No. 41 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 41 Squadron (also written as "No. XLI Squadron") of the Royal Air Force
is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron ("TES"), based at RAF Coningsby
, Lincolnshire
. Its official title is "41(R) TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.
was originally formed at Fort Rowner, RAF Gosport, in mid April 1916 with a nucleus of men from 28 Squadron RFC
. However, on 22 May 1916, the Squadron was disbanded again when it was re-numbered "27 Reserve Squadron RFC".
41 Squadron was re-formed on 14 July 1916 with a nucleus of men from 27 Reserve Squadron, and equipped with the Vickers F.B.5
'Gun Bus' and Airco D.H.2
'Scout'
. These were replaced in early September 1916 with the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8
, and it was these aircraft which the Squadron took on their deployment to France
on 15 October 1916. Eighteen aircrafted depart Gosport for the 225-mile flight to St. Omer, but only 12 actually made it, the others landing elsewhere with technical problems. The 12 pilots spent a week at St. Omer before moving to Abeele, where the ground crews reached them by road, and the remaining six pilots by rail, minus their aircraft.
The F.E.8 was already obsolete as a pure fighter, and No. 41 used theirs mainly for ground attack
. On 24 January 1917, the Squadron claimed its first victories. These fell to Sgt. Plt. Cecil Tooms, who himself is killed in action only four hours later.
The Squadron participated in the Battle of Arras
(April–May 1917) and the Battle of Messines
(June 1917), and was re-equipped with the DH 5 fighters in July 1917. By this time the unit had become the last "pusher"
fighter squadron in the RFC. However, the DH.5 proved to be an inadequate fighter and was unpopular with the pilots, resulting in its replacement with the S.E.5a
in October 1917 when 41 became a "pure" fighter squadron.
The Squadron provided distinguished service in the Battle of Cambrai (November 1917), and subsequently in the German Spring Offensive
(March 1918), and the Battle of Amiens (August 1918). 41 Squadron claimed its final victory of the War two days prior to the cessation of hostilities.
The unit was reduced to Cadre of just 16 men on 7 February 1919 and returned to the United Kingdom. Their new base was Tangmere
, but they were moved to Croydon, Surrey, in early October and formally disbanded on 31 December 1919.
During the War, the Squadron had two mascots. The first was a bulldog named ‘Woomf’, named after the sound made by the explosion of anti-aircraft shells in the air. The second was a mongrel found rummaging around in the trenches, which was named ‘Olive Byng’.
During the war, some seventeen aces served with No.41, including
William Gordon Claxton, Frederick McCall
, William Ernest Shields
, Eric John Stephens
, Frank Soden, Russell Winnicott
, Geoffrey Hilton Bowman
, Roy W. Chappell
, Alfred Hemming
, Frank H. Taylor, Malcolm MacLeod, Loudoun MacLean
, future Air Vice-Marshal
Meredith Thomas
, and
William Gillespie
. The unit had a remarkable number of Canadian aces in it—ten out of the seventeen.
The Squadron's pilots and ground crews were awarded four DSOs, six MCs, nine DFCs, two MMs and four Mentions in Despatches for their World War I service with the unit. The pilots were credited with destroying 111 aircraft and 14 balloons, sending down 112 aircraft out of control, and driving down 25 aircraft and five balloons. Thirty-nine men were killed or died on active service, 48 were wounded or injured, and 20 pilots became Prisoners of War.
on 1 April 1923, equipped with the Sopwith Snipe
. In 1924, it began receiving the first Armstrong Whitworth Siskin III
biplanes.
41 Squadron was often visited by British and foreign government and military dignitaries during the inter-War years. One of the first is Japanese General Matsui Iwane who, after World War II, was held accountable and executed for the 1937 ‘Rape of Nanjing’, in which his armies murdered an estimated 300,000 Chinese civilians. British dignitaries included Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald
, the Chief of Air Services, MRAF Hugh Trenchard GCB DSO, the AOC in C ADGB, Air Marshal Sir Edward Ellington
KCB CMG CBE, and the AOC Fighting Area, ADGB, Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Dowding, CB CMG.
On 27 July 1929, eleven aircraft from 41 Squadron flew to Calais
to rendezvous with French aviation pioneer Louis Blériot
and escort him back to Dover
in a re-enactment of the first crossing of the English Channel 20 years earlier. During 1929–1930, their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII), and Prince George
(the future Duke of Kent) were taught to fly at Northolt by 41 and 24 Squadrons.
On 9 October 1930, Following the R101
Airship disaster in Beauvais
, France, 41 Squadron pilots and ground crew formed a part of the Guard of Honour for the Lying-in-State of the 48 victims in the Palace of Westminster. Amongst the dead are the Secretary of State for Air, Brig. Gen. Lord Christopher Thomson
PC CBE DSO, and the Director of Civil Aviation, AVM Sir Sefton Brancker
KCB AFC. Thousands filed past to pay their last respects.
During the 1930s, displays, sports, competitions, tactical exercises and flying practice were a part of regular activity. In Summer 1934, 41 Squadron even performed a flying display for South Bucks Mothers’ Union.
On 1 July 1935, 41 Squadron escorted an Imperial Airways
aircraft to Brussels
, with their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York onboard, where they attend functions for British Week at the International Exhibition.
The Squadron was sent to the Aden Protectorate
in October 1935, to help provide a presence in the region during the Abyssinian crisis of 1935–1936, and returned to the United Kingdom in August 1936. They were now based at Catterick
, Yorkshire
, from September 1936, where they remained until May 1940.
In April 1937, 41 Squadron's badge and motto, "Seek and Destroy", are unveiled for the first time and presented to the Squadron by the AOC in C, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding KCB CMG. The badge takes the form of a red double-armed cross on a white background, adapted from the arms of the French town of St. Omer, the location of the Squadron’s first operational overseas posting, in October 1916.
On 30 December 1938, 41 Squadron was issued with the Supermarine Spitfire
, becoming the third RAF squadron in history to receive them. By early February 1939, the Squadron has received a full complement of 20 Mark I Spitfires, which have cost the Government £129,130 for the lot.
Around 200 pilots served with 41 Squadron between 1 April 1923 and 2 September 1939. During this period, no Battle Honours were granted, nor any decorations awarded, but the era produced ten Air Commodores, nine Air Vice-Marshals, two Air Marshals and two Air Chief Marshals. During these same years, eleven men were killed and three injured in flying accidents, and three injured in airscrew accidents on the ground.
to participate in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Twelve days later, they returned to Catterick
, claiming six enemy aircraft destroyed and one probable, but also left behind two pilots, the Squadron's first pilot killed in action and their first lost as a Prisoner of War.
After resting for a few weeks, the Squadron headed south again on 26 July 1940, to participate in the first phase of the Battle of Britain
. In its two-week tour, the Squadron claimed 10 enemy aircraft destroyed, 4 probable and 3 damaged, for the loss of one pilot killed and a second wounded.
Again, 41 Squadron returned north to Catterick for a few weeks rest, but returned to Hornchurch
on 3 September 1940, where they remained until the end of February 1941. They were now in the thick of the Battle of Britain
. The price was high, but so was the damage they inflicted on the Luftwaffe
. On 5 September, the Squadron experienced one of its blackest days in its history. The Commanding Officer and OC, B Flight, were killed in action and three other pilots were shot down and two were wounded in action; one of these was hospitalised for six months.
On 31 October 1940, the Battle of Britain
was considered officially over. 49 pilots flew with the Squadron between 10 July and 31 October 1940. Of these, 42 were British, 2 Canadian, 2 Irish and 2 New Zealanders. 10 were killed and 12 wounded in action (44% casualties). The Squadron claimed over 100 victories from July 1940 to the end of that year.
