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No. 70 Squadron Royal Air Force
No 70 Squadron formed at Farnborough on the 22nd of April 1916 as a fighter squadron. It was formed in a hurry and went to the Western Front almost immediately. In 1918 it moved into Germany as part of the army of occupation. It was disbanded in January 1920.
The Squadron was reformed only nine days later at Heliopolis, Egypt by renumbering No 58 Squadron equipped with Vickers Vimy heavy bombers. Within three years, No.70, commonly known as LXX Squadron, had moved to Iraq. It was responsible for the Cairo-Baghdad air mail run until 1927, and also took part in operations against rebel tribesmen and insurgents on the Turkish frontier and undertook the evacuation of Kabul in 1928. 70 squadron was equipped with Vickers Valentias and based at RAF Habbaniya from 1937 9. In August 1939, Squadron HQ returned to Helwan in Egypt, although one flight remained at Habbaniya.
June 1940 Prepared for action
18th September 1940 Re-equipped
15th Feb 1941 Demonstration
2nd May 1941 Attack at Dawn
5th May 1941 Attack Made
24th May 1941 Attack Made
7th December 1942 Move back to Malta
10th December 1942 Ferry Flight Missing
10th December 1942 Crash Landing
January 1943 Movements
November 1943 Into Tunisia
December 1943 Relocated to Italy
29th Dec 1943 Night Raids
January 1944 New Targets
14th July 1944 Three Wellingtons
8th August 1944 Four bombers lost on raid on Hungary
18th August 1944 Aircraft Lost
15th Sept 1944 Night Ops
January 1945 Re-equipped
May 1945
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Logbooks
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Those known to have served with No. 70 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Brodie Richard William. Sgt. (d.20th Mar 1943)
- Brokenshire Edward Dewar. Flt/Sgt. (d.6th August 1943)
- Brookes Joseph E.. Sgt.
- Brooks George Newcombe. Sgt. (d.7th Nov 1940)
- Caithness Ken.
- Chapman Jeff.
- Ellam Wilfred. Sgt. (d.7th Nov 1940)
- Gascoyne Clifford James. Flt.Sgt. (d.30th January 1943)
- Gaunt Philip Henry. WO.
- Hall Robert William. F/O.
- Harries Taffy.
- Heenan John Andrew. Sgt. (d.29th Dec 1944)
- Langley Jack William. WO. (d.12th October 1944)
- Morgan Victor John. Sgt. (d.7th November 1940)
- Roberts Arthur Charles. Sgt.
- Rylance Wallace Atherton.
- Tuck Kenneth Martin. Sgt. (d.5th Mar 1942)
- Webster DFC. Robert George. Flt.Lt.
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. 70 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 70 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2023 items tagged No. 70 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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Sgt. Arthur Charles Roberts No. 70 Squadron Arthur Roberts bailed out of a Wellington bomber. He eventually linked up with Italian partisans and headed for Switzerland, but was captured in a farmhouse by hardcore Nazis who took him prisoner but shot the partisans. The rear gunner tried to turn his turret manually but accidentally gripped the ripcord of his parachute, he managed to turn the turret but fell out backwards clutching the opened parachute. Pilot Harry Pollard and the bombardier both perished also.
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Sgt. John Andrew Heenan No. 70 Squadron (d.29th Dec 1944) John Heenan was the navigator on board a Wellington ordered to conduct a supply drop to Crnomelj, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia). Nothing was heard from the crew after takeoff from Tortorella, Italy. The plane was considered to have crashed near Campobasso, Italy. All crew members were killed.
They are buried in the Cassino War Cemetery.
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Sgt. Richard William Brodie 70 Squadron (d.20th Mar 1943) Sergeant Richard Brodie served with 70 Squadron Royal Air Force in WW2. He died on the 20th of March 1943 aged 24 years and is remembered on the Alamein Memorial in Egypt. Son of Alex S. and Williamina C. Brodie, of Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.
I have a photo from my Uncle Kenneth Rodwell Lucas, who died with 37 Squadron in July 1943, of Dick Brodie. The only Brodie I can identify is Sgt Brodie of 70 Squadron, listed among the names below.
