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No . 9 Squadron Royal Air Force
No. 9 Squadron formed as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) unit at St Omer, France on 8 December 1914, and served as a reconnaissance and bomber unit until disbanded at the end of 1919.
Reformed in 1924, the squadron continued in service developing a specialty in night-operations. At the start of the Second World War No. 9 Squadron was one of only a few equipped with modern aircraft, the Vickers Wellington bomber, flying out of RAF Honington.
Airfields at which No. 9 Squadron was based during WW2:
- Honington 1939 to 7 Aug 1942.
- Lossiemouth (detachment)2 Apr 1940 to 15 Apr 1940
- Waddington 7 Aug 1942 to 14 May 1943
- Bardney 14 May 1943 to 6 Jul 1945
- Woodhall Spa (detachment) 26th Aug 1943 - Sept 1943
- Waddington from 6 Jul 1945
When war broke out in 1939, No 9 Squadron were based at RAF Honington and were equipped with Vickers Wellingtons. They later converted to the Avro Lancaster.
Night flying practice
Night flying practice
Dusseldorf attacked
4th September 1939 Raid
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost The British Air Ministry decided to launch an attack on German surface ships to prevent them supporting the U-boats in the North Atlantic. Wellington bomber squadrons had undertaken a number of sweeps over the North Sea during October and November against any enemy shipping. On 18th December 1939, a force of 24 Wellington bombers – nine from no.9 Squadron at Honington, six from 37 Squadron at Feltwell, and nine from 149 Squadron at Mildenhall – was sent to attack German ships in the Heligoland Bight and sink or damage as many as possible. The mission was a disaster.
The Wellingtons took off for the daylight raid around 0930, led by the C/O of 149 Squadron, Wing Commander Richard Kellet. Two of the aircraft turned back early, leaving 22 Wellingtons to fly on to the target area. No German ships were found at sea. Several German Navy warships were sighted in Wilhelmshaven Harbour, but orders had been given not to bomb the port area in case civilians were hit, so the Wellingtons turned for home.
The theory was that the well armed Wellington had the fire power to defend itself from attack by fighters, especially if they were flying in tight formation. However the 22 aircraft on this return flight were strung out in a straggle when they were intercepted by 44 Luftwaffe fighters – a mixture of Me Bf 110s and Bf 109s. In the battle that followed 10 were shot down, two ditched in the sea before reaching the English coast and three more crash landed in East Anglia - a total loss of 68% of the force. 56 RAF aircrew were killed and five were taken prisoner. 37 Squadron lost five of its six aircraft shot down and 9 Squadron also lost 5 aircraft. The aircraft and crews lost were:
9 Squadron:
- N2939 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O John Thomas Irvine Challes
- 2nd Pilot: P/O Alistair Hugh Richmond Bourne
- Observer: Sgt Frank Michael Mason
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas Henry English
- AG: LAC Gurth Ernest Cox
- AG: AC1 Alexander Telfer
- N2940 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: P/o Eric Francis Lines
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Sgt Alfred Kitto Fearnside
- WOp/AG: AC1 Edward Malcolm George Polhill
- AG: LAC Alex Morrison Dickie
- AG: AC2 Clifford Walker
- N2941 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O Douglas Bellamy Allison
- 2nd Pilot: F/O Donald Charles Ephraim Bailey
- Observer: Sgt John Archibald Brister
- Air Bomber: Sgt Joseph Buglasi Adamson Turnbull
- Wop/AG: Sgt Reginal Thomas Black
- AG: LAC Albert George Goodenough
- N2872 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: Squadron Ldr Archibald John Guthrie
- 2nd Pilot: P/O John Edgar Atkinson
- Observer: Sgt Harold Walter Tyrrell
- Wop/AG: LAC Thomas Leo Marlin
- Wop/AG: Sgt Bertie Joseph Pickess
- AG: LAC Josias Melville Fletcher Key
- N2983 Badly damaged by gunfire and Crashed off Cromer, Norfolk. Four survivors were picked up by a trawler.
- Pilot: Sgt Jack Richardson Ramshaw DFM – injured
- 2nd Pilot: Sgt Robert Hewitt – injured
- Wop/AG: LAC D.J.Connolly – injured
- AG: LAC Walter Lilley – killed
- AG: AC1 Charles Ronald Driver DFM - injured
- N2871 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF North Coates Fitties
- N2873 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF Sutton Bridge, two crew injured.
37 Squadron:
- N2904 LF-B Last reported with the Starboard wing burning furiously and heading out to sea off Wilhelmshaven.
