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2 Tactical Air Force (2TAF) 180 Squadron RAF Missing Presumed Killed

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180 Squadron was equipped with Mitchells at RAF West Raynham. It then flew its first raid a raid on oil targets at Terneuzen, Belgium; two of six aircraft failed to return, one captained by the CO, W/C Hodder AFC. A pause followed, before operations resumed in May. At the end of May 1943 No.2 Group, and 180 Squadron with it, left Bomber Command to join the Second Tactical Air Force. 98, 180 and 320 Squadrons formed No.139 Wing (originally designated as No.138 Airfield), all equipped with the Mitchell. The wing flew daylight raids on tactical targets in France and Belgium, in preparation for the D-Day landings. This also saw the squadron go on a two week bombing course at Swanton Morely in April 1944, before in the following month switching to night bombing for the D-Day period. From May until October the squadron operated at night against German troops, transport links and other tactical targets, supporting the fighting in Normandy and Northern Europe. It also took part in a set piece attack on the HQ of Panzer Group West at the Chateau of La Caine on 10 June 1944, providing part of the force of 61 Mitchell bombers that took part in the attack. By September the advancing armies had moved too far east for No.180 Squadron to easily support them, and attention turned to those isolated pockets of German resistance left on the French coast.

After supporting the breakout from the Normandy beachhead in June 1944, the squadron re-located to Melsbroek, Belgium. It supported the allied advance across Europe and from April 1945 it operated from Achmer, Germany.

On 1 January 1945 the squadron was in the air during Operation Bodenplatte, a massive attack on Allied airfields that was the Luftwaffe's last gasp, although three aircraft were destroyed on the ground. From then until the end of the war the squadron operated ever further to the east, moving to a base in German in April 1945. Communication links were its most important target during this period, and the near-total disruption of every road and rail link in German played an important part in the eventual German collapse.

At the end of the war the squadron remained on the continent, exchanging its lend-lease Mitchells for Mosquitoes in September 1945. In March the squadron moved to Wahn, to become part of the post-war occupation force, and on 31 March 1946 it was renumbered as 69 Squadron

Personnel Posted as Missing Presumed Killed Whilst with 2TAF

W/O Brown, R.C. RAF 581266 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 134

P/O. Cappleman, DFM W.H. RAF 131489 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 131

P/O. Coyle, DFM M.G. RAF 49719 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 131

W/Cdr. Hodder, AFC C.C. RAF 34124 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 118

P/O. Leigh, J.L. RAF 135451 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 132

Sgt. Liddell, H. RAF 611624 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 156

F/O. Longhorn, DFM R.H. RAF 497362 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 125

F/O. Murray, D.J. RAF 135153 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 127

F/Lt. Watkin, R. RAF 116992 180B 22/01/1943 Runnymede Panel 122

F/Sgt. Hingley, L.G.H. RAF 1163590 180B 27/02/1943 Runnymede Panel 137

P/O. Marx , P.M.D. RAF 141862 180B 27/02/1943 Runnymede Panel 132

Sgt. McBoswell, R. RAF 1378416 180B 27/02/1943 Runnymede Panel 143

Sgt. White, J.A. RAF 1375718 180B 27/02/1943 Runnymede Panel 169

F/Sgt. Paterson, L.F. RAF 656974 180B 25/05/1943 Runnymede Panel 138

Sgt. Fulton, J.K. RAF 1387101 180B 26/05/1943 Runnymede Panel 150

F/Sgt. Kernaghan, C.G. RCAF R/128981 180B 26/05/1943 Runnymede Panel 183

F/O. Wygle, H.M. RCAF J/21717 180B 26/05/1943 Runnymede Panel 175

F/Sgt. Wood, A.W. RNZAF 414535 180B 31/05/1943 Runnymede Panel 199

Sgt. Browne, V.J. RAF 1289897 180B 13/06/1943 Runnymede Panel 144

F/O. Jackson, P.C. RAF 131159 180B 13/06/1943 Runnymede Panel 125

Sgt. Jenkins, D.J.F. RAF 923035 180B 13/06/1943 Runnymede Panel 155

F/Sgt. Cheetham, W.C. RAF 658945 180B 26/11/1943 Runnymede Panel 135

P/O. Kempsell, J.C. RAF 162955 180B 26/11/1943 Runnymede Panel 132

Sgt. Roots, D. RAF 1333024 180B 26/11/1943 Runnymede Panel 163

Sgt. Whelan, T.N. RAF 1330368 180B 26/11/1943 Runnymede Panel 169

F/Sgt. Walters, H.G. RNZAF 425377 180B 25/08/1944 Runnymede Panel 264

Runnymede 080127-4


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