No. 41 Squadron RAF was originally formed in April 1916 and served valiantly on the Western Front between October 1916 and February 1919. The unit was disbanded on 31 December 1919, only to be reformed at Northolt on 1 April 1923. Between October 1936 and August 1937, the unit was deployed to Aden during the Italian-Abyssinian Crisis, and were posted to a new base, Catterick in Yorkshire, on their return to the United Kingdom. It was here, in late December 1938, that the Squadron received its first Spitfires, becoming the third RAF Squadron to ever receive them, and was one of the few units that flew them for the entirety of World War II, constantly receiving newer versions as they were released.

After the outbreak of World War II, 41 Squadron saw only limited action until May 1940, when it provided air cover for the evacuation from Dunkirk and suffered its first combat casualties. Soon after, however, it was to play a major role in the Battle of Britain, spending September 1940 to February 1941 on the 'front line' at Hornchurch in Essex. Her Spitfires were scrambled countless times to intercept inbound enemy fighters and bombers and were extremely successful against the seemingly endless Luftwaffe onslaught. By the end of November 1940, the unit's pilots had claimed over 100 enemy aircraft destroyed, with many more probable and damaged.

During the ensuing war years, the Squadron was active in a variety of roles, which included local reconnaissance, convoy patrols, bomber escorts, 'rhubarb' interdiction flights, fighter sweeps over the Continent, and air-to-air attacks on inbound V-1 flying bombs during the Summer of 1944. The unit also played a minor role in Operation Big Ben, seeking out V-2 rocket sites on the Continent and attacking V-2 transports.

Amongst the Squadron's notable roles were operations against the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen, after their escape from Brest in February 1942 and the provision of air support for the Canadian Raid on Dieppe in August that same year. The unit provided air cover for the Allied landings in Normandy in July 1944 and during the period following D-Day whilst the Allies strengthened their foothold on the Continent. They were also active in the skies over Arnhem during Operation Market Garden.

The Squadron joined the Second Tactical Air Force in September 1944, and moved their base to the Continent in December. Advancing with Allied ground forces, the unit subsequently occupied bases in Belgium and Holland and, in April 1945, their first base in Germany. After the cessation of hostilities in Germany, a role in the post-war occupation forces in both Denmark and Germany ensued.

By the end of the War, 41 Squadron had been credited with destroying some 200 enemy aircraft, probably destroying 61, and damaging a further 109; her pilots also brought down a respectable 53 V-1 flying bombs before they reached London, doubtless saving hundreds of lives.

Between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945, 41 Squadron lost 64 pilots killed and 21 as Prisoners of War. The list of the unit's World War II pilots on this site is considered all but complete, and 325 are currently profiled. Using this number as a basis, these two casualty figures account for 20% and 6.5% of these men respectively, or a combined casualty rate of ca. 26.5%. These figures do not, however, include the countless occasions when pilots were wounded in action or in flying accidents in the course of their duty, nor those who were killed or wounded in subsequent units.

This website concentrates on the men who flew against a determined enemy in the European Theatre during World War II and built a solid reputation that they, and the men of 41 Squadron today - some two to three generations later - are justifiably proud of. I trust the information provided on this website offers visitors an insight into the lives, courage and fates of the pilots of 41 Squadron during this time.

If you or a family member flew with 41 Squadron, or you have information on any of the gentlemen listed on this website, which you would be willing to share with me, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Acknowledgements

Gathering information on this scale requires the support of many individuals. I would therefore like to thank (in alphabetical order) John Adams, Peter Arnold, Serge Bonge, Jack Bradshaw, Bill Brew†, R. Giles Browne, Terry Carter, John Chalmers, Eleanor Collins, Arthur Cooper, Keith R. Curtis†, Régis Decobeck, Robert Dixon, John Engelsted, Doug Fishburn, Tony Gaze, Peter Graham, Peter Hale, Hugh Halliday, Philip Harvey, Tom Harvey, Trevor Harvey, Michal Havrda, Allan Hillman, Alain Hughes, Dan Johnson, Chris van Kerckhoven, Gareth Lewis, Maj. Jack Malone, Errol Martyn, Bob Middlemiss, Tony Monk, Stein Meum, Karen Neale, Roy Nixon, Thomas Olsen, David Park, Hugh & Dale Parry, David Pausey, Rob Philips, B. Greg Piddocke, Kerry Porter, Mick Quinn, Derek Rake, John Shipman, Chris Shores, Grzegorz Sliżewski, Terry Spencer†, Nan Spurr, Paul Trickett, Bill Tuele, Laurent Viton, Herb Wagner†, Chf. Tech. Chris Walster, Henk Welting, and Floyd Williston, all of whom have been of invaluable assistance in compiling data for this site. Their great generosity and kind permission to reproduce their data and photographs have helped make this site a very informative and professional tribute to the men who served with 41 Squadron between 1939 and 1945.

Publications: 'Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War', Vols. 1-3, by Norman Franks; 'Aces High' and 'Those Other Eagles' by Chris Shores; 'For Your Tomorrow; A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915' (Vol. 1: Fates 1915-1942, Vol. 2: Fates 1943-1998, & Vol. 3: Biographies & Appendices), by Errol W. Martyn; 'By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1923-1999' by Group Captain C. M. Hanson; and 'The Battle of Britain Then and Now' by Battle of Britain International Ltd. (Editor Winston G. Ramsey).

Archive Records: The main sources utilised have been the 41 Squadron RAF Archive, Coningsby, Lincs., and the 41 Squadron ORB (TNA AIR 27/424-431), at the National Archives in Kew, Surrey.

Websites and Official Bodies: The RAF Commands Bulletin Board and all its contributors, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the London Gazette, Australia's World War II Nominal Roll, the UK's Ministry of Defence, the RCAF Museum, and the Battle of Britain website.

This website was created on 31 January 2003 and was last updated on 11 October 2009