No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight RAF

Last updated

No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight RAF
Active1 October 1940 – 11 January 1941
RoleEarly warning reconnaissance
Garrison/HQ RAF Hawkinge
Equipment Supermarine Spitfire IIa
Battle honours Battle of Britain

No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight was a specialist RAF fighter flight created on 21 September 1940 to patrol the Channel and provide early warning of the types of incoming Luftwaffe raids from occupied France. It was later expanded to full squadron strength and renumbered as No. 91 Squadron on 11 January 1941. Its role led to its pilots being nicknamed "Jim Crows". [1]

Contents

Background

In late September 1940, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding was faced with two problems. The first was a change in Luftwaffe tactics. Until then the main daylight striking force had been the German bombers, heavily escorted by fighters. With the shift in phases in the Battle of Britain, the bombers had concentrated first on Channel convoys, then the 11 Group airfields, and finally London. Göring's aim had been to wear down the RAF fighters, but instead he saw an unacceptable level of his bombers lost. Whilst fighter-bombers, known to the Luftwaffe as Jabos, had been tried by Luftwaffe units such as Erprobungsgruppe 210 during the Battle, these had mainly been small and low-altitude efforts. [2] Now the bombers switched mainly to night attacks, and the day operations more often consisted of high-flying Bf 109 sweeps and large numbers of Bf 109 Jabos with escorts. This was intended both to force the RAF fighters to engage the Luftwaffe fighters and also keep the pressure on the RAF. The Jabos could always jettison their bombs and revert to being fighters if intercepted. The Jabos were not much of a tactical threat in that - apart from specialists like Erpro. 210 - they were highly inaccurate when dropping their bombs, but against area targets such as London they could still cause significant damage and civilian deaths. It was impossible for the Fighter Command Controllers to identify which incoming raids were fighter sweeps (which posed no threat to Britain and were to be avoided), which were the escorted Jabo raids, and which were escorted bombers, the last two requiring different tactics to minimise RAF losses and maximise those of the Luftwaffe. [3]

Dowding's second problem was how to hide the information the RAF was gleaning from Ultra, the information from interception of German transmissions encoded with the Enigma machine. Ultra had given the RAF advance warning of some major Luftwaffe raids, and the general radio interceptions from the Y-stations had also provided clues. It was also providing information on German shipping in the Channel. Dowding did not want the Germans becoming suspicious of how well prepared the British were getting.

Dowding's solution was to create a special unit of experienced pilots to patrol the Channel during daylight hours, alone or in pairs, identifying which incoming raids were Jabos and which were fighter sweeps, and also provide information on German naval activity. The activities of this unit would also provide for the Germans a believable source for the RAF's preparedness, protecting Ultra. This unit was called No. 421 Flight. [4]

Formation

One of the first pilots assigned to 421 Flight was Pilot Officer James O'Meara. P/O O'Meara had just received the DFC for his service with No. 72 Squadron and was posted to Hawkinge on 28 September 1940 to start training and organising the pilots being sent to form 421 Flight. On 1 October 1940 the Flight was officially raised with six Spitfire IIa's from No. 66 Squadron. F/Lt Charles "Paddy" Green was posted as the commanding officer. [5]

Pilots

The following pilots are known to have served with 421 Flight (ranks as in 1940):

Of the pilots listed above, at least eight already were or later became fighter aces, a reflection of the average level of experience and ability and why the Flight (and later No. 91 Squadron) had a reputation as a "crack" unit:

Equipment

The Flight was originally formed with six Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa's and some Hawker Hurricane Mk. I's. 421 Flight is supposed to have received the first Hurricane IIa's received by a frontline unit on 12 October 1940, though 111Sq had Hurricane IIa's for trials in September 1940 (P/O Macinski of 111Sq was killed on 4 September 1940 at 1340hrs when he baled out of Hurricane IIa Z2309 over the Channel after combat with Bf 109's). On 9 November 1940 nine new Spitfire IIa's were issued to 421 Flight and the Hurricanes went to other squadrons.

Squadron Codes

Bases

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Britain</span> Crucial WWII air battle fought between German and British air forces

The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The British officially recognise the battle's duration as being from 10 July until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941. German historians do not follow this subdivision and regard the battle as a single campaign lasting from July 1940 to May 1941, including the Blitz.