- Pilot: Squadron Ldt Ian Victor Hue-Williams
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Lt Thomas Gaufrey Wearmouth Appleby
- Observer: F/O Arthur Richard Vaughan Williams
- Wop/AG: Sgt Alister Raymond Norris
- Wop/AG: LAC John Arundel Barstow
- AG: LAC Ernest Lowe
- N2888 LF-A crashed into the sea off Borkum Island
- Pilot: F/O Peter Arabin Wimberley - survived and taken PoW
- Observer: Sgt Leslie Alfred Sheppard - killed
- Navigator: P/O Michael Ratcliffe - killed
- Wop/AG: AC1 Alexander Maxwell Hill - killed
- AG: LAC Alfred William Walter Lane - killed
- N2889 LF-P Broke up in the air and crashed into the sea off Borkum following a sustained attack by Lt. Helmut Lent of 3./ZG-76.
- Pilot: F/O Oliver John Trevor Lewis RAAF
- Observer: Sgt Maurice William Barrington-Taylor
- Wop/AG: LAC Peter Thomas Jones
- Wop/AG: P/O Roderick Menzie Ross
- AG: AC1 George Warne Geddes
- N2935 LF-H Shot down out to sea off Wilhelmshaven: three of the crew are buried in the Sage War Cemetery but two were missing and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
- Pilot: F/O Arthur Telford Thompson
- Navigator: P/O Matthew Infield Drawwater
- Observer: Sgt Alfred John Tilley
- Wop/AG: Cpl Wilson Robinson
- AG: LAC Leonard Arthur Stock
- N2936 LF-J Crashed Borkum Islands.
- Pilot: Sgt Herbert Ruse – survived and taken PoW.
- Observer: Sgt Thomas William Holley – killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas K.May – survived and taken PoW.
- Wop/AG: Cpl Frederick James Taylor - killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- AG: LAC Harry Jones – survived and taken PoW.
149 Squadron:
- N2961 Ditched off Cromer Norfolk. There were no survivors
- F/O Michael Franklin Briden
- P/O W.S.F.Brown
- Sgt Valentine Henry Garner Richardson
- AC2 A.G.Foster
- AC1 Isaac Davidson Leighton
- AC1 Peter John Warren
- N2962 OJ-B Shot down and crashed into the North Sea. All reported missing and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
- P/O Fred Norman Lines
- F/O James Heggie Cumming Speirs
- AC2 William James Ellis
- Sgt Richard Robin Hammond
- LAC John Humble Sinton
A direct outcome of this air battle was the decision to fit Wellingtons with armour plate and self-sealing fuel tanks to make them more robust. Another outcome was that this was the last unescorted daylight bombing raid undertaken by Bomber Command until the closing stages of the war.
Wellington N2980 which was flown by the 149 Squadron crew of Squadron Ldr P.I.Harris is an exhibit in the Brooklands Museum.
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost
12th April 1940 Attack on Stavanger
20th April 1940 Move
10th May 1940 War over Holland
15th May 1940 Raids
1941-01-01 Attack on Bremen
2nd January 1941 Nothing of operational importance occurred today
3rd January 1941 Seven Wellingtons attack Bremen
4th January 1941 Bombing practice carried out
5th January 1941 No operational importance activity
6th January 1941 P/O P W Page was posted in
7th January 1941 No operational importance noted today
8th January 1941 No operational importance noted today
9th January 1941 Thirteen Wellingtons attack several targets
11th January 1941 Wellingon 1244 forced landed in France
12th January 1941 No operational importance noted today
16th January 1941 Posting in and out
17th January 1941 No operational importance noted today
18th January 1941 18th and 19th nothing to report
20th January 1941 W/Cdr Ernest Arnold Healy was posted out
21st January 1941 P/O B F Lamb was posted to CGS Warmwell
23rd January 1941 No operational importance noted today
22nd January 1941 Weybourne range bombing practice
24th January 1941 P/O G E Walker was posted to No 214 squadron.
