43 SQUADRON - Fighter, Hawker Hurricane Mk I
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
Soon after the outbreak of World War Two, No 43 moved north for defensive duties, returning to Tangmere at the end of May 1940 for patrols over the Dunkirk beaches. After taking part in the first half of the Battle of Britain, the squadron was withdrawn to northern England to re-equip.
One of No. 43
Squadron members was Frank R. Carey. He joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice, but in 1935 he applied to become a pilot and joined No 43 Squadron as a Sgt Pilot. He scored his first victory in January 1940 and in April joined No 3 Squadron and sent to France. After crash landing south-east of Brussels he managed to make it back to the UK where he found himself listed as 'Missing, believed killed'.
He rejoined No 43 Squadron as a Flight Commander and added to his increasing tally of victories. In November 1940 he became an instructor and in August 1941 he formed and commanded No 135 Squadron, which was sent to the Far East in December. Arriving in Rangoon in January 1942 he scored a number of successes against the Japanese and given command of RAF Alipore. At the end of 1942 he was posted to India where he remained until returning to the UK in July 1945.
(Source: Aviation Collectables)
Stations
Tangmere 31 May 1940
Northolt (D) 23 July 1940 to 1 August 1940
Usworth 8 September 1940
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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are. (June still incomplete)
01/06/1940: Dunkirk? 1 plane lost, 1 MIA
07/06/1940: St. Valery, F. 2 Planes lost, 2 KIA
15/06/1940: ? 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA
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Fatalities 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (in progress)
Sergeant (Pilot) Edwin G.P. Mullinger, RAF 564751, 43 Sqdn., age 24, 18/01/1940, Chevington Cemetery, UK
Sergeant (Pilot) Henry J. Steeley, RAF 565952, 43 Sqdn., age 23, 18/01/1940, Kenilworth Cemetery, UK
See RAF Commands Forum: Hurricane L2066 43 Sqn RAF Acklington 1940
Flying Officer Patrick Folkes, RAF 39076, 43 Sqdn., age unknown, 16/04/1940, missing
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01/06/1940: ?
Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Serial number: ?, FT-?
Operation: Dunkirk?
Lost: 01/06/1940
Sergeant Terence A.H. Gough, RAFVR 740435, 43 Sqdn., age 21, 01/06/1940, missing
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07/06/1940: St. Valery, F
In 1940 St. Valery was at the centre of important battles when Commonwealth troops, notably the 51st (Highland) Division, made their last stand fighting alongside the 2nd French Cavalry Division. The 51st (Highland) Division was practically wiped out, most of its members being taken prisoner
Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Serial number: ?, FT-?
Operation: St. Valery, F
Lost: 07/06/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) John D. Edmonds, RAF 39971, 43 Sqdn., age 21, 07/06/1940, St. Valery-en-Caux Franco-British Cemetery, F
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Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Serial number: ?, FT-?
Operation: St. Valery, F
Lost: 07/06/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) William C. Wilkinson, RAF 40038, 43 Sqdn., age 26, 07/06/1940, Bailleul Neuville Churchyard, F
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15/06/1940: ?
Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Serial number: ?, FT-?
Operation: ?
Lost: 15/06/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Wilfred T. Pratt, RAF 565197, 43 Sqdn., age 26, 15/06/1940, Middlesbrough (Linthorpe) Cemetery, UK
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Sources
43 (Fighter) Squadron Association
Bail-Outs for 1940
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fighter Command Air Combat Claims 1939-1945
Royal Air Force - 43 Squadron
RAF Battle of Britain - 43 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
J Beedle '43 Squadron RFC, RAF: History of the Fighting Cocks 1916-66' (Beaumont 1966)
H Bolitho 'Combat Report' (Batsford 1943)
M C Cotton 'Hurricanes over Burma' (43 Sqn 1941) (1995)
Lord Douglas of Kirtleside 'Years of Combat' (2 vol autobiography of Sholto Douglas, formed 43 Squadron) (Collins 1963)
M Oakes 'Gloria Finis: 43(F) Squadron the first 75 years' (Tri-Service 1981)
B Pegg 'Sent flying' (1926) Macdonald 1959)
Andy Saunders 'No 43 Fighting Cocks Squadron' (Osprey ISBN 1-84176-439-6)
P.Townsend 'Duel of Eagles' (Corgi 1972)
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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
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in
the RAF 1940-1945
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 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 43 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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