Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 88 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

88 SQUADRON - Bomber, Fairey Battle

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



On the outbreak of war No. 88 Squadron went to France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, flying Fairey Battles. On 20th September 1939, during a reconnaissance patrol over the enemy's front lines, one of its Battles scored Britain's first air combat 'kill' of World War 2 when it shot down a Bf.109. (The person actually responsible for this 'kill' was Sergeant F Letchford, an air observer; he was flying in an aircraft piloted by Flying Officer LH Baker.)

The Battle squadrons were thrown in on 10 May 1940 to try to stop the advancing German ground forces. Without fighter escort, and attacking from a height of only 250 ft (76 m) with delayed-action bombs the Battles came under heavy ground fire, losing 13 of the 32 aircraft sent on the mission, while all the others were damaged. The next day seven out of eight were lost, and on 12 May five Battles of No.12 Squadron, flown by volunteer crews, attacked two vital road bridges over the Albert Canal. In the face of extremely heavy ground fire the attack was pressed home and one bridge seriously damaged, but at a cost of all five aircraft.

Further heavy losses came on 14 May, when 35 out of 63 Battles failed to return from attacks against bridges and troop concentrations. These losses marked the end of the Battle's career as a day bomber, and although a few remained in front-line service until late 1940 the survivors were mostly diverted to other duties.

No. 88 Squadron returned to England in June 1940 - after having seen some very heavy fighting and having suffered heavy losses.

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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

10/05/1940: Luxembourg
11/05/1940: Bouillon, B. 4 Planes lost, 5 KIA, 4 POW
14/05/1940: Sedan, F. 2 Planes lost, 3 KIA
17/05/1940: abondoned on airfield
23/05/1940: Battle Area, F. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA
26/05/1940: Battle Area, F. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA
29/05/1940: ?. F. 2 KIA or DOW
07/06/1940: ?, F. 1 KIA or DOW
11/06/1940: Battle Area, F. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
12/06/1940: St-Valery, F. 2 Planes lost, 2 KIA
13/06/1940: Forêt de Gault, F. 1 Plane lost

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Losses 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (incomplete)

Corporal George E.J. Misselbrook, RAF 565756, 88 Sqdn., age 25, 11/02/1940, Janval Cemetery, Dieppe, France

Sergeant (Pilot) Norman F.F. Giddings, RAF 564658, 88 Sqdn., age 26, 06/05/1940, Le Grand-Luce War Cemetery, France
Leading Aircraftman (W. Op. [Air]) Cyril J. Goddard, RAF 551885, 88 Sqdn., age 19, 06/05/1940, Le Grand-Luce War Cemetery, France

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10/05/1940: Luxembourg

Unknown number of Battles from 88 Sqdn. bombed German troops advancing through Luxembourg

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11/05/1940: Bouillon, B

In the afternoon, 8 Battles of Nos 88 and 218 Squadrons are despatched to attack German troops in Luxembourg. None make it to the intended target area as German fighters account for seven aircraft en-route and the eighth returns early.

Four No.88 Sqdn Battles were lost on this operation; the fourth aircraft not identified

Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: P2251, RH-D
Operation: Bouillon
Lost: 11/05/1940
F/L A.J.Madge PoW
Sergeant (Obs.) Edward J.M. Whittle, RAF 563211, 88 Sqdn., age 26, 11/05/1940, Juseret (Bercheux) New Communal Cemetery, B
Cpl A.C.Collyer PoW
Airborne 0945 from Mourmelon. Shot down by flak. Crashed between Vaux-sur-Sûre (Belgium) and Bercheux (Luxembourg), two small towns on the Bastogne to Neufchâteau road, Belgium. Cpl A.C.Collyer was interned in Camps 8B/L1, PoW No.13056. F/L A.J.Madge in Camps L1/L3, PoW No.631.

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Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: P2261, RH-?
Operation: Bouillon
Lost: 11/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Bruce I.M. Skidmore, RAF 40644, 88 Sqdn., age 20, 11/05/1940, Hotton War Cemetery, B
Sergeant (Obs.) Ronald A.P. Kirby, RAF 518693, 88 Sqdn., age 24, 11/05/1940, Hotton War Cemetery, B
Aircraftman 1st Class (W. Op./Air Gnr.) William L. Parsons, RAF 612745, 88 Sqdn., age unknown, 11/05/1940, Hotton War Cemetery, B
Airborne 0945 from Mourmelon. Shot down near St-Vith (Liège), Belgium.

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Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: P2202, RH-?
Operation: Bouillon
Lost: 11/05/1940
P/O A.W.Mungovan PoW
Sgt F. Robson PoW
Aircraftman 1st Class (W. Op./Air Gnr.) Eric W. Maltby, RAF 621178, 88 Sqdn., age 19, 11/05/1940, Hotton War Cemetery, B
Took off 09.45 hrs from Mourmelon. Shot down over St-Vith (Liège), Belgium, close to the German border. P/O A.W. Mungovan was interned in Camp O6B, PoW No.324. Sgt F. Robson in Camp L1, PoW No.722

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Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: ?, RH-?
Operation: Bouillon
Lost: 11/05/1940

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14/05/1940: Sedan, F

The French High Command called for a supreme effort at Sedan, where the ground forces massing for counter-attack had been rudely scattered. Arrangements were accordingly made for the whole strength of the Allied bombers in France to be hurled against the Sedan bridgehead in a series of waves, and soon after noon the few French aircraft available went into action. Attacking bridges and columns of troops, they suffered losses so severe that their remaining operations for the day were cancelled.

