Air Force Index

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No. 108 Squadron Royal Air Force    No 108 Squadron was formed at Stonehenge aerodrome on the 11th of November 1917. In July 1918 it went to Dunkirk and served as a day bomber unit on the Western Front until the end of hostilities. It was disbanded on 3rd July 1919. The Squadron was reformed at Upper Heyford on 4 January 1937, when 'B' Flight of No 57 Squadron was raised to squadron status. Initially flying Hinds, they were re-equiped with Blenheims in June 1938. However, in September 1939, 108 squadron joined No 2 Group and began carrying out operational training for the group. It was amalgamated with No 104 Squadron to form No 13 Operational Training Unit on 8th April 1940. No. 108 Squadron reformed on the 1st of August 1941 at Kabrit in Egypt as a night bomber squadron, equipped with Wellingtons. Operations began the following month, bombing targets in Libya and Greece. In November 1941 it operated the first few RAF Liberators to be equipped as bombers alongside the Wellingtons. The Squadron hosted a Special Flight operating under the control of the Special Operations Executive supporting partisan groups in Greece and Yugoslavia. In July 1942 the Liberators were removed and the squadron was reduced as a single flight of Wellingtons, but was disbanded on 25th December 1942. The Squadron was again reformed on the 1st of March 1943, this time as a night fighter unit, from a nucleus transferring from No 89 Squadron at Shandur, in Egypt. Equipped with Beaufighters the squadron operated over Egypt and Libya. Between June 1943 and July 1944, the squadron operated in the night intruder role from Hal Far and Luqa in Malta, also flying some Mosquito XIIs, before a short period in Syria and then going to Libya to attack targets in Greece and the Aegean area. Following the German withdrawal in October 1944, the squadron moved to Greece and took part in operations against the Communist rebels trying to take control of the country. In March 1945 it moved to Italy, where it disbanded on 25 March. Airfields No. 108 Squadron flew from: RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire from 3rd to 17th September 1939; RAF Bicester, Oxfordshire from 17th September 1939 to 8th April 1940 when it became 13 OTU. Reformed Kabrit, Egypt from 1st August 1941 to 25th December 1942 (then disbanded). Reformed Shandur, Egypt from 15th March to June 1943; Luqa, Malta from June 1943 to July 1944; Aleppo, Syria August 1944; Libya from August to October 1944; Greece from October 1944 to March 1945; Italy March 1945 (disbanded).   1st Sep 1939 Orders 2nd Sep 1939 Orders 5th Sep 1939 Dispatch 7th Sep 1939 Training 15th Sep 1939 Training 17th Sep 1939 On the Move 18th Sep 1939 On the Move 19th Sep 1939 Training 24th Sep 1939 Duties 30th Sep 1939 Strength 1st October 1939 Postings 2nd Oct 1939 Training 3rd Oct 1939 Training 4th Oct 1939 Training 5th Oct 1939 Training 10th Oct 1939 Aircraft Lost 11th Oct 1939 Postings 12th Oct 1939 Aircraft Move 13th Oct 1939 Exchange 17th Oct 1939 Training 18th Oct 1939 Training 8th April 1940 Squadrons merged to form OTU 1st August 1941 New Squadron formed in Egypt 21 November 1941 Liberators received for trials 30th December 1941 Special Operations to Greece 1st January 1942 SoE sortie to Greece aborted 3rd January 1942 Successful supplies drop in Greece 11th January 1942 Test of the Liberator 5th February 1942 Liberators successful on trial 22nd February 1942 Flying accident 25th February 1942 Non-stop flight to Egypt 3rd March 1942 Liberator flight created 4th May 1942 Bomber shot down 28th June 1942 Bomber shot down 30th June 1942 Aircraft transferred 12th July 1942 Crashed on landing 30th September 1942 Saboteurs dropped into Greece 3rd October 1942 Ditched on Special Operations 3rd November 1942 Bomb attacks on troops 15th November 1942 Squadron dispersed 10th December 1942 Ferry Flight Missing 18th December 1942 Squadron disbanded 15th March 1943 Night fighter squadron formed 3rd June 1943 Move to Malta 5th February 1944 Mosquitos deployed 26th July 1944 Move to Egypt 12th August 1944 Crashed on Test August 1944 Attacks on Greece 15th October 1944 Move to Greece 5th December 1944 Civil war in Greece 28th March Squadron disbanded in Italy 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. 108 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Aspell Everard Aloysius. Sgt. (d.3rd December 1942) Bagnall DSO DFC & Bar. Douglas Rivers. Sqn Ldr. Barlow William Thomas. (d.8th Aug 1944) Buckler Henry Wilkinson Valentine. F/Lt. Clifford Denis Frederick. F/Sgt. (d.4th May 1942) Cooper Albert Digby. Sgt. Fyfe Angus Graham. F/Lt. Graham F.. Sgt. Grain DFC. Ronald Francis. Hall A. E.. Sgt. Hunter George Albert Kitchener. Flt.Sgt. (d.28th June 1942) James G. H.. LAC Kerby Michael Joseph Stewart . Flt.Sgt. (d.12th May 1943) McRae Roderick Head. Flt.Sgt. (d.11th June 1942) Russell Henry Michael. P/O. (d.25th July 1942) Smith Harry Allman. P/O Smith Walter. Streeting George. 