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Paul McGuiness RAAF Archive
Paul McGuiness is an Australian aviation researcher and historian. Using primary sources he has assembled detailed information on the history of each plane
used by Australians and Australian forces in WWl and WW2, and on personnel involved.

This page contains many names, dates, locations. To help find the one(s) you're interested in, use our Highlighting facility.
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Paul McGuiness Biography

History of Australian Military Aviation

First World War

Armstrong Whitworth FK3

Avro 504

Bristol F2b Fighter

Fairey Aviation Model lllD Seaplane

Martinsyde G.100 G 102 Elephant

Maurice Farman S.11 Shorthorn

Royal Aircraft Factory BE2

Royal Aircraft Factory BE12

Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8

Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A Experimental Scout

Sopwith Camel B Series

Sopwith Camel C D E F Series

Sopwith Snipe

Sopwith Scout (Pup)

Sopwith 1½ Strutter

Supermarine Seagull lll

Supermarine Southampton Mk 1

Westland Wapiti


Post First World War

Bristol Bulldog

De Havilland DH.9A

Hawker Demon

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5A

Avro 504K


Second World War

3 Sqn Gladiators 1940-1941

3 Sqn Gauntlets 1940-1941

10 Sqn Sunderlands

451 Sqn Spitfires Med 43-44 Europe 44-46

452 Sqn Spitfires Europe 41-42

455 Sqn Hampdens 1941-43

458 Sqn Wellingtons

460 Sqn Wellingtons

461 Sqn Sunderlands

462 Sqn Halifax Part 1 MTO

462 Sqn Aug 44 May 45 Part 2 ETO

466 Sqn Wellingtons


Further Information:

Aces and Aviators WWl Database

Material Relating to Australia


RAAF/Australia Links

Allied Losses Database - RAAF

RAAF Honour Roll

Kracker Luftwaffe Archive - RAAF

Battle of Britain Database - RAAF

Allied Graves Worldwide - RAAF

451 (F) Squadron Royal Australian Air Force

A Brief History of Supermarine Spitfire Operations

Mediterranean Theatre October 1943 to November 1944

European Theatre December 1944 to January 1946

Paul McGuiness

451 sqn RAAF Spitfire Corsica 1944

451 Sqn RAAF Spitfire, Corsica 1944

No. 451 (F) Squadron RAAF was an Article XV squadron of the Empire Aircrew Training Scheme that formed on 25 February 1941 at RAAF Base Bankstown in Sydney, New South Wales. The nascent unit embarked for the Middle East six weeks later in Sydney aboard HMT Queen Mary, arriving 05May41at Port Tewfik, Egypt. After equipping with Westland Lysander and Hawker Hurricane aircraft the Squadron spent a short but intense training period learning their new role as an army cooperation unit.

In July 1941 the Squadron conducted air operations as part of the Desert Air Force in the North African Campaign and for six months they were at the forefront of Commonwealth air operations as part of the British Army 13 Corps. A detachment was periodically maintained in the besieged Tobruk fortress while the remainder of the Squadron supported forward troops in the see-sawing ground battles.

This period of intense operations culminated with Operation Crusader in the final two months of 1942 at the end of which Middle East Command withdrew the Squadron from the front line for a well-earned rest and refit in Egypt. By late February the Squadron was deemed fit enough to resume its duties in the North African Campaign but the situation had changed dramatically in the Allies favour and RAF Middle East Command found itself with a surfeit of army cooperation squadrons. Initially an approach was made to the Australian Government to convert 451sqn to a full fighter squadron and reequip with Spitfires but for a variety of reasons the Australian government flatly refused the request.

Accordingly, a reluctant decision was made to attach the fully rested 451Sqn to Syria and join British 9th Army as part of the Syria garrison. A move that was to have a profound detrimental impact on Squadron personnel.

For the next two years the Squadron was effectively left out of the war: firstly with garrison duties in Syria for all of 1942; followed by local air defense duties in Egypt at several locations in 1943. Morale of the unit was at a very low level by the end of 1943 and many of the personnel questioned why they were in the Middle East and not back in Australia to help repel the Japanese threat. In late 1943 a change in RAF planning saw the Squadron withdrawn from local air defense duties and refitted with Spitfire fighters in preparation for a move to a new operational area and in February 1944 the Squadron was advised they would move to an active theatre of war in the near future.

This news was well received by all as it meant they were going to leave behind the boring, defensive tasks they had performed since the squadron became part of Middle East Command. The feelings of Squadron personnel was summed up by the then Commanding Officer Squadron Leader E.E Kirkham when he wrote the following in the Operational Record Book on 30 April 1944 ‘In view of the fact this Unit has not participated in warfare against the enemy to any great extent for a period of over two years, both aircrew and ground personnel displayed the greatest keenness in their duties. The result of the transfer of the Squadron to the present active theatre of war has resulted in great improvement in the morale of all personnel.’

In April 1944 the Squadron moved to Poretta airfield on the island of Corsica with No.237 and No.238 RAF Squadrons as No.251 Wing RAF to participate in the Italian Campaign and the Allied Invasions of Elba and Southern France. The first operation from Poretta was flown on the 23rd April and German fighters were engaged, which proved to be a regular feature of operations over the next few months. In early May the Luftwaffe mounted large scale raids against allied airfields in the north of Corsica and 451Sqn took the full brunt of such a raid on the 12th when twenty five Ju88s attacked Poretta killing eight squadron members and damaging 15 of the 17 Spitfires.

A dedicated effort by groundcrew saw 10 of the 15 damaged Spitfires returned to service by the afternoon of the 13th, but as a result of the German raid the Wing was withdrawn from the exposed northern airfield at Poretta and relocated to the south western airfield at Serragia.

By June the Allies were ready to nullify the German forces on Elba Island and Operation Brassard began on 17th when Free French Forces invaded the island supported by British and American aircraft and ships. 451Sqn’s involvement was limited to providing standing high patrols of 12 aircraft over the island to block any Luftwaffe intervention from the Italian mainland. Resistance on Elba was short lived and when the island capitulated on 19th June, Allied air units began moving back to the northern airfields on Corsica from where they could provide ongoing air support to the Italian campaign.

elba island

451Sqn moved to the Calvi-St Catherine airfield on the north-east coast of Corsica in early July where the remained until mid-August when they were tasked to support the invasion forces of Operation Dragoon, the much maligned Allied landings in southern France. As with the Elba invasion the Squadron was limited to providing standing defensive patrols over the invasion beaches near Toulon and Marseille from 15th to 24th August before moving to Cuers-Pierrefeu Aerodrome on the French mainland.

However, by the time the Squadron (and 251 Wing) had established themselves at the new airfield the rapid collapse and withdrawal of German forces meant the Wing had very little to contribute to the war effort.

RAF Command decided the Wing was not needed in France and was redeployed to the Foggia Airfield complex in south eastern Italy. By the time the ground crew arrived at Naples on 23 October the headquarters of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces had decided there was no need for the squadron in Italy and recommended its return to Australia. This recommendation was rejected by the RAAF as their fighter units there were already under-employed.

Additionally, the squadron's training and equipment were not suited to it joining the other RAAF squadrons in Italy with the Desert Air Force. As a result, it was eventually decided to transfer No. 451 Squadron to the United Kingdom, and its personnel embarked at Naples on 17 November after handing its Spitfires over to the other units of 251 Wing.

