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- No. 40 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 40 Squadron Royal Air Force



   No.40 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Gosport, Hampshire, on 26th February 1916, and from August 1916 to the Armistice served on the Western Front as a fighter squadron. Disbanded in 1919, No.40 was re-formed as a bomber squadron at Upper Heyford equipped with Gordons in 1931. At the outbreak of the war it was based at RAF Wyton equipped with Fairey Battle bombers.

Airfields No. 40 Squadron RAF flew from.

  • 2 September-2 December 1939: Betheniville (France)
  • 2 December 1939-2 February 1941: Wyton
  • 2 February 1941-14 February 1942: Alconbury
    • 31 October 1941-14 February 1942: detachment at Luqa, Malta
    • 14 February -1 May 1941 Malta detachment sent to India under command of 215 Squadron
  • 1 May-23 June 1942: Abu Sueir (Egypt)
  • 23 June-20 August 1942: Shallufa
  • 20 August-7 November 1942: Kabrit
  • 7-12 November 1942: LG.222A
  • 12-25 November 1942: LG.104
  • 25 November 1942-20 January 1943: Luqa
  • 20 January-15 February 1943: LG. 237
  • 15 February-13 March 1943: Gardabia East, Tunisia
  • 13 March-26 May 1943: Gardabia South
  • 26 May-25 June 1943: Kairouan/ Cheria
  • 25 June-18 November 1943: Hani West
  • 18 November 1943-4 December 1943: Oudna 1
  • 16-30 December 1943: Cerignola (Italy)
  • 30 December 1943-21 October 1945: Foggia Main


 

3rd Sept 1939 To France

2nd Dec 1939 Move

14th Apr 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th May 1940 War over Holland

15th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

15th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

15th May 1940 Aircraft Lost

15th May 1940 Escorted attack

23rd May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

23rd May 1940 Aircraft Lost

25th May 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

6th Jun 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

6th Jun 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

6th Jun 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

6th June 1940 Aircraft Lost

6th June 1940 Blenheim lost

12th Jun 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

14th June 1940 Aircraft Lost

14th June 1940 Aircraft Lost

27th June 1940 Aircraft Lost

26th Jul 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

15th Aug 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

15th Aug 1940 40 Squadron Blenheim lost

November 1940 New Aircraft

2nd Feb 1941 

12th Mar 1941 Night Ops

12th Mar 1941 Aircraft Lost

23rd Mar 1941 Bomber Command on Ops

7th April 1941 Aircraft Lost

11th April 1941 Aircraft Lost

17th Apr 1941 Eleven Aircraft Lost

11th May 1941 Aircraft Lost

15th May 1941 Aircraft Lost

2nd Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost

11th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost

12th Jun 1941 40 Squadron Wellington lost

26th June 1941 Aircraft Lost

6th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

9th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

16th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

24th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

25th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

28th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

2nd Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost

12th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost

Oct 1941  Flight despatched to Malta

12th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

12th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

14th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

16th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

17th Oct 1941 40 Squadron Wellington lost

26th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

29th December 1941 4 Hurricane pilots killed over Malta

10th Jan 1942 Aircraft Lost

14th Jan 1942 Aircraft Lost

14th Feb 1942 Reorganisation

1st May 1942 Squadron re-formed

23rd June 1942 Operational

17th July 1942 Unreliable aircraft

6th November 1942 Bomber force for Malta

7th November 1942 Wellington lost

7th November 1942 Instructions to move

8th November 1942 Joint sortie

8th November 1942 Aircraft and aircrew move to 40 Squadron

10th November 1942 Wellington crews posted to 40 Squadron

11th November 1942 Signals Squadron loses last Wellington bomber

19th November 1942 Wellington lost

22nd November 1942 Wellingtons returned to Signals Squadron

10th December 1942 Ferry Flight Missing

10th December 1942 Crash Landing

14th Feb 1943 Move to Libya

25th November 1943 Aircraft Lost

16th Dec 1943 Move

6th May 1944 Aircraft Lost

25th May 1944 Aircraft Lost

18th August 1944 Aircraft Lost

10th Oct 1944 Aircraft Lost

11th Nov 1944 Aircraft Lost

23rd Nov 1944 Aircraft Lost

February 1945 Retraining

13th Mar 1945 Last Bombing Mission


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



Logbooks



Do you have a WW2 Flying Log Book in your possession?

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Those known to have served with

