86 SQUADRON - Bomber/Fighter, Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV
History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks
'The Squadron formed at Gosport on 6 December 1940 in the coastal fighter role equipped with Blenheim IVs.' - which makes one wonder how Sergeant Ernest W.J. Chapman could be a member of no. 86 Squadron - he was killed on 29/05/1940 and is buried in France.
Anyhow, following training the squadron moved to Wattisham in March 1941 and began convoy escort patrols off the East Anglian coast, with a move to North Coates coming in May. Beauforts replaced the Blenheims from June 1941 with the squadron being fully equipped with the new type by July. These were used for minelaying, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue patrols, but in October the squadron undertook torpedo training and began anti-shipping operations on 11 November. In 1942 the squadron moved around the coast , to St Eval in January, Wick in March and Thorney Island in July, where it was reduced to cadre on 26 August.
Squadron Code: BX
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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.
29/05/1940: ?, France
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29/05/1940: ?, France
Sergeant (Obs.) Ernest W.J. Chapman, RAF 580408, 86 Sqdn., age 23, 29/05/1940, Choloy War Cemetery, F
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Sources
Air of Authority - 86 Squadron
Bail-outs for 1940
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
War over Holland
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Books
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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 86 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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