451Sqn arrived in the UK in early December 1944 and based at RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent where it was equipped with Mk.XVI Spitfires and given three weeks to gain familiarity with their new mounts before joining the European war effort. Operational missions began on 5th Jan 1945 when the squadron supplied six Spitfires to more than 50 Spitfires assigned to escort 160 Lancasters returning from a daylight raid.

The squadron quickly settled in their new environment escorting returning Bomber Command heavy bombers and No. 2 Group RAF medium bombers during daylight raids.

A change of tasking occurred in February when the squadron moved to RAF Station Matlaske in Norfolk where they joined with 453 Sqn RAAF against V-2 rocket launch sites and railway targets in the Netherlands.

v2 launch sites

From 20 March 1945 the two squadrons were mainly focused on attacking German transportation targets after the V-2 campaign against the UK ended. As the war in Europe drew to a close No. 451 Squadron's activities decreased, and it flew its last attack sorties from the UK on 3 April.

The squadron flew only 61 operational sorties for the remainder of April and none in May

Following the end of the war No. 451 Squadron was deployed to Fassberg and then Wunstorf in Germany as part of the British occupation force.

raf wunstorf

RAF Wunstorf

The squadron was deployed to RAF Gatow near Berlin during November and December 1945. While it was intended that No. 451 and No. 453 Squadrons would form a long-term Australian contribution to the occupation of Germany, insufficient RAAF personnel volunteered for this duty to make the deployment viable.

As a result, No. 451 Squadron was disbanded at Wunstorf on 21 January 1946.

The squadron suffered 28 fatalities during the war, 18 of them being Australians.


Table 1

Summary of 451 Sqn Sorties Flown and Aircraft Losses in the MTO 1943 – 1944


Year

Month

Location

Operational

Sorties

Operational

Losses

Non-Operational

Losses

1943

February

Idku, Egypt

3

0

0

March

Idku, Egypt

27

0

0

April

Idku, Egypt

12

1

0

May

Idku, Egypt

11

0

0

June

Idku, Egypt

0

0

0

July

Idku, Egypt

26

0

0

October

El Daba, Egypt

29

0

0

November

El Daba, Egypt

26

0

0

December

El Daba, Egypt

76

0

1

Year

Month

Location

Operational

Sorties

Operational

Losses

Non-Operational

Losses

1944

January

El Daba, Egypt

66

0

0

February

Port Said, Egypt

81

0

0

March

Port Said, Egypt

6

0

0

April

Port Said, Egypt

Poretta Airfield, Corsica

2

116

0

0

0

0

May

Poretta Airfield, Corsica

Serraggia Airfield, Corsica

306

164

0

0

0

0

June

Serraggia Airfield, Corsica

539

2

0

July

Serraggia Airfield, Corsica

St Catherine Airfield, Corsica

137

272

2

0

0

0

August

St Catherine Airfield, Corsica

Cuers-Pierrefeu, France

404

58

1

0

0

0

September

Cuers-Pierrefeu, France

210

1

0

October

Cuers-Pierrefeu, France

Gragnano Airfield, Italy

50

0

0

0

0

0

November

Enroute UK

0

0

0

December

Enroute UK

0

0

0


Table 2

Summary of 451 Sqn Sorties Flown and Aircraft Losses in the ETO 1945


Year

Month

Location

Operational

Sorties

Operational

Losses

Non-Operational

Losses

1945

January

RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent

18

2

0

February

Various UK Stations

0

0

0

March

RAF Swannington & Matlaske

307

2

0

April

RAF Matlaske & Lympne

63

0

0

May

RAF Lympne

0

0

0

July

Germany

0

0

2

Totals

3,009

11

3


Table 3

Serials of 451 Sqn Spitfire Aircraft Losses 1943-1945

451 Squadron is known to have operated at least 140 Spitfire aircraft. Of the 140 used 14 were lost through operational and non-operational causes. The remainder of this document details the history of the aircraft lost and the men who flew them.

AR603 BP981 MH769 MJ278 MJ733

MJ941 MK267 PL431 SM333 SM346

SM384 SM465 SM919 TB332


AR603

00Aug42 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial AR603 was the 12th of 30 Mk.Vc fighters built in the Serial range AR592 thru AR621 by Westland Aircraft Ltd at their Yeovil facility in Somerset. The aircraft was part of Westland’s First Order to Contract B.124305/40 dated August 1940 for the construction of 300 Mk I aircraft between July 1941 and September 1942. The aircraft was constructed as one of 110 Mk.Vc built between June and September 1942.

Powered by a 1,130kW (1,515hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM6S) M46 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a three-bladed De Havilland propeller. A Vokes Tropical Air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Aug42 First flight at Yeovil by a Supermarine/Westland test pilot.

17Aug42 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

10Oct42 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.76 Maintenance Unit Packing Flight at RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

27Nov42 One of 36 Spitfires loaded aboard the 5,218 ton Morel Ltd cargo ship SS Catrine at Glasgow for transportation to Takoradi, Gold Coast (present day Ghana).

27Dec42 Aircraft received by No.116 Maintenance Unit at RAF Takoradi where it was assembled and tested before being flown to Egypt.

00Apr43 Aircraft received by No.102 Maintenance Unit, Abu Sueir, Egypt where it was prepared for operational use in the desert.

00Sep43 Aircraft received by No.135 Maintenance Unit at Gebel Hamzi, Egypt where it was prepared for squadron use, including fitment of the Aboukir air filter

01Dec43 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 Sqn RAAF at El Daba airfield (LG105) located 180km west of Alexandria, Egypt.

04Dec43 1st Operational Mission. FLGOFF S.J Bartlett departed El Daba at 1155rs with three other Spitfires and completed an uneventful 100min convoy escort patrol for convoy Nursemaid.

05Dec43 2nd Operational Mission. FLGOFF T.H Smith departed El Daba at 1205hrs with three other Spitfires and completed an uneventful 120min convoy escort patrol for convoy Nursemaid.

08Dec43 3rd Operational Mission. FLGOFF T.H Smith departed El Daba at 1155hrs with FLGOFF R.J Mercer (JK778) and completed an uneventful 105min convoy escort patrol for convoy Raven.

4th Operational Mission. FLGOFF George Herbert (M?) Purdy departed El Daba at 1455hrs with FSGT C.H Statham (JK778) and completed an uneventful 110min convoy escort patrol for convoy Raven.

purdy-george-herbert-barrington-ja-france-1944-451sqn

George Purdy & JA Barrington on Gaggle Board France 1944


barrington-j-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn.

J Barrington at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

13Dec43 FLGOFF S.J.M Bartlett departed El Daba for a short flight to Idku airfield (LG229) where the aircraft was to prepare for a convoy escort mission. When landing at Idku the aircraft overturned causing major damage to the aircraft and inflicting moderate injuries on the pilot.

14Dec43 Aircraft assessed as Cat.E and struck off charge. While serving with 451Sqn the aircraft flew four operational missions and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 400688 [O311573] FLGOFF Samuel John Morgan Bartlett (26) of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria was admitted to 64th General Army Hospital for treatment and recuperation, he returned to duty with 451Sqn on 29Jan44. Bartlett completed his tour with 451Sqn in March44 and spent the next four months with HQ 206 Group at RAF Helwan before being repatriated back to Australia. He remained in the RAAF until his resignation on 23Jul47 with the rank of Squadron Leader. He later joined the RAAF Reserve in 1954 and served with the reserve until 30th August 1968.