No. 40 Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Addison Percy. Sgt.
  • Asher Joseph Maurice.
  • Barnett John. (d.22nd August 1944)
  • Bartlett DFM Distinguished Flying Medal Henry. Flt.Sgt.
  • Beardwood George. Sgt. (d.10th May 1940)
  • Bell Angus Douglas. F/O. (d.7th December 1942)
  • Bird Samuel Edward.
  • Bird Samuel. (d.30th June 1941)
  • Burns Angus John. Sgt. (d.2nd September 1940)
  • Butler Harry Albert Clarence. P/O
  • Hall Donald McNeill. Flt.Sgt. (d.11th June 1943)
  • Harvey John Henry.
  • Hodges Wilson Aubrey. (d.24th Oct 1941)
  • Hughes Francis Rodney. Flt.Sgt. (d.2nd/3rd June 1944)
  • Kennard Leslie John. Flt.Sgt (d.15/16 May 1941)
  • Mulligan Eugene Michael. Flt/Sgt. (d.11th May 1941)
  • Osman William John Franklin. Flt.Sgt.
  • Parker Arthur William Henry. LAC.
  • Peacock Roger. Sgt. (d. )
  • Power Stanley Eric. Flt.Sgt.
  • Quick Alfred Stanley. WO.
  • Saunders DSO, DFC and Bar. Ernest John. Sqd. Ldr.
  • Shaw Jim. WO.
  • Staple DFC Owen David. Wing Commander
  • Stewart Robert. FO
  • Stone Jack. F/Lt.
  • Stone Jack. F/Lt.
  • Strutt Ronald Charles. Sgt.
  • Stubbs Derek Howard. Sgt.
  • Wellman Cecil Frank. F/O. (d.4th Feb 1945)

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. 40 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 40 Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2085 items tagged No. 40 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.


Wing Commander Owen David Staple DFC 107 Squadron 14 Squadron 75 squadron 41 Squadron 40 Squadron

Owen David Staple was from Dec-1942 with 36(Mosquito) Operational Training Unit in Canada as a pilot; from February 1944 with 60 OTU in the United Kingdom; from June 1944 with 107 Squadron (Mosquito); from April 1948 14 Squadron in Japan; from November 1954 75 Squadron; from September 1959 with 41 Squadron in Malaya.

Decorations,Medals,Awards: DFC-1945, AFC-1960, 1939/45 STAR, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal 1939/45 War Medal, New Zealand War Service Medal, General Service Medal (Malaya).

Wing Commander Owen David Staple past away in 1974 at the age of 49. I am looking for more information on him as he died when I was 3 months old. The information is going towards the family tree so we do not forget the memories of the brave men and women of war.

Michael David Staple



F/O. Angus Douglas Bell 40 Squadron (d.7th December 1942)

Angus Bell served with 40 Squadron, Royal Air Force.




Sgt. Derek Howard "Stubby" Stubbs 73 Squadron

Derek Stubbs served as a rear gunner in 73 Squadron and 40 Squadron.




Flt.Sgt. Stanley Eric Power 40 Squadron

My father Stan Power, was a flight sergeant during the war and in the last year he became a rear gunner in the Wellington bombers dropping supplies over Yugoslavia. On his 19th sortie he was injured by shrapnel in his ankle and hospitalised. His plane was WMF737 and his pilot was F/O Smart.

He lived a full and healthy life and died of old age in South Wales aged 87.

David Power



WO. Alfred Stanley Quick 40 Squadron

Alfred Quick served with 40 Squadron. I have little information of my father's war history, I know that he was shot down over the desert March 1943 he was in a Wellington Bomber HZ146B and he was one of two crew members who survived. He said he was carrying the squadron's pay and buried it in the sand. They saw what they thought was a friendly Arab and found it was Germans in dessert gear.

I know that his POW no was 1090 and he was at Camp 357. His experience was so bad he would not speak about it after the war. He had a log book in his possession which I had never been given the opportunity to read. He also had a grey covered book of sketches of the camp. He once said Richard Attenborough, brother of David Attenborough, was in the camp.

When my mother died, he remarried and after his death his widow would not allow me to have either his medals or the logbook. My only info comes from a book by David Gunby 'Sweeping the Skies'. If anyone has any further info I would appreciate it.

Robin Quick



FO Robert "Jock" Stewart 40 Squadron

Our father, Robert Stewart, flew with 40th Bomber Squadron, Middle East Command between 1942 and 1945. He was a bomb aimer on Wellington bombers operating predominantly out of Qastina in Palestine. His log book shows that on most of his missions the pilot was W/O Beetz (we believe he was Canadian). We believe the last mission of 40th squadron was 13th of March 1945 (this would have been his 27th birthday).

He survived the war and afterwards went back to his job as a police officer in Birmingham. He passed away in 1980. We tried without success to obtain the 'Bomber Command Clasp' but it was refused on the grounds that he was based in the Middle East and not Great Britain. He left a wife (passed away 2010), two sons and three grandsons.

Rob Stewart



Flt.Sgt. Donald McNeill Hall 40 Squadron (d.11th June 1943)

On the day that Donald Hall died, he had volunteered to stand in for the rear gunner who was unable to go, as he was injured. His 'plane was shot down over Tunisia.

Pauline McAdam



Flt/Sgt. Eugene Michael Mulligan 40 Squadron (d.11th May 1941)

Eugene Mulligan was a very special young man who gave his life willingly for the greater good.

J Cavanagh



F/Lt. Jack Stone 104 Sqdn

My father Jack Stone was a navigator and bomb aimer in 40 and 104 Squadrons. I do not know the details but he was shot down, twice I think, and survived. He was originally a Sargeant and commissioned to Flight Lt. but again have no details.

Tim Stone



F/Lt. Jack Stone 40 Squadron

My father, Jack Stone served with 104 and 40 Squadrons.

Tim Stone







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