In the afternoon all available Battles and Blenheims were despatched to the same target. This time BF109's were present and the losses were:
No. 12 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of five
No. 88 Squadron (Battle) - lost one out of ten
No. 103 Squadron (Battle) - lost three out of eight
No. 105 Squadron (Battle) - lost six out of eleven
No. 114 Squadron (Blenheim) - lost one out of two
No. 139 Squadron (Blenheim) - lost four out of six
No. 142 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of eight
No. 150 Squadron (Battle) - lost four out of four
No. 218 Squadron (Battle) - lost ten out of eleven
No. 226 Squadron (Battle) - lost three out of six

In all, from the seventy-one bombers which took off, forty did not return. No higher rate of loss in an operation of comparable size has even been experienced by the Royal Air Force.

type: Fairey Battle 1
serial number: L5233, RH-?
operation: Sedan
lost: 14/05/1940 (-)
Airborne from Mourmelon to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Damaged during the attack and later abandoned when the Squadron withdrew to les Grandes Chappelles 16May40.

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type: Fairey Battle 1
serial number: L5581, RH-?
operation: Sedan
lost: 14/05/1940 (3 KIA)
Sergeant (Obs.) Frank E. Beames, RAF 522176, 88 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/05/1940, St. Menges Communal Cemetery, F
Leading Aircraftman (W. Op./Air Gnr.) John H.K. Gegg, 88 Sqdn., age 20, 14/05/1940, St. Menges Communal Cemetery, F
Sergeant (Pilot) William G. Ross, RAF 516232, 88 Sqdn., age 26, 14/05/1940, St. Menges Communal Cemetery, F
Airborne from Mourmelon to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Shot down at St-Menges (Ardennes) 4 km NNW of Sedan, France.

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17/05/1940: abondoned

Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: L5243, RH-?
Operation: -
Lost: 17/05/1940
Abandoned, probably at Mourmelon, as the survivors of 88 Squadron withdrew to Les Grandes Chappelles aerodrome.

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Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: L5334, RH-?
Operation: St-Valery
Lost: 12/06/1940
Flight Lieutenant Alan L. Pitfield, RAF 39007, 88 Sqdn., DFC, age 22, 12/06/1940, Beaurepaire Communal Cemetery, F
Sergeant (Obs.) John Ballantyne, RAF 580936, 88 Sqdn., DFC, age 23, 12/06/1940, Beaurepaire Communal Cemetery, F
Airborne 0830 from Moisy. Crashed near Beaurepaire (Oise), 38 km SE of Beauvais, France.
See Aircrew Remembrance Society: Battle 5334

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Type: Fairey Battle 1
Serial number: ?, RH-?
Operation: St-Valery
Lost: 12/06/1940
No record of the Serial Number of this aircraft. It was flown by P/O J.M.Talmon who force-landed and set fire to his aircraft.

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Sources

Air of Authority - 88 Squadron
Air Force POWs 1939-1945
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
Australian War Memorial
Bail-outs for 1940
Belgian Aviation History Association Archaeological Team
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fairey Battle
The London Gazette
Lost Bombers
Milestones - Sedan area - 14 th May 1940
Obituary Group Captain Dudley Honor
Pilotfriend.com - Fairey Battle
Prisoners of War captured in Europe 1940
Royal Air Force - 88 Squadron
RAF - Campaign Diary - The Battle of France (May-June 1940)
RAF History - Bomber Command
RAF Museum: British Military Aviation in 1940
RAF Order of Battle, France, 10th May 1940
The Royal Air Force, 1939-1945
War over Holland

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Books

W.R. Chorley, Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1, 1939/40, Midland Counties Publications, ISBN 0 904597 85 7
Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
J. Pelly-Fry 'Heavenly Days' (Crecy 1994)

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Links

Discussion Groups
Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
RAF Commands Forum

Other
Abbreviations used in the Royal Air Force
Code Names & RAF Vocabulary

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 Aircraft Directory
British Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
Canada's Air Force History
HMS Cavalier
Ciel de Gloire (in French) RAF Squadrons
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots
Dutch Pilots in RAF Squadrons
Eagles Squadrons (American pilots in the RAF)
Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939-1946
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)
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
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
RAF Upwood
De Slag om de Grebbeberg (Dutch)
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de

Aircraft crashes on the North Yorkshire Moors, England
Bills-Bunker.de
The Lancastershire Aircraft Investigation Team
Luftfahrt-Archäologie in Schleswig Holstein (in German)
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and Leicestershire

The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War 1
WW1 Cemeteries


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This page is dedicated to the men of 88 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