940, Stockton-on-Tees (Durham Road) Cemetery, UK
Took off at 17.10 hrs from Bircham Newton for a reconnaissance of Zeebrugge area. Spun into ground out of cloud near Docking, Norfolk, at 17.15 hrs. The pilot P/O Warde abandoned by parachute.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003


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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9401, LA-?
Operation: Patrol
Lost: 29/05/1940
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) George A.P. Manwaring, RAF 39156, 235 Sqdn., age 25, 29/05/1940, Sage War Cemetery, D
Sergeant (Obs.) Ian MacPhail, RAF 581156, 235 Sqdn., age 24, 29/05/1940, Ramsgate and St Lawrence Cemetery, UK
Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) David B. Murphy, RAF 629645, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 29/05/1940, Sage War Cemetery, D
Took off 11.31 hrs from Detling. Lost in action.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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16/06/1940: -

Aircraftman 2nd Class Leonard J. Rushton, RAFVR 968743, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 16/06/1940, Heath Town (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, UK
Died on active service (natural causes or non-flying accident). He had pneumonia and died at Halton Hospital.

Sources: CWGC, Roll of Honour Flight 8-8-1940 page 117, Chris Goss.

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27/06/1940: Search & Rescue, North Sea

On the night of 26/27 June 1940, Wing Commander Norman D Crockert commanded an element of 50 Squadron on a mission to bomb Langenhagen airfield near Hanover. His crew consisted of F/S William Southey, Sgt Allan Ingram and Sgt Eric Turner. The crew took off from their base Waddington at 22.15 in Hampden P1239.

They reach and bomb their target and then turn around for the trip back home. On the way back they are hit in one engine by a flak battery of 3./614. The plane is damaged but W/C Crockart tries to fly the plane home. At 03.00 a radio signal is received at the base at Waddington; "Flying on one engine". Then at 03.59 another signal; "Going down 15 miles from Dutch coast".

The next day [27/06/1940] 6 Blenheims of 235 Squadron search a 20 x 20 miles square at 52.40N, 04.20 for survivors. No one was found.

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27/06/1940: Patrol, Netherlands

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L9447, LA-Y
Operation: Patrol
Lost: 27/06/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) John R. Cronan, RAF 42109 (NZ), 235 Sqdn., age 21, 27/06/1940, Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, NL
Sgt A.O. Lancaster, 755199 - POW
Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Philip L. Lloyd, RAF , 235 Sqdn., age 19, 27/06/1940, Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, NL
Took off 12.55 hrs from Bircham Newton, tasked with a patrol of the IJsselmeer. The flight made landfall near Noordwijk and turnmed towards Amsterdam. Just south of Schiphol they were attacked at 15.00 hrs by a large number of Me 109's which had just taken off from Soesterberg on an interception.

The Blenheim was hit by either Uffz W. Schilling of 3./JG21 or Oblt R. von Aspern, Staffelkapitän of 2./JG76, the burst of machine-gun fire mortally wounding Sgt Lloyd and hitting P/O Cronan in the shoulder. Sgt Lancaster was wounded in the left leg and saw the pilot slump over the controls unconscious and reached over to remove him from the seat. As he was being moved P/O Cronan recovered and tried to take control of the aircraft again but found that the controls had been shot away. P/O Cronan ordered to bale out.

Sgt Lancaster baled out, was tended by a doctor and a nurse before being taken prisoner of war. When baling out himself P/O Cronan hit the tail of the aircraft with the side of his face and failed to open his parachute. Sgt Lloyd was found with severe burns and died shortly afterwards.

The Blenheim crashed at the Hoogen Dijk, Waverveen near Vinkeveen.
See the Cenotaph Database for a picture of P/O Cronan.

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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: L35434, LA-U
Operation: Patrol
Lost: 27/06/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Alan R. Wales, RAF 41968, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 27/06/1940, Oegstgeest Protestant Churchyard, NL
Sergeant (Obs) John W. Needham, RAFVR 742691, 235 Sqdn., age 25, 27/06/1940, Oegstgeest Protestant Churchyard, NL
Sergeant (W. Op.) Thomas C. Jordan, RAF 629644, 235 Sqdn., age 18, 27/06/1940, Oegstgeest Protestant Churchyard, NL
Took off 12.55 hrs from Bircham Newton, tasked with a patrol of the IJsselmeer. The flight made landfall near Noordwijk and turnmed towards Amsterdam. Just south of Schiphol they were attacked at 15.00 hrs by a large number of Me 109's which had just taken off from Soesterberg on an interception.

L35434 was shot down at 15.30 hrs by Lt J. Schypek of 2./JG 76 and tried to make a forced landing. It ploughed through a meadow and came to rest against the embankment of a ditch in a field along the Valkenburgerweg at Oegstgeest close to the community of Rijnsburg.

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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: P6957, LA-R
Operation: Patrol
Lost: 27/06/1940
Took off 12.55 hrs from Bircham Newton, tasked with a patrol of the IJsselmeer.
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Peter Weil, RAF 41971, 235 Sqdn., age 20, 27/06/1940, Becklingen War Cemetery, GermanySergeant (U/T. Obs.) Sidney K. Bartlett, RAFVR 755198, 235 Sqdn., age 28, 27/06/1940, The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, NL
Sergeant (W. Op/Air Gnr.) Alan Kempster, RAFVR 627208, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 27/06/1940, Jonkerbos War Cemetery, NL

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Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: P6958, LA-D
Operation: Search & Rescue, North Sea
Lost: 27/06/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Hugh S. Pardoe-Williams, RAF 41974, 235 Sqdn., age 23, 27/06/1940, Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, NL
Sergeant (Obs.) Clifford W. Thorley, RAFVR 751531, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 27/06/1940, Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, NL
Pilot Officer (Air Gnr.) Edward A. Saunders, RAFVR 77342, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 27/06/1940, Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, NL

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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18/07/1940: Convoy Patrol

Type: Bristol Blenheim IV
Serial number: N3541, LA-?
Operation: convoy patrol (North Sea?)
Lost: 18/07/1940
Pilot Officer Robert L. Patterson, RAFVR 77529, 235 Sqdn., age 26, 18/07/1940, missing
Sergeant Ronald Y. Tucker, RAF 552711, 235 Sqdn., age 18, 18/07/1940, missing
Sergeant Lawrence H.M. Reece, RAFVR 747825, 235 Sqdn., age unknown, 18/07/1940, missing
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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Sources

Air of Authority - 235 Squadron
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ross McNeill, Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 volume 1, Midland Publishing, 2003 (ISBN: 1857801288)
Royal Air Force - 235 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
Uboat.net - RAF Coastal Command
War over Holland

Books

Christi Goulter, 'A Forgotten Offensive: Royal Air Force Coastal Command's Anti-Shipping Campaign 1940-1945', Routledge, 1995
Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003

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
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
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
RAF WWII 38 Group Squadrons Reunited
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
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 235 Squadron.

With special thanks to Henk Welting

© 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