On 23 February 1941, the Squadron returned to Catterick for a well-earned break. Only four pilots remained from the original 18 who landed in Hornchurch
on 3 September 1940. However, in reality it is much worse: a total of 16 pilots had been killed, five wounded and hospitalised (who did not return) and 15 otherwise posted away, in effect a 200% turnover since the unit’s deployment to Hornchurch in early September. The Squadron also now has its third Commanding Officer since then, and its fourth within ten months.
Following five months rest in Catterick, during which the last Battle of Britain
pilots depart and new recruits join from the BCATP, the Squadron headed south to Merston, Sussex
, on 28 July 1941, to join the Tangmere Wing, where the Wing Commander Flying was Douglas Bader
. There followed an intensive period of offensive activity over France.
On 11 February 1942, 41 Squadron took part in the attack on the German Kriegsmarine's Prinz Eugen
, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau after they escaped from Brest and made a dash up the Channel to the safety of their home ports. During these actions, 41 Squadron claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed and one damaged, but lost one pilot who failed to return.
The Squadron also supported the ill-fated Canadian landings at Dieppe
(Operation Jubilee) on 19 August 1942, completing three Squadron-strength missions over the beaches. The pilots return from the third without the Commanding Officer, who was hit by Flak and killed; he was the Squadron’s only casualty that day.
Tired, after a busy summer on the south coast fending off Me109s and FW190s fulfilling the Luftwaffe’s "hit and run" strategy, the Squadron was taken off operations until February 1943 and sent to Llanbedr
, Wales
, for an extended period of rest. This heralded the start of an intensive period of turnover in the unit’s ranks as men were rested and fresh pilots brought in.
In February 1943, the unit became the first of only two squadrons to receive the new Griffon-engined Supermarine Spitfire
Mark XII. Having rested, re-equipped and trained on the new aircraft, the Squadron was sent back onto operations in April 1943, and claimed their first definitive victory in over ten months on 17 April. This was also the first by the RAF in the Mk. XII Spitfire.
From late June 1943, large scale bomber escorts to targets in France, Belgium and the Netherlands became a daily event and Ramrod escorts to formations of between 50 and 150 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-26 Marauders became routine.
41 Squadron provided air support in the lead-up to, and throughout the D-Day
landings. On D-Day itself, 6 June 1944, three pilots were hit by Flak over the bridgehead and one was killed. On 19 June, however, the Squadron was pulled off air support for the bridgehead in France and was deployed solely in the destruction of Germany’s newest weapon, the V-1 flying bomb
.
On 28 August 1944, the Squadron claimed its last of 53 V1s destroyed during the War. Several pilots succeeded in bringing them down after expending all their ammunition, by flying alongside them and placing their own wingtips underneath that of the V1. The wind movement between both wingtips was sufficient to upset the V1’s gyroscope and send it to the ground.
The Squadron was re-equipped with the Spitfire XIV in September 1944 and during the ensuing three months participated in 'Big Ben' operations against V2 launch sites, in Operation Market Garden
at Arnhem
and Nijmegen, in operations in the Walcheren
campaign, and in the Allied Oil Campaign
over Germany
.
The Squadron moved to the Continent in early December 1944, making its base at Diest
in Belgium. Ground targets were the Squadron's chief prey as a member of 125 Wing, and the unit attacked anything moving on road, rail or canal in Germany
. Operating so close to the ground, Flak also took its toll on pilots and aircraft. One pilot was killed, three wounded and two shot down and taken prisoner.
In April 1945, the Squadron moved forward with the advancing front and made its first base in Germany
, just southwest of the town of Celle
, 140 miles (225km) due west of Berlin, and only a short distance southeast of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
. During April and early May 1945, German resistance crumbled. 41 Squadron claimed 33 enemy aircraft destroyed, 2 probably destroyed and 3 damaged in the air and 21 damaged on the ground, in the 23 days preceding 3 May 1945 (the date of the Squadron’s final claim). Their own casualties for the same period were no pilots killed or wounded in action, and no aircraft lost to enemy action, although some sis sustain combat damage.
After the cessation of hostilities, the squadron was based a short time at Kastrup (Copenhagen) but then returned to Germany where it became a part of the Allied occupying forces, 'BAFO'. By the end of the War, 41 Squadron had claimed 200 aircraft destroyed, 61 probably destroyed, 109 damaged and 53 V-1's destroyed. On 31 March 1946, still based on the Continent, 41 Squadron was disbanded by re-numbering to 26 Squadron.
The Squadron had two mascots during the War: ‘Wimpy’, a Bull Terrier with the tip of one ear missing, at Catterick in 1939–1940, and ‘Perkin’, a large black French Poodle, in 1943.
The Squadron’s 325 World War II pilots were men from Britain, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, White Russia, Rhodesia, South Africa, Trinidad, Uruguay, the United States, and Zululand.
41 Squadron's pilots were awarded three DSOs, twelve DFCs, one DFM and one Mention in Despatches for their World War II service with the unit. Sixty four were killed in action or died on active service, 58 were wounded in action or injured in accidents, three were shot down but evaded capture and returned to the United Kingdom, and 21 pilots were shot down and became Prisoners of War. The average age of a man who died in service with 41 Sqn during World War II was 23½.
as a fighter squadron, by re-numbering from 122 Squadron, and reverted to the Supermarine Spitfire
, this time the Mk. F.21
The Squadron lost its Spitfires for the last time on 18 August 1947, and became No. 41 Instrument Flying Rating Squadron, equipped with the Airspeed Oxfords & North American Harvard. However, in June the following year, the Squadron reverted to fighter defence and was re-equipped with the De Havilland Hornet
F.1, followed later by the F.3.
41 squadron became a day fighter unit again in January 1951 and entered the jet age, receiving its first jet-powered aircraft, the Gloster Meteor F.4
. Four-and-a-half years later, these aircraft were replaced with the Hawker Hunter
F.5.
On 14 July 1957, the Squadron was presented with a Standard displaying the unit’s Battle Honours by the CAS, Air Marshal Sir Theodore McEvoy
KCB CBE, who had served three years with 41 Squadron as a young officer, following his graduation from RAF College, Cranwell
in 1925.
However, no amount of nostalgia would save the unit from the Government’s budgetary axe. On 15 January 1958, as a part of a scheme to reduce the size of Fighter Command, 41 Squadron fell to the same fate as 600 and 615 Squadrons had before them, and were also disbanded. With the departure of 41 Squadron from RAF Biggin Hill ceased to be a Fighter Command airfield, its infrastructure now deemed out of date for the requirements of modern warfare. The runways had become too short for the RAF’s newest generation of aircraft and, as a result of encroaching development and civil air paths which now passed above, the base was no longer in a practical location. Fighter Command officially departed from the airfield on 1 March 1958.
This gave 41 Squadron the curious distinction of being the last fighter squadron ever to be based at Biggin Hill. The departure of the unit marked the end of an era for the Station in every sense of the word, as thereafter it was relegated to non-operational status and only used by the London University Air Squadron
.
However, as with 41 Squadron’s 1946 disbanding, this, too, was a mere technicality. On 16 January 1958, just a day after being disbanded, 141 Squadron, based at RAF Coltishall
, near Norwich in Norfolk, dropped the ‘1’ at the beginning of its number and was thus reborn as 41 Squadron. In doing so, they automatically absorbed 141’s all-weather Gloster Javelin
FAW.4 fighters and personnel.
41 Squadron’s Standard, originally presented only six months previously, was handed over to 141 Squadron on 16 January 1958 in a short ceremony attended by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Fighter Command, ACM Sir Thomas Pike
, and by 11 Group’s Air Officer Commanding, AVM Victor Bowling, himself a veteran 41 Squadron pilot from 1935.