Samuel John Morgan Bartlett passed away on 13th August 2007 in Melbourne, Australia aged 94 years. He was survived by his wife of 67 years Mrs Phyllis Catherine Bartlett who passed away in 2015.

BP981

00Mar42 Supermarine Spitfire PR Serial BP981 was the 48th of 49 PR Mk.IV(T) aircraft built in the Serial range BP844 thru BP892 by Vickers-Armstrong (Supermarine) Ltd and assembled at the High Post Aerodrome facility in Wiltshire. The aircraft was part of VA’s Fifth Order to Contract B.19713/39 dated 9th August 1939 for the construction of 1,100 Mk IA/B aircraft.

Powered by a 1,130kW (1,515hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM6S) M46 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a three-bladed RX-5 Rotol propeller. Built as a Photo Reconnaissance aircraft so it carried no armament. However, the aircraft was later modified to a high-altitude interceptor in Egypt

07Apr42 First flight at High Post by a Supermarine test pilot.

08Apr42 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39MU at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

17Apr42 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.47MU Packing Unit at RAF Sealand in Flintshire, Wales where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

09May42 One of eight Spitfires loaded aboard the 9,816 ton Scottish Shore Line SS Lanarkshire at Liverpool for transportation to Port Sudan, Sudan via the Horn of Africa in Convoy WS.19.

03Jul42 Aircraft unloaded by RAF No.23 Embarkation Unit at Port Sudan where the aircraft was reassembled, tested then flown to Cairo, Egypt.

01Aug42 Aircraft received by No.103MU at RAF Aboukir located 11km east of Alexandria, Egypt where it underwent modification to a high altitude interceptor designed to combat German Ju88P twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft. The modification began with all unnecessary weight being stripped from the aircraft including: all armoured plate and associated fittings; the engine cylinder block was hand modified to increase the cylinder compression ratio; fitment of the low drag Aboukir Air Filter; fitment of a four-bladed de Havilland 45/1 Hydromatic propeller; and, locally designed and built wing tip extensions were fitted. Armament consisted of two wing mounted 20mm Hispano cannons and four 0.303 inch machine guns.

00Nov42 Aircraft received by No.135MU at Gebel Hamzi near Cairo, Egypt where it was prepared for operational use in the Desert.

00Jan43 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 Sqn RAAF at Mersa Matruh (LG08) located 240km west of Alexandria, Egypt.

08Feb43 Aircraft moved from LG08 to the squadron’s new operating base at RAF Station Idku, Egypt

06Mar43 1st Operational Mission. PLTOFF W.K Watts scrambled from Idku at 1325hrs with PLTOFF J.A. Cox (BP987) to intercept an incoming radar bogey. Recalled after 15min when the contact disappeared from the radar scope.

31Mar43 Aircraft flew 11 operational missions and made at least three non-operational flights in March 1943.

02Apr43 14th Operational Mission. PLTOFF J.A Cox was scrambled at 1430hrs with PLTOFF L.E Trenorden (BP987) to intercept a Bandit approaching Alexandria. After entering dense clouds PLTOFF Cox failed to respond to radio calls and was never seen again. An immediate search by Squadron aircraft failed to find the aircraft or pilot but did discover an oil slick in the ocean 26km due north of Alexandria.

05Apr43 Aircraft struck off charge. While serving with 451 Sqn the aircraft flew 14 operational missions and made at least six non-operational flights.


RAAF pilot 400783 Flying Officer John Allan Cox (22) of Camberwell, Victoria was listed as MIA and later pronounced KIA. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Column 277 of the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. He is also commemorated on Panel 105 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; and, on the Camberwell Roll of Honour in Melbourne, Victoria.

MH769

00Sep43 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial MH769 was the 20th of 47 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range MH750 thru MH796 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham. The aircraft was part of the Ninth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 28 May 1942 for the construction of 2,190 Mk.Vc aircraft between July 1943 and May 19444. The aircraft were built as 44 Mk.Vc and 2,144 Mk IX.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Sep43 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

21Sep43 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.33 Maintenance Unit at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

03Oct43 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.222 Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] at RAF High Ercall, Shropshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

24Oct43 One of 80 Spitfires loaded aboard the 5,200 ton SA Saint Line cargo ship SS Charlton Hall at Barry, Wales for transportation to Casablanca, Morocco.

17Nov43 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

30Nov43 Aircraft received by No.218 Group at Lazerges, Algiers.

00Dec43 Aircraft taken on charge with RAF No.43 (F) Sqn at Capodichino, Italy.

00Feb44 Aircraft taken on charge with RAF No.601 (F) Sqn at Marcianise, Italy.

10Mar44 Aircraft taken on charge with RAAF No.451 (F) Sqn at El Gamil Airfield, Egypt where it was issued to A Flight as BQ-A

05Apr44 One of nine Spitfires flown from El Gamil to No.132 Maintenance Unit at RAF Helwan, Egypt. All of the Squadron’s aircraft were flown to 132MU for maintenance and readiness until personnel had completed a move from Egypt to Corsica.

16Apr44 One of 16 Spitfires that flew from Helwan to Marble Arch, Libya via El Adem on the first leg of the relocation flight to Corsica.

17Apr44 One of 15 Spitfires that flew from Marble Arch to Castel Benito, Tripoli on the second leg of the relocation flight to Corsica.

18Apr44 One of 15 Spitfires that flew from Castel Benito, Tripoli on the third and final leg of the relocation flight to Poretta airfield on the NE coast of Corsica.

23Apr44 1st Operational Mission. WNGCDR E.J Morris departed Poretta at 1615hrs leading eight Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance of the Leghorn – Florence – Selena area of Italy, escorted by a top cover of 12 Spitfires from 232Sqn.

25Apr44 4th Operational Mission. FLTLT R.H Sutton departed Poretta at 0605hrs with seven other Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance of the Cecina-Poggibonsi area of Italy. Approximately 6km north of Leghorn while Sutton was strafing some vehicles his aircraft was hit by flak which caused Cat.A damage to the external long range fuel tank and lower fuselage near the radiator. Sutton aborted the mission and returned safely to Base at 0710hrs.

30Apr44 Aircraft flew eleven operational missions and made at least four non-operational flights in April 1944

05May44 19th Operational Mission. FLGOFF A.F Arnel departed Poretta at 1500hrs with 11 other Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance of the Piombino-Florence-Leghorn area of Italy. Twenty minutes after departure Arnel’s engine began to run rough so he aborted and returned to Base.

10May44 23rd Operational Mission. FLGOFF G.C O’Neil departed Poretta at 0555hrs with 11 other Spitfires for a fighter sweep of the Piombino-Orvieto-Viterbo area of Italy. O’Neil and his wingman investigated one of the Canino satellite airfields but soon discovered only dummy Fw190s were present. Soon after O’Neil checked another airfield and found two Fw190s under camouflage netting off to the side of the runway which he attacked. One Fw190 burst into flames and the other was left with smoke pouring out of the machine.

