Air Force Index

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No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron Royal Air Force    No 242 Squadron was formed in August 1918 at the seaplane station at Newhaven, carrying out anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of WWI. It was disbanded in May 1919. No 242 re-formed in October 1939 at Church Fenton as a fighter squadron, initially composed largely of RCAF personnel. It received Blenheim fighters in December and in January 1940, Hurricanes, becoming operational on 23rd March 1940 with operations over France during May. Douglas Bader was Squadron Leader by the end of June 1940. After taking part in the Battle of Britain, the squadron began offensive sweeps and bomber escort missions from December 1940 until September 1941 when it was sent to north Wales for Irish sea shipping lane patrols. In December 1941 it left for the Far East, the pilots being absorbed into No 126 Squadron in Malta and the ground echelon, arriving in Singapore in January 1942, merging with No 232 and 605 Squadrons to service Hurricanes in a composite unit. The Japanese advance forces a withdrawal to Sumatra and Java where the squadron was dispersed in March 1942. No 242 re-formed at Turnhouse in April 1942, flying defensive patrols, then moved its Spitfires to North Africa in November to provide air cover for the First Army in the Tunisian campaign. In June 1943 the squadron moved to Malta supporting the landings in Sicily, and then moved to Italy in September. In April 1944, No 242 was sent to Corsica to fly sweeps over northern Italy and covered Allied landings in southern France in August. From France it disposed of its aircraft in September, and was disbanded in Naples in early November 1944. No 242 reformed at Stoney Cross in November 1944 as a transport squadron, receiving eighty crows from No 232 and No 242 squadrons. Training began on Wellington XVIs, then Stirling Vs and then Yorks. The squadron was disbanded in 1950. Airfields No. 242 Squadron flew from: RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire from 30th October 1939 (re-formed. Blenheim I, Battle I, Hurricane I) RAF Biggin Hill, Kent from 21st May 1940 RAF Coltishall, Norfolk from 18th June 1940 RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire from 26th October 1940 RAF Coltishall, Norfolk from 30th November 1940 RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk from the 16th of December 1940 (Hurricane IIb) RAF Stapleford Tawney, Essex from 9th April 1941 RAF North Weald, Essex from the 22nd May 1941 RAF Manston, Kent from 19th July 1941 RAF Valley, Anglesey from 16th September 1941 RAF Seletar from 13th January 1942 Palembang, Java (dispersed 10th March 1942) RAF Turnhouse, Midlothian from 19th April 1942 (re-formed. Spitfire Vb) RAF Ouston, Northumberland from the 15th May 1942 RAF Drem, East Lothian from the 1st June 1942 RAF North Weald, Essex from 11th August 1942 RAF Manston, Kent from 14th August 1942 RAF North Weald from the 20th August 1942 RAF Digby, Lincolnshire from the 1st September 1942 RAF Maison Blanche, Algiers from 30th October 1942 Syria, 1944 Corsica, 1944 disbanded in Italy 4th November 1944 RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire from the 15th November 1944 (re-formed. Stirling IV)   20th August 1940 Battle of Britain 20th August 1940  Battle of Britain 30th August 1940 Battle of Britain 7th Sept 1940 Battle of Britain 9th Sept 1940 London Blitz begins 15th Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day 18th Sept 1940 London bombed 17th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost 29th December 1941 4 Hurricane pilots killed over Malta 6th March 1942 Airfields bombed on Malta 9th March 1942 Spitfires into action 9th May 1942 More Spitfires delivered to Malta 20th April 1944 Abortive mission 24th April 1944 Fighters intercepted on dawn patrol 12th May 1944 Aerodrome bombed 17th May 1944 Replacement aircraft 25th May 1944  18th March 1945 Training Programme set down 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. 242 (Canadian) Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Austin R.. Sgt. Barrett W.. F/O Bryks MBE. Josef J.. F/Lt. Campbell G.. F/O Cram W.. F/O Harris W.. Sgt. Harvey E.. Maki L.. Sgt. Rice Donald Raymond. Seaborne Philip Dorian. Sgt (d.5th May 1942) Taverner Lawrence Lovell. Cpl Vaughan Arthur James. Sgt. (d.26th April 1941) Willbie Ronald. F/Sgt. 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. 242 (Canadian) 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. 242 (Canadian) Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2019 items tagged No. 242 (Canadian) 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. Donald Raymond Rice 242 Squadron I only know a little about my Canadian grandfather's service in Squadron 242 under Douglas Bader and I have been trying to find out more. The MOD sent me three of his service medals he never received, but I have hit a brick wall because he was held by the Japanese in Java. I would like to ask if there are any other avenues that I can go down to try and find some answers as he would not talk about his experiences to me, so I know nothing. David Roberts Add to this record. Cpl Lawrence Lovell Taverner 242 Squadron Larry Taverner served with 242 Squadron. Larry Add to this record. F/Lt. Josef J. Bryks MBE. 242 Squadron Josef Bryks was a Czechoslovak cavalryman and fighter pilot who escaped the German occupation of Czechoslovakia and became a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He flew a Hawker Hurricane with No. 242 Squadron RAF until he was shot down over German-occupied France on 17th of June 1941, whilst flying in Operation Circus 14 from North Weald. Michael J Williams Add to this record. Sgt. W. Harris 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. Sgt. R. Austin 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. Sgt. L. Maki 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. F/O W. Cram 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. F/O W. Barrett 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. E. Harvey 242 Squadron Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. Add to this record. F/O G. Campbell 242 Squadron F/O Campbell was piloting a Halifax III - LV-951 coded QB-A - when it was shot down on 13th August 1944 near Bremen, Germany. The crew were: F/O G. Campbell RCAF–POW Sgt E. Harvey RCAF–POW F/O W. Barrett RCAF–POW F/O W. Cram RCAF–POW Sgt L. Maki RCAF–POW Sgt W. Harris RAF Sgt R. Austin RCAF–POW Six of the crew were POWs and one was killed after being shot down by a nightfighter. (Original from Mr Campbell in his own words: "Could not find the railroad. I was very hungry and thirsty and decided to sleep in a ditch by the side of the road. Fell asleep exhausted and hurting etc (ed. broken ankle). Daylight came and a farmer’s dog sniffed me out. The farmer came back with a soldier who was on leave and they took me to the farmhouse located above the stables. The old grandmother gave me the biggest mug of coffee. Then the soldier hobbled me to the enclosed chicken coop to await army officers who would then take over. Four showed up and demanded my parachute. I told them in German that I did not understand. They put me in the back of their staff car and drove to the Luftwaffe night fighter station where I was turned over to the Luftwaffe who looked after all the Air Force prisoners. One pilot (German) came into see me and to give me some food. He was quite sympathetic and said that the same thing could happen to him. What next?!" W Reichert Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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