Only remaining at Coltishall six months, the Squadron moved to RAF Wattisham
, near Ipswich, Suffolk, on 5 July 1958, where the Gloster Javelin
FAW.4s were replaced by FAW.8s in January 1960. By this time, 56 Squadron
had also joined them at the station. Whilst there, they hosted French Air Force Dassault super Mystère fighters during President Charles de Gaulle
’s state visit in April 1960. 41 Squadron called Wattisham home for approximately five-and-a-half years, before the unit was disbanded again, on 31 December 1963.
On 1 September 1965, after a 20-month break, 41 Squadron was re-formed at RAF West Raynham, near Fakenham in Norfolk, but this time as a completely different structure. The unit remained firmly on the ground as a Missile Defence Squadron, armed with Bloodhound Mk. II surface-to-air-missile (SAM). Changes to the SAM programme, however, saw 41 Squadron disbanded yet again just five years later, on 18 September 1970. The Squadron Standard was moved to the Church of St. Michael and St. George at RAF West Raynham, for safe-keeping.
On 1 April 1972, at RAF Coningsby
in Lincolnshire, the Squadron was reborn as a tactical fighter reconnaissance and ground attack unit within 38 Group Air Support Command. To support them in their reconnaissance role, a "Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre" or "RIC" was formed. The RIC is composed of a number of Air Transportable Reconnaissance Exploitation Laboratories (ATREL) which enable the developing of images and their subsequent analysis. The ATRELs can be transported by air or road and can be deployed with the squadron to forward operating bases.
In this role, they were equipped with McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2s but these were soon deemed to be unsuitable for the unit. Over the ensuing years, a strategic decision was made to change the role of the RAF’s Phantoms from a fighter to an interceptor. This amendment, however, created consternation within some circles as it was felt the squadron should maintain her role as a fighter and ground attack unit. Consequently, it was resolved to disband 41 Squadron and re-form it elsewhere to enable it to do so.
In preparation for this change, "41 Designate Squadron" was formed at RAF Coltishall
, in Norfolk, on 1 October 1976 and commenced training as a reconnaissance unit with SEPECAT Jaguar
GR.1 aircraft. The two squadrons operated independently of one another until 31 March 1977 when 41 Squadron was disbanded at Coningsby. This allowed 41 Designate Squadron to drop ‘Designate’ from their name, take possession of the Standard, adopt the Squadron badge, and become the ‘new’ combat-ready 41 Squadron at RAF Coltishall a day later.
41 Squadron’s role changed to low-level reconnaissance and, in early 1978, it became part of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve. In 1980, the unit was assigned to the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (AMF) and was subsequently involved in exercises at Bardufoss in Norway and in the Mediterranean.
In support of its reconnaissance role, the unit formed an RIC at Coltishall to process and interpret the photographs made by pilots, who collected "wet film" images using sensors located in a large external pod. Smaller "air-portable" RICs were also used during off-base deployments. The objective of the RIC was to have photographs and reports processed within 45 minutes of an aircraft’s touchdown at base.
As a result of this ability, the Squadron has been involved in a number of conflicts over the past two decades. In early 1991, during the First Gulf War (Operation Granby
, but more widely known by its American name, "Desert Storm"), a large number of reconnaissance and bombing missions were flown against Iraqi forces with Jaguar GR.1A aircraft as a part of the coalition forces.
In its aftermath, the squadron was deployed to Incirlik, in southwest Turkey, where it participated in the defence of Iraq’s Kurdish minority within the boundaries of the country’s northern no-fly zone (Operations "Warden" and "Resinate North") until April 1993. It was during this period that the large external photographic pods were replaced with smaller, more versatile, medium level pods.
Four months later, the Squadron was deployed to Southern Italy, where it flew policing duties over Bosnia in support of Operation "Deny Flight" until August 1995. It was during this time that one of the unit’s Jaguars became the first RAF aircraft to drop a bomb in anger over Europe since the end of World War II. The target was a Bosnian tank.
The squadron returned to Coltishall in August 1995 for a well-earned rest. Despite the vital work they had performed in Iraq and Bosnia, however, the Squadron found their photographic systems were inhibited by the use of photographic film, which required special handling and processing before any results could be viewed and analysed. This drawback was compounded by the inherent difficulties of moving hardcopy prints around the battlefield, particularly with the distances involved in modern warfare. To overcome these issues, the Jaguar Replacement Reconnaissance Pod (JRRP) was introduced in August 2000.
The new system provided for the recording of a digital images by three cameras onto VHS-C super videotapes with electro optical sensors for day operations and infra-red sensors for night operations. Digital images were then analysed in the ATRELs through in a windows-based application, named ‘Ground Imagery Exploitation System’, or "GIES". GIES allowed analysts to edit images and send them electronically.
This system was taken into battle on the Squadron’s last operational deployment, during the Second Gulf War (Operation Telic
, also better known by its American name of Desert Shield) in Iraq in March–April 2003. During the operation, they were based at Incirlik, Turkey, once again, equipped with the more up-to-date Jaguar GR.3.
In July 2004, the Defence Secretary announced that 41 Squadron would be disbanded once again, on 31 March 2006, as a part of a re-organisation of the Defence Forces following a Government spending review, and the so-called Gershon efficiency study. A White Paper, titled "Delivering Security in a Changing World: Future Capabilities", foresaw the retirement of the RAF’s Jaguar aircraft two years early and the closure of RAF Coltishall. Advances in technology, it reasoned, would mean air defence could be maintained with fewer aircraft, thus allowing older equipment to be withdrawn from service earlier than originally intended. The authors planned that the RAF’s future air combat force would be based around the multi-role Typhoon and Joint Combat Aircraft, in co-operation with the Tornado GR4 and Harrier GR7/GR9. Furthermore, the paper intended to reduce RAF trained strength from 48,500 to 41,000 by 1 April 2008.
As a result of these decisions, every one of RAF Coltishall’s units would be directly affected. 16(R) and 54(F) Squadrons, the Operational Evaluation Unit (OEU) and Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) would be disbanded by 1 April 2005, and 41 Squadron by 1 April 2006. 6 Squadron, with the last of the RAF’s Jaguars, would be moved to RAF Coningsby
on 1 April 2006 and disbanded by 31 October 2007. RAF Coltishall
itself would be shut down in December 2006, thus ending an over 66-year history.
The first of these draw-downs took place on 11 March 2005, when 16 and 54 Squadrons held a combined passing-out parade. However, their disbandment had little immediate effect on the activity at Coltishall as most airframes and personnel were absorbed into 6 and 41 Squadrons. However, with the departure of these latter squadrons in 2006, and the subsequent closure of the base in December, the close-knit RAF community was dispersed to other locations, and a quiet returned to the area, which has not existed since May 1940.
However, despite the Government’s intention to disband 41 Squadron, and plans drawn up for final ceremonies to take place on the first weekend in April 2006, the unit was given a new lease on life only a short while before taking effect. Approval was received to move 41 Squadron to Coningsby with 6 Squadron on 1 April 2006, and to assume the role of the Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, or "FJWOEU".
Their new aircraft consisted of Panavia Tornados and Harrier GR9.s, and that same year, the Squadron celebrated its 90th Anniversary. It remained in the role of FJWOEU until 2010, during that time testing numerous weapons and defence systems that were subsequently deployed by British forces on the front line at various locations throughout the world, including Afghanistan.
In September 2010, the Squadron celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
, holding an event at RAF Coningsby
attended by families of pilots of the World War II era. The Squadron painted up its aircraft with World War II "EB" codes, recognising various World War II pilots and their aircraft. These included the following aircraft:
Due to the retirement of its Harriers and Tornado F3s, 41 Squadron currently operates only the Tornado GR.4. The Squadron has increased its fleet of these aircraft in recent months to replace the three Harrier GR.9s lost in the November 2010 draw-down of the RAF's Harrier fleet as a rersult of the British Government's Strategic Defence and Security review (SDSR).
