Traces of World War 2 
RAF - 13 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

13 SQUADRON - Army Co-Operation, Westland Lysander
Air Component, 50 Wing (No. 4, No. 13, No. 16 Squadrons)

History | Losses | Sources | Links | | Questions and/or remarks


On 3 September 1939 when war was declared on Germany, XIII Squadron was based at Odiham in Hampshire flying Lysanders. The Squadron soon moved to France and by 2 October 1939 XIII Squadron had established itself at Mons-en-Chausseé as one of a number of Lysander and Blenheim Squadrons that together formed 22 Army Cooperation Command of the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force.

The Squadron initially spent time familiarizing itself with the local area and taking pictures of the enemy positions, overlapping them to form a photographic mosaic of Northern France. Time was also spent conducting fighter affiliation training with Hurricanes and on performing signals exercises with the Royal Artillery. During the "phony war" there were very few casualties and the Squadron continued with exercises and photo-reconnaissance sorties.

The "blitzkrieg" attack on 10 May 1940 however changed everything and forced the Squadron to move to Douai to spot for heavy artillery and to bomb frontline troop positions. Throughout this period there were many encounters with enemy aircraft, often with dire consequences. On one occasion however a Lysander was attacked by two Me 109s. One Messerschmitt was shot down in flames and the other was so badly damaged that it was forced to break off the engagement. The Lysander returned to base without damage or any injury to the crew! The Squadron moved to Hooton Park in Cheshire on 1 June 1940.

Air Marshall Sir Alfred (Freddy) Ball, KCB DSO DFC
attended RAF College, Cranwell in 1939 and joined 13 Squadron in France in March 1940.

Cathleen Teece writes on BBC's WW2 People's War how her brother Richard T. Clifford ('Dick), member of 13 Squadron, escaped from France in May 1940.

CO: W/C S.H.C. Gray


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Missions and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations listed; those with fatal losses are.

15/05/1940: Tactical Reconnaissance, B. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
16/05/1940: Tactical Reconnaissance, F. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
18/05/1940: Amiens, France. 1 Plane lost, 1 DOW
21/05/1940: Liasion flight, F. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA
22/05/1940: Supply drops, Calais, F
25/06/1940: 1 MIA

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Type: Westland Lysander
Serial number: L4813, OO-?
Operation: Tactical Reconnaissance
Lost: 15/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Alan C. Ollerenshaw, RAF 41729 (NZ),13 Sqdn., age 19, 15/05/1940, Leuven Communal Cemetery, B
Leading Aircraftman (Air Gnr.) Charles F. Lucas, RAFVR 937157, 13 Sqdn., age 23, 15/05/1940, Leuven Communal Cemetery, B
Crashed at 10.00 hrs (Belgian Time, GMT +1hr) in Bierbeek, near Leuven (Louvain). Exact cause unknown, but possibly shot down by Oberlt Fronhöfer of 9./JG26

Sources: CWGC; Cynrick De Decker and Jean Louis Roba, Mei 1940 boven België. de luchtstrijd tijdens de Achttiendaagse Veldtocht, De Krijger, 1993; Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008

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Type: Westland Lysander
Serial number: L6885, OO-?
Operation: Tactical Reconnaissance
Lost: 16/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Thomas H. Borg-Banks, RAF 41659, 13 Sqdn., age 19, 16/05/1940, Vieux-Conde Communal Cemetery, F
Leading Aircraftman (Air Gnr.) Walter F. Lawes, RAF 567002, 13 Sqdn., age 21, 16/05/1940, Vieux-Conde Communal Cemetery, F
AC1 H.P. Moule - injured
Crashed near Vieux-Condé. Believed that claimed by Fw Bothfeld of 1./JG27 over La Chapelle 05.50 hrs. AC1 Moule suffered a broken arm.

Sources: CWGC; Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008

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Type: Westland Lysander
Serial number: N1221, OO-?
Operation: ?
Lost: 18/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) John H. Day, RAF 41676, 13 Sqdn., age unknown, 20/05/1940, Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Tréport, France
Air Gunner: ?
Took off from Authie. Wrecked in explosion when bomb became detached on landing at Amiens. P/O Day believed to be badly wounded, evacuated but died in hospital at Le Tréport en route to England

Sources: CWGC; Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008

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Type: Westland Lysander
Serial number: ?, OO-?, A Flight
Operation: Liasion flight
Lost: 21/05/1940
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Richard H.N. Graham, RAF 25066, 13 Sqdn., age 34, 21/05/1940, St. Martin-au-Laert Churchyard, F
Pilot Officer (Air Gnr.) Reginald E.C. Butterworth , RAFVR 77531, 13 Sqdn., age 33, 21/05/1940, St. Martin-au-Laert Churchyard, F
Took off from Clairmarais. Shot down over St. Omer and crashed in St. Martin-au-Laërt.

Sources: CWGC; Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008

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7 Westland Lysanders of No.16 Squadron Army Co-operation Command drop supplies to a besieged Allied garrison at Calais.

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Corporal Stanley Mills, RAF 570908, 13 Sqdn., age 20, 25/06/1940, missing
Likely to be a ground crew member of the squadron. Date of missing unknown; 25/06/1940 was used as a kind of 'sweep up' date for all missing personnel.
He could have died during the final evacuation of France, in Operation Aerial.

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These pages are dedicated to the men of 13 Squadron who died during World War II.

© Bart FM Droog / Rottend Staal Online 2008. Permission granted for use of the data gathered here for non commercial purposes, if this source is mentioned with a link to http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/index.html