12May44 At 2200hrs approximately 25 x Ju88 attacked the airfield for some 25 minutes. 15 of the Sqn’s 17 Spitfires were damaged but 12 were back in operation by 1400hrs on 13May. MH769 sustained Cat.A damage that required two weeks to repair.

23May44 Aircraft moved from Poretta airfield to the Squadron’s new operating location at Serraggia airfield on the SW coast of Corsica

31May44 Aircraft flew 19 operational missions and an unknown number of non-operational flights in May 1944

04Jun44 38th Operational Mission. FLGOFF G.C O’Neil departed Serraggia at 1630hrs with eleven other Spitfires to escort 18 Marauders of the 320th BG USAAF on a railway bridge bombing mission. Five minutes after departure O’Neil’s oxygen system failed so he aborted and returned to base.

07Jun44 43rd Operational Mission. FLGOFF G.C O’Neil departed Serraggia at 1005hrs with 11 other Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance along the Tarquinia-Vitralia road near Florence, Italy. After successfully completing the mission the formation headed home and as they crossed the Italian coast near Vitralia the aircraft were subjected to a brief, accurate attack by AAA. O’Neil’s aircraft was hit in the coolant system but the strike was not immediately evident and only became a problem when the aircraft were nearing the Corsican coast. O’Neil could only watch as his temperature gauge inexorably rose higher and higher before reaching a level that forced him to roll the aircraft onto its back and bale out at 1145hrs 23km off the Corsican coast and 37km from Serraggia airfield. Two of his Squadron remained overhead to give protective cover to the downed pilot.

An ASR Walrus was despatched to the site and FLGOFF E.C House scrambled in MH547 to provide close cover to the Walrus. The Walrus landed, picked up O’Neil and returned him to base at 1240hrs.

Walrus rescue at sea

Rescue by Walrus

12Jun44 Aircraft assessed as Cat.E and struck off charge. Aircraft flew 15 operational missions and an unknown number of non-operational flights in June 1944. While serving with 451Sqn the aircraft flew a total of 43 operational missions and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 403475 Flying Officer George Connon Watson O’Neil DFC, MM (29) of Vaucluse in Sydney, New South Wales was admitted to sick quarters for observation before returning to duty. O’Neil completed his tour with 451Sqn and was then repatriated to Australia in December 1944 based on a request from his Commanding Officer. He remained in the RAAF until his resignation on the 10th of October 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

MJ278

00Oct43 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial MJ278 was the 8th of 44 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range MJ271 thru MJ314 by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham. The aircraft was part of the Ninth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 28 May 1942 for the construction of 2,190 Mk.Vc aircraft between July 1943 and May 19444. The aircraft were built as 44 Mk.Vc and 2,144 Mk IX.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Oct43 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

20Oct43 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

08Nov43 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.222 Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] at RAF High Ercall, Shropshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

15Nov43 One of 51 Spitfires loaded aboard the 5,600 ton SA Saint Line cargo ship SS Montgomery City at Glasgow, Scotland for transportation to Casablanca, Morocco.

29Nov43 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

00Feb44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.237 (F) Sqn RAF at Idku airfield, Egypt.

00Apr44 Aircraft moved from Idku to a new operating base at Poretta airfield, Corsica.

10Jul44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn at Calvi-St Catherine airfield, Corsica.

15Jul44 1st Operational Mission. FLGOFF J.H Poate departed Calvi-St Catherine at 1805hrs with eleven other Spitfires and completed an uneventful 90min fighter sweep of the Parma-Modena area in Italy.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew 15 operations and made an unknown number of non-operational flights in July44.

05Aug44 20th Operational Mission. FLGOFF E.R Newberry departed Calvi-St Catherine at 1015hrs with five other Spitfires and provided top cover for four USAAF B25 Mitchells on a ‘Nickelling’ operation in the Leghorn region. The mission was completed and the aircraft retuned to Bas where Newberry completed his landing run when the engine cut out leaving the aircraft stationary at the end of the active runway. Newberry was trying to restart the engine when FLTLT Roberts in NH269 crashed into the back of the machine. Both aircraft sustained severe damage but no blame was attached to either pilot. Minor injuries were inflicted on both pilots.

newberry-edward-raymond-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

Edward Newberry Calvi Corsica July 1944

roberts-lindsay-spitfire-XVl-italy-sep-1945-italy-451sqn

Lindsay Roberts Spitfire XVl Sep 1945 Italy

00Aug44 Aircraft initially assessed as Cat.B damage and issued to a RAF MU where it was reassessed as Cat.E, struck off charge reduced to spares. While flying with 451Sqn the aircraft flew 20 Operational missions and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 421753 Flying Officer Edward Raymond Newberry (21) of Bondi in Sydney, New South Wales spent two days in Sick quarters before returning to duty. He completed his tour with 451Sqn in Italy then moved to the UK where he spent the rest of the war. Newberry departed the UK for repatriation to Australia on 1st Dec 1945, arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on 3rd Jan 1946. He resigned from the RAAF on the 16th of April 1946 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Edward Newberry passed away on the 3rd of February 1990 aged 66 years. He was cremated and his remains interred in the RSL Plot, Wall 123 Niche BO13 of the Centennial Park Cemetery in Mitcham City, South Australia.

MJ733

00Dec43 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial MJ733 was the 22nd of 45 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range MJ712 thru MJ756 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Ninth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 28 May 1942 for the construction of 2,190 Mk.Vc aircraft between July 1943 and May 19444. The aircraft were built as 44 Mk.Vc and 2,144 Mk IX.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Dec43 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

04Jan44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

24Jan44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.82 Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] at RAF Lichfield Staffordshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

01Mar44 One of 51 Spitfires loaded aboard the 7,100 ton cargo ship MV Fort Liard at Liverpool for transportation to Casablanca, Morocco.

17Mar44 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

02May44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451Sqn (RAAF) at Poretta airfield, Corsica. Coded BQ-H

451 Sqn Spitfires Poretta Corsica May 1944

451Sqn Spitfires, Poretta Airfield Corsica 1944

12May44 At 2200hrs approximately 25 x Ju88 attacked the airfield for some 25 minutes. 15 of the Sqn’s 17 Spitfires were damaged but 12 [including MJ733] were back in operation by 1400hrs on 13May

13May44 1st Operational Mission. FLGOFF R.J Mercer departed Poretta at 1455hrs with five other Spitfires to escort 24 Marauders to bomb the Cortona railway bridge. Mercer aborted the mission when his No.1 FLGOFF E.E House aborted with engine problems and headed back to base.

23May44 Aircraft moved from Poretta to a new operating base at Serraggia airfield, on the SW coast of Corsica.

31May44 Aircraft flew 22 operational missions and an unknown number of non-operational flights in May44.