Recently, 41 Squadron was in the spotlight when two of its Tornado GR.4s flew with two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in the RAF flypast down The Mall and over Buckingham Palace
for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron ("TES"), based at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Its official title is "41(R) TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.
First World War, 1916–1919
No. 41 Squadron Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was originally formed at Fort Rowner, RAF Gosport, in mid April 1916 with a nucleus of men from 28 Squadron RFC
No. 28 Squadron RAF
No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3/HC3A from RAF Benson.-World War I:No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915. Initially a training squadron it became a fighter squadron equipped with the Sopwith Camel.After the end of World War I No. 28...
. However, on 22 May 1916, the Squadron was disbanded again when it was re-numbered "27 Reserve Squadron RFC".
41 Squadron was re-formed on 14 July 1916 with a nucleus of men from 27 Reserve Squadron, and equipped with the Vickers F.B.5
Vickers F.B.5
The Vickers F.B.5 was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War...
'Gun Bus' and Airco D.H.2
Airco DH.2
|-DH.2 aces:Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross winner Lanoe Hawker , who was the first commander of No 24 Squadron and ace Alan Wilkinson. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees won the Victoria Cross flying the D.H.2 for single handedly attacking a formation of 10...
'Scout'
Scout (aircraft)
The term scout, as a description of a class of military aircraft, came into use shortly before the First World War, and referred to a light reconnaissance aircraft, initially unarmed. "Scout" types were generally adaptations of pre-war racing aircraft – although at least one was specifically...
. These were replaced in early September 1916 with the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914–18. London: Putnam, 1957....
, and it was these aircraft which the Squadron took on their deployment to France
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
on 15 October 1916. Eighteen aircrafted depart Gosport for the 225-mile flight to St. Omer, but only 12 actually made it, the others landing elsewhere with technical problems. The 12 pilots spent a week at St. Omer before moving to Abeele, where the ground crews reached them by road, and the remaining six pilots by rail, minus their aircraft.
The F.E.8 was already obsolete as a pure fighter, and No. 41 used theirs mainly for ground attack
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
. On 24 January 1917, the Squadron claimed its first victories. These fell to Sgt. Plt. Cecil Tooms, who himself is killed in action only four hours later.
The Squadron participated in the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
(April–May 1917) and the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
(June 1917), and was re-equipped with the DH 5 fighters in July 1917. By this time the unit had become the last "pusher"
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
fighter squadron in the RFC. However, the DH.5 proved to be an inadequate fighter and was unpopular with the pilots, resulting in its replacement with the S.E.5a
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S...
in October 1917 when 41 became a "pure" fighter squadron.
The Squadron provided distinguished service in the Battle of Cambrai (November 1917), and subsequently in the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
(March 1918), and the Battle of Amiens (August 1918). 41 Squadron claimed its final victory of the War two days prior to the cessation of hostilities.
The unit was reduced to Cadre of just 16 men on 7 February 1919 and returned to the United Kingdom. Their new base was Tangmere
Tangmere
Tangmere is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Located three miles north east of Chichester it is twinned with Hermanville-sur-Mer in Lower Normandy, France....
, but they were moved to Croydon, Surrey, in early October and formally disbanded on 31 December 1919.
During the War, the Squadron had two mascots. The first was a bulldog named ‘Woomf’, named after the sound made by the explosion of anti-aircraft shells in the air. The second was a mongrel found rummaging around in the trenches, which was named ‘Olive Byng’.
During the war, some seventeen aces served with No.41, including
William Gordon Claxton, Frederick McCall
Frederick McCall
Frederick Robert Gordon McCall DSO, MC & Bar, DFC was a Canadian air ace during World War I, with 35 confirmed and two unconfirmed victories. After a career in civil aviation, he returned to service in World War II....
, William Ernest Shields
William Ernest Shields
William Ernest Shields DFC & Bar was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 24 victories.-Distinguished Flying Cross:"Lieut. William Ernest Shields....
, Eric John Stephens
Eric John Stephens
Captain Eric John Stephens was an Australian flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force. He was credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories. He later became a Qantas pilot.-Early life:...
, Frank Soden, Russell Winnicott
Russell Winnicott
Lieutenant Russell Winnicott was an English World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories.-Early life:Winnicot was the son of Plymouth Alderman Richard Weeks Winnicott and Anne Smith Winnicott.-World War I:...
, Geoffrey Hilton Bowman
Geoffrey Hilton Bowman
Group Captain Geoffrey Hilton "Beery" Bowman DSO, MC and Bar, DFC was a World War I fighter ace credited with 32 victories...
, Roy W. Chappell
Roy W. Chappell
Air Commodore Roy Williamson Chappell began his military aviation career as a British World War I flying ace credited with 11 official aerial victories. He remained in service post-war, becoming an intelligence specialist on Japan and the Japanese military...
, Alfred Hemming
Alfred Hemming
Captain Alfred Stewart Hemming was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.-References:...
, Frank H. Taylor, Malcolm MacLeod, Loudoun MacLean
Loudoun MacLean
Captain Loudoun James MacLean was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.MacLean was commissioned on 1 April 1914, just before the start of World War I. He entered the war in the 57th Company, Royal Engineers, and won a Military Cross in September 1917. He was posted to the...
, future Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Meredith Thomas
Meredith Thomas
Air Vice-Marshal Meredith Thomas CSI, CBE, DFC, AFC RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He began his career as a flying ace during World War I, credited with five aerial victories....
, and
William Gillespie
William John Gillespie (aviator)
Lieutenant William John Gillespie was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.Gillespie was a student at Daysland, Alberta before joining the military. He was posted to 41 Squadron on 11 December 1917. He scored five victories between 25 March and 7 July 1918; all of them were...
. The unit had a remarkable number of Canadian aces in it—ten out of the seventeen.
The Squadron's pilots and ground crews were awarded four DSOs, six MCs, nine DFCs, two MMs and four Mentions in Despatches for their World War I service with the unit. The pilots were credited with destroying 111 aircraft and 14 balloons, sending down 112 aircraft out of control, and driving down 25 aircraft and five balloons. Thirty-nine men were killed or died on active service, 48 were wounded or injured, and 20 pilots became Prisoners of War.
Between the Wars, 1923–1938
The squadron reformed at RAF NortholtRAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
on 1 April 1923, equipped with the Sopwith Snipe
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
. In 1924, it began receiving the first Armstrong Whitworth Siskin III
Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF fighters to enter service after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities.-Design and development:The...
biplanes.
41 Squadron was often visited by British and foreign government and military dignitaries during the inter-War years. One of the first is Japanese General Matsui Iwane who, after World War II, was held accountable and executed for the 1937 ‘Rape of Nanjing’, in which his armies murdered an estimated 300,000 Chinese civilians. British dignitaries included Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
, the Chief of Air Services, MRAF Hugh Trenchard GCB DSO, the AOC in C ADGB, Air Marshal Sir Edward Ellington
Edward Leonard Ellington
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington GCB, CMG, CBE was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force...
KCB CMG CBE, and the AOC Fighting Area, ADGB, Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Dowding, CB CMG.
On 27 July 1929, eleven aircraft from 41 Squadron flew to Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
to rendezvous with French aviation pioneer Louis Blériot
Louis Blériot
Louis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
and escort him back to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
in a re-enactment of the first crossing of the English Channel 20 years earlier. During 1929–1930, their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII), and Prince George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
(the future Duke of Kent) were taught to fly at Northolt by 41 and 24 Squadrons.
On 9 October 1930, Following the R101
R101
R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airship completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition...
Airship disaster in Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, France, 41 Squadron pilots and ground crew formed a part of the Guard of Honour for the Lying-in-State of the 48 victims in the Palace of Westminster. Amongst the dead are the Secretary of State for Air, Brig. Gen. Lord Christopher Thomson
Christopher Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson
Christopher Birdwood Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson PC was a British Army officer who went on to serve as a Labour minister and peer...
