RAF Fighter Flights

Alsace Free French Fighter Flight
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
K7937		06/42 From 80 Sq.	26/06/42 Force-landed at Assiut.	To 58 RSU. No further trace.

’G’ Flight Manston Operated from Manston during the Dunkirk evacuation and existed between 23 – 30 May 1940 commanded by F/L J. Sanders of 615 Sq.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
K7928		21/05/40 From 5 OTU.		29/05/40 Returned to 5 OTU.
K7970		21/05/40 From 5 OTU.		29/05/40 Returned to 5 OTU.
K8001		21/05/40 From 5 OTU.	26/05/40 Collided with Blenheim L6607 taxiing at Manston.	18/07/40 To Marshalls. 19/09/40 To 24. 11/04/41 To Odiham. 06/41 To the Middle East. 01/01/42 To 1412 (Met) Flight.
K8033		21/05/40 From 5 OTU.		29/05/40 Returned to 5 OTU.

Hal Far Fighter Flight Malta, March to June 1940. Sea Gladiators taken over from Royal Navy reserves at Kalafrana and operated by the RAF.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
N5519	’R’; ‘Charity’		19/04/40-29/04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight. 29/04/40 00:20 hrs Air firing; F/L George Burges. 03/05/40 Re-assigned Hal Far Fighter Flight. 09/05/40 00:45 hrs Flying practice; F/L George Burges. 09/05/40 01:00 hrs Formation flying; F/L George Burges. 09/05/40 00:40 hrs R/T exercise; F/L George Burges. 14/05/40 00:30 hrs Interception exercise; F/L George Burges. 31/07/40 Lost.
N5520	’Faith’	11/39 Departed 802 Sq. To Kalafrana SS 19/04/40 To Hal Far Fighter Flight.	19/04/40-29/04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight. 26/04/40 01:10 hrs R/T test & FF; F/L George Burges. 26/04/40 01:00 hrs R/T range test; F/L George Burges. 26/04/40 00:30 hrs FF & air firing; F/L George Burges. 03/05/40 Re-assigned Hal Far Fighter Flight. 17/05/40 00:40 hrs R/T exercise; F/L George Burges. 20/05/40 00:15 hrs Interception exercise; F/L George Burges. 21/05/40 00:10 hrs Alarm take-off; F/L George Burges. 24/05/40 00:25 hrs Low flying attack; F/L George Burges. 25/05/40 00:35 hrs R/T & interception exercise; F/L George Burges. 28/05/40 00:15 hrs Air test; F/L George Burges. 30/05/40 00:40 hrs R/T test; F/L George Burges. 11/06/40 1 S.79 destroyed. 12/06/40 1 S.79 destroyed. Fuselage preserved on Malta.
N5521			29/12/39 00:45 hrs Flying practice; F/L George Burges. 10/01/40 00:35 hrs Flying practice; F/L George Burges. 03/40-04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.
N5522			05/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.
N5524			19/04/40-29/04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight. 03/05/40 Re-assigned Hal Far Fighter Flight. 12/04/41 Wrecked after landing accident.
N5525		10/39 Departed 802 Sq.	03/40-04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.	11/04/40 Re-embarked in 802 Sq. on HMS Glorious.
N5527			03/40-04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.
N5529		11/39 Departed 802 Sq. To Kalafrana SS 05/40 To Hal Far Fighter Flight.	Used between 05/40 – 07/40	No further trace.
N5530		10/39 Departed 802 Sq.	03/40-04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.	11/04/40 Re-embarked in 802 Sq. on HMS Glorious.
N5531	’Hope’	01/40 Departed 802 Sq. To Kalafrana SS 19/04/40 To Hal Far Fighter Flight.	19/04/40-29/04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight. 03/05/40 Re-assigned Hal Far Fighter Flight. 26/05/40 00:35 hrs R/T test; F/L George Burges. 28/05/40 00:45 hrs R/T test; F/L George Burges. 04/02/41 Destroyed on the ground.
N5533		01/40 Departed 802 Sq. To Hal Far. 03/40 To Hal Far Fighter Flight.	03/40-04/40 Hal Far Fighter Flight.	11/04/40 Re-embarked in 802 Sq. on HMS Glorious.

Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk.I (N5519)(‘Charity’) of Hal Far Fighter Flight operating from Hal Far, Malta, in June 1940.
© 1999 Rick Kent

’K’ Flight Formed on 1 September 1940 Summit, Sudan, by redesignating ‘B’ Flight of 112 Squadron. Disbanded 1 April 1941 at Aqir, Palestine to become 250 Squadron.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
K6134		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	23/12/40 Ditched while short on fuel in bad weather 15m S of Suakin, Sudan.
K6135		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.		13/04/41 To Royal Hellenic Air Force.
K6143		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.		To 117 Sq.
K7948		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	21/11/40 Interception of two S.79 over Port Sudan, but no result; P/O G. B. Smither.	To 237 Sq.
K7969		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	06/11/40 Shot down by CR.42s near Metemma; P/O Kirk parachuted.	13/12/40 SOC.
K7974		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	22/12/40 Swung on take-off and hit hut at Port Sudan. Destroyed by fire.
K7977		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	06/11/40 Shot down by CR.42s in the Gallabat area; F/O J. M. Hayward KIA.	13/11/40 SOC.
K7986		31/08/40 From 112 Sq.	15/09/40 Undercarriage hit crashed aircraft on take-off and torn off; crash-landed, Port Sudan.	01/10/40 SOC.
L7612		From 33 Sq.	06/11/40 Damaged by CR.42s and crash-landed at Hawaton, Sudan; P/O Hamlyn safe.	To 112 Sq.
L7614		From 33 Sq.	06/11/40 Shot down by CR.42s near Metemma; F/L Savage KIA.
L7619		From 33 Sq.		01/07/42 SOC.
N5629				To 94 Sq.
N5815		From 1 SAAF Sq.	26/02/41 1 CR.32 claimed by P/O Wells.	To 237 Sq.
N5828		From 6 Sq.	22/02/41 1 S.79 claimed by F/Lt Scoular.	To 1412 (Met) Flight.
N5833				To Aden Station Flight.
N5895				To 94 Sq.
N5896				To 94 Sq.
N5917				To Aden Station Flight.

