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- No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force



   No. 540 Squadron was formed on 19 October 1942 from H and L Flights of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, at Leuchars in Coastal Command. The 540's Mosquitoes carried out reconnaissance missions over Norway and a detachment at Benson undertook similar flights over France and Italy. No 540 Squadron was disbanded on 30 September 1946 and reformed after the war.

Airfields at which No.540 Squadron were based:

  • Leuchars. 19 Oct 1942 to Feb 1944
  • Benson. 19 Oct 1942 to Mar 1945
  • Coulomiers France Mar 1945
  • North Front Gibraltar Oct 1942. Detachment. Left Mar 1945.
  • Lossiemouth Morayshire Feb 1944 Detachment. Left Mar 1945.
  • Dyce Aberdeenshire Feb 1944 Detachment. left 14 Apr 1944.
  • Yagodnik Russia Sep 1944 Detachment. Left Mar 1945.
  • Agadir Sep 1945 Detachment. Left Mar 1945


 


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Those known to have served with

No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Assheton DFC. William Radcliffe. F/Lt.
  • Carter Lesley. LAC.
  • Clark Thomas. F/O
  • Ellis Tom. Cpl
  • Foreman DFC Douglas Montague. Squadron Leader (d.13th Jan 1943)
  • Gill William. SAC.
  • Haney Robert Shirley. F/O (d.26th October 1943)
  • Lenton MC DFC Reginald Arthur. Sq. Ldr. (d.25th October 1943)
  • Mann Geoffrey Edward. F/O (d.16th July 1943)
  • Nelson Wilfred. F/O (d.28th March 1943)
  • Nelson Wilfred. P/O. (d.28th March 1943)
  • Shepherd Reginald Bernard. Flt Sgt. (d.14th May 1943)
  • Watson George. Sqd.Ldr.

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. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:1999 items tagged No. 540 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.


Squadron Leader Douglas Montague Foreman DFC 7 Squadron (d.13th Jan 1943)

I am posting this message on your web site in the hope that someone can tell me about a fatal crash of Squadron Leader Foreman, DFC, who was killed at RAF Benson on 13th January 1943. He was a friend of my father, the late Flight Lieutenant A Seymour, who lost his life in November 1943 with 7 Squadron. I think he lived at Chelmsford before the war.

Douglas Seymour



P/O. Wilfred Nelson 540 Squadron (d.28th March 1943)

Wilfred Nelson was shot down over Trondheim Fiord by a fighter whilst on a photo recce mission to find the Tirpitz Battle Cruiser.

John Pollitt



F/Lt. William Radcliffe Assheton DFC. 222 Squadron

William Assheton was born on 12th December 1917 in Kent and attended Sherborne School in Dorset. He went on to study Electrical Engineering at Jesus College, Cambridge but before completing his degree he joined the RAF on a short service commission in early 1939.

He was posted to 222 Squadron at Duxford in early November. In August 1940 the squadron was at Hornchurch when the Battle of Britain began. On the 30th Assheton crash-landed at Bekesbourne Aerodrome in Spitfire R6720 after combat over Canterbury. On 11th September he made a forced-landing on Parsonage Farm, Fletching, in Spitfire R6638, after an action over the Maidstone area Assheton's third escape came on 20th September when he baled out with slight burns, after being shot down in a surprise attack by Me109's over the Thames Estuary. He landed at Latchington and was admitted to St. Peter's Hospital, Maldon. His Spitfire, K9993, crashed and burned out at Linkhouse Farm, West Hanningfield. In 1945 Assheton was awarded the DFC (gazetted 10th April 1945) for service with 540 Squadron, a Mosquito photographic-reconnaissance unit.

He remained in the RAF after the war, graduated from the RAF Staff College and retired on 22nd November 1957 as a Squadron Leader. He then moved to Spain where he died in November 2009.

Steve Gould



F/O Wilfred Nelson 540 Squadron (d.28th March 1943)

Wilfred Nelson was shot down on a Photo Reconnaissance mission over Trondheim Ffiord, Norway. Unfortunately, he went down with his aircraft a Mosquito twin engine Bomber.

John Pollitt



Cpl Tom Ellis 540 Squadron

Tom Ellis was stationed throughout the UK and Europe during his service as a Metrologist in the RAF. Bases included: Gibraltar, Marston Moor, Leeming, Benson and Coulomier with 540 Squadron. VE Day was spent in Paris with Wing Cdr Ball and others from the Squadron.

On leaving the RAF in 1946, he attended Leeds University where he achieved a BA (Hon) and went into teaching. Retiring as Headteacher of a large comprehensive school in Scunthorpe in 1985. Enjoying a quiet retirement, he is a keen aircraft historian and prodigious reader of aircraft history books.

Jonathan Ellis



SAC. William Gill 210 Squadron

RAF Blida

Bill Gill was my father, he was Assigned to Coastal Command 210 Squadron, then off to 1PRU and 540 Squadron at Station Benson in the early days of Photo Reconnaissance. He was posted after 1PDC to 156 Maintenance Unit, Northwest Africa Aircraft Repair Unit as a Senior Aircraftsman. I was 14yrs when he passed in May 1969 and I am now tracing his WWII experiences. His War Record states he was a Commercial Photographer in Civilian Life, Glasgow, Scotland.

Kenneth J. Gill



F/O Robert Shirley Haney 540 Sqdn. (d.26th October 1943)

F/O Haney was killed on 26th October 1943 and is commemorated on Panel 124 of the Runnymede Memorial.

Joanne



F/O Geoffrey Edward Mann 540 Sqdn. (d.16th July 1943)

F/O Mann served with 540 Squadron. He was killed in action on 16th July 1943 and is buried in Milan War Cemetery, Joint Grave III.B.12.




Sq. Ldr. Reginald Arthur Lenton MC DFC 540 Sqdn. (d.25th October 1943)

Squadron Leader Lenton of 540 Squadron died on a mission on 25th October 1943.

Joane



LAC. Lesley Carter 540 Squadron.

My brother, 921542 L.A.C. Lesley Carter, served with 540 Squadron at Wick. Before he passed on he told me he was attached to a section commanded by the son of the owner of Ilford Film Co. which consisted of two Spitfires that were stripped down fitted with extra fuel tanks and a camera, he told me the Germans had nothing to touch them. He also said the Ilford Company petitioned for these special planes but were refused as production for fighters had priority so the the film company bought and paid for the equipment needed.

I am searching for other photographs of this period at Wick that I know exists. The reason I am sending these photographs is because there is no mention of Spitfires flying from that station and there must be many who would have personal photographs of this small group of men.

Geoffrey Carter







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