I encourage anyone
that has more information (Flight Log Book entries) or photos on 112
Squadron please send an e-mail to
[email protected] before the
history is lost.
RAF 112 Squadron Photos 1940
K8087
Looks like a Fairy Gordon ( its not see update) possibly the one Sgt Charles John
Wilson Tait, 565362, RAF
and LAC G R McLennan, 539503, RAF,
Drogue Towing Flight,
nosed over on a force landing on an island in the Nile, Tait
ok McLennan broke his wrist 14/01/40. Note the wheel spats covering the
forward landing wheels not something very often seen on desert aircraft as they
tended to get packed with sand and prevented the wheel from turning freely. They
also had a tendency to "nose" into the sand flipping the plane over as
this one is. This might have aided in this planes turning over. Also in the
foreground a very large diameter rope could it have been used for drogue towing?
Sent
in by Peter Izzard, Grandson of ground crew member Arthur Master
Update
on above photo via RAF
Commands Forum member DaveW
Rob
the a/c in the
photograph is a Vildebeest IV, K8087 of 45 Squadron. It swung on landing and
overturned at Ismailia 27/03/39. I suggest that the rope is laid out ready to
right the a/c as it was apparently repaired and not struck off until Feb 1940
regards
DaveW
more from the
internet Vickers
Vildebeest IV: Vickers Type 286. 825 hp Bristol Pegasus VIII. Two-seat
torpedo-bomber. Eighteen built for RAF; found unsuitable for overseas use
through engine overheating
Vickers
Valentia, KR1313 coded Z, possibly
one of the 2 Valentia used by LXX (70) Sqdn,
that transferred the
ground crew for RAF 112 Sqdn "K" Flight, to Summit
on or about 2 June 1940.
The
outbreak of World War 2 found LXX Sqdn
equipped with the Vickers Valentia
in
Nov 1935 until Sep 1940 and stationed at Helwan in Egypt.
Sent
in by Peter Izzard, Grandson of RAF 112 Sqdn ground crew member Arthur Master
Members of "A" Flight in Greece left to right Fg Off
Douglas
Gordon Haig MacDonald, 42316,
RAF, Fg Off Neville "Bowks" Bowker, NCO
779035, Fg Off Ephraim
Hugh
"Brownie" Brown, 41777, RAF, Pilot Officer Jack
Lawson "Tack" Groves, 42305, RAF, Plt Off Richard
Alvin
"Acky" Ackworth, 40486, RAF and Pilot Officer Henry
Willesly
"Jerry" Harrison, 40910, RAF
20 November 1940, left to right Flt Lt Richard
James
Abrahams, Plt Off Alfred R Costello, Plt Off Leonard
Lawrence ‘Len
Bartley, Fg Off R
J
Bennet and Sgt George
Millar 'Paddy'
Donaldson, Publicity photo Ackworth was on leave so is missing from the picture
20 November 1940
The
Gladiator might be L7620 RT C not confirmed
Rare colour picture showing two Fiat CR.32s
of 94a Squadriglia, 8o Gruppo Caccia in early 1940 at Castel Benito, Libya.
Gladiator
L7619 coded in 33 Sqdn letters (reversed) TN. The letters TN where later placed
before the roundel.
Also
the TN letters suggest late 1939 to mid 1940 for photo dating.
At
04.30 on 29 June 1940, Pilot
Officer Jack Hamlyn, of ‘B’ Flight, RAF 112 Sqdn, took off from
Port Sudan in Gladiator L7619 to intercept enemy aircraft. Five miles south at
4500 feet he spotted an approaching Italian tri-motor 3000 feet above. He
climbed and delivered a quarter attack, followed by a tail chase, by which time
he had identified the machine as an SM.81. The bomber dived down to 4500 feet
but after Hamlyn had fired about 1000 round from a very close range the enemy
aircraft swung to starboard and exploded, falling in flames into the Red Sea.
Parts of the SM.81 damaged the Gladiator's windscreen, airscrew and ring and
bead sight and a large piece of piping lodged itself in the engine. Later in the
day two of the crew were rescued from a coral reef just off the coast and one
turned out to be the Commanding Officer of the10a Squadriglia of the
28o Gruppo B.T., Capitano Umberto Barone, the only of 12 machines to
reach the target.
This was 112 Squadron's first victory in the Second World War
Gladiator
K7977 in service with 87 Sqdn when photo was taken
112
Sqdn "B"
Flight On Strength June 1939 Helwan, then to
To ‘K’
Flight.
( ’K’ Flight, Formed on 1 September 1940 Summit, Sudan, by
re-designating ‘B’ Flight of 112 Squadron. Disbanded 1 April 1941 at
Aqir, Palestine to become 250 Squadron)
06/11/40,
K 7977 was shot down by CR.42s in the Gallabat area; F/O J. M. Hayward,
"K" Flight KIA
George Walton McKeag
, Service No 949125,
112 Sqdn maintenance,
Enlisted ?/ 02/40
N Africa, Greece (Yannina Aerodrome) , Crete, Cyprus,.
Commissioned to RAF Regiment 26/07/43, Standing
on the Shore Line at lake Yannina.
Note
the debris in the water
Photo
contributed by his son Ian
Gladiator MK II /
N5913, 13/03/41, Flying Officer Edwin Thomas
"Teddy" Banks, RAF
40978 ,"A" Flight
Failed to recover from dive
during gunnery practice and hit Yanina lake sinking into the water,
pilot KIA (‘Teddy’ Banks, courageous &
quiet, already 3 or 4 victories, went up to test his guns on Jannina lake (sic),
an ideal target where duck could be aimed at well away from any harm.
The lake for once was dead calm, just like a mirror, dived, leveled
out, hit wheels about 300mph, turned onto back and sank in about
10 feet of water, broke neck on somersault, no effort to get out.
Buried in military cemetery full military funeral with Greek
Generals etc…coldest wait ever. (From March of the Gladiators
by J F
Fraser)
Taken
01/03/41, Paramythia, Greece, left to right Pete Brunton, Jerry Westenra,
Smithy, Bowker ?, me (Acworth)?, Browne
standing
Sgt Donaldson, "Jerry Harrison in the Standby tent, Gladiator RT-Y visible
in the background but serial number unknown at this time
Newspaper
clipping from the Acworth collection, Flt Lt Charles Horace "Digger" Fry,
40047, RAF, 267607
RAAF , standing far
right others unknown at this time
Gladiator
K7974 coded RT O with Gladiator K7969 coded RT N in the background pilot
appears to be Plt Off Leonard
Lawrence ‘Len’
( London Gazette spells 1st name Lenard) Bartley
42182 ,
POW Crete
escaped ,originally from Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada
Photo
taken sometime after 1/5/40
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