About This Unit
No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron RAF is included in this site because it was one of many WW2 RAF Squadrons in which Australian airmen served fought and died, under the auspices of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS).
1 Squadron RAF had an Australian component from the outset of WW2 in Flying Officer Leslie Clisby, who had been posted to the Squadron in 1937, prior to the introduction of the EATS. He was to become the Squadron's first Ace and Australia's first WW2 fighter Ace (meaning he had five aerial victories in air to air combat), and proudly wore his dark blue RAAF uniform while doing so. Although it was suffering the effects of wear, he proclaimed that 'it would see him out'. He was wearing it when he was tragically killed in action in the short but intense period of air combat during the battle of France in May 1940, as the RAF was fighting with its backs to the wall, finally withdrawing to the UK as the German invasion overwhelmed the defenders.
No. 1 Squadron was one of the first four squadrons raised on formation of the Royal Flying Corps in 1912. It served with distinction in WW1.
It remained on establishment in the interwar period, latterly equipped with the Hawker Fury.
In October 1938 it re-equipped with the new monoplane Hawker Hurricane, deploying to France in September 1939 as one of two fighter squadrons allocated to the Advanced Air Striking Force.
Once in France the squadron moved frequently. Even before the start of the Blitzkrieg the squadron moved six times. When the Bitzkreig broke on 10 May, it moved again. In the six weeks after 10 May, the squadron moved a further five times, ending up at St. Nazaire covering the British forces withdrawing from western France. During this period its pilots racked up an impressive array of victories but they also sustained heavy losses.
On its return to Britain the squadron replaced its lost aircraft, and was placed in No. 11 Group which was at the 'sharp end' of the Battle. It took part in the first phase of the battle of Britain, until on 9 September 1940 it was re-located to RAF Wittering to rest.
On its return to the south of England in December 1940, the squadron began the first of three periods of intruder operations, known as 'Rhubarbs' over occupied France. The second covered the first half of 1942. The third spell of intruder missions lasted from January-June 1944.
The first period of intruder missions came to an end in the spring of 1941, when the squadron began a year of night fighter duties. With no radar, the Hurricane did not make a particularly good night fighter, and interceptions were rare.
The second period of intruder duties ended in July 1942 when the Squadron moved to Northumberland to convert to the Hawker Typhoon. After six months of preparation, the squadron was ready to use its new aircraft against German fighter bomber raids. In February 1943 it moved back to the south coast to operate against these fast low level raids.
After nearly a year on this duty, No. 1 Squadron began its third rotation of "Rhubarbs". These sustained a lot of casualties from ground fire due to their nature. By this stage it had converted to the excellent Spitfire Mk IX. The intruder missions ended in June 1944 at the start of the German flying-bomb campaign. No. 1 Squadron was one many squadrons moved to south-east England to deal with this new high speed threat.
Finally, with the end of the flying bomb campaign No. 1 Squadron joined the air war against Germany, carrying out long range bomber escort missions in support of the renewed daylight bombing campaign. By then it was flying the latest Mark of Supermarive Spitfires.
October 1938-February 1941: Hawker Hurricane Mk I
February 1941-January 1941: Hawker Hurricane Mk IIA
April 1941-January 1942: Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB
July 1941-September 1942: Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC
June 1942-September 1942: Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB
July 1942-April 1944: Typhoon IB
April 1944-May 1945: Supermarine Spitfire IXB
May 1945-October 1945: Supermarine Spitfire F.21
More to follow..............
Compiled by Steve Larkins 2013
Sources:
Richey, Paul, 'Fighter Pilot'
Stories
The first of many
Most of 1 Squadron's well trained and experienced pilots are seen here shortly before the outbreak of the blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940. The commanding officer, Squadron Leader PH 'Bull' Halahan, is in the centre, wearing a sheepskin flying jacket.
