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- No. 105 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 105 Squadron Royal Air Force



   No. 105 Squadron, RFC, was formed in September 1917 as a bomber squadron. However it was mobilized in April 1918 as a corps reconnaissance squadron for service in Ireland. The Squadron was disbanded in 1920.

The Squadron re-formed as a bomber squadron at RAF Abingdon in 1937, and moved to Harwell for training. It was the first squadron to be equiped with Fairey Battles, and it was immediately sent with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France at the outbreak of war. In July 1940, having returned to England, 105 Squadron joined No. 2 Group flying Blenheims mostly attacking German shipping. For three months in 1941 the squadron was detached to Malta. In 1942 No 105 Squadron became the first to receive Mosquitoes, and subsequently joined the Pathfinder force in Summer 1943.

Airfields at which No. 105 Squadron were based:

  • Harwell until 3rd September 1939
  • Rheims 3rd-12th September 1939
  • Villeneuve les Vertus, France 12th September 1939 to 16th May 1940
    • Perpignan/La Salanque Feb 1940 (detachment)
  • Echemines, France 16th - 20th May 1940
    • Villeneuve May 1940 (detachment)
  • Nantes/Bougenais, France 22nd May 1940 to 14th June 1940
  • Honington 14th June 1940 to 10th July 1940
  • Watton 10th July 1940 to 31st October 1940
  • Swanton Morley 31st October 1940 to 8th Dec 1941
    • St Eval March 1941 (detachment)
    • Lossiemouth mid-April to 21st May 1941 (detachment)
    • Luqa, Malta 28th July to 11th October 1941 (detachment)
  • Horsham St. Faith 8th December 1941 to 28th September 1942
    • Leuchars September 1942 (detachment)
  • Marham 28th September 1942 to 23rd March 1944
  • Bourn from 23rd March 1944.


 

3rd September 1939 To France

26th March 1940 Aircrew killed

31st March 1940 Airmen killed

10th May 1940 105 Squadron Battle lost

11th May 1940 Crashed on landing

12th May 1940 105 Squadron Fairey Battle lost

14th May 1940 Overwhelming losses

14th May 1940 Seven Fairey Battles lost

16th May 1940 Evacuation

22nd May 1940 Flight to the west

14th June 1940  Back to Britain

10th July 1940 Re-equipped

31st October 1940 Relocated

17th Nov 1940 105 Squadron Blemheim lost

27th Nov 1940 105 Squadron Blenheim lost

1st Mar 1941 105 Squadron Blenheim lost

21st Mar 1941 Blenheim Lost

23rd Mar 1941 Bomber Command on Ops

17th Apr 1941 Eleven Aircraft Lost

23rd Apr 1941 Blenheim Lost

25th Apr 1941 Aircraft Lost

1st May 1941 Aircraft Lost

8th May 1941 Aircraft Lost

25th May 1941 Aircraft Lost

7th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost

15th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost

20th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost

4th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

4th July 1941 VC awarded

7th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

19th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost

28th July 1941 Move to Malta

1st August 1941 Blenheim shot down

11th August 1941 Forced landing

15th August 1941 Two Blenheims lost

26th August 1941  Blenheim lost

28th August 1941 Move to the Mediterranean

9 September 1941 Pilot's Award announced in London

11th September 1941 Italian Convoy attacked

12th September 1941 Italian convoy attacked

17th September 1941 Schooner sunk: two Blenheims lost

22nd September 1941 Mid-air collision

25th September 1941 Routine attacks

27th September 1941 Maritime duties

11th October 1941 Return to Britain

8th December 1941 On the move

30th May 1942 1000 Bomber Raid

31st May 1942 First Mosquito mission

1st June 1942  105 Squadron Mosquito lost

2nd July 1942  Mosquito shot down

25th August 1942 Evaded Capture

25th September 1942 Oslo Raid

28th September 1942 Relocated

13th November 1942 Mosquito shot down

6th December 1942 Precision bombing

8th Dec 1942 105 Squadron Mosquito lost

31st December 1942 Oboe trial bombing raids

30th January 1943 Goering attacked in Berlin

26th February 1943 Mid-air collision

27th February 1943 Structural failure

1st June 1943 New duties

10th July 1943 Oboe position locator deployed

25th Jul 1943 Aircraft Lost

23rd March 1944 New base

6th June 1944 Gun sites marked

7th July 1944 Secret equipment retrieved

17th September 1944  Mid-air collision and explosion

18th December 1944 New Pathfinder Squadron formed

23rd March 1945 Crossing the Rhine

April 1945 Operation Manna

3rd May 1945 Last mission


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. 105 Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Beckingham William Donald. WCdr.
  • Cox Ronald Harry. Sgt. (d.27th Jan 1943)
  • Phillips John Douglas. F/O. (d.12th December 1943)
  • Plunkett DFC. Ronald Wilson. F/Lt
  • Reynolds Benjamin Frank. F/O. (d.12th December 1943)
  • Wood DFC & Bar. Alistair McKenzie.

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. 105 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 105 Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2070 items tagged No. 105 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.


F/Lt Ronald Wilson "Jock" Plunkett DFC. 105 Squadron

Ronald Plunkett flew 86 missions.

Alexander Plunkett



Alistair McKenzie Wood DFC & Bar. 76 Squadron

At the time of writing (July 2018) Alistair is still alive and living in California with his wife. He is also survived by his youngest sister, my wife. All five of the siblings were born in Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland and moved to Glasgow about 1929 or 1930. Their father and grandfather were both fish curers in Cullen.

We think his log book is still in the family but if not, I have a scanned each of page in colour as a record of his war service. Alistair was navigator for P/O Elder in 76 Squadron and had to bale out 27th/28th of July 1943 over Shipdham, Norfolk after a raid to Hamburg. He also served with 105 Squadron.

Brian Knights



F/O. Benjamin Frank Reynolds 105 Squadron (d.12th December 1943)

Flying Officer (Pilot) Benjamin Reynolds was the son of Frank and Dorothy Reynolds, husband of Kathleen Brenda Reynolds of Cambridge. He was 21 when his plane was shot down by German flak. He is buried in the Herwijnen General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands.

S Flynn



F/O. John Douglas Phillips 105 Squadron (d.12th December 1943)

Flying Officer (Navigator) John Phillips was the Son of Vernon Cheveley Phillips and Frances Wylie Phillips of Wickford, Essex. He was 21 when his plane was shot down by German flak. He is buried in the Herwijnen General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands.

S Flynn



Sgt. Ronald Harry Cox 105 Squadon (d.27th Jan 1943)

Sergeant (Observer) Ronald Cox is buried in a joint grave in the Tveje-Merlose Churchyard in Denmark.

S Flynn







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