The Wartime Memories Project

- No. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


Air Force Index
skip to content


This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.


If you enjoy this site

please consider making a donation.




    Site Home

    WW2 Home

    Add Stories

    WW2 Search

    Library

    Help & FAQs


 WW2 Features

    Airfields

    Allied Army

    Allied Air Forces

    Allied Navy

    Axis Forces

    Home Front

    Battles

    Prisoners of War

    Allied Ships

    Women at War

    Those Who Served

    Day-by-Day

    Library

    The Great War

 Submissions

    Add Stories

    Time Capsule

    TWMP on Facebook



    Childrens Bookshop

 FAQ's

    Help & FAQs

    Glossary

    Volunteering

    Contact us

    News

    Bookshop

    About


Advertisements











World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron Royal Air Force



   No. 87 formed at Upavon on 1 September 1917. It was sent to the Western Front in April 1918 equipped with the Sopwith Dolphin. It flew fighter and ground attack operations until the end of the war and was disbanded in 1919.

87 Squadron reformed at Tangmere from members of 54 Squadron on 15 March 1937. It was equipped with the Hawker Hurricane in July 1938 and moved to RAF Debden. Airfields at which 87 Squadron were based:

  • Debden Essex 3 Sep 1939 to 9 Sep 1939. & 22 May 1940 to 24 May 1940
  • France with BEF 9 Sep 1939 to 22 May 1940
  • Church Fenton 24 May 1940 to 5 Jul 1940
  • Exeter 5 Jul 1940 to 28 Nov 1940
  • Colerne 28 Nov 1940 to 18 Dec 1940 & 7 Aug 1941 to 27 Jan 1942
  • Charmy Down 18 Dec 1940 to 7 Aug 1941 & 27 Jan 1942 to 2 Nov 1942
  • Phillipeville 2 Nov 1942


 

9th September 1939 To France

November 1939 Moved

10th May 1940 Into action

12th May 1940 Four 107 Squadron Blenheims lost

12th May 1940 Losses on Bombing missions

12th May 1940 Maastricht bridges

14th May 1940 Lost on patrol

15th May 1940 Missing

19th May 1940 Relief crew

20th May 1940  Died of wounds

22nd May 1940 Recalled to England

26th May 1940 Patrols over Belgium

1st June 1940 Withdrawn for recuperation

6th July 1940 RAF Exeter operational

11th July 1940 Bf110 fighter destroyed

26th July 1940 Night fighter success

7th August 1940 Detachment

11th August 1940  Ports and ships attacked

13th August 1940  Eagle Day

15th Aug 1940 Eagle Day

25th August 1940 Battle of Britain

15th Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day

28th November 1940 Night fighter role

18th December 1940 Moved

March 1941 Intruder missions

3rd April 1941 Friendly fire incident

7th August 1941 Relocation

27th January 1942 On the move

November 1942 To Gibraltar

April 1943 Spitfires

September 1943 To Sicily

January 1944 Sorties over the Balkans

August 1944 Fighter-bomber

9th March 1945 Mixed results from bombing

May 1945 Move


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



Logbooks



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

If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you.

View Logbook entries



Those known to have served with

No. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Badger I. J.. F/Sgt.
  • Beamont Roland.
  • Carver J. C..
  • Cock J. R..
  • Comley P. W.. P/O (d.15th Aug 1940)
  • Cowley J.. Sgt.
  • Culverwell J. H.. Sgt. (d.25th Jul 1940)
  • Darwin C. W.W.. P/O (d.7th Aug 1942)
  • David W. D..
  • DeSpirlet F. X.E.. P/O (d.26th Jun 1942)
  • Dewar DSO, DFC. J. S.. (d.12th Sep 1940)
  • Downey James. LAC
  • Gleed I. R.. F/Lt. (d.16th Apr 1943)
  • Glyde R. L.. F/O. (d.13th Aug 1940)
  • Howell F. V.. Sgt.
  • Jay D. T.. P/O (d.24th Oct 1940)
  • Lacock H. K.. F/O. (d.26th Aug 1943)
  • Lovell-Gregg T. G.L.. Sqd Ldr. (d.15th Aug 1940)
  • Malengreau R. F.G.. P/O
  • McLure A. C.R.. P/O (d.20th Jul 1942)
  • McNair DFC & Bar. Robin John.
  • Mills R. S.. F/Lt.
  • Mitchell H. T.. P/O
  • Nicholls D. B.F.. Sgt.
  • Rayner R. M.S.. F/O.
  • Roscoe G. L.. P/O (d.24th Feb 1942)
  • Tait K. W.. F/O. (d.6th Jul 1941)
  • Thomas A. H.. Sgt.
  • Thorogood L. A.. Sgt.
  • VanLierde W. E.. P/O
  • VanMentz B.. P/O
  • Voase-Jeff R.. F/Lt. (d.11th Aug 1940)
  • Wakeling S. R.E.. Sgt.
  • Walton H.. Sgt.
  • Ward D. H.. F/O. (d.17th Jun 1942)
  • Watson A. R.. P/O (d.28th Nov 1940)
  • Watson R. F.. F/O.
  • Watson R. F.. F/O.