On the far left is Pilot Officer Billy Drake. Although one of the only two pilots in this photo not to receive a DFC in June 1940 (having been shot down and wounded on 13 May), he was to end the war as the most successful of all this group of outstanding fighter pilots. He had by then been promoted to Wing Commander, and had claimed some 28 aircraft shot down (three of which were shared and two unconfirmed), plus 15 more destroyed on the ground. He had also been awarded a DSO, DFC and Bar, and a US DFC. He remained in the RAF postwar, becoming a Group Captain.
Next to him is Flying Officer LR Clisby, an aggressive Australian pilot who was the squadron's first top-scorer, having already claimed at least ten aircraft shot down, and possibly more, by the time he was brought down and killed on 14 May. Behind his left shoulder is his friend, Flying Officer LR Lorimer, who was shot down and killed during the same engagement.
Flight Lieutenant P Prosser Hanks was one of the unit's two flight commanders. He had claimed seven victories when sent home to become an instructor later in May. He ended the war as a Wing Commander, credited with 13 enemy aircraft shot down. Between him and Halahan is Pilot Officer PWO 'Boy' Mould (see below).
Behind 'Bull' Halahan's left shoulder is Jean-François Demozay. A civilian pilot before the war, he had been loaned to the squadron as French interpreter. He fled to England when France fell, and became a fighter pilot, joining 1 Squadron in this role late in 1940. He ended the war as a Wing Commander, credited with 18 victories, but was then killed in an aircraft accident on 19 December 1945.
The senior flight commander, Flight Lieutenant PR 'Johnnie' Walker, is next. He claimed eight successes in combat during spring 1940, and ended the war as a Group Captain. Standing in front of Walker and the next two pilots is Flight Lieutenant DM Brown, the squadron medical officer. Behind his left shoulder is Flying Officer JI Kilmartin (see below).
Almost hidden behind Brown and Kilmartin is Flying Officer PHM Richey, later author of Fighter Pilot, one of the classic books of the war. Before he was wounded on 19 May, Paul Richey had claimed ten victories. He later returned to operations in 1941, and also ended the war as a Wing Commander.
Another, almost hidden behind his colleagues, is New Zealander Flying Officer WH Stratton (see below), and the last in the line is Flying Officer CD 'Pussy' Palmer, born in the USA of British parentage. He later became a Squadron Leader, but was shot down and killed over the English Channel on 27 October 1942.
Missing from this group are three other notable officers and three leading NCO pilots. The third representative of the Commonwealth was Flying Officer MH 'Hilly' Brown from Canada, who was on leave when the photograph was taken. He had claimed some 17 victories when the squadron left France in June, having overtaken Clisby as the top-scorer for the unit in 1940. Becoming Commanding Officer soon after the return to England, he also flew during the Battle of Britain. He became a Wing Commander in 1941, but was shot down and killed over Sicily on 12 November 1941.
Flying Officer GPH Matthews joined the squadron in August 1939. He claimed five victories during May-June 1940, ending the war as a Squadron Leader, with 11 victories credited to him.
Pilot Officer PV Boot had arrived only in March 1940 as a reinforcement, having just retrained as a fighter pilot. The 1 Squadron ethos and example obviously enveloped him rapidly, for by 5 June he had claimed five aircraft shot down. He later took part in the Battle of Britain before becoming an instructor, and was awarded a DFC.
The squadron's outstanding NCO pilot was Flight Sergeant FJ Soper, who claimed 13 victories over France during 1940. He was later commissioned and by 1941 had been given command of his own squadron. He failed to return from a sortie to intercept an intruding German bomber off the Suffolk coast on 5 October 1941.
Flight Sergeant AV 'Darky' Clowes had claimed seven successes by 18 June 1940. He too was commissioned later in the year, subsequently becoming a Squadron Commander. A third notable NCO was Flight Sergeant FG Berry, who shot down the bomber that had just bombed the troopship Lancastrian in St Nazaire harbour on 17 June 1940. He was killed shortly afterwards, on 1 September, during the Battle of Britain.
Submitted 14 June 2015
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