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- No. 37 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 37 Squadron Royal Air Force



   No. 37 Squadron, was formed as an experimental squadron at Orfordness, Suffolk in 1916, but absorbed by the experimental station at Orfordness only a few weeks later. It was re-formed as a Home Defence squadron at Woodham Mortimer, Essex on the 15th September 1916. It served in Essex defending against Zeppelin and bomber attacks throughout the remainder of WW1. On 1st July 1919, No. 37 was re-numbered as 39 Squadron, No.39 having been disbanded in November 1918.

In April 1937, 37 Squadron came back into existence at Feltwell as a bomber squadron from a nucleus provided by No.214 Squadron. It May 1939 it was provided with the Vickers Wellington bomber. By the outbreak of war the Squadron at Feltwell was deemed to be fully operational.

During the war the airfields where 37 squadron was based were:

  • 26 April 1937-8 November 1940: Feltwell

  • 8-14 November 1940: aircraft at Malta while in transit
  • 30 November-17 December 1940: Fayid (Egypt)
  • 17 December 1940-25 April 1942: Shallufa
    • March - 16th April 1941: Detachment sent to Greece
  • 25 April-27 June 1942: LG.09 (Egypt)
  • 27-29 June 1942: LG.224
  • 29 June-6 November 1942: Abu Sueir
  • 6-13 November 1942: LG.224
  • 13-30 November 1942: LG.106
  • 30 November 1942-23 January 1943: LG. 140
  • 23 January-14 February 1943: El Magrun
  • 14-25 February 1943: Gardabia East (Libya)
  • 25 February-30 May 1943: Gabdabia West
  • 30 May-15 November 1943: Kairouan/ Temmar(Tunisia)
  • 15 November-14 December 1943: Djedeida

  • 14-29 December 1943: Cerignola (Italy)
  • 29 December 1943-2 October 1945: Tortorella


 