06Jun44 30th Operational Mission. FSGT S.J Kelly was tasked to be part of an armed recce but as he was taxying out his aircraft experienced magneto problems and aborted.

kelly-sj-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

SJ Kelly Calvi Corsica July 1944

09Jun44 35th Operational Mission. FLTLT R.J Roberts departed Serraggia at 1135hrs with seven other Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance in the Fiorentino-Poggibonsi area, in Tuscany Northern Italy. At 1220hrs Roberts saw two enemy aircraft directly below and quickly identified them as Bf109 fighters, he immediately jettisoned the long range fuel tank and dived to attack from the enemies’ starboard quarter. The 109s broke up and the leader flew head on at Roberts who opened fire before winging up to avoid collision. Roberts then engaged the second 109 and fired two 2-second bursts that plastered the enemy. After a second attack the enemy pilot jettisoned his hood and started to lose height before hitting the ground and exploding three miles SW of Colle Di Val D’Elsa, Tuscany. Roberts claimed one Bf.109 destroyed for the expenditure of 200 x 20mm and 1200 x .303 rounds.

13Jun44 38th Operational Mission. FLGOFF R.J Mercer departed Serraggia at 0615hrs with three other Spitfires that joined a further 33 Spitfires of No.251 Wing RAF for operation ‘Clean Sweep’. At 0715hrs vehicles were spotted in a valley near Villafranca and two Spitfires [MH733 and MJ579] were detached to investigate. As the pair closed the target area FLGOFF Jones sighted a Me410 and called for Mercer to climb and attack the Me410 with him. The enemy forced Jones to overshoot on his first pass but this manoeuvre allowed Mercer to get in the enemies’ six o’clock and open fire from 250 yards observing many hits in the cockpit area and starboard engine, which belched thick black smoke. As Mercer broke away Jones made his second attack which resulted in the Me410 crashing in flames into a dry river bed four miles south of Pontremoli. Mercer and Jones were each awarded a half-share.

29Jun44 56th Operational Mission. FLGOFF A.F Arnell departed Serraggia at 0800hrs with eleven other Spitfires for a Wing Fighter Sweep of the Bologna area, in Northern Italy. At 0855hrs the formation passed over Caldera Di Reno aerodrome at 14,500ft and sighted four enemy aircraft taking off, followed at short intervals by another eight enemy aircraft. The Spitfires immediately dived to attack and a general melee ensued NNE of Bologna. FLGOFF Vintner [MK444] exploded a 109 in the air; FLGOFF Bray [MH547] forced a 190 to crash land in a field; and. FLGOFF Sydney [MH771] claimed another 190.

MJ733 [FLTLT Arnel] was hit by flak over the aerodrome and the CSU became unserviceable so he immediately headed home accompanied by his No.2 FSGT Kelly [MJ135]. Shortly afterwards when at 2000ft, Kelly observed glycol pouring out of Arnell’s Spitfire and a few seconds later Arnell baled out of his dying aircraft. Kelly observed Arnell land approximately 5 miles SSE of Bologna before he was ordered back to the Squadron and RTB.

30Jun41 Aircraft struck off charge. While serving with 451Sqn the aircraft flew 56 operational missions and an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 401095 FLTLT Alexander Francis Arnel was captured by the Germans and shipped back to Dulag Luft Frankfurt-am-Maine for an eight day initial interrogation and was issued POW No.6492. On 12Jul44 he was transported to Stalag Luft III where he remained until January 1945 when he was moved to Marlag-Milag Nord, 30km NE of Bremen, a camp normally used for British Navy and British/Canadian Merchant Navy personnel. He was released on 2nd May 1945 by the advancing British Army and repatriated back to the UK, then back to Australia in late 1945.

Alex Arnel resigned from the RAAF on the 18th December 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. However, he reenlisted in the RAAF as an Education Officer in the Special Duties Branch in 1952 (Service Number O36186) and went to serve for another 22 years before he resigned on 27 February 1974 with rank of Wing Commander and was placed on the Retired List with the honorary rank of Group Captain.

A very happy and humble Alexander Arnel celebrated his 100th Birthday on April 2nd 2020 at his home in Canberra, Australia.

alexander arnel 100th birthday

Photo via Australian Defence News

MJ941

00Dec43 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial MJ941 was the 16th of 42 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range MJ926 thru MJ967 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Ninth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 28 May 1942 for the construction of 2,190 Mk.Vc aircraft between July 1943 and May 19444. The aircraft were built as 44 Mk.Vc and 2,144 Mk IX.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Dec43 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

24Dec43 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.38 Maintenance Unit at RAF Llandow in Wales where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

31Jan44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.222 Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] at RAF High Ercall, Shropshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

01Mar44 One of 51 Spitfires loaded aboard the 7,100 ton cargo ship MV Fort Liard at Liverpool for transportation to Casablanca, Morocco.

17Mar44 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

23May44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451Sqn (RAAF) at Serraggia airfield, Corsica where it was issued to C Flight as BQ-V

29May44 1st Operational Mission. FSGT W.R Field departed Serraggia at 1040hrs with five other Spitfires and completed an uneventful two hour ten minute escort mission for 24 x B25 Mitchell bombers that bombed a railway viaduct at Buccino in Tuscany, Northern Italy.

field-wr-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

WR Field Calvi Corsica July 1944

31May44 Aircraft flew five operational missions and at least three non-op flights in May 1944.

09Jun44 16th Operational Mission. FLTLT R.H Sutton departed Serraggia at 1135hrs with seven other Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance in the Fiorentino-Poggibonsi area, in Tuscany Northern Italy. At 1220hrs two Bf109 fighters were sighted directly below and engaged by two of the Spitfires. Sutton moved to provide top cover for the attacking pair and noticed a lone BF109 on the deck heading west. He then notified his leader before the pair dived and chased the bandit for several miles through a valley taking every advantage of the terrain. Finally, Sutton was able to cut the corner as the 109 turned around a small hill and fire a short burst that was seen by both pilots to hit around the nose of the 109. The Spitfires then banked up and away and by the time could turn back there was no sight of the enemy. However, Sutton saw a big fire issuing thick black smoke and fire on the ground off to the starboard side. Sutton and his leader [SNQLDR Kirkham] both closely examined the probable crash site and bot confirmed it was a downed airplane.

Sutton claimed a Bf109 destroyed for the expenditure of 20 x 20mm and 60 x .303” rounds of ammunition.

27Jun44 40th Operational Mission. FLGOFF G.C O’Neil departed Serraggia at 0720hrs with eleven other Spitfires for fighter sweep of the Parma area in northern Italy. At approximately 0800hrs the formation was near the town of Pescaia when it came under intense and accurate heavy calibre AA fire. O’Neil’s Spitfire was hit in the engine area and he immediately aborted and headed back to base accompanied by his No.2 FLGOFF T.H James in MJ297. Soon after the engine began to run rough so O’Neil diverted and made an emergency landing at Grosseto airfield on the west coast of Italy. The aircraft received temporary repairs at Grosseto and retuned to base the next day.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew 36 operational missions and an unknown number of non-op flights in June 1944.

08Jul44 Aircraft moved from Serraggia to the new operating base of Sainte Catherine airfield at Calvi on the northwest coast of Corsica.

st catherine airfield calvi

13Jul44 58th Operational Mission. FSGT S.J Kelly was departing St Catherine when his engine failed on the take-off run. Aborted the mission and returned to the dispersal.

