No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force

No. 33 Squadron was formed at Filton on 1st January 1916. In March 1916 it became the first designated Home Defence Squadron charged with intercepting Zeppelin bombing raids, initially based at Tadcaster but later in North Lincolnshire. It was disbanded in June 1919.
33 Squadron was reformed at Netheravon in 1929 as a day bomber squadron. In 1935 during the Abyssinian Crisis it was deployed to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal. It then remained in the Middle East in air policing duties over Palestine, flying Gladiators.
At the outbreak of World War II, No. 33 moved back to Egypt.

14th June 1940 In Action

1st August 1940 Relocated

14th November 1940 On attachment

20th Nov 1940 In Action

1st December 1940 Re-equipped with Hurricanes

27th February 1941 Deployment to Greece

27th February 1941 Airfield attacked

28th February 1941 Battle over Albania

4th March 1941 Italian warships attack

23rd March 1941 Raid on airfield

6th April 1941 Germans attack Greece

14th April 1941 German aircraft shot down

16th April 1941 Battle of Athens

19th April 1941 Battle of Athens

20th April 1941 Battle of Athens

23rd April 1941 Bomber shot down

1st May 1941 Withdrawal

5th May 1941 Reinforcement in Crete

17th May 1941 Depleted

19th May 1941 Defence of Crete

20th May 1941 Escape on foot

29th May 1941 Rebuilding

15th June 1941 Operation Battleaxe

18th November 1941 Operation Crusader

11th Nov 1942 El Alamein

June 1943 Refitting

23rd April 1944 Moved to Britain

31st August 1944 Into France 33 Squadron moved to France in September 1944 to undertake fighter sweeps in northwest Europe until the end of the war.

31st August 1944 Into France

October 1944 Reconnaissance

May 1945

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Those known to have served with
No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Garwood Edgar Taff.
Laflamme Henry Mathias. Flt.Lt. (d.30th July 1944)
Wade Desmond Percy. F/Lt. (d.23rd May 1942)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.

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Want to know more about No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:1023 items tagged No. 33 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.

Flt.Lt. Henry Mathias Laflamme 33 Squadron (d.30th July 1944)

My cousin, Mat Laflamme, was posted to 33 Squadron in November of 1942 as a Hurricane pilot. He later flew Typhoons with 184 Squadron over Normandy. He was shot down and killed on the 30th of July 1944.

Paul Chamois

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Edgar Taff Garwood 980 Sqdn.

My father, Edgar Taff Garwood, served in 980 and 33 Squadrons RAF. I am writing a history of 980 Sqdn. He was later transferred to 33 Sqdn. Any help with both Squadrons would be appreciated.

Peter Garwood

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F/Lt. Desmond Percy "Buster" Wade 33 Squadron (d.23rd May 1942)

Desmond Wade was the brother of my late mother's friend Sheila M. Wade who lived in the Saint Stephen's area of Canterbury, Kent. 'Buster' Wade was a pupil at the Kings School, Canterbury as a Day Boy because he lived nearby. He signed up for RAF duty in his early 20s and became a pilot and served with the 247 British China Squadron and 33 Squadron and was for a while at an air station in Cornwall and at Roborough, Devon. He was shot down in the Western Desert while flying a Hawker Hurricane on May 23rd 1942. Further details are in the archive of Kings School, Canterbury. I was the executor of Sheila's will when she died some years ago and I inherited much of her personal belongings including some of the details of 'Buster's' RAF service.
As I am now retired and these pieces of memorabilia of a non-relation who died before I was born are of no personal significance to me, I have decided to donate them, including his posthumous war service medals, to Kings School, Canterbury archives on 23/05/2014 the anniversary of his death 72 years ago

Lawrence J. Blake

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No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

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Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Forceduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 33 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.