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. 108 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. 18th Dec 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 265120 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. 108 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2051 items tagged No. 108 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/Sgt. Denis Frederick Clifford 108 Squadron (d.4th May 1942) Denis Clifford enlisted with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and flew with 108 Squadron, he was killed when his aircraft was shot down on 4th of May 1942. His Cousin, Noel Clifford, an RAF rear-gunner was killed in an accident over Blackpool Railway Station in 1941. Denis Clifford Add to this record. Ronald Francis Grain DFC. 108 Squadron, 571 Squadron My father Ronald Grain served as an RAF pilot from 1940-45 and later as a volunteer reservist and took part in 2 tours, with 108 squadron in Egypt during 1941 and over Germany during 1944/45. He also worked as a flying instructor at Kinloss for 2.5 years in between with 571 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC at the end of the second tour. Kevin Grain Add to this record. Sgt. Albert Digby Cooper 108 Squadron Albert Cooper served with 108 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Jennifer Elliott Add to this record. P/O. Henry Michael Russell 108 Squadron (d.25th July 1942) Henry Russell is my uncle. He is buried at the Alamein Cemetry in Egypt. Howard Russell Nye Add to this record. Sgt. Everard Aloysius Aspell 108 Squadron (d.3rd December 1942) Everard Aspell was born in New Zealand of Irish parents. He enlisted with the RAF Reserve during the outbreak of war. We only found out about him recently when my brother, who lives in Sydney, Aus met up with another Everard Aspell, who is of the same family. His great great grandfather was the brother of my grandmother. Not sure of the circumstances of his death but do know he died on Malta and is buried in (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta. I will do more research and will certainly go to Malta to pay respects. Noel Ahearne Add to this record. Flt.Sgt. Michael Joseph Stewart Kerby 108 Squadron (d.12th May 1943) Michael Kerby served with 108 Squadron. Brock Kerby Add to this record. Sqn Ldr. Douglas Rivers Bagnall DSO DFC & Bar. 108 Squadron Doug Bagnall served with No. 108 Squadron, RAF. Andy Bagnall Add to this record. Walter Smith 108 Squadron Walter Smith was my father. I have photos of him on the aircraft at Luqa dated Sept 1943. Graham Smith Add to this record. William Thomas Barlow 108 Squadron (d.8th Aug 1944) We have a cup in the Bury Table Tennis League league called the Barlow Cup. The Barlow Cup is named after a man named William Barlow who died serving the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 108 Squadron in 1944 in Alexandria, Egypt. I was able to find William Thomas's grave and as such learned he had a wife named Vera and he was the son of James & Florence Barlow. The Barlow Cup was presented to the Bury league by Vernon Peatfield in 1947. The winner of the open singles championships gets presented this cup. Twice throughout the years it has gone missing but we have it back now. We are getting it restored and it will look great when we have done this. Both Bill & Vernon were National standard table tennis players in the late 1930s and are featured in a few magazine articles from 1938 & 39 but I cannot find them in any other post war magazines. Vernon & Bill were a formidable doubles team making many finals together. In addition to being doubles partners they were frequently opponents. Bill won the open singles tournament in Bury in 1937/38 and in the 1938/39 season Vernon & Bill were opponents in the open singles final with Vernon being victorious. This cup has an engraving on the front of it relating to how Bill passed serving for the RAF on the 8th of August 1944. We have correspondence (the last) from Vernon from 1959 stating that even though he moved to Northampton he liked to keep in touch how the Bury League was performing. Does anyone have any knowledge of anything relating to Bill Barlow or Vernon Peatfield within your memory banks or stores of information, Anything at all relating to Bill Barlow or Vernon Peatfield? Vernon was A Vernon Peatfield. We believe the A stood for Arthur and he possibly married a lady called Marjorie Naylor although this may be incorrect. Bill was W.T Barlow. Anyway, hoping you can help somehow, would love to hear from you. Simon King Add to this record. Sgt. A. E. Hall 108 Sqdn. Blenheim L9039, of "D" Flight 130otu took off from Bicester for a formation cross-country exercise. It left the formation in cloud and, banking gently, it crashed on Carnedd Llewelyn 6 miles SSE of Bethesda, Caernarvon. It is thought that the pilot, Sgt A.E. Hall may have been dazzled by the sun after emerging from the cloud. Sgt. F. Graham LAC G.H. James Alan Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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