Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 65 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 31/05/1940

      home - latest update 17 January 2008


65 SQUADRON - Fighter, Supermarine Spitfire Mk I

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



In June 1937, it re-equipped with Gladiators, converting to Spitfires in March 1939. In June 1940, offensive patrols began to be flown over France and the Low Countries to cover the evacuation from Dunkirk, the squadron being moved to Lincolnshire to refit at the end of May. It returned south a week later and took part in the Battle of Britain until the end of August, when it moved to Scotland.

On 17th May it had been the first squadron to be sent out from Hornchurch on an offensive patrol, when twelve aircraft patrolled between Flushing and Ostend, culminating in the shooting down of a Junkers 88 by F/O Welford near Haamsteede. F/O Welford was killed on the 26th, being shot down by British anti-aircraft fire. On the same day P/O Hart was posted missing, but he later returned safely. During May the Squadron claimed 9 enemy aircraft destroyed (5 ME110's, 3 ME109's and 1 HS126) and 8 unconfirmed victories (5 ME109's, 2 ME110's and 1 JU88)

On 29th May the Squadron moved to Kirton-in-Lindsey for a few days gunnery practice, although the weather was unkind, and some practices were a wash-out. The squadron was back at Hornchurch on 5th June. More practices continued, no doubt one of them being 'Squadron Take-offs'. This consisted of forming up on the grass airfield and taking off in four groups with three aircraft in each group, in Vic formation. In this way the whole squadron became airborne almost simultaneously, something which could not be done on a hard runway.

Throughout the rest of June 65 Squadron's duties alternated between combat practice, mounting offensive patrols, and reconnaissance flights over Northern France. The first of these flights took place just after dawn on 18th June, when several airfields were checked, although German aircraft were only seen on one. Several such patrols were mounted, and the Operations Record at Hornchurch notes that if the Squadron continued its somewhat daring invasion of enemy airspace it was likely to be caught by them returning across the Channel.

The Luftwaffe activity in the Channel increased as it took over airfields in Northern France, and units of the RAF would be detailed to protect convoys moving through the Channel. At the same time, the RAF Defence system was being tried out, using the extensive Radar network which had been established around the Eastern and Southern coast. On the 11th June, for instance, 65 Squadron was ordered to investigate an 'X' ('of unknown derivation') raid , but it turned out to be Blenheim bombers returning from the continent.

Stations

Hornchurch 5 June 1940
Turnhouse 28 August 1940

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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 31/05/1940
Not all operations listed; those with losses are.

17/05/1940: offensive patrol, coast B and NL
26/05/1940, Dunkirk?, 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA
11/06/1940: interception
18/06/1940: reconnaisance, F
25/06/1940: ?, F


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17/05/1940: offensive patrol, coast B and NL

Twelve aircraft patrolled between Flushing (Vlissingen) and Ostend, culminating in the shooting down of a Junkers 88 by F/O Welford near Haamsteede.

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26/05/1940, Dunkirk?

Type: Spitfire Mk I
Serial number: ?, YT-?
Operation: Dunkirk?
Lost: 26/05/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) John H. Welford, RAF 39588, age unknown, 26/05/1940, Minster (Thanet) Cemetery, UK
Shot down by British anti-aircraft fire

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11/06/1940: interception

65 Squadron was ordered to investigate an 'X' ('of unknown derivation') raid , but it turned out to be Blenheim bombers returning from the continent.

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18/06/1940: reconnaisance, F

Several German airfields in Northern France were checked, although German aircraft were only seen on one.

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25/06/1940: ?, F

F/S W.H. Franklin, F/O K.G. Hart, P/O t. Smart, P/O Walkero and others are engaged in an arial combat over Abbeville, F. No. 65 Sqdn. claims three Me 109's destroyed.

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Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fighter Command Air Combat Claims 1939-1945
Royal Air Force - 65 Squadron
RAF Battle of Britain - 65 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

Sgt Pilot Harold Orchard RAF - BBC WW2 People's War
War over Holland

Books

Forrester 'Fly for your life: the story of Bob Stanford Tuck' (Cerebus 2002)
King 'A willingness to die: memories from Fighter Command' (2007)
Stokes 'Paddy Finucane: fighter ace' (Kimber 1983)
G Wellum 'First light' (Viking 2002)

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 65 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