PC CBE DSO, and the Director of Civil Aviation, AVM Sir Sefton Brancker
Sefton Brancker
Air Vice-Marshal Sir William Sefton Brancker KCB AFC , commonly known as Sir Sefton Brancker, was a pioneer in British civil and military aviation.-Early life:...
KCB AFC. Thousands filed past to pay their last respects.
During the 1930s, displays, sports, competitions, tactical exercises and flying practice were a part of regular activity. In Summer 1934, 41 Squadron even performed a flying display for South Bucks Mothers’ Union.
On 1 July 1935, 41 Squadron escorted an Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
aircraft to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, with their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York onboard, where they attend functions for British Week at the International Exhibition.
The Squadron was sent to the Aden Protectorate
Aden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
in October 1935, to help provide a presence in the region during the Abyssinian crisis of 1935–1936, and returned to the United Kingdom in August 1936. They were now based at Catterick
RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, from September 1936, where they remained until May 1940.
In April 1937, 41 Squadron's badge and motto, "Seek and Destroy", are unveiled for the first time and presented to the Squadron by the AOC in C, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding KCB CMG. The badge takes the form of a red double-armed cross on a white background, adapted from the arms of the French town of St. Omer, the location of the Squadron’s first operational overseas posting, in October 1916.
On 30 December 1938, 41 Squadron was issued with the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, becoming the third RAF squadron in history to receive them. By early February 1939, the Squadron has received a full complement of 20 Mark I Spitfires, which have cost the Government £129,130 for the lot.
Around 200 pilots served with 41 Squadron between 1 April 1923 and 2 September 1939. During this period, no Battle Honours were granted, nor any decorations awarded, but the era produced ten Air Commodores, nine Air Vice-Marshals, two Air Marshals and two Air Chief Marshals. During these same years, eleven men were killed and three injured in flying accidents, and three injured in airscrew accidents on the ground.
Second World War, 1939–1945
Following the declaration of War on 3 September 1939, 41 Squadron spent the first several months on monotonous routine patrols in the north of England. At the end of May 1940, the Squadron flew south to HornchurchHornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
to participate in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Twelve days later, they returned to Catterick
RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
, claiming six enemy aircraft destroyed and one probable, but also left behind two pilots, the Squadron's first pilot killed in action and their first lost as a Prisoner of War.
After resting for a few weeks, the Squadron headed south again on 26 July 1940, to participate in the first phase of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. In its two-week tour, the Squadron claimed 10 enemy aircraft destroyed, 4 probable and 3 damaged, for the loss of one pilot killed and a second wounded.
Again, 41 Squadron returned north to Catterick for a few weeks rest, but returned to Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
on 3 September 1940, where they remained until the end of February 1941. They were now in the thick of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. The price was high, but so was the damage they inflicted on the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. On 5 September, the Squadron experienced one of its blackest days in its history. The Commanding Officer and OC, B Flight, were killed in action and three other pilots were shot down and two were wounded in action; one of these was hospitalised for six months.
On 31 October 1940, the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
was considered officially over. 49 pilots flew with the Squadron between 10 July and 31 October 1940. Of these, 42 were British, 2 Canadian, 2 Irish and 2 New Zealanders. 10 were killed and 12 wounded in action (44% casualties). The Squadron claimed over 100 victories from July 1940 to the end of that year.
On 23 February 1941, the Squadron returned to Catterick for a well-earned break. Only four pilots remained from the original 18 who landed in Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
on 3 September 1940. However, in reality it is much worse: a total of 16 pilots had been killed, five wounded and hospitalised (who did not return) and 15 otherwise posted away, in effect a 200% turnover since the unit’s deployment to Hornchurch in early September. The Squadron also now has its third Commanding Officer since then, and its fourth within ten months.
Following five months rest in Catterick, during which the last Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
pilots depart and new recruits join from the BCATP, the Squadron headed south to Merston, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, on 28 July 1941, to join the Tangmere Wing, where the Wing Commander Flying was Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
. There followed an intensive period of offensive activity over France.
On 11 February 1942, 41 Squadron took part in the attack on the German Kriegsmarine's Prinz Eugen
German cruiser Prinz Eugen
Prinz Eugen was an Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser, the third member of the class of five vessels. She served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down in April 1936 and launched August 1938; Prinz Eugen entered service after the outbreak of war, in August 1940...
, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau after they escaped from Brest and made a dash up the Channel to the safety of their home ports. During these actions, 41 Squadron claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed and one damaged, but lost one pilot who failed to return.
The Squadron also supported the ill-fated Canadian landings at Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
(Operation Jubilee) on 19 August 1942, completing three Squadron-strength missions over the beaches. The pilots return from the third without the Commanding Officer, who was hit by Flak and killed; he was the Squadron’s only casualty that day.
Tired, after a busy summer on the south coast fending off Me109s and FW190s fulfilling the Luftwaffe’s "hit and run" strategy, the Squadron was taken off operations until February 1943 and sent to Llanbedr
Llanbedr
Llanbedr is a village in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd, Wales.The village originally grew around the slate quarrying industry. Attractions in Llanbedr include Neolithic standing stones and Bronze Age hut circles. The Morfa Dyffryn sand dunes and Mochras lie nearby...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, for an extended period of rest. This heralded the start of an intensive period of turnover in the unit’s ranks as men were rested and fresh pilots brought in.
In February 1943, the unit became the first of only two squadrons to receive the new Griffon-engined Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
Mark XII. Having rested, re-equipped and trained on the new aircraft, the Squadron was sent back onto operations in April 1943, and claimed their first definitive victory in over ten months on 17 April. This was also the first by the RAF in the Mk. XII Spitfire.
From late June 1943, large scale bomber escorts to targets in France, Belgium and the Netherlands became a daily event and Ramrod escorts to formations of between 50 and 150 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-26 Marauders became routine.
41 Squadron provided air support in the lead-up to, and throughout the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings. On D-Day itself, 6 June 1944, three pilots were hit by Flak over the bridgehead and one was killed. On 19 June, however, the Squadron was pulled off air support for the bridgehead in France and was deployed solely in the destruction of Germany’s newest weapon, the V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
.
On 28 August 1944, the Squadron claimed its last of 53 V1s destroyed during the War. Several pilots succeeded in bringing them down after expending all their ammunition, by flying alongside them and placing their own wingtips underneath that of the V1. The wind movement between both wingtips was sufficient to upset the V1’s gyroscope and send it to the ground.
The Squadron was re-equipped with the Spitfire XIV in September 1944 and during the ensuing three months participated in 'Big Ben' operations against V2 launch sites, in Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
at Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
and Nijmegen, in operations in the Walcheren
Walcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
campaign, and in the Allied Oil Campaign
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The Squadron moved to the Continent in early December 1944, making its base at Diest
Diest
Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of...
in Belgium. Ground targets were the Squadron's chief prey as a member of 125 Wing, and the unit attacked anything moving on road, rail or canal in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Operating so close to the ground, Flak also took its toll on pilots and aircraft. One pilot was killed, three wounded and two shot down and taken prisoner.
In April 1945, the Squadron moved forward with the advancing front and made its first base in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, just southwest of the town of Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
, 140 miles (225km) due west of Berlin, and only a short distance southeast of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
. During April and early May 1945, German resistance crumbled. 41 Squadron claimed 33 enemy aircraft destroyed, 2 probably destroyed and 3 damaged in the air and 21 damaged on the ground, in the 23 days preceding 3 May 1945 (the date of the Squadron’s final claim). Their own casualties for the same period were no pilots killed or wounded in action, and no aircraft lost to enemy action, although some sis sustain combat damage.
