Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 81 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 15/06/1940

      home - latest update 17 January 2008


81 SQUADRON - Training, Tiger Moth

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



Reformed from the Communication Squadron at Mountjoie in France on 1st December 1939, it flew Tiger Moths until the German invasion necessitated its withdrawal back to Britain, where it disbanded on 15th June 1940. Just over a year later, it reformed at Leconfield on 29th July 1941 from 'A' Flight of 504 'County of Nottingham' Squadron, in the fighter role, equipped with Hurricanes. In September it moved to North Russia, flying its aircraft from HMS Argus, here it flew operations as well as training Russian pilots to operate the Hurricanes, which were then left with the Russians when the squadron returned to Turnhouse in November.


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

23/05/1940: mistake by CWGC


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23/05/1940: mistake by CWGC

P/O R.A. Sanders, who died on 23/05/1940, flew with 87 squadron.

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Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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

World War 2 Ex-RAF.co.uk - 81 Squadron

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Books

Golley 'Hurricanes over Murmansk' (1941) (Reprinted 2006)

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Links

Air Aces
Airwar over Denmark
Allied World War II Casualties in the Netherlands
Australian Wargraves
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
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
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de


The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War 1


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This page is dedicated to the men of 81 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