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No. 66 Squadron, Royal Air Force
A second Spitfire Squadron No 66 Squadron was formed at Filton in 1916 and moved to France in March 1917 as a fighter unit. In November 1917 it was sent to Italy to engage with the Austrian front. In March 1919 it returned to the UK where it disbanded in October 1919.
On 20 July 1936 No 66 Squadron was reformed at Duxford from C Flight of No 19 Squadron. In November 1938 its Gauntlets were replaced and 66 Squadron was re-equipped, becoming the second squadron to be equipped with Spitfires.
The Squadron was engaged in the defence of troops withdrawing from Dunkirk, took part in the Battle of Britain and served over all of Britain in defence and attack roles. Equipped as a fighter-bomber, it moved into occupied Europe after D-Day. Airfields No. 66 Squadron flew from:
- RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire from 3rd September 1939
- RAF Horsham St. Faith, Norfolk from 16th May 1940
- RAF Coltishall, Norfolk from 29th May 1940
- RAF Kenley, Surrey from 3rd September 1940
- RAF Gravesend, Kent from 10th September 1940
- RAF West Malling, Kent from 30th October 1940
- RAF Biggan Hill, Kent from 7th November 1940
- RAF Exeter, Devon from 24th February 1941
- RAF Perranporth, Cornwall from 27th April 1941
- RAF Portreath, Cornwall from 14th December 1941
- RAF Ibsley, Hampshire from 27th April 1942
- RAF Tangmere, Sussex from 3rd July 1942
- RAF Ibsley from 7th July 1942
- RAF Tangmere from 16 August 1942
- RAF Ibsley from 20th August 1942
- RAF Zeals, Wiltshire from 24th August 1942
- RAF Ibsley from 23rd December 1942
- RAF Skeabrae, Orkney from 9th February 1943
- RAF Church Stanton, Somerset from 28th June 1943
- RAF Redhill, Surrey from 10th August 1943
- RAF Kenley, Surrey from 13th August 1943
- RAF Perranporth, Cornwall from 17th September 1943
- RAF Hornchurch, Essex from 8th November 1943
- RAF Llanbedr, Merioneth from 22nd February 1944
- RAF North Weald, Essex from 1st March 1944
- RAF Bognor, Sussex from 31st March 1944
- RAF Castletown, Caithness from 8th May 1944
- RAF Bognor from 14th May 1944
- RAF Tangmere, Sussex from 22nd June 1944
- RAF Funtington, Sussex from 6th August 1944
- RAF Ford, Sussex from 12th August 1944
- B16 Villonsles Buissons, France from August 1944
- B33 Camp Neuseville, France September 1944
- B57 Lille/ Wambrechies, France October 1944
- B60 Grimbergen, NL, December 1944
- B79 Woensdrecht, NL December 1944
- RAF Fairwood Common, Glamorganshire from 20th February 1945
- B85 Schijndel from March 1945
- B105 Twente April 1945 (disbanded 30th April 1945)
A second Spitfire Squadron
12th Sep 1939 Postings
25th April 1940 On patrol
12th May 1940 Sweep over the Netherlands
13th May 1940 Dogfight over Holland
16th May 1940 Relocated
28th May 1940 Pilot lost
29th May 1940 Relocated
2nd June 1940 Spitfire shot down
10th July 1940 Battle of Britain begins
29th July 1940 Battle of Britain
19th August 1940 Airfields attacked
3rd September 1940 Move
4th September 1940 Battle of Britain
5th September 1940 Battle of Britain
7th Sept 1940 Battle of Britain
9th Sept 1940 London Blitz begins
11th Sept 1940 Relocated
14th Sept 1940 Battle of Britain
15th Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day
18th Sept 1940 London bombed
27th Sep 1940 Aircraft Downed
8th October 1940 Reconnaissance flight formed
30th Oct 1940 Squadron moved
24th February 1941 Sent west
27th April 1941 Move
2nd June 1941 Readiness
4th July 1941 Shipping strike role
12th August 1941 Attack on Cologne
20th August 1941 German aerodrome bombed
21st August 1941 Bomber escort
20th September 1941 Escort duties
12th October 1941 Shipping sighted
25th Nov 1941 Operations
24th March 1942 Mid-air collision
19th Aug 1942 Dieppe Raid
9th February 1943 Move to Orkney
28th June 1943 New role
30th July 1943 Mid-air collision over Dunkirk
10th August 1943 Relocated
17th Sept 1943 Training Exercises
12th May 1944 Reorganisation
6th June 1944 Invasion
6th June 1944 D-Day sorties
August 1944 Into France
September 1944 Advance
20th Feb 1945 Recuperation
10th March 1945 Move
30th April 1945 Squadron disbanded
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Want to know more about No. 66 Squadron, Royal Air Force? There are:2046 items tagged No. 66 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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Flt.Lt. John Edward Brunner DFC. 66 Squadron Jack Brunner served with 66 Squadron.
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Sgt. Arthur Dumbell Smith RAF Kenley 66 Sqdn. (d.6th September 1940) Sgt Arthur Smith bailed out wounded during combat on 4th September and died in hospital of his wounds on the 6th.
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Sgt. John Mather 66 Squadron (d.27th Oct 1940) After extensive research a group of us who live locally are organising a tribute to Johnny Mather who crashed on Sunday 27th October 1940. Local artist, Malcolm Pettit, who actually retrieved the crashed Spitfire remains in the 1970s and filmed the removal of the engine, had created a painting of the incident using maps and photos of the period. Johnny is pictured heading down vertically towards the village of Hildenborough, Nr Tonbridge Kent while his leader circles his plane calling out his call sign. Unfortunately he did not recover and crashed behind the Half Moon public house. His body was recovered at the time and is buried at Ifield cemetery. The painting which has now been reproduced onto prints and also contains photos of Johnny being presented to the King, and various members of his squadron will be unveiled on a permanent wall in the Half Moon public house. A fly past of a Spitfire piloted by Peter Monk is also being arranged.
There has always been a mystery about his death, as some locals heard gunfire shortly before his plane dived into the ground. Official records put it down to oxygen failure.
What we require, if possible, is to see if we can find a survivor of that period, whether it be ground crew or what to unveil the plaque and picture. Many thanks and hope to hear something favourable
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