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No. 640 Squadron Royal Air Force
No 640 Squadron was formed from C Flight of No 158 Squadron, at Leconfield, on 7th January 1944. It flew Halifaxes as part of 4 Group, Bomber Command until disbanding 7th May 1945.
Airfields
No. 640 Squadron
flew from:
- RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire from 7th January 1944 (formed. Halifax III, Halifax VI)
- disbanded 7th May 1945
7th January 1944 New bomber squadron formed
16th Feb 1944 Halifax Lost
30th Mar 1944 Aircraft Lost
28th Jun 1944 Aircraft Lost
12th Sep 1944 640 Squadron Halifax lost
4 November 1944 Halifax lost
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. 640 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Amos N.. Sargent (d.4 November 1944)
- Arlow T. A.. Sargent (d.4 November 1944)
- Atkinson E. D.. Flight Sargent (d.4th November 1944)
- Cox Cecil Edward . Flt.Sgt. (d.4th Mar 1945 )
- Dawson Tom. Flt Sgt (d.31st March 1944)
- Jaques Ronald Thornley. Flt Sgt. (d.18 Apr 1945)
- Kearney Robert. Sgt. (d.24th Dec 1944)
- Lishman Archibald Rowan. Sgt. (d.18th May 1945)
- Marshall Harold William. F/Sgt. (d.21st Feb 1944)
- Marshall J.. Sargent (d.4th Noovember 1944)
- Pugh Harold Kenneth. F/O. (d.18th April 1945)
- Rheubottom . Sargent (d.4 November 1944)
- Simmonds Edward George. Sgt. (d.4th November 1944)
- Stendel Francis Ernest.
- Webster James Robert. F/Sgt.
- Wisbey DFC. James. F/Lt. (d.28th Jun 1944 )
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. 640 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 640 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2016 items tagged No. 640 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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F/Lt. James "Pip" Wisbey DFC. No.640 Squadron (d.28th Jun 1944 )      Flight Lieutenant James Wisbey DFC of No.640 Squadron, Bomber Command, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed in action on the 28th of June 1944 at the age of 23, 6 weeks after he was married.
James was the son of James and Catherine Edith Wisbey of Chingford and the husband of Brenda Walker Wisbey, also of Chingford. As a Pilot Officer, he was awarded the DFC on the 23rd May 1944. The citation reads: “This officer has completed very many sorties, including 4 attacks on Berlin and 3 on Frankfurt. He has set a fine example of devotion to duty and has invariably pressed home his attacks with great determination. One night in March, 1944, he piloted an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart. Soon after leaving base, it was discovered that the overload tank was not functioning. Nevertheless, Pilot Officer Wisbey flew on to his far distant target and made his attack. He afterwards flew safely back to this country and landed at an airfield with only sufficient petrol left for a few minutes flying. His determination was typical of that he has always shown to complete his allotted task successfully.”
On the 28th of June 1944, he was piloting a Halifax Mk.III bomber (MZ733 C8-H) which took off from RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire, at 05.27 hrs to attack the V-1 flying bomb site at Wizernes. At 08.33 hrs, as it returned from the mission, the aircraft crashed at RAF Hawkinge, Kent and burst into flames, killing all aboard. The crew are buried in their home towns across the UK. James Wisbey is buried in the Chingford Mount Cemetery, Essex.
The full crew of Halifax III MZ733 were:
- Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) James Wisbey DFC
- Pilot Officer (Nav.) George Archibald Kerruish
- Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) John Milton Kenrick
- Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber) Gordon Hunter Mckenzie Carey
- Flight Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Edward Norman Todd
- Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Stanley Clifford Butcher
- Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Edward James Percy Spink
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F/Sgt. James Robert Webster No. 640 Squadron James Webster was my granddad. I never had a chance to meet him, and he would have never known he had a grandson. My mum has provided this info from old records and paperwork that she has.
James was part of No. 640 Squadron, based at RAF Leconfield, and a crew-member aboard Halifax bombers until 1944. He was then transferred to RAF Hemswell, where he flew on Lancaster bombers.
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Sargent T. A. Arlow 640 Flight Squadron (d.4 November 1944) Air Gunner Sargent T.A. Arlow was on flight MZ 409 and was lost with all the crew on the 4th November 1944
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Sargent N. Amos 640 Flt Squadron (d.4 November 1944) Air Gunner Sargent N. Amos was on flight MZ 409 and was lost with all the crew on the 4th November 1944
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Sargent Rheubottom 640 Flight Squadron (d.4 November 1944) Rheubottom was Bomb Aimer on flight MZ409 and was lost with all the crew on the 4th November 1944.
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Sargent J. Marshall 640 Flight Squadron (d.4th Noovember 1944) J.Marshall was wireless operator on flight MZ409 and was lost with all the crew on 4th November 1944,
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Flight Sargent E. D. Atkinson 640 Squadron (d.4th November 1944) E.D. Atkinson was the Navigator on flight MZ 409 and was lost with all the crew on the 4th November 1944.
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Sgt. Edward George Simmonds 640 Squadron (d.4th November 1944) On the night of 4th of November 1944, Halifax Mk 111, MZ409 was shot down with the loss of all on board. The raid was against the industrial city of Bochum.
The crew are all interred at Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
- Pilot, F/O W.R. Beechey
- Navigator, F/Sgt E.D. Atkinson
- Wireless Operator, Sgt J. Marshall
- Flight Engineer, Sgt E.G. Simmonds
- Bomb Aimer, Sgt Rheubottom (Royal Canadian Air Force)
- Air Gunner, Sgt N. Amos
- Air Gunner, Sgt T.A. Arlow
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Flt.Sgt. Cecil Edward Cox 640 Squadron (d.4th Mar 1945 ) Cecil Cox, died on the 4th of March 1945 aged 32, a Flight Engineer with 640 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Son of Walter Edward and Gertrude Alice Cox, husband of Marjorie Cox of Tarrant Hinton. He is buried in the Church Yard of St Mary's Tarrant Hinton near Blandford Forum in Dorset.
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F/Sgt. Harold William Marshall 640 Squadron (d.21st Feb 1944) Harold Marshall initially served with 158 Squadron then transferred to 640 Squadron.
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