1st Sep 1939 Orders Received

3rd Sep 1939 Raid

3rd Sept 1939 Sweep

4th Sep 1939 Stand by

5th Sep 1939 Stand by

6th Sep 1939 Orders

8th Sep 1939 Recce

9th Sep 1939 Scattering

10th Sep 1939 Aircraft Movements

11th Sep 1939 Aircraft Movements

12th Sep 1939 Orders

14th Sep 1939 Posting

15th Sep 1939 Posting

17th Sep 1939 Stand by

18th Sep 1939 Stand by

19th Sep 1939 Duty

20th Sep 1939 Posting

23rd Sep 1939 Stand by

27th Sep 1939 Posting

29th Sep 1939 Aircraft Arrives

30th Sep 1939 Promotion

1st Oct 1939 Training

2nd Oct 1939 Training

3rd Oct 1939 Training

4th Oct 1939 Training

5th Oct 1939 Training

6th Oct 1939 Modifications

7th Oct 1939 Lecture

8th Oct 1939 Training

9th Oct 1939 Practice

10th Oct 1939 Stand by

11th Oct 1939 Training

12th Oct 1939 Aircraft Arrives

13th Oct 1939 Lecture

14th Oct 1939 Stand by

15th Oct 1939 Quiet

16th Oct 1939 Stand by

17th Oct 1939 Training

18th Oct 1939 Posting

19th Oct 1939 Training

20th Oct 1939 Stand by

21st Oct 1939 Aircraft Movements

22nd Oct 1939 Stand by

23rd Oct 1939 Aircraft Movements

24th Oct 1939 Training

25th Oct 1939 Lectures

26th Oct 1939 Stand by

27th Oct 1939 Stand by

28th Oct 1939 Stand by

29th Oct 1939 Wet Day

30th Oct 1939 Stand by

31st Oct 1939 Training

1st Nov 1939 Stand by

2nd Nov 1939 Aircraft Damaged

3rd Nov 1939 Stand by

4th Nov 1939 Lecture

5th Nov 1939 Quiet

6th Nov 1939 Aircraft Movements

7th Nov 1939 Stand by

8th Nov 1939 Training

9th Nov 1939 Stand by

10th Nov 1939 Aircraft Arrive

11th Nov 1939 Aircraft Movements

12th Nov 1939 Training

13th Nov 1939 Stand by

14th Nov 1939 Training

15th Nov 1939 Patrol

16th Nov 1939 Quiet

18th Nov 1939 Quiet

19th Nov 1939 Stand by

20th Nov 1939 Quiet

21st Nov 1939 Stand by

22nd Nov 1939 Exercise

23rd Nov 1939 Lecture

24th Nov 1939 Stand by

25th Nov 1939 Stand by

26th Nov 1939 Quiet

27th Nov 1939 Quiet

28th Nov 1939 Exercise

29th Nov 1939 Stand by

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

9th April 1940 Night Ops

10th May 1940 War over Holland

1st Jun 1940 Aircraft Lost

1st June 1940 Aircraft Lost

19th July 1940 Ditched off the Netherlands

8th Nov 1940 Operations from Malta

14th November 1940 Move to Egypt

16th November 1940 Wellington Missing

24th November 1940 Three Wellingtons destroyed on transit flights

7th December 1940 Libyan Airfields attacked

20th February 1941 Escort duties

March 1941 Defence of Greece

9th March 1941 Wellingtons rotated between Egypt and Malta

16th April 1941 Battle of Athens

2nd May 1941 Attack at Dawn

3rd May 1941 Bombardment

4th May 1941 Relief troops arrive

5th May 1941 Attack Made

6th May 1941 Attack Made

6th May 1941 Break out

24th May 1941 Attack Made

31st May 1941 Wellington crashed on Rhodes

July 1941 Long Range Targets

2nd March 1942 Night Raid

6th March 1942 Harbour Targeted

7th Sept 1942 Aircraft Lost

14th Sept 1942 Airliner Lost

14th Feb 1943 Move to Libya

30th May 1943 Move

10th July 1943 Aircraft lost

29th Dec 1943 Night Raids

January 1944 New Targets

January 1944 Increase in Special Duties squadrons

24th Feb 1944 Aircraft Lost

5th May 1944 Rumanian oil refinery bombed

21st July 1944 Aircraft Lost

18th August 1944 Aircraft Lost

21st August 1944 Aircraft Lost

23rd Aug 1944 Aircraft Lost

3rd Sept 1944 Aircraft Lost

15th Sept 1944 Night Ops

22nd Sept 1944 Aircraft Lost

15th Oct 1944 Reorganisation

21st Oct 1944 Attack on aerodrome in Hungary

22nd Oct 1944 Aircraft Lost

28th Oct 1944 Supplies dropped

7th Nov 1944 Aircraft Lost

10th Nov 1944 Aircraft Lost

22nd Nov 1944 Aircraft Lost


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Logbooks



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Those known to have served with

No. 37 Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Barber Harry. W/O
  • Brookfield . F/Sgt.
  • Dean Harry Galloway. F/O (d.4th April 1944)
  • Douglas Arthur Bernard. W/O.
  • Fannon Thomas Edward. Flt.Sgt.
  • Fowler DFM Evan David. Sgt
  • Gaunt Philip Henry. WO.
  • Geddes George Warne. AC1 (d.19th Dec 1939)
  • Gibson John Edward.
  • Jones Eric E.
  • Manwaring William Hanlon. WO.
  • Marsh Frank. WO.
  • May Thomas Kevin. Sgt.
  • McArthur Neil Max. Sgt.
  • Mobley AFC. Arthur Benjemin. Ft.Lt.
  • Murrell Dennis Charles. Sgt. (d.16th March 1941)
  • Musson George Bertie. Cpt. (d.30th Sep 1942)
  • Newman Stanley. Sgt. (d.16th Mar 1941)
  • Parkes Peter Denys. P/O (d.5th May 1944)
  • Pile John H.S.. W/O
  • Reynolds Herbert Lindsay. F/Lt.
  • Saunders William Lavallee. F/O.
  • Seymour William A. AC1. (d.30th Apr 1940)
  • Sharpe MID. John Charles. L.A.C
  • Sharpe MID. John Charles. Cpl.
  • Smith Charles Henry Beaton.
  • Smith Harry Allman. P/O
  • Steward Bryan Roy. Sgt. (d.19th April 1942)
  • Taylor Laurence Edward. F/Sgt.
  • Turley DFM Alick Edward. Flt.Sgt. (d.14th Sep 1942)
  • Vlok Theodore. Lt. (d.6th July 1944)
  • Wallis Kenneth. Wing Co.
  • Webster Peter Davis. AC2.
  • Winters Arthur Henry. F/Sgt. (d.20th May 1943 )

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. 37 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 37 Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2130 items tagged No. 37 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.


Charles Henry Beaton Smith 37 Squadron

Charles Smith served as a Rear Gunner with 37 Squadron.