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. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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

Announcements



  • The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
  • 22nd April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263973 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
  • Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQ's
  • The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
    If you enjoy this site

    please consider making a donation.


Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.



We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates.

If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.


Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home.

If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.





Want to know more about No. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2035 items tagged No. 87 (United Provinces) 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.


LAC James Downey 87 Squadron

I’m looking for Jimmy Downey LAC 87 Squadron who was stationed with the RAF in Palermo,Sicily during WW2 at a time when my father Giovanni (John) Palmeri who had been repatriated there, was working for the Allies in 1943/44.

My father had spent 16 years in the UK before the war as a fruit importer so he could speak English, and after Operation Husky in 1943 he worked for the Occupational Forces as an interpreter and was sent on courses to study mechanics and weaponry in order to equip him for his many roles. In his letters to my (English) mother and myself who had stayed in the UK for the duration, he often spoke of Jimmy with fondness: “I have some dear friends, particularly Jimmy Downey. He comes very often and likes fresh eggs with chips…” My father’s family of origin lived in a flat in Palermo from where he wrote: “Only the other day, I had three English boys home here. As you know, my home is like an English Recreation Home for them, and so many have been visiting us here. Very often I mention them some English food: Roast Turkey, Xmas pudding, Fillet steak and Chips, fish and chips, etc. Lager beer, Guinness etc. We all get so excited. They all say: Shut up, John...” In another letter he said: “…Sorry to tell you that my pal Jimmy Downey is sick. He is such a good fellow. I went to see him in hospital…” My father, who was a Catholic, must have asked Jimmy to write to my mother when he visited Rome. This he did, on 10 August 1944: “I am on leave this week and having a grand time. I’ve visited Rome and seen all the famous sights, including the Vatican. The Pope granted our party an audience, and spoke to each of us for several minutes, asking us where we lived in England and about our families and gave each of us his blessing. I need hardly tell you how thrilled I was. I had a very interesting hour or so in St Peter’s Church, looking at the paintings etc, it really is a wonderful place…. I had a letter from John last week. He is fine and well and sends all his love to Joan and yourself. He seems to be cheerful enough, but I know how he longs to be home again…” I am researching and writing the family history and would love to find out what happened to my father’s friend and if possible contact his family. I gather 87 Squadron was disbanded after the war. As I am housebound, I have to do research through the Internet, but have had no success in finding Jimmy Downey yet.

Giovanna Palmeri



P/O B. VanMentz 87 Squadron

P/O Van Mentz was a Belgian serving in the RAF as a pilot.




P/O W. E. VanLierde 87 Squadron

P/O Van Lierde was a Belgian serving in the RAF as a pilot.




P/O R. F.G. Malengreau 87 Squadron

P/O Malengreau was a Belgian pilot serving in the RAF




P/O F. X.E. DeSpirlet 87 Squadron (d.26th Jun 1942)

P/O DeSpirlet was a Belgian serving in the RAF as a pilot.








Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.









Links


    Suggest a link
















    The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.

    The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.

    If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.



    Hosted by:

    The Wartime Memories Project Website

    is archived for preservation by the British Library





    Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
    - All Rights Reserved

    We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.