27Jul44 65th Operational Mission. FLGOFF J.H Poate departed St Catherine at 1025hrs with eleven other Spitfires to escort 24 Marauder B-26 bombers on an attack against a railway bridge in Turin, Italy. The target was bombed at 1135hrs and the formation wheeled around and set course for home. At approximately 1202hrs FLGOFF Poate radioed his engine failed and he was attempting a restart but after several minutes trying the engine would not start. Despite further attempts the engine refused to start so Poate had two choices: bale out or attempt a dead-stick crash landing, Poate opted for the latter. At 1210hrs he successfully crash landed 9km south of Beinasco on the outskirts of Turin. Poate was seen to leave the downed aircraft and run off into some nearby woods but was soon captured and whisked off to a POW camp.

RAAF pilot 421042 Flying Officer John Hugh Poate (22) of Strathfield in Sydney, New South Wales was captured by the Germans and transported to the Frankfurt-am-Main Luftwaffe Interrogation centre before being given POW No.5184 and sent to Stalag Luft I where he remained until his release by the Red Army in May 1945. He was repatriated back to Australia in September 1945 and demobilised from the RAAF on 26Oct1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

John Hugh Poate passed away on 26th March 2004 aged 81 years and was cremated at the Rookwood Cemetery Garden of Remembrance in Sydney New South Wales.

john poate grave marker


MK267

00Feb44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial MK267 was the 42nd of 43Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range MK226 thru MK268 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Ninth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 28 May 1942 for the construction of 2,190 Mk.Vc aircraft between July 1943 and May 19444. The aircraft were built as 44 Mk.Vc and 2,144 Mk IX.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Feb44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

15Feb44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.33 Maintenance Unit at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

00Feb44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to a RAF Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

00Mar44 Aircraft shipped to Casablanca, Morocco.

00Apr4 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

18May44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451Sqn (RAAF) at Poretta airfield, Corsica.

22May44 1st Operational Mission. FLGOFF J.H Purdy departed Poretta at 1045hrs with eleven other Spitfires and completed an uneventful one hour thirty five minute fighter sweep of the Piombino-Orvieto-Civitavecchia area of Tuscany, Italy.

23May44 Aircraft moved from Poretta airfield to the Squadron’s new operating location at Serraggia airfield on the SW coast of Corsica

31May44 Aircraft flew 13 Operational Missions and at least two non-operational flights in May 1944.

30Jun44 Aircraft flew 42 Operational Missions and at least two non-operational flights in June 1944.

08Jul44 Aircraft moved from Serraggia airfield to the new operating base of Sainte Catherine airfield near Calvi on the northwest coast of Corsica.

11Jul44 66th Operational Mission. FLGOFF R. Earle departed St Catherine at 1825hrs with eleven other Spitfires for fighter sweep of the Piacenza-Bologna area of Emalia-Romagna, Italy. At 1931hrs the fuel feed from the long range fuel tank became unserviceable so Earle aborted the mission and returned to base accompanied by FSGT J.F Vintner [MK419].

17Jul44 75th Operational Mission. SQNLDR W.W Gale departed St Catherine at 0530hrs leading with FSGT C.G Ball in MH771 on a Special Tactical Reconnaissance of the 24 permanent bridges over the Arno River from Florence to Marina Di Pisa. The pair had just checked the 62km stretch of river from Empoli to Marina di Pisa when Gale decided to recce the section again in reverse.

ball-cg-calvi-corsica-1944-451sqn

CG Ball St Catherine Corsica July 1944


ball-cg-spitfire-LFlX-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

CG Ball Spitfire LFlX Calvi Corsica July 1944

At 0630hrs the pair were flying eastward at 2000ft in a position 6km west of Empoli when Gale dived down to investigate something and opened fire on a target that Ball could not see and as soon as Gale fired a barrage of dense and accurate light flak enveloped the Spitfire. Ball saw smoke and flames issuing from Gale’s aircraft but was then forced to make a tight turn back to the area during which he lost sight of his leader. By the time he returned to the site all he could see was a large fire on the ground which he investigated as much as he could before withdrawing in the face of heavy AA fire. SQNLDR Gale was listed as Missing believed Killed.

31Jul44 Aircraft flew 20 Operational Missions and at least three non-operational flights in July 1944. While serving with 451 Sqn the aircraft flew 75 Operational Missions and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 406243 Squadron Leader Walter William Beresford Gale (24) of West Perth, Western Australia was KIA and is buried in Section I. Row J. Grave 18 of the Florence War Cemetery, Italy. He is commemorated on Panel 105 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT. He is remembered on the Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial in Kings Park, Perth; and, on Plaque L366 on the Honour Avenue at Kings Park.

walter gale grave marker


PL431

00Jun44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial PL431 was the 9th of 44 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range PL423 thru PL466 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Eleventh Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 02June 1943 for the construction of 800 Mk.IX aircraft between June 1944 and December 1945.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. A Vokes air filter was fitted and several other modifications incorporated to ensure the aircraft could operate efficiently in desert and tropical areas. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Jun44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

27Jun44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.6 Maintenance Unit at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

24Jul44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to the No.82 Maintenance Unit [Packing Unit] at RAF Lichfield Staffordshire where the aircraft was partially stripped, prepared and crated for overseas shipment.

30Jul44 Received by No.1 Packed Aircraft Transit Pool at Pleasureland, Southport.

01Aug44 One of 69 Spitfires loaded aboard the Elder-Dempster Line 6,568 ton cargo ship New Texas at Liverpool for transportation to Casablanca, Morocco as part of Convoy OS.85.

22Aug44 Aircraft received by No.145 Maintenance Unit, at Casablanca where it was assembled and tested. The aircraft was also modified for use in the MTO.

26Aug44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451Sqn (RAAF) at St Catherine airfield near Calvi Corsica.

27Aug44 1st Operational Mission. WOFF E.R Newberry departed St Catherine at 0935hrs with three other Spitfires and conducted an uneventful two hour twenty minute escort mission for 12 USAAF Bostons attacking an ammunition dump near Cutigliano in Tuscany, Italy.

WOFF E.R Newberry departed St Catherine at 1510hrs for a relocation flight from St Catherine, Corsica to the Squadron’s new operating base at Cuers-Pierrefeu aerodrome located 16km NNE of Toulon in Southern France.

Over the rest of August the Squadron was reduced to maintaining a pointless and boring Standing Patrol over Marseilles to the Gulf of Fos. These patrols then continued until the middle of September.

31Aug44 Aircraft flew six operational missions and three non-operational flights in August 1944.

15Sep44 10th Operational Mission. WOFF C.R Hill departed Cuers at 1115hrs with nine other Spitfires to conduct an armed reconnaissance in the Imperia-Ventimiglia-Cuneo region of South West Italy. After completing the mission the aircraft flew back to Base but Hill could not get the undercarriage lever to operate when setting up for landing. He jettisoned the long-range tank and carried out a series of aerobatics that eventually freed the undercarriage. However, his engine cut at 80ft when he’d almost made the runway and the aircraft stalled then crashed to earth. Hill only sustained minor injuries and shock but the aircraft was a write-off.

hill-charles-ralph-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

Charles Hill Calvi Corsica July 1944

20Sep44 Aircraft struck off charge. Aircraft flew four operational missions and four non-operational flights in September 1944. While serving with 451Sqn the aircraft flew 10 Operational Missions and made an unknown number of non-operational flights.