25th January 1941 No operational importance noted today
26th January 1941 SCI practice was carried out
28th January 1941 No operational importance 28th to 31st January
4th February 1941 Le Harve attack low cloud
6th February 1941 Attacks on docks and shipping
11th Feb 1941 Focke Wolfe factory attacked
15th February 1941 Oil refinery attacked
21st February 1941 Bombing mission to attack Wilhelmshaven
23rd February 1941 Attack on docks and shipping
26th February 1941 Rain on Koln
1st March 1941 Loss of F/O Lawson and crew
2nd March 1941 No operational importance noted today
3rd March 1941 Bombs dropped on Dock 4
12th Mar 1941 Night Ops
13th March 1941 Rotterdam raid
14th March 1941 Bombing operation to Gelsenkirchen
15th March 1941 No operational importance noted today
17th March 1941 Unknown location bombing operation
18th March 1941 No operational importance noted today
19th March 1941 Eight Wellington bombers on raid
20th March 1941 No operational importance noted today
23rd March 1941 Unkown location for bombing operation
24th March 1941 Bombing practice carried out
25th March 1941 No operational importance noted today
27th March 1941 F/Lt shore and crew now POW
28th March 19421 No operational importance noted today
30th March 1941 Bombing operation by one aircraft
31st March 1941 Aircraft Lost
3rd April 1941 Posting out
4th April 1941 Kiel bombing operation
6th April 1941 German Battleships bombed
7th April 1941 Loss of WS T 2473 – P/O Sharp`s and crew
9th April 1941 Various bombing locations
15th April 1941 Port engine failure
16th April 1941 Dunkirk attacked
17th Apr 1941 Eleven Aircraft Lost
17th April 1941 Wellington WS N 2745 Sgt Heaysman and Sgt Mavor killed
18th April 1941 Search party sweep
20th April 1941 Battleships bombed
23rd April 1941 Unknown bombing location operations
25th April 1941 Practice bombing
26th Apr 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th April 1944 No operational importance noted today
28th April 1941 Battleships attacked
29th April 1941 F/P R G Wilberforce was posted in
2nd May 1941 Bombing practice carried out
3rd May 1941 Aircraft Lost
5th May 1941 Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest attacked
4th May 1941 Air firing practice
5th May 1941 Mannhiem attacked
6th May 1941 P/O N Dunkerton posted out
7th May 1941 Air Firing practice carried out today
8th May 1941 Fires started at Mannheim
9th May 1941 Mannheim target again
1s0th May 1941 Hamburg mission
11th May 1941 Unknown bombing operation target
14th May 1941 S/Ldr P C Pickard posted in
15th May 1941 7 aircraft raid Hanover
16th May 1941 Aircraft Lost
16th May 1941 Six Wellington bombers took off
18th May 1941 Unknown bombing location operations
20th May 1941 F/O D McIntosh posted to No 5 B.A.T.F Honington
27th May 1941 Attack on Cruiser in Atlantic Ocean
1st June 1941 Quiet
3rd June 1941 Quiet
7th June 1941 Cruisers Attacked
8th June 1941 Quiet
9th Jun 1941 9 Squadron Wellington lost
9th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost
10th June 1961 No operational importance noted today
11th June 1941 Tail plane damage aborts mission
12th June 1941 Railway marshalling yards attacked
13th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
14th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
15th June 1941
16th June 1941 Dusseldorf docks attacked
17th June 1941 Raid on Dusseldorf
18th June 1941 Personnel posting
19th June 1941 Koln target with aircraft being diverted on return due to fog
20th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
21st June 1941 No operational importance noted today
22nd June 1941 Mission to Bremen and one aircraft returned early
23rd June 1941 No operational importance noted today
24th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
25th June 1941 Bremen attacked
26th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
27th June 1941 Bombing practice carried out
28th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
29th June 1941 No operational importance noted today
30th June 1941 Sweep of North sea for missing aircrew
1st July 1941 Attacking the cruiser Prinz Bugen
2nd July 1941 No operational importance noted today
3rd July 1941 Mission to attack targets at Essen
7th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
8th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
10th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
10th July 1941 Loss of Wellington WS 5729 whilst attacking Koln
12th July 1941
14th July 1941 Forced Landing
16th July 1941 Raid on Hamburg
19th July 1941 Hanover raid
2nd Aug 1941 Unknown bombing location operations
5th August 1941 Eleven wellington bombers on operational duties
5th Aug 1941 Operational target unknown
6th Aug 1941 No information avialble on operational mission
7th August 1941 Twelve wellington bombers on operational duties
8th August 1941 Raid
11th August 1941 Only one wellington bomber on operations
12th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
14th August 1941 Ten wellington bombers on operational duties
16th August 1941 Ten Wellington bombers on operations
19th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
22nd August 1941 2 Wellingtons on operations
26th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th August 1941 Aircraft sweep over sea for missing aircraft
28th August 1941 Bombing practice carried out
29th August 1941 Ten Wellingtom bombers on operations
30th August 1941
30th Aug 1941 Bombing practice carried out
7th September 1941 Aircraft Lost
26th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
28th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
30th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
9th Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost
6th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost
5th Jan 1942 Aircraft Lost
31st May 1942 Daylight Raid
1st Aug 1942 9 Squadron Wellington lost
7th August 1942 Squadron relocated and re-equipped
17th Sep 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
17th Sep 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
30th Sep 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
17th October 1942 Operation Robinson
8th Nov 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
10th Dec 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
20th Dec 1942 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
21st Dec 1942 44 Squadron Lancaster lost
3rd Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
14th Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
17th Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
29th Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
31st Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
31st Jan 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
4th Feb 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
14th March 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
3rd Apr 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
14th April 1943 On the move
7th Apr 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
1st May 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
21st May 1943 Training accident
15th Jul 1943 Aircraft Lost
16th Jul 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
30th Jul 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
2nd August 1943 Aircraft Lost
10th August 1943 Aircraft Lost
31st Aug 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
3rd September 1943 Aircraft Lost
5th September 1943 Aircraft Lost
6th Sep 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
7th Sep 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
22nd September 1943 Aircraft Lost
23rd September 1943 Aircraft Lost
18th October 1943 Aircraft Lost
22nd October 1943 Gunner killed
18th November 1943 Aircraft Lost
18th November 1943 Aircraft Lost
19th November 1943 Aircraft Lost
2nd Dec 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
3rd Dec 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
16th Dec 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
17th Dec 1943 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
20th December 1943 Aircraft Lost
21st Feb 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
2nd Jan 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
15th January 1944 Aircraft Lost
25th Feb 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
23rd Mar 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
30th Mar 1944 Aircraft Lost
22nd Apr 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
11th May 1944 7 Squadron Lancaster lost
22nd May 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
25th Jun 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
4th July 1944 Raid
8th Jul 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
8th Jul 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
21st Jul 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
12th Sep 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
12th November 1944 Ship Targeted
22nd Dec 1944 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
1st Jan 1945 9 Squadron Lancaster lost
15th August 1945 Tiger Force
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Want to know more about No . 9 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2234 items tagged No . 9 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Ron Bicker 9 Squadron My father, Ron Bicker, served with 9 Squadron. I am unable to tell you his rank but he was a rear gunner. Sadly he passed away a few years ago.
