The Wartime Memories Project

- RAF Tain during the Second World War -


Airfields 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

RAF Tain



October 1941 Detachment

31st March 1942 Second Attack on the Tirpitz

31st March 1942 Lost at sea

April 1942 Dispatched to the Middle East

27th April 1942 Third Attack on the Tirpitz

28th April 1942 Fourth Attack on the Tirpitz

8th April 1943 Move to Tain

15th June 1943 Move to N Africa

9th July 1943 Detachment relocated

15th August 1943 Return to Scotland

20th October 1943 Move north

7th January 1944 Relocated and new C.O.

11th January 1944 Training programme

1st February 1944 Crashed at sea

19th February 1944 Postings

25th February 1944 New pilots arrive in time for move

26th February 1944 Move delayed

27th February 1944 Heavy snow disrupts move

1st March 1944 Relocated and re-equipped

5th March 1944 Detachments

25th May 1944 D-Day preparations

25th June 1944 Move to Scotland

30th June 1944 U-Boat sunk

10th June 1945 Transport Command


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



Those known to have served at

RAF Tain

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Earl Raymond Patrick. Pilot Officer (d.26/27 September 1940)
  • Ker James Henry Maxwell. Sgt. (d.11th March 1943)
  • Wingate Monica Fenton. Sect.Off.

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



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.
  • 27th 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 264001 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 RAF Tain?


There are:23 items tagged RAF Tain 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.


Pilot Officer Raymond Patrick Earl (d.26/27 September 1940)

Raymond Patrick Earl was born in Australia and was my uncle. He resigned from the Astralian Navy and went to England to join the RAF and flew during the Battle of Britain.

His final mission was to bomb two targets, the main target was the battleship Scharnhorst in the harbour of Kiel. His aircraft was the only one not to return and his body was washed up in Sweden 2 months later. He is now buried in the Kviberg Cemetery Gothenburg. He was only 23 years old.

Marise McNamara



Sgt. James Henry Maxwell "Jack" Ker 415 Squadron (d.11th March 1943)

Jack Ker served with 415 Squadron. A letter reads "Concerning the loss of your uncle, the Squadron record reports that: Nine aircraft (Hampdens) were airborne Tain for a strike on a surface vessel off the Norwegian coast. Three unidentified aircraft were spotted by coastal radar as they proceeded. One of the crews spotted a fully surfaced submarine, course 220 at 15 knots. No surface shipping was sighted. The weather was not good with frequent rain and hail, and some icing".

Unfortunately I do not have a copy of the attack report. We do know that five of the aircraft were diverted to Dyce (now the Aberdeen airport). One aircraft had lost rudder control and made an early return to Tain. Another aircraft returned to Tain with engine troubles. Unfortunately the Reigate crew was reported missing" and presumed lost. It would seem that Jack was on the Squadron when they were presented the Crest and motto: Ad Metam, To the Mark. This occurred on 23rd of January 1943. After reviewing Squadron records, I assume that Jack joined the Squadron in January 1943.

David Ker



Sect.Off. Monica Fenton "Nicky" Wingate

WAAF Section Officers, Monica Wingate is bottom right

My Grandmother, Monica Wingate, joined the WAAF on 8th September 1939 as an ACW 2 (Aircraftswoman 2) at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire for initial training and trade training as a plotter. 21st January 1940 posted to Leighton Buzzard, Beds for further training as a plotter. On the 27th of January 1940 she was posted to RAF Biggin Hill, Kent. Promoted to ACW 1 on 1st May 1940 and Acting Corporal on 1st October 1940. On the 19th of November she was posted to RAF St Eval, Cornwall. From the 25th May 1941 to 21st June 1941 she attended Course No.79 at Oxford. This course tested suitability for Code and Cypher work and as she was successful my Grandmother was awarded a Commission. What type of work she was to undertake is not clear at present. On the 20th June 1941 Commissioned as an Assistant Section Officer (Service No. 2157). From 23rd June 1941 to 28th June 1941she was at No.1 WAAF's Depot and attended a course at Gerards Cross, London as to how to keep WAAF`s in order.

All of my Grandmother`s duties from now on were in Code & Cypher work. 29th June 1941 she joined HQ 14 Group. On the 22nd July 1941 she was posted to RAF Peterhead in North East Scotland, aFighter Station. Monica was one of the first residents there. On 5th January 1942 she moved to RAF Tain near Thurso, a Fighter Station, she was Appointed Section Officer on 21st of June 1942. On 25th October 1942 she moved to RAF Hurn near Bournemouth, Hants. and on 5th June 1943 was posted to RAF Hurn and transferred to 38 Group Airborne Forces. Activities of 38 Group were towing of gliders and dropping of parachutists. From 3rd November 1943 to 14th November 1943 she was detached on course to W.O.S Windemere in the Lake District. Then on 25th November 1943 she moved to RAF Ringway near Manchester, 38 Group. No.1 Parachutists School. On the 21st of February 1945 she moved to RAF Rivenhall near Witham in Essex with 38 Group. Here she met my Grandfather, Squadron Leader William Henry Edwards DFC. On the 17th May 1945 they were married in St Nicholas Church in Witham, Essex. On 14th October 1945 she resigned her Commission and left WAAF Service.

It is still unclear what my Grandmother's duties were in Code and Cypher. On the few occasions she spoke about her war service she expressed that they were some of the best times of her life. Many friends were made, lost and extremely difficult times were had. My Grandmother always said that if she had her time all over again and had option to delete her war service, she most definitely would not and is rightly proud of her achievements.

Ross Edwards







Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.



Children in Wartime

Ian MacDonald


Make a model of an Anderson Shelter; investigate materials for blackout curtains; try out real war-time recipes. These are just some of the exciting activities in this comprehensive and creative curriculum resource book about World War Two Britain. With teaching units on Evacuation, Rationing, the Blitz and the Battle of Britain, Children in Wartime has everything teachers could possibly need to teach about life on the Home Front. Packed with cross-curricular lesson plans, ideas and activities in every subject from Art and English to Science and Technology, Children in Wartime is a resource book which brings history to life in every classroom. Ian MacDonald has written a number of books for schools. He was previously Deputy Head in a large Primary school in the South East, but now spends his time writing and visiting schools, inspiring young writers in the classroom. Children in Wartime is the result of his own first-hand experience of teaching the Second World War to 10 and 11 year
More information on:

Children in Wartime




World War II (Who? What? When?)

Bob Fowke


'We loved this series. Really good, easy-to-use, exciting reference books, but the size and appearance of a novel. Topics and themes are covered in alphabetical order and there's a simple cross-referencing system which is really easy to use. A good, fascinating selection of information and facts that can be dipped into; helpful and clear 'how to read this book' explanation at the front, and glossary of terms and index at the back. Great, eye-catching covers.' -- The Guide to Literacy Resources 2003 'The series covers eras closely linked to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's key stage 2 units. They approach history through the humorous, gruesome facts that KS2 pupils love to know. The cartoons and informal style make them suitable for independent reading - an unsuspecting way of learning about the past.' -- TES Teacher 20030613 'a very accessible reference book.' -- Primary Times 20030331 Product Description As the title implies, the book provides information on the key peo







Links


















    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.