After the cessation of hostilities, the squadron was based a short time at Kastrup (Copenhagen) but then returned to Germany where it became a part of the Allied occupying forces, 'BAFO'. By the end of the War, 41 Squadron had claimed 200 aircraft destroyed, 61 probably destroyed, 109 damaged and 53 V-1's destroyed. On 31 March 1946, still based on the Continent, 41 Squadron was disbanded by re-numbering to 26 Squadron.
The Squadron had two mascots during the War: ‘Wimpy’, a Bull Terrier with the tip of one ear missing, at Catterick in 1939–1940, and ‘Perkin’, a large black French Poodle, in 1943.
The Squadron’s 325 World War II pilots were men from Britain, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, White Russia, Rhodesia, South Africa, Trinidad, Uruguay, the United States, and Zululand.
41 Squadron's pilots were awarded three DSOs, twelve DFCs, one DFM and one Mention in Despatches for their World War II service with the unit. Sixty four were killed in action or died on active service, 58 were wounded in action or injured in accidents, three were shot down but evaded capture and returned to the United Kingdom, and 21 pilots were shot down and became Prisoners of War. The average age of a man who died in service with 41 Sqn during World War II was 23½.
Men Worthy of Note
- Thomas Weston Peel Long ChalonerThomas Chaloner, 2nd Baron GisboroughThomas Weston Peel Long Chaloner, 2nd Baron Gisborough was an English landowner, soldier and Peer.The second son of Richard Godolphin Walmesley Chaloner, 1st Baron Gisborough and his wife Margaret Mary Ann Brocklesby Davis, he was born in Sedgehill, Wiltshire and educated at Rottingdean, Radley...
, The Honourable Lord Gisborough, 2nd Baron Gisborough of Cleveland, Yorkshire, was a WWI pilot and ex-Prisoner of War who returned to RAF service during World War II. He served as 41 Squadron’s Intelligence Officer throughout the War
- Plt. Off. Eric S. LockEric LockFlight Lieutenant Eric Stanley Lock DSO, DFC & Bar was a fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Lock became the RAF's most successful British-born pilot during the Battle of Britain, shooting down 16.5 German aircraft...
, known as ‘Sawn Off Lockie’ for his short stature, flew with 41 Squadron throughout the Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. Between mid-August and mid-November 1940, he claimed no less than 22 aircraft destroyed, making him the highest-scoring pilot in 11 Group during the Batte of Britain and the equal second highest-scoring pilot in the RAF at the time.
- Sqn. Ldr. Donald O. Finlay, the Commanding Officer from September 1940 – August 1941, was a pre-War Olympic Hurdler, who won a Bronze Medal in Men’s 110m Hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932, and a Silver Medal in the same event at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. He also represented Britain in two Empire Games and other international events. With the RAF from 1930, his career was curtailed by the War.
- Dutch Flt. Lt. Bram van der StokBram van der StokBram van der Stok, MBE , also referred to as Bob van der Stok, was the most decorated aviator in Dutch history, as well as one of the three men to escape to freedom in "the Great Escape" from German POW camp Stalag Luft III....
, who flew with 41 Squadron from 1941–1942, escaped from Stalag Luft IIIStalag Luft IIIStalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
, Sagan, in March 1944 and returned to the United Kingdom to fly again. He was one of only three successful escapees in what is known today as "Great Escape". Fifty others were executed.
- Sgt. Plt. George F. BeurlingGeorge BeurlingGeorge Frederick "Buzz" Beurling DSO, DFC, DFM & Bar, RCAF , was the most successful Canadian fighter pilot of the Second World War....
, who was nicknamed ‘Buzz Beurling’ and ‘Screwball’, flew with 41 Squadron for a short period in April–May 1942. He became Canada’s leading WWII Ace, credited with 31 victories, of which his first two were made with 41 Squadron, and was subsequently awarded a DSO, DFC and two DFMs.
- Prince Emanuel Vladimirovitch Galitzine, who was the great-great grandson of Catherine the Great, fled from Russia with his parents after the October Revolution. He flew with 41 Squadron in 1943.
- Plt. Off. J. J. ‘Chris’, Le Roux, a South African who flew with 41 Squadron for a short period in 1940–1941 was credited in July 1944 with attacking and seriously injuring General Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
in his staff car, outside Sainte Foy de Montgomerie, France.
- Sgt. Plt. Aharon RemezAharon RemezAluf Aharon Remez was an Israeli civil servant, politician and diplomat, and the second commander of the Israeli Air Force.-Biography:Born in Tel Aviv in 1919, Remez's father David was Israel's first Minister of Transportation. He joined the Haganah in 1936. Three years later he was sponsored by...
served with 41 Squadron from April 1945 to March 1946. By July 1948, he had become a Brigadier General and the founder and first Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, which post he held until December 1950. He was also the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom from May 1965 zo July 1970.
Post War, 1946–2006
On 1 April 1946, only a day after being disbanded in Germany, 41 Squadron was re-formed at RAF Dalcross in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as a fighter squadron, by re-numbering from 122 Squadron, and reverted to the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, this time the Mk. F.21
The Squadron lost its Spitfires for the last time on 18 August 1947, and became No. 41 Instrument Flying Rating Squadron, equipped with the Airspeed Oxfords & North American Harvard. However, in June the following year, the Squadron reverted to fighter defence and was re-equipped with the De Havilland Hornet
De Havilland Hornet
The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet was a piston engine fighter that further exploited the wooden construction techniques pioneered by de Havilland's classic Mosquito. Entering service at the end of the Second World War, the Hornet equipped postwar RAF Fighter Command day fighter units in the UK and was...
F.1, followed later by the F.3.
41 squadron became a day fighter unit again in January 1951 and entered the jet age, receiving its first jet-powered aircraft, the Gloster Meteor F.4
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
. Four-and-a-half years later, these aircraft were replaced with the Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
F.5.
On 14 July 1957, the Squadron was presented with a Standard displaying the unit’s Battle Honours by the CAS, Air Marshal Sir Theodore McEvoy
Theodore McEvoy
Air Chief Marshal Sir Theodore Neuman McEvoy KCB CBE RAF was a senior Royal Air Force officer during World War II who held high command in the 1950s and early 1960s. His last appointment was as Air Secretary....
KCB CBE, who had served three years with 41 Squadron as a young officer, following his graduation from RAF College, Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
in 1925.
However, no amount of nostalgia would save the unit from the Government’s budgetary axe. On 15 January 1958, as a part of a scheme to reduce the size of Fighter Command, 41 Squadron fell to the same fate as 600 and 615 Squadrons had before them, and were also disbanded. With the departure of 41 Squadron from RAF Biggin Hill ceased to be a Fighter Command airfield, its infrastructure now deemed out of date for the requirements of modern warfare. The runways had become too short for the RAF’s newest generation of aircraft and, as a result of encroaching development and civil air paths which now passed above, the base was no longer in a practical location. Fighter Command officially departed from the airfield on 1 March 1958.
This gave 41 Squadron the curious distinction of being the last fighter squadron ever to be based at Biggin Hill. The departure of the unit marked the end of an era for the Station in every sense of the word, as thereafter it was relegated to non-operational status and only used by the London University Air Squadron
University Air Squadron
University Air Squadrons are training units of the Royal Air Force which primarily provide basic flying training, force development and adventurous training to undergraduate students at British universities...
.
However, as with 41 Squadron’s 1946 disbanding, this, too, was a mere technicality. On 16 January 1958, just a day after being disbanded, 141 Squadron, based at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
, near Norwich in Norfolk, dropped the ‘1’ at the beginning of its number and was thus reborn as 41 Squadron. In doing so, they automatically absorbed 141’s all-weather Gloster Javelin
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
FAW.4 fighters and personnel.