RAAF pilot 417374 Warrant Officer Charles Ralph Hill (24) of Norwood in Adelaide, South Australia returned to active duty and was commissioned in September 1944. He remained with the Squadron when it moved to the UK then post-war to Germany as part of the occupation force. He was repatriated back to Australia in March 1946 and resigned from the RAAF with the rank of Flying Officer. Ralph Hill passed away on 28th June 2005 aged 85 years and is buried with his beloved wife Melva Joan Hill (1924-1982) in Section C, Plot 229 of the Mitcham General Cemetery in Mitcham City, South Australia.

charles hill grave marker


SM333

00Nov44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial SM333 was the 9th of 44 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range SM329 thru SM369 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham. The aircraft was part of the Sixteenth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 01 February 1944 for the construction of 800 Mk.21 aircraft between June 1944 and December 1945. Contract cancelled in August and amended for construction of 558 Mk.IX aircraft, built between September and November 1944.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Nov44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

30Nov44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

21Dec44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent.

14Jan45 1st Operational Mission. FLTLT J.D Wallis departed Hawkinge at 1100hrs with 11 other 451Sqn Spitfires on a Wing fighter sweep in the Frankfurt area, covering 100 Halifax bombers attacking Saarbrucken. At approximately 1140hrs the Wing Leader ordered 451 Squadron to descend into the clouds and determine the extent of the coverage. The Spitfire flown by PLTOFF E.R Newberry [SM348] lost sight of his section as they entered the thick cloud and when his altimeter registered zero he climbed and during the climb his aircraft collided with SM333.

Two other pilots witnessed the collision and stated that the wing of SM348 struck SM333 just forward of the tail section which caused the tail to break away completely. Newberry [SM384] had to bale out of his stricken Spitfire and landed three miles from the SM333 crash site. He was rescued by Allied troops and sent to Ostend Hospital with serious injuries. Meanwhile, Wallis [SM333] was seen to immediately fall away totally out of control and crash into a house on the Rue des Allouettes in Ostend, Belgium. No parachute was seen and Wallis was listed as MIA.

RAAF pilot 408541 Flight Lieutenant John Desmond Wallis (23) of Black Rock in Melbourne, Victoria was KIA and was buried in Plot 9 Row 8 Grave No.25 of the Oostende New Communal Cemetery, Belgium. He is commemorated on Panel 105 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT; and, on the Roll of Honour in St Kilda, Melbourne.

John Desmond 451 sqn

A photograph of John Desmond Wallis taken in 1943 while serving with 451Sqn at El Daba airfield. Egypt

SM346

00Nov44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial SM346 was the 18th of 44 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range SM329 thru SM369 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Sixteenth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 01 February 1944 for the construction of 800 Mk.21 aircraft between June 1944 and December 1945. Contract cancelled in August and amended for construction of 558 Mk.IX aircraft, built between September and November 1944.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Nov44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

06Nov44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.45 Maintenance Unit at RAF Kinloss, Scotland where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

28Dec44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent.

05Jan45 1st Operational Mission. FLTLT R.J Robert departed Hawkinge at 1440hrs with five other Spitfires and joined the remainder of 251 Wing to escort 160 Lancasters of 3 Group from Luxembourg to Mons as they returned from a daylight bombing mission against the railway-yards at Ludwigshafen, Germany. Mission completed and returned to Base at 1710hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew two operational and three non-operational flights in January 1945

11Feb45 Aircraft moved from Matlaske to new operating base at RAF Station Manston, Kent

23Feb45 Aircraft moved from Manston to new operating base at RAF Station Matlaske, Norfolk

24Feb45 Aircraft moved from Matlaske to new operating base at RAF Station Swannington, Norfolk

14Mar45 6th Operational Mission. FLTLT H.J Bray departed Swannington at 1525hrs with three other Spitfires to conduct an armed reconnaissance over The Hague, Netherlands. Soon after take-off he radioed the leader stating he had oil pressure trouble. Bray turned back for base but crashed while making a forced landing 5km West of Sharrington village, Norfolk. Pilot was KIA and the aircraft destroyed.

RAAF pilot 404324 Flight Lieutenant Henry John Bray DFC (26) of Mooloolah, Queensland was KIA and is buried in Grave 15960 of the Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire UK. He is commemorated on Panel 105 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra ACT; and, on the Mooloolah Honour Roll in Queensland.

john bray tunisia P40

May 1943 FLTLT Henry John ‘Donk’ Bray beside his P40 fighter bomber at
Kairouan airfield in Tunisia while serving with No.3 Sqn RAAF.

31Mar45 Aircraft flew four operational and five non-operational flights in March 1945. While serving with 451 Sqn the aircraft flew six operational missions and made at least 12 non-operational flights.

SM384

00Nov44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial SM384 was the 2nd of 44 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range SM383 thru SM427 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham.. The aircraft was part of the Sixteenth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 01 February 1944 for the construction of 800 Mk.21 aircraft between June 1944 and December 1945. Contract cancelled in August and amended for construction of 558 Mk.IX aircraft, built between September and November 1944.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Nov44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

09Nov44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

21Dec44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent.

14Jan45 1st Operational Mission. PLTOFF E.R Newberry departed Hawkinge at 1100hrs with 11 other 451Sqn Spitfires on a Wing fighter sweep in the Frankfurt area, covering 100 Halifax bombers attacking Saarbrucken. At approximately 1140hrs the Wing Leader ordered 451 Squadron to descend into the clouds and determine the extent of the coverage. Newberry lost sight of his section as they entered the thick cloud and when his altimeter registered zero he climbed and during the climb his aircraft collided with SM333.

Two other pilots witnessed the collision and stated that the wing of SM348 struck SM333 just forward of the tail section which caused the tail to break away completely. Newberry [SM384] had to bale out of his stricken Spitfire and landed three miles from the SM333 crash site. He was rescued by Allied troops and sent to Ostend Hospital with serious injuries. Meanwhile, Wallis [SM333] was seen to immediately fall away totally out of control and crash into a house on the Rue des Allouettes in Ostend, Belgium. No parachute was seen and Wallis was listed as MIA.

RAAF pilot 421753 PLTOFF Edward Raymond Newberry (22) of Bondi in Sydney, New south Wales baled out and landed near Ostend, Belgium. Newberry sustained serious injuries and after rescue by Allied troops he was admitted to Ostend Hospital. When he had recovered some months later he was transferred to No14 Aircrew Holding Unit at RAF Station Millom, Cumberland where he remained until his repatriation back to Australia in January 1946. Newberry resigned from the RAAF on 16th April 1946 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Edward Newberry died on the 3rd of February 1990 aged 66 years. His is interred at the Centennial Park Cemetery in Mitchell City, South Australia. His ashes were placed in RSL Wall 123, Niche B013.

edward newberry grave


SM465

00Nov44 Supermarine Spitfire F Serial SM465 was the 25th of 48 Mk.LFIX fighters built in the Serial range SM441 thru SM488 by Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham. The aircraft was part of the Sixteenth Order to Contract B/981687/39/C.23(c) dated 01 February 1944 for the construction of 800 Mk.21 aircraft between June 1944 and December 1945. Contract cancelled in August and amended for construction of 558 Mk.IX aircraft.

Powered by a 1,139 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin (RM 10SM) M66 liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Nov44 First flight at Castle Bromwich by a Supermarine test pilot.

19Nov44 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

21Dec44 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Hawkinge, Kent as NI-X.

