Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 38 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

      home - latest update 23 June 2008


38 SQUADRON - Bomber, Vickers Wellington
Bomber Command

History | Operations and losses | Sources | Links | Books | Questions and/or remarks



No. 38 Squadron had Wel1ingtons at the outbreak of the Second World War and flew its first bombing mission on 3rd December 1939, when three of its Wel1ingtons joined 21 similar aircraft from Nos. 115 and 149 Squadrons in a daylight raid against German warships in the Heligoland area. While no great results were achieved by this operation No. 38 Squadron was, at least, able to claim an enemy fighter destroyed; it fell to the guns of LAC J Copley, the rear gunner in Wel1ington N2879 "Z-Zebra". Copley first learned of the enemy fighter's presence when an armour-piercing bullet lodged in the quick-release box of his parachute harness.

After further bombing operations in Northern Europe, including attacks on the invasion ports and Berlin, No. 38 moved to the Middle East in November 1940, and subsequently made its mark on Rhodes, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Crete, Syria, Sicily, Italy and much of North Africa.


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Operations and losses 10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940
Not all operations are listed

10-11/05/1940: Waalhaven, NL
30-31/05/1940: Diksmuide, B. 1 Plane lost, 6 KIA
14-15/06/1940: Black Forest, D. 1 Plane lost, 2 MIA, 4 POW
16/06/1940: ?
1 KIA or DOW

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Losses 01/01/1940 - 09/05/1940 (incomplete)

Leading Aircraftman Arthur R. Chapman, RAF 534704, 38 Sqdn., age 21, 21/02/1940, missing
Sergeant Leslie C. Cond, RAF 580724, 38 Sqdn., age 23, 21/02/1940, missing
Flying Officer Noel Hawxby, RAF 39735, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 21/02/1940, missing
Flight Sergeant Anthony Hill, RAF 590559, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 21/02/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Thomas F. Johnson, RAF 538052, 38 Sqdn., age 25, 21/02/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman Frederick G. Jones, RAF 567277, 38 Sqdn., age 22, 21/02/1940, missing

Leading Aircraftman Michael F. Bedford, RAF 550969, 38 Sqdn., age 20, 12/04/1940, missing
Sergeant Frank F. Bestick, RAF 580598, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 12/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer George W. Brundish, RAFVR 77036, 38 Sqdn., age 29, 12/04/1940, missing
Aircraftman 2nd Class Gerald Flynn, RAF 628401 (Ireland), 38 Sqdn., age 33, 12/04/1940, missing
Flying Officer Donald C. Maybury, RAF 33325, 38 Sqdn., age 23, 12/04/1940, missing
Squadron Leader Maurice Nolan, RAF 37114, 38 Sqdn., age 27, 12/04/1940, missing

Aircraftman 2nd Class Robert M.G. Clark, RAF 618202, 38 Sqdn., age 26, missing
Pilot Officer George L. Crosby, RAF 40679, 38 Sqdn., age 20, 14/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Charles E.W.R. Edmunds, RAFVR 75997, 38 Sqdn., age 34, 14/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Arthur G.W. Merewether, RAF 41860, (NZ), 38 Sqdn., age 23, 14/04/1940, missing
Sergeant Ronald H. Wills, RAF 580722, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 14/04/1940, missing

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10-11/05/1940: Waalhaven, NL

During the late evening and the night several bomber flights from the RAF paid a visit to Waalhaven. These 36 Wellington medium bombers dropped a total of 58 tonnes of bombes [each plane dropped 18 off 200 lbs bombs] on the airfield itself and the direct surroundings. The only enemy opposition they faced was the light FLAK that had been flown in during the 10th [2 cm AA]. The majority of the planes operated from an altitude of 2,000 - 2,500 feet - well within the range of the FLAK. The raids started around 2230 hours and lasted until about 0400. No aircrafts were shot down and only one crew member returned home wounded [from shrapnel].