41 Squadron’s Standard, originally presented only six months previously, was handed over to 141 Squadron on 16 January 1958 in a short ceremony attended by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Fighter Command, ACM Sir Thomas Pike
Thomas Pike
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Geoffrey Pike GCB CBE DFC & Bar DL RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
, and by 11 Group’s Air Officer Commanding, AVM Victor Bowling, himself a veteran 41 Squadron pilot from 1935.
Only remaining at Coltishall six months, the Squadron moved to RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
, near Ipswich, Suffolk, on 5 July 1958, where the Gloster Javelin
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
FAW.4s were replaced by FAW.8s in January 1960. By this time, 56 Squadron
No. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
had also joined them at the station. Whilst there, they hosted French Air Force Dassault super Mystère fighters during President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
’s state visit in April 1960. 41 Squadron called Wattisham home for approximately five-and-a-half years, before the unit was disbanded again, on 31 December 1963.
On 1 September 1965, after a 20-month break, 41 Squadron was re-formed at RAF West Raynham, near Fakenham in Norfolk, but this time as a completely different structure. The unit remained firmly on the ground as a Missile Defence Squadron, armed with Bloodhound Mk. II surface-to-air-missile (SAM). Changes to the SAM programme, however, saw 41 Squadron disbanded yet again just five years later, on 18 September 1970. The Squadron Standard was moved to the Church of St. Michael and St. George at RAF West Raynham, for safe-keeping.
On 1 April 1972, at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
in Lincolnshire, the Squadron was reborn as a tactical fighter reconnaissance and ground attack unit within 38 Group Air Support Command. To support them in their reconnaissance role, a "Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre" or "RIC" was formed. The RIC is composed of a number of Air Transportable Reconnaissance Exploitation Laboratories (ATREL) which enable the developing of images and their subsequent analysis. The ATRELs can be transported by air or road and can be deployed with the squadron to forward operating bases.
In this role, they were equipped with McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2s but these were soon deemed to be unsuitable for the unit. Over the ensuing years, a strategic decision was made to change the role of the RAF’s Phantoms from a fighter to an interceptor. This amendment, however, created consternation within some circles as it was felt the squadron should maintain her role as a fighter and ground attack unit. Consequently, it was resolved to disband 41 Squadron and re-form it elsewhere to enable it to do so.
In preparation for this change, "41 Designate Squadron" was formed at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
, in Norfolk, on 1 October 1976 and commenced training as a reconnaissance unit with SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
GR.1 aircraft. The two squadrons operated independently of one another until 31 March 1977 when 41 Squadron was disbanded at Coningsby. This allowed 41 Designate Squadron to drop ‘Designate’ from their name, take possession of the Standard, adopt the Squadron badge, and become the ‘new’ combat-ready 41 Squadron at RAF Coltishall a day later.
41 Squadron’s role changed to low-level reconnaissance and, in early 1978, it became part of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve. In 1980, the unit was assigned to the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (AMF) and was subsequently involved in exercises at Bardufoss in Norway and in the Mediterranean.
In support of its reconnaissance role, the unit formed an RIC at Coltishall to process and interpret the photographs made by pilots, who collected "wet film" images using sensors located in a large external pod. Smaller "air-portable" RICs were also used during off-base deployments. The objective of the RIC was to have photographs and reports processed within 45 minutes of an aircraft’s touchdown at base.
As a result of this ability, the Squadron has been involved in a number of conflicts over the past two decades. In early 1991, during the First Gulf War (Operation Granby
Operation Granby
Operation Granby was the name given to the British military operations during the Gulf War. 53,462 troops were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations was £2.434 billion of which at least £2.049 billion was paid for by other nations such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; £200...
, but more widely known by its American name, "Desert Storm"), a large number of reconnaissance and bombing missions were flown against Iraqi forces with Jaguar GR.1A aircraft as a part of the coalition forces.
In its aftermath, the squadron was deployed to Incirlik, in southwest Turkey, where it participated in the defence of Iraq’s Kurdish minority within the boundaries of the country’s northern no-fly zone (Operations "Warden" and "Resinate North") until April 1993. It was during this period that the large external photographic pods were replaced with smaller, more versatile, medium level pods.
Four months later, the Squadron was deployed to Southern Italy, where it flew policing duties over Bosnia in support of Operation "Deny Flight" until August 1995. It was during this time that one of the unit’s Jaguars became the first RAF aircraft to drop a bomb in anger over Europe since the end of World War II. The target was a Bosnian tank.
The squadron returned to Coltishall in August 1995 for a well-earned rest. Despite the vital work they had performed in Iraq and Bosnia, however, the Squadron found their photographic systems were inhibited by the use of photographic film, which required special handling and processing before any results could be viewed and analysed. This drawback was compounded by the inherent difficulties of moving hardcopy prints around the battlefield, particularly with the distances involved in modern warfare. To overcome these issues, the Jaguar Replacement Reconnaissance Pod (JRRP) was introduced in August 2000.
The new system provided for the recording of a digital images by three cameras onto VHS-C super videotapes with electro optical sensors for day operations and infra-red sensors for night operations. Digital images were then analysed in the ATRELs through in a windows-based application, named ‘Ground Imagery Exploitation System’, or "GIES". GIES allowed analysts to edit images and send them electronically.
This system was taken into battle on the Squadron’s last operational deployment, during the Second Gulf War (Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
, also better known by its American name of Desert Shield) in Iraq in March–April 2003. During the operation, they were based at Incirlik, Turkey, once again, equipped with the more up-to-date Jaguar GR.3.
In July 2004, the Defence Secretary announced that 41 Squadron would be disbanded once again, on 31 March 2006, as a part of a re-organisation of the Defence Forces following a Government spending review, and the so-called Gershon efficiency study. A White Paper, titled "Delivering Security in a Changing World: Future Capabilities", foresaw the retirement of the RAF’s Jaguar aircraft two years early and the closure of RAF Coltishall. Advances in technology, it reasoned, would mean air defence could be maintained with fewer aircraft, thus allowing older equipment to be withdrawn from service earlier than originally intended. The authors planned that the RAF’s future air combat force would be based around the multi-role Typhoon and Joint Combat Aircraft, in co-operation with the Tornado GR4 and Harrier GR7/GR9. Furthermore, the paper intended to reduce RAF trained strength from 48,500 to 41,000 by 1 April 2008.
As a result of these decisions, every one of RAF Coltishall’s units would be directly affected. 16(R) and 54(F) Squadrons, the Operational Evaluation Unit (OEU) and Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) would be disbanded by 1 April 2005, and 41 Squadron by 1 April 2006. 6 Squadron, with the last of the RAF’s Jaguars, would be moved to RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
on 1 April 2006 and disbanded by 31 October 2007. RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
itself would be shut down in December 2006, thus ending an over 66-year history.
The first of these draw-downs took place on 11 March 2005, when 16 and 54 Squadrons held a combined passing-out parade. However, their disbandment had little immediate effect on the activity at Coltishall as most airframes and personnel were absorbed into 6 and 41 Squadrons. However, with the departure of these latter squadrons in 2006, and the subsequent closure of the base in December, the close-knit RAF community was dispersed to other locations, and a quiet returned to the area, which has not existed since May 1940.
However, despite the Government’s intention to disband 41 Squadron, and plans drawn up for final ceremonies to take place on the first weekend in April 2006, the unit was given a new lease on life only a short while before taking effect. Approval was received to move 41 Squadron to Coningsby with 6 Squadron on 1 April 2006, and to assume the role of the Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, or "FJWOEU".
Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, 2006–2010
The Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit (FJWOEU) was formed before it assumed the 41 Squadron number plate. It was created on 1 April 2004 from the merger of the Strike Attack OEU (SAOEU), the F3 OEU and the Air Guided Weapons OEU (AGWOEU). The FJWOEU took over 41(F) Squadron's number plate on 1 April 2006, rescuing 41 Squadron from disbandment that would have otherwise resulted from the retirement of the RAF's Jaguar fleet.Their new aircraft consisted of Panavia Tornados and Harrier GR9.s, and that same year, the Squadron celebrated its 90th Anniversary. It remained in the role of FJWOEU until 2010, during that time testing numerous weapons and defence systems that were subsequently deployed by British forces on the front line at various locations throughout the world, including Afghanistan.
Test and Evaluation Squadron, 2010 to Present
On 1 April 2010, the Boscombe Down based Fast Jet Test Squadron (FJTS) was amalgamated into 41(R) Squadron to create a new entity, 41 Squadron Test and Evaluation Squadron, or "41(R) TES", in which form it continues today.In September 2010, the Squadron celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, holding an event at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
attended by families of pilots of the World War II era. The Squadron painted up its aircraft with World War II "EB" codes, recognising various World War II pilots and their aircraft. These included the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Serial | WWII Code | WWII Aircraft | WWII Serial | Date | Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado GR4 | ZA611 | EB-L | Spitfire Ia | K9805 | Aug 1940 | Wg. Cdr. Edward A. Shipman AFC |
| Tornado GR4 | ZA447 | EB-R | Spitfire Ia | P9428 | Sep 1940 | Sqn. Ldr. H. R. L. 'Robin' Hood DFC |
| Tornado GR4 | ZA600 | EB-G | Spitfire Ia | N3162 | Sep 1940 | Flt. Lt. Eric S. 'Lockie' Lock Eric Lock Flight Lieutenant Eric Stanley Lock DSO, DFC & Bar was a fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Lock became the RAF's most successful British-born pilot during the Battle of Britain, shooting down 16.5 German aircraft... DSO DFC* |
| Tornado GR4 | ZD437 | EB-J | Spitfire Ia | X4559 | Sep 1940 | Sqn. Ldr. G. H. 'Ben' Bennions George Bennions Squadron Leader George Herman 'Ben' Bennions DFC, RAF was one of the leading Battle of Britain Spitfire pilots.- Early Life :... DFC |
| Tornado GR4 | ZG857 | EB-Z | Spitfire IIa | P7666 | Nov 1940 | Gp. Capt. Donald O. Finlay DFC AFC |
| Tornado GR4 | ZG501 | EB-Q | Spitfire Va | R7304 | Aug 1941 | WO W. A. 'Bill' Brew |
| Tornado GR4 | ZD996 | EB-B | Spitfire XII | MB882 | Sep 1944 | Sqn. Ldr. Terry Spencer DFC TEM |
Due to the retirement of its Harriers and Tornado F3s, 41 Squadron currently operates only the Tornado GR.4. The Squadron has increased its fleet of these aircraft in recent months to replace the three Harrier GR.9s lost in the November 2010 draw-down of the RAF's Harrier fleet as a rersult of the British Government's Strategic Defence and Security review (SDSR).
Recently, 41 Squadron was in the spotlight when two of its Tornado GR.4s flew with two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in the RAF flypast down The Mall and over Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011.
Equipment 1916–2011
| Aircraft | Received | Aircraft | Received | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airco de Havilland DH.2 Airco DH.2 |-DH.2 aces:Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross winner Lanoe Hawker , who was the first commander of No 24 Squadron and ace Alan Wilkinson. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees won the Victoria Cross flying the D.H.2 for single handedly attacking a formation of 10... ‘Scout’ |
July 1916 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. F.21 |
April 1946 | |
| Vickers F.B.5 Vickers F.B.5 The Vickers F.B.5 was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War... ‘Gun Bus’ |
July 1916 | Airspeed Oxford Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:... AS.10 |
August 1947 | |
| Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914–18. London: Putnam, 1957.... |
September 1916 | North American Harvard | August 1947 | |
| Airco de Havilland DH.5 Airco DH.5 -Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. Warplanes of the First World War, Vol. 1. London: MacDonald, 1965, pp. 128–132.* Jackson, A.J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1962.... |
July 1917 | De Havilland Hornet De Havilland Hornet The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet was a piston engine fighter that further exploited the wooden construction techniques pioneered by de Havilland's classic Mosquito. Entering service at the end of the Second World War, the Hornet equipped postwar RAF Fighter Command day fighter units in the UK and was... F.1 |
June 1948 | |
| Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a | October 1917 | De Havilland Hornet De Havilland Hornet The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet was a piston engine fighter that further exploited the wooden construction techniques pioneered by de Havilland's classic Mosquito. Entering service at the end of the Second World War, the Hornet equipped postwar RAF Fighter Command day fighter units in the UK and was... F.3 |
August 1948 | |
| Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft... |
April 1923 | Gloster Meteor Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force... F.4 |
January 1951 | |
| Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Armstrong Whitworth Siskin The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF fighters to enter service after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities.-Design and development:The... III/IIIa |
April 1924 | Gloster Meteor Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force... F.8 |
April 1951 | |
| Bristol Bulldog Bristol Bulldog |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. The Bristol Bulldog . Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.* Barnes, C.H. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964.... 105A Mk. IIa |
October 1931 | Hawker Hunter Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary... F.5 |
July 1955 | |
| Hawker Demon Mk. I | July 1934 | Gloster Javelin Gloster Javelin The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s... FAW.4 |
February 1958 | |
| Hawker Fury Hawker Fury The Hawker Fury was a British biplane fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart light bomber.-Design and development:... Mk. II |
October 1937 | Gloster Javelin Gloster Javelin The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s... FAW.8 |
January 1960 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. I |
December 1938 | Bloodhound Mk. II S.A.M. | September 1965 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. Ia |
September 1939 | McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 | April 1972 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. IIa |
October 1940 | SEPECAT Jaguar SEPECAT Jaguar The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force... GR.1 |
July 1976 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. Ia |
February 1941 | SEPECAT Jaguar SEPECAT Jaguar The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force... GR.3 |
May 1997 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. IIa |
March 1941 | SEPECAT Jaguar SEPECAT Jaguar The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force... T4 |
Date? | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. Va & Vb |
July 1941 | Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR9 | April 2006 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. XII |
February 1943 | Panavia Tornado F3 | April 2006 | |
| Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... Mk. XIV |
September 1944 | Panavia Tornado Panavia Tornado The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy... GR4 |
April 2006 | |
| Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war.... Mk. V |
September 1945 |
Vital Dates
| Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Formed | 15 April 1916 | As a fighter squadron (nucleus from 28 Squadron RFC) |
| Disbanded | 22 May 1916 | |
| Re-formed | 22 May 1916 | By renumbering to 27 Reserve Squadron RFC |
| Disbanded | 14 July 1916 | |
| Re-formed | 14 July 1916 | As 41 Squadron RFC (nucleus from 27 Reserve Squadron RFC) |
| Disbanded | 31 December 1919 | |
| Re-formed | 1 April 1923 | As a fighter squadron |
| Disbanded | 31 March 1946 | By renumbering to 26 Squadron |
| Re-formed | 1 April 1946 | By re-numbering from 122 Squadron |
| Disbanded | 15 January 1958 | |
| Re-formed | 16 January 1958 | By re-numbering from 141 Squadron |
| Disbanded | 31 December 1963 | |
| Re-formed | 1 September 1965 | As Bloodhound Mk. IIa SAM Defence Squadron |
| Disbanded | 1 July 1970 | |
| Re-formed | 1 April 1972 | As a fighter and ground attack squadron |
| Disbanded | 31 March 1977 | |
| Re-formed | 1 April 1977 | As a low-level reconnaissance squadron |
| Disbanded | 1 April 2006 | |
| Re-formed | 1 April 2006 | As Reserve Squadron (41(R) Squadron) and Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit (FJWOEU) |
| New Entity | 1 April 2010 | As Test and Evaluation Squadron (41(R) TES) |