41 SQUADRON - Fighter, Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
In January 1939, No 41 received its first Spitfires - an association that was, remarkably, to last for the whole of World War II.
Activity was light for the Squadron until May 1940 when it was used to provide fighter cover for the evacuation of Dunkirk and was part of No 13 Group during the Battle of Britain. In the following years, No 41 was employed on a variety of missions including convoy patrol, 'Rhubarb' interdiction flights and fighter interception.
After joining the Second Tactical Air Force in September 1944, the Squadron flew fighter sweeps over the continent, moving to Germany as part of the occupation forces in July 1945.
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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are. (incomplete)
May: no losses
01/06/1940: Dunkirk, F. 1 Plane lost, 1 MIA
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01/06/1940: Dunkirk, F
Type: Supermarine Spitfire Mk I
Serial number: ?, EB-?
Operation: Dunkirk, F
Lost:
Flying Officer William E. Legard, RAF 34045, 41 Sqdn., age 29, 01/06/1940, missing
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Sources
Bail-outs for 1940
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fighter Command Air Combat Claims 1939-1945
The Pilots of 41 Squadron
Royal Air Force - 41 Squadron
RAF Battle of Britain - 41 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
War over Holland
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Books
P Brown 'Honour restored'
T Graves 'Captain F R McCall DSO, MC & Bar, DFC' (SE5As) (MVR Pubs 1988)
T Graves 'Captain W G Claxon DSO, DFC & Bar' (SE5As) (MVR Pubs 1988)
Oxspring 'Spitfire Command' (Reprinted 2006)
Anthony Robinson 'RAF fighter squadrons in the Battle of Britain'
T Slack 'Happy is the day - a Spitfire pilots story' (United Writers 1987)
J Willis 'Churchills Few' (1940) (Paragon House 1987)
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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 Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
HMS Cavalier
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in
the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots
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)
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
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
Warbird Alley
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de
Bills-Bunker.de
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and
Leicestershire
The Aerodrome -
Aces and Aircraft of World War 1
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This page is dedicated to the men of 41 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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