- Flight Sergeant Roy John Moss (1333667) 20th of March 1943 70 Sqn Egypt Alamein Memorial
- Sergeant Percy Robert Rutter (1325173) 20th of March 1943 70 Sqn Egypt Alamein Memorial
- Flying Officer Leonard John Johnson (120548) 20th of March 1943 70 Sqn Egypt Alamein Memorial
- Sergeant George Fisher (999680) 20th of March 1943 70 Sqn Egypt Alamein Memorial
- Sergeant James MacCormack (1371644) 20th of March 1943 70 Sqn Egypt Alamein Memorial
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Sgt. Kenneth Martin Tuck 70 Squadron (d.5th Mar 1942) Kenneth Tuck was the son of Alfred Osman Tuck and Agnes Tuck of West Hampstead, London. He is commemorated at the Alamein Memorial in Egypt.
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Flt.Sgt. Clifford James Gascoyne 70 Squadron (d.30th January 1943) Clifford Gascoyne was my my mother's sister's fiance.
My first recollection of Cliff Gascoyne was that, at a very young age, my mother, Peggy Easter, made me aware of him. She told me that Cliff had been engaged to my mothers sister (my Auntie Vera - Vera Kathleen Walker) and had been killed during the 2nd World War. He had been one of the crew of 6 including the pilot Flt Lt B H McMichael in a Wellington bomber. The aircraft had taken off from Egypt on a mission to Catania in Italy
Auntie Vera had kept in contact with Cliff's parents James and Dorothy after the war and I recall that every time we passed their property by car on the A127 borders of Harold Wood and Gidea Park Essex Mum would mention them.
I decided to carry out some research into Cliff and his wartime record and the following information has come to light:
It is alleged that the German Ace Fighter pilot, Hptm Horst Patuschka, was responsible for shooting the aircraft down. He died two months later in an aircraft crash in Tunis.
Cliff was buried in a cemetery in El Alamein.
I found a reference book with a mention of Cliff and the plane being shot down. The Wellingtons reference number was 1C DV484 Q according to
"A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945" by Christopher Shores, Giovanni Massimello.
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WO. Jack William Langley 70 Squadron (d.12th October 1944) Jack Langley was my great uncle. During family history research, I discovered the above information. I always knew there was a relative who fought in the war, but my grandmother didn't speak about him. He was living in Ingham and served with in 70 Squadron. He was killed in Italy during a flying battle. His plaque is at the Padua War Cemetery and at the war memorial in Canberra. I am now very keen to read more about the 70 Squadron.
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Sgt. Victor John Morgan 70 Sqdn. (d.7th November 1940) Pilot Victor John Morgan was the son of Alfred Percy and Ethel Morgan, of Sheldon, Birmingham.
He was 24 when he died. He is buried in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery in Albania.
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Sgt. Wilfred Ellam 70th Sqd. (d.7th Nov 1940) Sgt. Wilfred Ellam was the son of Alma Thomas Ellam and Theresa Ellam, of Sheffield; husband of Nellie Ellam, of Grimesthorpe, Sheffield.
He was 23 when he died and is buried in the TIRANA PARK MEMORIAL CEMETERY in Albania.
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Sgt. George Newcombe Brooks 70 Squadron (d.7th Nov 1940) George Brooks was the son of Ernest B. Brooks and Ethel May Brooks, of South Croydon, Surrey.
He was aged 24 when he died and is buried in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery in Albania.
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WO. Philip Henry "Tubby" Gaunt 49 Squadron My late father, Tubby Gaunt flew with 49 Sqn. completing his first tour on Hampdens, out of Scampton, 1941 & 42, as wireless op air gunner, having trained in South Africa to be a pilot. Gaining his wings he moved on to Wellingtons at Foggia, with 37 & 70 Sqns.
After 23 operations, he iced up and force landed in Gorski Kotar. He and all his crew were safe and fairly sound, where they were helped by Titos partisans, and repatriated back to Tortorella, then back to Liverpool by troop ship. It was late April 1942, and thinking he had done his bit, they demobbed him in November 1945.
Starting in 1939 having a forced landing at Manston, and a little while later a mid air collision with a Lancaster, later to survive his crash in the mountains of Gorski Kotar, Croatia as it is now, he lived a charmed life indeed.
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