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No. 234 Squadron RAF
No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit (OTU), Tactical Weapon Unit (TWU) and part of No. 4 Flying Training School RAF until finally disbanded in 1994. History Formation and World War I No. 234 Squadron RAF was officially formed on 20 August 1918 at RNAS Tresco in the Scilly Isles from No. 350, 351, 352 and 353 Flights, which had been equipped with amongst others Felixstowe F.3, Felixstowe F3's and Curtiss H.12 aircraft since February 1917. The squadron used these to patrol the Western Approaches of the English Channel and gained two Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSCs, one Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom), DSM and a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, CGM in doing that. The unit flew its last World War I mission on 10 November 1918 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands within the British Isles. Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea. The total area of the United Kingdom is , with an estimated 2020 population of more than 67 million people. The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 170 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. Development began with the ''Type 142'', a civil airliner, in response to a challenge from Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The ''Type 142'' first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry, impressed by its performance, ordered a modified design as the ''Type 142M'' for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber. Deliveries of the newly named Blenheim to RAF squadrons commenced on 10 March 1937. In service the Type 142M became the Blenheim Mk.I which would be developed into the longer Type 149, designated the Blenheim Mk.IV, except in Canada where Fairchild Canada built the Type 149 under licence as the Bolingbroke. The Type 160 Bisley was also developed from the Blenheim, but was already o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Church Stanton
Royal Air Force Culmhead or more simply RAF Culmhead is a former Royal Air Force station, situated at Churchstanton on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset, England. It had three tarmac runways that are now in poor condition and the control towers are currently derelict. There is now an industrial estate – derived from the later Composite Signals Organisation Station (CSOS) – right in the middle of the place where the three runways meet. History Second World War RAF Culmhead was a typical three-runway fighter airfield, with blast pens built around the site along with ten blister hangars. It was used by fighters from RAF Exeter from June but officially opened on 1 August 1941. Ground defence was provided by the Somerset Light Infantry. Who used the airfield first and why is a mystery, the story is told by David Berryman: "''The first aircraft to land at the new airfield did so when it was unfinished, arriving early one morning. Its pilot approached Mr Long, a roller driver, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Skeabrae
Royal Air Force Skeabrae or more simply RAF Skeabrae is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station located in Orkney, Mainland, Orkney, Mainland, United Kingdom. History The following units were here at some point: ;Squadrons ;Units * Advanced Ship Recognition Flight RAF (January - February 1943) became No. 1476 (Advanced Ship Recognition) Flight RAF (February - June 1943 & June - January 1944) * No. 1491 (Fighter Gunnery) Flight RAF (November 1942 - August 1943) * 1841 Naval Air Squadron * No. 2714 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 2745 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 2766 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 2824 Squadron RAF Regiment ;Royal Navy Current use The site is currently open land. See also * List of former Royal Air Force stations References Citations Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Skeabrae, RAF Royal Air Force stations in Scotland Buildings and structures in Orkney Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom Military airbases establish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Sumburgh
Royal Air Force Sumburgh or more simply RAF Sumburgh is a former Royal Air Force satellite station that was located on the southern tip of the mainland island of the Shetland Islands, and was home to half of No. 404 Squadron RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force). At the outbreak of the Second World War the airstrip at the Sumburgh Links was taken over by the Air Ministry. By 1941 there were three operational runways at RAF Sumburgh from which a variety of RAF aircraft operated. History Sumburgh Links was surveyed and the grass strips laid out by Captain E. E. Fresson in 1936, and the airport was opened on 3 June of that year with the inaugural flight from Aberdeen (Kintore) by de Havilland Dragon Rapide G-ACPN piloted by Captain Fresson himself. It was also one of the first airfields to have RDF facilities, due to the frequency of low cloud and fog and the proximity of Sumburgh Head. The building of runways was at the instigation of Capt Fresson, who had proved to the Royal Navy a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Grimsetter