<i>Battle of Britain</i> (film) 1969 WWII film by Guy Hamilton

Battle of Britain is a 1969 British war film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film documents the events of the Battle of Britain. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Laurence Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Trevor Howard as Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, and Patrick Wymark as Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, and Robert Shaw as Squadron Leaders. The script by James Kennaway and Wilfred Greatorex was based on the book The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood and Derek Dempster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 303 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 303 Squadron RAF, also known as the 303rd "Tadeusz Kościuszko Warsaw" Fighter Squadron, was one of two Polish squadrons that fought during the Battle of Britain along with No. 302 Squadron, of 16 total Polish squadrons during the Second World War. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, the squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain, even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 603 Squadron RAF</span> Force Protection squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force

No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. On reforming on 1 October 1999, the primary role of 603 Squadron was as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing force protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James O'Meara</span> British flying ace

James Joseph "Orange" O'Meara, was a Royal Air Force officer and fighter pilot of the Second World War. He became a flying ace during the Battle of Britain while flying the Supermarine Spitfire, and by war's end was credited with 11 kills, two shared victories, one unconfirmed destroyed, four probables, 11 damaged and one shared damaged.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm had included personnel from outside the United Kingdom from before the beginning of the Second World War, and many served in the Battle of Britain in summer 1940. Many of these volunteers were British subjects—thus, citizens—coming from territories that made up part of the British Empire. Additionally, a significant part was made up of refugees and exiles from German-occupied Europe and American emigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Hawkinge</span> Former Royal Air Force station

Royal Air Force Hawkinge or more simply RAF Hawkinge is a former Royal Air Force station located 13.23 miles (21.29 km) east of Ashford, 2.2 miles (3.5 km) north of Folkestone, Kent and 7.1 miles (11.4 km) west of Dover, Kent, England. The airfield was used by both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force during its lifetime and was involved during the Battle of Britain, as well as other important aerial battles during the Second World War and the early stages of aerial usage in war in the First World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Kingaby</span>

Donald Ernest Kingaby, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) aviator and flying ace of the Second World War. He was the only person to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Lympne</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Kent, England

Royal Air Force Lympne or more simply RAF Lympne is a former Royal Air Force satellite station in Kent used during the First and Second World Wars. It was opened in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a "First Class Landing Ground". In 1919, the airfield was turned over to civil use as Lympne Airport, serving until 1939 when it was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm as HMS Buzzard, later being renamed HMS Daedalus II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 601 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

Number 601 Squadron is a squadron of the RAF Reserves, based in London. The squadron took part in the Battle of Britain, during which the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of the squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 238 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 238 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight (LTF) squadron based at RAF Cosford, albeit in a non-flying capacity. It is among those officially acknowledged Battle of Britain squadrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">401 Tactical Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

No. 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron, a.k.a. "City of Westmount" Squadron, is a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron based at CFB Cold Lake. During World War II it was a fighter squadron and is notable for having fought in the Battle of Britain. Postwar, the squadron operated in Canada as an auxiliary squadron, reserve squadron and a helicopter and training squadron. In 2015 it was reactivated as a tactical fighter squadron.

Keith Ashley Lawrence was a New Zealand-born British Royal Air Force Officer, who was one of the last surviving members of "The Few".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Gleed</span> Royal Air Force officer

Wing Commander Ian Richard Gleed, nicknamed "Widge," was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and flying ace credited with the destruction of 13 enemy aircraft during the Second World War. He served in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain before being shot down and killed over Tunisia. Gleed published a fictionalized memoir, Arise to Conquer, in 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Patrick Green</span> British bobsledder and World War II flying ace

Charles Patrick Green was a South African-born British Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot during World War II who was credited with eleven confirmed kills and another three probable. Most of these were during night missions, including seven over a period of three nights in June 1943, actions for which he received numerous awards. Green was also a member of the British bobsleigh team in the mid-1930s, winning several medals including World Cup gold and Olympic bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Eckford</span> British flying ace of the Second World War

Alan Francis Eckford was a British flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with at least eight aerial victories.

References

  1. ↑ "8 Things You Need To Know About The Battle Of Britain". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Tide turns in the Battle of Britain". HISTORY. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Tide turns in the Battle of Britain". HISTORY. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Grattan R.F. (2005). "Strategy in the Battle of Britain and strategic management theory". Emerald Group Publishing Limited. pp. 1432–1441.
  5. ↑ "Spitfire - Aircraft Details - Aviation Directory". www.worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - F/Lt. B Drake". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - F/Lt. C P Green". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - F/O D T Parrott". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Nick (30 July 2015). Sniper of the Skies: The Story of George Frederick 'Screwball' Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM. Pen and Sword. ISBN   978-1-78159-314-1.
  10. ↑ Docherty, Tom (19 July 2009). Swift to Battle: No 72 Fighter Squadron RAF in Action, 1937–1942: Phoney War, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Offensive Operations. Casemate Publishers. ISBN   978-1-78340-926-6.
  11. ↑ "Spitfire - Aircraft Details - Aviation Directory". www.worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Sergeant C A H AYLING (561445), Royal Air Force) [Royal Air Force WW2 Casualty ]". RAFCommands. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - Sgt. D A S McKay". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - Sgt. F S Perkin". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - Sgt. A W P Spears". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - Sgt. D H Forrest". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "Battle of Britain London Monument - Sgt. M A W Lee". www.bbm.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  18. ↑ Canada, Veterans Affairs (20 February 2019). "Page from book: - Books of Remembrance - Memorials - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada". www.veterans.gc.ca. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "Ancestors - Billy and the Fighter Boys". BBC Archive. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.