Traces of World War 2 
RAF - No. 94 Squadron
10/05/1940 - 30/06/1940

      home - latest update 6 February 2008


94 SQUADRON - Fighter, Gloster Gladiator

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



On 26 March 1939, No. 94 reformed at Sheik Othman, Aden under the command of Squadron Leader William T.F. 'Freddie' Wightman as a fighter Squadron for the defence of Aden, with eight Gladiator Mk.IIs. In April 1941 it handed over its Gladiators to the SAAF and moved to Egypt where it re-equipped with Hurricanes in May.

After a period of day and night defensive patrols, the Squadron began ground attack missions over the Western desert in November, converting to Kittyhawks in February 1942. These it flew on fighter patrols over the desert until May when it was withdrawn to receive Hurricanes for defensive duties.

In February 1944, it converted to Spitfires which were used on sweeps over Crete and in September a move was made to Greece. In December 1944 it provided air support for the Army during an attempted Communist take-over of Greece and on 20 April 1945, the Squadron was disbanded.


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

01/06/1940: ?, Yemen. 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA or DOW
18/06/1940: Submarine attack
23/06/1940: Rough landing. 1 Plane damaged

28/06/1940: Attack Macaaca (Masaala) airfield


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01/06/1940: ?, Yemen

Squadron Leader Frederick M. Smith, RAF 33147, 94 Sqdn., age 25, 01/06/1940, Maala Cemetery, Yemen

N2291 stalled during roll at low altitude and dived into ground at Sheikh Othman bombing range. It is (yet) unclear if S/L F.M. Smith was the pilot of this plane.

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18/06/1940: Submarine attack

Gloster Gladiator N2279 attacked enemy submarine.

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23/06/1940: Rough landing

Type: Gloster Gladiator
Serial number: N2295, GO-?
Operation: ?
Damaged: 23/06/1940
Bounced on landing, swung and lost wheel at Sheikh Othman.

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28/06/1940: Attack Macaaca (Masaala) airfield

In the afternoon on 27 June a Blenheim of 39 Squadron flown by Squadron Leader Bowman led three Gladiators of 94 Squadron to Perim Island from where they were to make a dawn attack on Assab's Macaaca (Masaala) airfield.

At dawn next day Bowman’s Blenheim and two of the Gladiators (N2279 and N2294) took off from Perim Island to attack a fuel dump at Assab. The Blenheim bombed, but missed. The Gladiators flown by Squadron Leader Wightman and Pilot Officer Carter then set fire to some 100 drums of alcohol and petrol. The three British aircraft made good their escape before any opposition was encountered.


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Sources

94 Squadron at Aden, 1939-1941
Air of Authority - 94 Squadron
Air War over Iraq (1941)
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
Australian War Memorial
Bail-outs for 1940
Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Gloster Gladiator in 94 RAF Squadron Service
The invasion of British Somaliland, by Bill Stone
Middle East - the opening rounds (from the RAF 1939-1945)
New Zealanders in the Royal Air Force (Vol III) - Africa and Middle East
Prisoners of War captured in Europe 1940
Royal Air Force - 94 Squadron
RAF Museum: British Military Aviation in 1940
Royal Air Force History Section
The Royal Air Force, 1939-1945
The Second World War - a day by day account


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Books

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Links

Abbreviations used in the Royal Air Force
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
Canada's Air Force History
HMS Cavalier
Ciel de Gloire (in French) RAF Squadrons
CWGC Cemeteries Germany
CWGC Cemeteries Netherlands
Czechoslovak airmen in the RAF 1940-1945
Danish WW2 Pilots

Dutch Pilots in RAF Squadrons
Eagles Squadrons (American pilots in the RAF)
Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939-1946
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)
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
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
RAF Upwood
De Slag om de Grebbeberg
(Dutch)
Warbird Alley
War over Holland
World War II Aircraft wrecksites in Norway
www.bomber-command.de

Aircraft crashes on the North Yorkshire Moors, England
Bills-Bunker.de
The Lancastershire Aircraft Investigation Team
Luftfahrt-Archäologie in Schleswig Holstein (in German)
North East Diary 1939-1945
Wartime Leicester and Leicestershire

The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War 1
WW1 Cemeteries

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This page is dedicated to the men of 94 Squadron.

© 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