Kirkwall Airport is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located southeast of Kirkwall and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport is used by Loganair. History The airport was built and commissioned in 1940 as RAF Grimsetter for the defence of the Scapa Flow naval base. In 1943, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm took over, as RNAS Kirkwall then HMS Robin. Control passed in 1948 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and in 1986 to Highlands and Islands Airports. The following units were here at some point: Airlines and destinations Passenger ;Notes: * : Flights to London City operate via Dundee. * : Flights to Bergen operate on a Multi-Stop route: Inverness-Kirkwall-Sumburgh-Bergen. Cargo Statistics and traffic Annual traffic statistics Busiest routes Green energy Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water was well under way in late 2020 in Orkney, where clean energy sources (wind, waves, tides) were generating excess ele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland, Orkney, Mainland, has an area of , making it the List of islands of Scotland, sixth-largest Scottish island and the List of islands of the British Isles, tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney’s largest settlement, and also its administrative centre, is Kirkwall. Orkney is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland, council areas of Scotland, as well as a Orkney (Scottish Parliament constituency), constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area, and an counties of Scotland, historic county. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, one of only three councils in Scotland with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keith Lawrence (RAF Officer)
Keith Ashley Lawrence (25 November 1919 – 2 June 2016) was a New Zealand-born British Royal Air Force Officer, who was one of the last surviving members of "The Few". Early life Lawrence was born on 25 November 1919 in Waitara, New Zealand. He was educated at Southland Boys' High School between 1933 and 1936 and after leaving school worked for two years at the National Bank of New Zealand in Invercargill. In June 1938 he applied for a four-year short service commission and was provisionally accepted in November. On 1 February 1939 he sailed for the UK aboard the RMS Tainui with a large draft of other candidates. Royal Air Force Training Lawrence reported for training as a pupil pilot at 10 E & RFTS (Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School), Yatesbury run for the RAF by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. After successful ab initio training on de Havilland Tiger Moths, he was posted to No. 1 Depot, RAF Uxbridge to be commissioned into the RAF, and on 31 May was posted t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Doe
Robert Francis Thomas Doe, (10 March 1920 – 21 February 2010) was a British fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. He flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, and was seconded to the Indian Air Force during the Burma campaign. Early life Robert Francis Thomas Doe was born in Reigate, Surrey, on 10 March 1920. After leaving school before taking examinations he started work as an office boy for the News of the World. Doe joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in March 1938 and made his first solo flight on 16 June 1938. Second World War After applying for a short service commission, Doe joined the Royal Air Force in January 1939. Doe trained with 15 E&RFTS (Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School) at RAF Redhill, Surrey and combat training with 6 Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington. Doe was posted on 6 November 1939 to No. 234 Squadron, a Spitfire Squadron at RAF Leconfield alongside Australian Pat Hughes, who would l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Few
The Few were the airmen of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the aviators of the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy (RN) who fought the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. The term comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "Never was so much owed by so many to so few, Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few." It also alludes to Shakespeare's famous speech in his play, ''Henry V (play), Henry V'': "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..." Aircrew Nearly 3,000 men were awarded the 1939–45 Star#Clasps, "Battle of Britain" clasp. As six of the seven longest surviving veterans of the battle (Squadron Leader John Hart (RAF officer), John Hart, Flight Lieutenant Archie McInnes, Flight Lieutenant Maurice Mounsdon, Air Vice-Marshal John Thornett Lawrence, Wing Commander Paul Farnes and Flight Lieutenant William Clark (RAF Officer), William Clark) died between June 2019 and May 2020 as of 8 May 2020, only one survivor of The Few is still living (Flying O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Hughes (aviator)
Paterson Clarence Hughes, DFC (19 September 1917 – 7 September 1940) was an Australian fighter ace of World War II. Serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF), he was credited with as many as seventeen aerial victories during the Battle of Britain, before being killed in action on 7 September 1940. His tally made him the highest-scoring Australian of the battle, and among the three highest-scoring Australians of the war. Born in Cooma, New South Wales, Hughes joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet in 1936. After graduating as a pilot, he chose to take a commission with the RAF. In July 1937, he was assigned to No. 64 Squadron, which operated Hawker Demon and, later, Bristol Blenheim fighters. Posted to No. 234 Squadron following the outbreak of World War II, Hughes began flying Supermarine Spitfires as a flight commander. He shared in his unit's first aerial victory on 8 July 1940, and began scoring heavily against the ''Luft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Middle Wallop
Middle Wallop is a village in the civil parish of Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England, on the A343 road. At the 2011 Census the population was included in the civil parish of Over Wallop. The village has a public house, The George Inn, and a petrol station as well as The Wallops Parish Hall. The Wallops Together the villages of Over Wallop, Middle Wallop and Nether Wallop are known as The Wallops and run in a line roughly north to south following the course of the Wallop Brook, which has its source in Over Wallop. Middle Wallop airfield To the East of the villages the area is dominated by the Middle Wallop airfield, home to the Army Air Corps, a branch of the British Army. It was supposedly the site of a battle between certain Vitalinus, possibly Vortigern Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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