- 6 Wellingtons No.9 Sq. Afb. Honington [S/L Peacock]
- 3 Wellingtons No.37 Sq. Afb. Marham [jointly with 75 Sq., S/L Glencross]
- 6 Wellingtons No.38 Sq. Afb. Marham [F/L MacFadden]
- 3 Wellingtons No.75 [NZ] Sq. Afb. Feltwell [jointly with 37 Sq., S/L Glencross]
- 6 Wellingtons No.99 Sq. Afb Newmarket [S/L Bertram]
- 6 Wellingtons No.115 Sq. Afb. Marham [unknown]
- 6 Wellingtons No.149 Sq. Afb. Mildenhall [S/L Harrie]

Source: War over Holland

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30/31/05/1940: Diksmuide, B

On the night of 30 May 1940 seventeen Wellington Bombers from RAF Marham took off to provide close air support for the beleaguered British Expeditionary Force, as they withdrew from the beaches of Dunkirk.

Type: Wellington Mk.1C
Serial number: R3162, HD-H
Operation: Diksmuide, B
Lost: 30/05/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) Vivian A.W. Rosewarne, RAF 40021, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Roy Baynes, RAF 42479, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Sergeant (Obs.) John Knight, RAF 581515, 38 Sqdn., age 19, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Dennis D.G. Spencer, RAFVR 755611, 38 Sqdn., age unknown, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Aircraftman 2nd Class (W. Op./Air Gnr.) James C. Adams, RAF 630069, 38 Sqdn., age 20, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) John Dolan, RAFVR 902515, 38 Sqdn., age 34, 30/05/1940, Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, B
Airborne 2225 30May40 from Marham. Crashed at Veurne (West Vlaanderen), 25 km SW of Ostend, Belgium. Cause not established.

RAF Marham states on this page that J.C. Adams was an 'Aircraftswoman' , which is rather unlikely.

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14-15/06/1940: Black Forest, D

Type:
Wellington Mk.1A
Serial number: N2953, HD-R
Operation: Leverkussen, D
Lost: 14/06/1940
Sergeant Lionel A. Morris, RAFVR 741203, 38 Sqdn., age 28, 14/06/1940, missing
Sgt W.Stevens PoW
Sgt N.Packer PoW
Sgt J.D.Foulser PoW
Sergeant Reginald J. Baghurst, RAF 640031, 38 Sqdn., age 21, 14/06/1940, missing
P/O J.E.A.Foster Inj
Airborne 2224 14Jun40 from Marham. Sgt Morris and Sgt Baghurst have no known graves and both are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Cause of loss and crash site not established. P/O J.E.A.Foster was confined in Hospital due injuries. No PoW No. Sgt J.D.Foulser in Camps L1/L6/357, PoW No.69 with Sgt N.Packer, PoW No.1. Sgt W.Stevens in Camps L1/L6/L4, PoW No.55.

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16/06/1940: ?

Pilot Officer (Pilot) Edward W. Plumb, RAF 43141 (NZ), 38 Sqdn., age 26, 16/06/1940, Eltham Cemetery, London, UK

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Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Lost Bombers
RAF History - Bomber Command
RAF Museum: British Military Aviation in 1940
RAF Marham - Wellington tree
The Royal Air Force, 1939-1945
War over Holland

Books

W.R. Chorley, Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1, 1939/40, Midland Counties Publications, ISBN 0 904597 85 7
L Walford 'No 38 Squadron 1916-63' (Hanrun, Malta 1963)

Links

Air Aces
Airwar over Denmark
Allied World War II Casualties in the Netherlands
Armée de l'Air - Order of Battle, 10th May 1940
Australian Wargraves
Axis History Factbook
Battle-of-Britain.com
De Belgen in Engeland 1940-1945 (in Dutch)
Belgian Aviation History Association Archaeological Team
British Aircraft Directory
British Aviation Archaeological Council - Books and research links
HMS Cavalier
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots

Håkans aviation page (from Sweden, in English)
'High flight', poem by John Gillespie Magee
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, poem by W.B. Yeats
Jagdgeschwader 27 (in German)
Luchtoorlog ('Arial War', in Dutch, with many photos)
The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945
Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
The National Ex-Prisoners of War Association
Naval History.net
Nordic Aviation during WW2
Pilotfriend.com: aircraft of WW2
Polish Air Force 1940-1947 Operations Record Books
RAF Battle of Britain
De Slag om de Grebbeberg
(Dutch)
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de

Bills-Bunker.de
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and Leicestershire

The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War 1


The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War 1


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This page is dedicated to the men of 38 Squadron.

© Bart FM Droog / Rottend Staal Online 2007-2008. 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