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Flt.Sgt. Jack Passmore Warren 9 Squadron (d.21st Dec 1942) Jack Warren served as a Navigator. He and his crew were shot down over Munich, Germany.
All were lost.
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F/O. Guy Herbert Wyand No. 619 Squadron (d.7th Jun 1944) From January to March 1944, Guy Wyand served as a rear gunner with No. 9 Squadron at RAF Bardney. He then volunteered with No. 619 Squadron on D-Day and was shot down and killed.
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Sgt. Henry John Shelton No. 9 Squadron We have found our father's service record and release book from the RAF. Unfortunately, we didn't ask him enough questions when he was alive.
Henry Shelton enlisted in 1936 at Uxbridge and joined the No. 47 Squadron in Khartoum. He trained as an electrician.
He returned to England in 1942 and was stationed with No. 460 Squadron at RAF Wymeswold on 10 Aug. 1943. On 9 Sept. 1943, he joined No. 622 Squadron and then moved to No. 9 Squadron on 19 Sept. 1943. On 10 Dec. 1943, he joined the 9009 Servicing Echelon 53 Base. On 9 Sept. 1944, he moved to RAF Bardney. On 2 Aug. 1945, he is listed as 100 P.D.C. Class A, RAF Bardney. He was released to the reserves on 2 Nov. 1945.
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Sgt Hugh Forester Barron 9 Squadron (d.13th Aug 1941) Sgt Hugh Barron aged 21 was serving with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk when Wellington WS Z R1341 on a mission to Hannover on the night of 13th August 1941. The aircraft was reported to have crashed near Rotenburg. He is buried in Becklinger war cemetery in North Germany.
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Sgt Robert Arthur Banks 9 Squadron (d.8th Sep 1941) Sgt Robert Banks RAFVR aged 21 and whilst serving as 2nd Pilot with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk, was crew on Wellington bomber WS Z 8845 on a mission to Berlin on the night of 7th September 1941. The aircraft was reported to have been shot down by 4/NJG1 in Holland at 0050 hours on the 8th September and all crew were killed.
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Sgt William Ronald Balls 9 Squadron (d.8th Sep 1941) Sgt William Balls aged 20 was serving as a WOp/AG with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk. Wellington bomber WS Z 8845 on a mission to Berlin was reported to have been shot down by 4/NJG1 in Holland at 0050 hours on the 8th September. All crew were killed.
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F/Lt Kenneth Rhodes Ball 9 Squadron (d.12th Aug 1941) F/Lt Kenneth Ball was serving as a pilot with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk. Wellington bomber WS-R 1513 was on a mission to Kiel on the night of 12th August 1941 and the aircraft crashed into the River Wesser. He was aged 22.
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Sgt Frank Weldon Baker 9 Squadron (d.17th Apr 1941) Sgt Baker served with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk. He was part of the crew of Wellington bomber WS LT 2900 on a mission to Berlin on the night of 17th of April 1941 when the aircraft and all the crew were lost off the Suffolk coast.
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Sgt Trundle 9 Squadron Sgt Trundle was a pilot of a Wellington bomber with 9 Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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Lancaster ValourClayton Moore
A very readable account of service in bomber command by Clayton Moore, RCAF, a tail-end gunner serving in Lancasters through 1943 and 1944. His first tour of duty was in 9 Squadron but he and his crew then transferred to 83 Pathfinder Squadron for a second tour until the effects of an injury sustained in a crash landing forced Clayton to stand down.
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