Ian Smith



F/O. William Lavallee "Saundy" Saunders 37 Squadron

William Saunders was Headquartered at 231 Wing under 205 Group in North Africa in Middle East Command. 70 Squadron was sister wing.

There are many stories to add later. My father flew just shy of 2 tours of duty at which time he was sent home to train with the RCAF. Bombing missions in North Africa, Crete and Malta. He even flew over Greece a few times but they were considered friendlies during the war. He died at 96 years young in 2012. He hunted and fished into his early 80's. If anyone has any more information about his crew in the war, it would be appreciated. I remember him saying his landing zone was LZ-109. His crew consisted of Brits, Aussies and a Kiwi.

Greg Saunders



F/Sgt. Brookfield 37 Squadron

F/Sgt Brookfield was pilot to my father from the logbook available. Their Wellington came down on 23rd of November 1944.




AC2. Peter Davis Webster 37 Squadron

After Wireless Operator training at Yatesbury from October to December 1940, Peter Webster went to West Freugh on a Gunnery Course. Eventually Peter joined 37 Squadron, had a little adventure over the Med and the Sahara. Peter undertook an early cruise around the med in a small dinghy with 5 other chaps. Spending 10 days adrift (a record at the time). Another record was in gathering five Royal Navy Destroyers to rescue him. He eventually boarded HMS Kimberley. Unfortunately two of the crew swam towards the Destroyers and were never seen again. This episode landed Peter in the Goldfish Club. A little while later he and the crew of his Wellington had to bale out over the Sahara and had a long walk home back to their lines. For this Peter joined the Caterpillar Club and the Late Arrivals Club. Peter survived the War and lived in Easington until the grand old age of 87.




AC1. William A Seymour A Flight 37 Squadron (d.30th Apr 1940)

My uncle AC/1 Bill Seymour an air gunner (front turret) was killed during a raid on Sola (Stavanger) airfield in Norway at approximately 20:50 hours on the evening of 30th of April 1940. The raid was carried out by four Wellington 1A aircraft of 37 Squadron based at RAF Feltwell, Norfolk. Two of the four Wellingtons P9213 and P9215, both from A flight were probably damaged by flak on their bombing run over the airfield and finally shot down by a mix of German fighters, Messerschmitt Bf109Es of II./JG77 and Messerschmitt Bf110Cs of I./ZG76. Both Wellingtons crashed in to the sea somewhere North of Rott Island about a mile South of Stavanger Peninsula.

P9215's Crew were: F/O G V Gordon, P/O T Kerr, Sgt W Eddlestone, LAC W E Brewster and AC/1 W A Seymour.

Colin Huggins



WO. William Hanlon Manwaring 37 Squadron

William Manwaring served with 37 Squadron.

Meryl Dodds



Flt.Sgt. Thomas Edward Fannon 37 Squadron

My late father, Thomas Fannon, served at Foggia during WW2 as a bomb aimer with 37 Squadron flying Vickers Wellingtons.

T.E.Fannon



Sgt. Stanley Newman 37 Squadron (d.16th Mar 1941)

Sgt. Stanley Newman was buried in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery in Albania but the grave is now lost. He is mentioned on Special Memorial E.

s flynn



Sgt. Dennis Charles Murrell 37 Sqd. (d.16th March 1941)

Pilot Dennis Charles Murrell is buried in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery in Albania.

s flynn



P/O Peter Denys Parkes 37 Sqn (d.5th May 1944)

Peter Denys Parkes was the son of Major Denys Parkes and Mrs Dorothy Parkes of Lingfield, formerly of 15 Green Curve, Banstead, Surrey. He was born on the 22 September 1924 and attended The Priory, a boys’ school at the western end of Banstead village and then Sutton County Grammar School. In 1940 he joined the RAF Voluntary Reserve and spent part of 1942 and 43 training in Canada. Following the end of his training, Peter went to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to 20 Operational Training Unit.

His training completed, Peter joined 37 Squadron in North Africa. At the end of December 1943, the Squadron moved to Tortorella. During the early months of 1944, 37 Squadron was kept busy conducting bombing raids against the enemy, often in an attempt to disrupt supply lines to the front line. In May, roads, railways, marshalling yards and docks were again to be targeted by the Squadron.

Peter Parkes and his crew failed to return from a mission to bomb the Ploetsi oil refinery in Rumania on the 5th May 1944.








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