14Jan45 1st Operational Mission. FLTLT M.A Kemp departed Hawkinge at 1100hrs with 11 other 451Sqn Spitfires on a Wing fighter sweep in the Frankfurt area, covering 100 Halifax bombers attacking Saarbrucken. Mission completed and returned to base at 1205hrs.

31Jan45 Aircraft flew one operational and two non-operational flights in January 1945

11Feb45 Aircraft moved from Matlaske to new operating base at RAF Station Manston, Kent

23Feb45 Aircraft moved from Manston to new operating base at RAF Station Matlaske, Norfolk

24Feb45 Aircraft moved from Matlaske to new operating base at RAF Station Swannington, Norfolk

04Mar45 2nd Operational Mission. WOFF C.H Stubbs departed Hawkinge at 0905hrs with three other 451Sqn Spitfires and successfully completed a 110 minute armed reconnaissance of railways and bridges between The Hague and Rotterdam.

stubbs-ch-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

CH Stubbs Calvi Corsica July 1944

09Mar45 3rd Operational Mission. WOFF L.A.E Blake departed Hawkinge at 1000hrs with three other 451Sqn Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance of The Hague area. A bridge near Alphen aan den Rijn was attacked at 1105hrs and all four Spitfires dropped two 250lb HE bombs on target. No flak was evident but WOFF Blake radioed his leader that his engine was running very rough and the other pilots saw him dropping behind with blue smoke coming from the aircraft. Blake then reported his windscreen was covered in oil and, escorted by FLTLT R.J Robert [in SM346], turned south and headed for Rotterdam.

Soon after while flying at 4,000ft Blake called and said his engine had failed and he was baling out. Robert watched as Blake successfully egressed the aircraft and deployed his parachute. Unfortunately for Blake he came down near the small hamlet of Zwet 8km south west of Rotterdam which was still in enemy hands.

RAAF pilot 414752 Warrant Officer Leslie Albert Edward Blake (23) of Gympie, Queensland baled out near Rotterdam and was captured by German troops. He was held in the Netherlands until the war ended and was repatriated back to the UK on 15May45. He was posted to 464Sqn Mosquito Sqn at Melsbroek in Belgium before his repatriation back to Australia in October 1945. Les Blake discharged from the RAAF on 04Dec45 with the rank of Warrant Office and returned to his home town where he remained until his death on May 3rd 1999 aged 76 years He was cremated at the Cooloola Coast Crematorium in Gympie, Queensland. R.I.P

cooloola coast cemetery australia


SM919

00Jun45 Supermarine Spitfire Serial SM919 was the 7th of 44 Mk.FRXIV LR fighters built in the Serial range SM913 thru SM956 by Vickers-Armstrong (Supermarine) Ltd at their Keeling facility near Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The aircraft was part of the Eleventh Order to Contract Air/1877/C.23(c) dated 12 February 1944 for the construction of 150 Mk.XI aircraft between February 1945 and January 1946.

Powered by a 1,178 kW (1,580hp) Rolls-Royce Griffon G65 (RG 4SM) liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a five-bladed Rotol R19/5F5/1 propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and two Browning 7.7mm (0.303inch) machine guns in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb.

00Jun45 First flight at Keeling by a Supermarine test pilot.

09Jun45 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford, Shropshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

00Jul45 Aircraft allocated to No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Lasham, Hampshire.

19Jul45 FSGT R.W Knox and WOFF F.N Ebert were flown from RAF Lasham to No.9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford to collect and ferry two new Spitfire XIV LR aircraft back to 451Sqn.

20Jul45 WOFF Knox (SM919) and WOFF Ebert (SM896) departed Cosford at 1145hrs for the ferry flight. The pair climbed to 1000ft and levelled off below the low cloud cover in line abreast formation. At 1205hrs the aircraft entered cloud and Ebert reported he immediately started to climb on instruments and saw Knox for the last time as SM919 passed below SM896 apparently under full control. Ebert tried to contact Knox by radio but his calls went unanswered.

RW Knox

Robert Walker Knox

Meanwhile, Knox emerged from cloud at 1200hrs close to Fowlers Farm near Birdlip, Gloucestershire. Eyewitnesses reported the aircraft emerged from the low cloud base and struck the ground where the aircraft exploded on impact, Knox was killed and the aircraft destroyed. A post-crash investigation stated ‘From preliminary evidence of civil witnesses it appears the pilot was making a descent through cloud to check his position, and flew into high ground at approx. 950ft’. The conclusion of the investigation was ‘This accident was due to a flying error on the part of the pilot. When flying over hilly country he attempted a descent through cloud knowing he had no R/T and knowing the weather conditions at the time.’


birdlip gloucester SM919 Spitfire Knox

Hilly ground, Birdlip, Gloucester UK


RAAF Pilot 436001 Warrant Officer Robert Walker Knox (24) of North Perth, Western Australia was KIA. Knox was buried on 25Jul45 with full military honours in Section 4, Row H Grave 24 of the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Pirbright, Surrey. He is commemorated on Panel 105 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT. He is also honoured on the Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial in Kings Park, Perth.

Brookwood

Brookwood Military Cemetery UK


Note: WOFF Knox was the last 451Sqn death in WWII.

TB332

00Dec44 Supermarine Spitfire Serial TB332 was the 7th of 71 Mk.LFXVI fighters built in the Serial range TB326 thru TB396 by Vickers-Armstrong (Supermarine) Ltd at their Castle Bromwich facility, Birmingham. The aircraft were part of the Seventeenth Order to Contract B981687/39/C.23(c) dated 19 April 1944.

Powered by a 1,023 kW (1,372hp) Rolls-Royce/Packard Merlin 266 (RM 10SM) liquid-cooled 27 litre V-12 supercharged, four-stroke piston aero engine driving a four-bladed Rotol R12/4F5/1 propeller. Armament was one 20mm Hispano cannon and one Browning 12.7mm (0.50inch) machine gun in each wing. Provision was made for the carriage of 2 x 250lb bombs or 1 x 500lb bomb, or rocket projectiles.

00Jan45 First flight at Keeling by a Supermarine test pilot.

07Jan45 Flown by an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot to No.9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford, Shropshire where the aircraft was fitted with weapons and other military equipment.

13Feb45 Aircraft taken on charge with No.451 (F) Sqn RAAF at RAF Station Manston, Kent.

23Feb45 Aircraft moved to RAF Station Matlaske, Norfolk.

24Feb45 Aircraft moved to RAF Station Swannington, Norfolk.

03Mar45 Aircraft sustained Cat.AC damage in a flying accident. Details of the accident are unknown, at some time later the damage was reclassified as Cat.E

07Jul45 Aircraft struck off charge. The aircraft did not fly any operational missions with 451Sqn.



451 Sqn Pilots Calvi, Corsica France July 1944

(L) SqnLdrs GW Small and DH McBurnie DFC DFM at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

(R) SqnLdr DH McBurnie DFC DFM at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

milner-rt-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn.

(L) AT Roe at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

(R) RT Milner at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

hodgkinson-nd-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

ND Hodgkinson Calvi Corsica July 1944


squadron-pilots-calvi-corsica-july-1944-451sqn

RAAF 451Sqn pilots at St Catherines Calvi Corsica France July 1944

PMcG 2023-05-18

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