Air Force Index

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No. 39 Squadron Royal Air Force    39 Squadron was originally formed on 29th January 1916 as No.19 Training Squadron at Hounslow, but renumbered as 39 (Home Defence) Squadron on 15th April 1916 with HQ at Woodford and detachments around the London area. In October 1918 it gave up its Home Defence role and was sent to France, but too late to see any action. It was disbanded in 1918. In 1919, No. 37 Squadron was re-numbered 39. Like 39, No.37 had been a Home Defence Squadron throughout WW1, based in Essex. The newly designated 39 Squadron transferred to India in December 1928 and was deployed in patrols on the North-West Frontier. It was re-equipped as a light bomber force with Blenheims in August 1939, following which the squadron transferred to Singapore to provide air defence. Bases from which 39 Squadron operated during WW2: August-September 1939: Tengah (Singapore) September 1939-April 1940: Kallang (Singapore) April-May 1940: Lahore (Pakistan) May 1940: Heliopolis (Egypt) May-December 1940: Sheikh Othman (Aden) December 1940-January 1941: Helwan (Egypt) January-March 1941: Heliopolis March-May 1941: Shandur May-October 1941: Wadi Natrun October-December 1941: Ikingi Maryut December 1941-July 1942: Shandur (Egypt) March-July 1942 detachment to Luqa (Malta) August-October 1942: Luqa October 1942: Shallufa (Egypt) November 1942-June 1943: Luqa February-June 1943: detachment to Gianaclis June 1943: Protville II (Tunisia) June 1943: detachment to L.G.224 (Egypt) June-October 1943: Protville II October-November 1943: Sidi Amor November 1943-February 1944: Reghaia (Algeria) February-July 1944: Alghero (Sardinia) July 1944-June 1945: Biferno (Italy) December 1944-January 1945: Detachment to Hassani (Athens)   May 1940 Move to Middle East 28th June 1940 Attack Made January 1941 Maritime role 29th July 1941 Aircraft Lost August 1941 New Aircraft 2nd Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost 26th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost 23rd Jan 1942 Torpedo Attack 28th January 1942 Troop ship sunk March 1942 Detachment March 1942 Defence 14th April 1942 Aircraft Lost 15th June 1942 Italian convoy attacked 18th June 1942 Squadron Departs 23rd June 1942 Convoy attacked 20th Aug 1942 Aircraft Lost 20th August 1942 Aircraft shot down 24th Aug 1942 Aircraft shot down 26th August 1942 Reorganisation 27th August 1942 Ship sunk 29th August 1942 Tanker destroyed 6th Sept 1942 Convoy attacked 22nd Sept 1942 Mid-air collision 23rd Sept 1942  Aircraft Lost October 1942 Rest 26th Oct 1942 Battle of El Alamein 6th November 1942 Bomber force for Malta 8th Nov 1942 Operation Torch 29th Nov 1942 Minelaying 30th Nov 1942 Aircraft Lost 3rd March 1943 Aircraft Lost 15th May 1943 Aircraft Lost June 1943 Squadron Departure September 1943 Anti-shipping Wing formed Feb 1944 Move July 1944 New Targets October 1944 New Operations 7th February 1945 Training May 1945 Operations 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. 39 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Dawson Richard John Secord . (d.24th Feb1943) Fitzpatrick Edward. Martin William Charles Percival. WO. 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. 39 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 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. 16th Jan 2025 - 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 265273 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 FAQs 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. 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. 39 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2039 items tagged No. 39 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. Edward Fitzpatrick 39 Squadron My late father, Edward Fitzpatrick served with 39 Squadron in WW2. Mike Fitzpatrick Add to this record. WO. William Charles Percival Martin 39 Squadron The following are the first few paragraphs of a book written by Bill Martin. Spring 1945 The Long March. A long ragged column of men plodded wearily eastwards across the Heath of Luneberg. It was early spring of 1945 and the weather was unusually kind and generous. Apart from a few streaks of cirrus, the sky was incredibly blue. A warm breeze fanned their faces as they struggled on. Two days ago, half a dozen of these columns had left the prison camp at Fallingbostel, each one taking a different route but all heading in the same general direction, away from the war front, which was moving with mercurial speed as the shattered remnants of the German divisions fell back. Since leaving the Stalag the men had not been issued with any food, they had depended on coming across earth-covered mounds of potatoes or mangold-wurzels. Since these comprised their staple diet for years a few more days or weeks was not going to do much harm. And so, they lived off the land like hordes of locusts. Alison Waterhouse Add to this record. Richard John Secord Dawson 39th Sqn Bomber Command (d.24th Feb1943) Richard John Secord Dawson was killed on thne 24th Feb 1943. He was a friend of my Uncle Jack Pearson RAF who survived the war,but who has since died. My auntie who is in her nineties seems to think Dawson had a wife and children but her memory is fading. I am looking for descendants, any information would be gratefully received as I would like to make contact. Linda Campbell Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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