Prestwick Fighter Flight
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
N5912			09/05/40 No further trace.
N5914				To 263 Sq.

RAE Station Defence Flight, Farnborough Formed on 17 August 1940. Last flight flown on 25 October 1940.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
K5200		06/01/37 From AAEE	27/01/37 To Gloster. 17/04/39 Returned to RAE for gun sight trials. 25/10/40 The 53rd and last flight of the Flight was flown by P/O Roly Falk.	27/03/41 To 24 Sq.

Shetland Fighter Flight
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
N2266		From Royal Navy Air Station, Donibristle.	06/07/40 Stalled after take-off bounced and hit pole at Sumburgh; the pilot was P/O Winter.
N5622				To 1560 (Met) Flight.
N5642		From 152 Sq.	Engine cut in circuit and it run into bog and overturned at Samphrey Island, Shetlands; the pilot was Sgt Makin. The aircraft was apparently not repaired.	31/12/41 SOC.
N5643		From 152 Sq.	20/03/40 Bounced on landing and overshot and overturned at Sumburgh; the pilot was Sgt Makin. Destroyed beyond repair.
N5644		From 263 Sq.		To 247 Sq.
N5682		From 152 Sq.		To 247 Sq.
N5701		From 152 Sq.	22/12/39 Stalled in circuit and spun into beach at Sumburgh.
N5702		From 152 Sq.		To Andover Station Flight.
N5716			21/06/40 Force-landed on beach after engine cut and overturned at Haroldswick, Unst.; the pilot was P/O Francis. Some sources claim that it was shot down on 13/07/40.
N5901				To 247 Sq.

Wadi Halfa Flight
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
L7616		From 3 RAAF Sq.		To Iraq Conversion Flight and then to 94 Sq.

'X' Flight Formed May 1940 at Haifa, Palestine and disbanded at Haifa in June 1940. Reformed 6 June 1941 at Habbaniya, Iraq, from ‘A’ Squadron of the Habbaniya Air Defence Wing. Moved to Amman on 7 June Disbanded 30 June 1941 at Habbaniya. Reformed 16 July 1942 at Abadan, Iraq, and disbanded at Abadan on 30 October 1942.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
K6140		06/06/41 From 33 Sq.		To Royal Iraqi Air Force.
K6141		06/06/41 From 112 Sq.		01/02/42 SOC.
K7899		06/40 From 112 Sq.	This aircraft reportedly went to ‘X’ Flight in 06/40 but was used on two days in December 1940 by F/L Fraser of 112 Sq.	05/41 To 94 Sq.
K7907		01/02/42 From 261 Sq. 11/08/42 From Iraqi Conversion Flight.	21/09/42 Swung on landing and wing hit ground, Abadan.	06/12/42 To Royal Iraqi Air Force.
K7914		From 112 Sq.	15/06/41 Damaged by Vichy D.520s; F/O Watson safe.	01/09/42 To 1413 (Met) Flight.
K7928		05/08/41 From 261 Sq.		24/02/42 To Iraqi Conversion Flight. 11/11/42 To 119 MU. 06/12/42 To Royal Iraqi Air Force.
K7947		From 3 RAAF Sq. 04/04/41 To Iraq. 06/06/41 To ‘X’ Flight.	15/06/41 Shot down by Vichy D.520s; F/O John Norman Craigie (RAF no. 43477) KIA.	08/08/41 SOC.
K7954		06/06/41 From Royal Iraqi Air Force.	15/07/41 Hit post while landing at LG H.4 and destroyed beyond repair (alternative date is 05/07/41).	01/12/41 SOC.
K7978		04/41 From 112 Sq.		05/08/41 To 1413 (Met) Flight.
K7989		From 261 Sq.	15/07/42 Bounced on landing and ground-looped at Abadan. To 118 MU for repair. 23/08/42 Returned to X Flight.	11/11/42 To 119 MU. 31/03/43 To Iraq for Royal Iraqi Air Force.
N5777		From 94 Sq.		01/01/42 SOC.
N5780		From 261 Sq. From Iraqi conversion flight.		01/06/43 To Royal Iraqi Air Force.
N5857		From 94 Sq. Returned from Shaibah.		To 3 RAAF Sq. 01/03/44 To Royal Iraqi Air Force.

FAA Fighter Flights

HMS Eagle HMS Eagle’s Fighter Flight was manned by Swordfish pilots.
Serials	Code	Arrival	Note	Departure
N5512		06/40	29/11/40 Lost after forced landing at sea; Lt (A) P. W. V. Massy safe.
N5513	6-F	06/40		To 806 Sq.
N5517	6-A	06/40		To 805 Sq.
N5523		11/40	11/11/40 Used by HMS Illustrious during the Taranto raid.
N5567	6-C	06/40		To 805 Sq.