Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945

The Fleet Air Arm aircrew loaned to RAF Fighter Command 1940-1945

The Fleet Air Arm played an active part in the fight against the Axis forces during the Battle of Britain, not more so than the two FAA squadrons and 50 or so men who served under RAF Fighter Command. This page is dedicated to their dedication and bravery.

In the early years of the war the Germans had many, many more aircraft than the RAF. More important than the machines were the men to fly them and the RAF was critically short of fighter pilots. They had little more than 800 and as the fighting in the Battle of Britain and the years afterwards progressed the RAF shortage worsened. There were not enough pilots, not enough ground crew, never enough sleep and too many enemy aircraft. With this desperate situation the RAF was forced to call upon the Admiralty for Fleet Air Arm assistance.

The unsung heroes of Fighter Command were the Fleet Air Arm crews who served under RAF Fighter Command and loaned directly to RAF fighter squadrons.

The Fleet Air Arm pilots flying with RAF Fighter Command Squadrons in the Battle of Britain

242 (Canadian) hurricane squadron RAF under the celebrated command of Sqdn Leader Douglas RS "Tinlegs" Bader which included three Fleet Air Arm pilots, Sub Lt RJ Cork, RN (Bader's wingman), Sub Lt RE Gardner RNVR and Mid PJ Patterson, RN

List of FAA pilots loaned to RAF Fighter Command squadrons in the Battle of Britain

Sub Lt AG Blake RN seconded to 19 sqdn RAF, 1940

Aircrews:

Baker-Falkner, RS Lt	812 sqdn (and? 600 sqdn RAF listed as "Baker"?)(see further information under Wynn, below)	killed 18.7.44
Beggs, HW Sub Lt	151 sqdn RAF	killed 15.11.40 HMS Avenger
Blake, AG Sub Lt	19 sqdn RAF	killed 29.10.40
Bramah, HGK Sub Lt	213 sqdn RAF	died 1973
Bulmer, GGR Sub Lt	32 sqdn RAF	killed 20.7.40
Carpenter, JC Sub Lt RN (Canada)	229 and 46 sqdns	killed 20.7.40
Cork, RJ Sub Lt RN	242 sqdn RAF	killed 14.4.44
Gardner, RE Sub Lt	242 sqdn RAF
Gilbert, PRJ Mid	111 sqdn RAF
La Fone Greenshield, H Sub Lt	266 sqdn RAF	killed 16.8.40
Jeram, DM Sub Lt	213 sqdn RAF	died 1977
Kestin, IH Sub Lt	145 sqdn RAF	killed 1.8.40
Lennard, PL MID	501 sqdn RAF	killed 26.3.42
Moss, WJM Sub Lt	213 sqdn RAF	killed 27.8.40
Patterson, PJ Mid	242 sqdn RAF	killed 20.8.40
Paul, FD Sub Lt	64 sqdn RAF	missing 26.7.40; died as POW 30.7.40
Pudney, GB Sub Lt	64 sqdn RAF	killed in Egypt 26.8.41
Richards, DH Sub Lt	111 sqdn RAF	died 1955
Smith, FA Sub Lt	145 sqdn RAF	killed 8.8.40
Sykes, JHC Sub Lt	64 sqdn RAF
Walsh, RWM Sub Lt	111 sqdn RAF
Wightman, OM Mid	151 sqdn RAF	killed 30.6.41 in 807 sqdn
Worrall, TV Sub Lt	111 sqdn RAF	killed 20.2.1941 in 809 sdqn

FURTHER INFORMATION
Men of the Battle of Britain	Includes short biographies of Battle of Britain aircrew
Squadrons of the Battle of Britain
Fighter Command Aircrew and Casualties
Battle of Britain Website Directory	Battle of Britain web site includes BoB signed items, RAF Fighter Command's Battle of Britain Squadrons including FAA sqdns and RAF sqdns with FAA aircrew. See 804 and 808 sdqns.
The Battle of Britain Fighter Association
242 Squadron website. Recollections of 242 sqdn by Douglas Bader including: "...stand up..." "...Horseshit!"	Douglas Bader tells of his first meeting with the pilots of 242 squadron. Douglas Bader tells the reunion of his first talk with the pilots of 242 squadron in his office after showing them what he could do in a Hurricane.
Christopher Shores and Clive Williams, Aces High: a tribute to the most notable fighter pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII, Grub Street publishers, 1994
Wynn, KG (1999). Men of the Battle of Britain, a biographical directory of the Few.. Published by CCB Associates, 1999. ISBN: 1 902074 10 6	Biographies of all the Battle of Britain aircrews, including each of the Fleet Air Arm personnel. Baker-Falkner was confirmed as a Batttle of Britain pilot by the Battle of Britain Fighter assopciation and the MOD after this publication went to press.
Sturtivant, R. & Burrow, M (1995)	'Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995 ISBN: 0 85130 232 7

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