Just how much do we know about the forces involved in the airwar during WW2? Here's a (incomplete) list of the Air Forces involved in the fight against the Axis powers. Feel free to contribute information of a force(s) that you have: British Empire/Dominion Air Forces: Royal Air Force/Fleet Air Arm Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Australian Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force South African Air Force (I don't think they ever had the prefix Royal) Indian Air Force (the prefix Royal was only given in 1945 - hence a lot of documents use IAF) Rhodesian Air Force European Exiled Air Forces Polish Air Force Royal Norwegian Air Force Royal Danish Army Air Corps Armée de l'Air/Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres/ Hellenic Royal Air Force Royal Netherlands Air Force Czechoslovak Air Force Allied Air Forces: Republic of China Air Force Royal Egyptian Air Force Força Aérea Brasileira And of course, the United States, with their various aviation branches.
The Brazilian Air Force – FAB ( Força Aérea Brasileira) The FAB had a group of pilots and land personel trainned in the United States, the 1º GAvCA (1st Fighter Group), sent to Italy and alocated in the 350th U.S. Army Air Force Fighter Group. The Brazilian pilots actually formed one of the 20 squadrons of the XXII Air Tactic Command, flying the updated P-47D. Their role was very important to the actions of all Allied forces in Italy and the Brazilian pilots were also very praised for their important air-to-ground operations. Many pilots were victims of heavy flack, some were downed , captured by Germans and taken to prisioner camps in Germany...
Indian Air Force The best site on the (R)IAF during the war (if the information isn't here then you'll probably won't find it anywhere else on the web): http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/index.html Just a couple of the hundreds of pictures on the site - so well worth a visit (and Jagan, the site owner is very knowledgeable and helpful):
RNZAF Fighter Pilot Museum This is another excellent site which covers the NZ fighter-pilot contribution to the war, both in the RNZAF and in the RAF: http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/
Royal Canadian Air Force A nice summary of all the RCAF Commands and their contributions: http://www.junobeach.org/e/4/can-tac-air-e.htm
Royal Australian Air Force http://www.defence.gov.au/Raaf/history/airforce_history/WW2_2.htm [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The duration of World War II saw 15,746 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners and engineers sent to British squadrons and 11,641 to Australian squadrons. These men exemplified themselves in every major campaign front from the Battle of France, Battle of Britain, Normandy invasion, Egypt, the Middle East, Germany, Battle of the Atlantic, the defence of Malta, liberation of Italy, the Battles of the Coral and Bismarck Seas, Defence of Australia, to fighting in India, Burma, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Pacific. When the armistice with Japan was signed on 15 August 1945, the RAAF in the Pacific had a total strength of 131,662 personnel and 3,187 front line aircraft. First Tactical Air Force, the major operational formation, had grown to 18,894 men in April 1945 and operated 20 operational squadrons. In addition to its execution of numerous air operations, the RAAF had also pioneered the development and operation of radar and operated its own shipping in the South West Pacific Area. The RAAF legacy of the Second World War is a proud one, with it now the world's 4th largest Air Force.[/FONT]
RAAF Official Histories Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942 http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=26 Volume II – Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945 http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=27 Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939–1943 http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=28 Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945 http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=29
Distinguished Pilot of the (RhAF) Service Profile: Archie Wilson For the full story. http://www.defence.gov.au/Raaf/raafmuseum/aircrewaca/profiles/pr116-a-wilson.htm Archibald O.G. Wilson ICD OBE DFC (USA) was a volunteer member of the Southern Rhodesian Territorial Army (part-time) when war was declared in 1939. Within a day he offered his services to, and was accepted for pilot training in, the Southern Rhodesian Air Force (SRAF). He was commissioned as a General Duties (GD) Pilot Officer, subsequently flying on two tours of operations. He flew Mk I Hurricanes with No. 274 Squadron, P-40 Tomahawks with No. 250 Squadron, Mks I and IIC Hurricanes with No. 237 Squadron. Joining No. 238 Squadron, he flew Hurricane IICs, Spitfire Vs, VIIIs, and IXs in Fighter Command, Desert Air Force in the Middle East, North Africa, Italy and over the south of France. As a Squadron Leader, Archie took command of No. 238 Squadron in August 1943, and remained in that post until August 1944 when, having completed two tours of operations, he was returned to Southern Rhodesia on posting to RAF Central Flying School (CFS) Norton, for training as a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) and was elevated to 'B' category on Cornells and Harvards. He remained on instructional duties at RAF Mt. Hampden, RAF Guinea Fowl and RAF Thornhill until demobilised and transferred to the SRAF Reserve of Officers in November 1945. Additional to the list of aircraft flown on active service, Archie also piloted Tiger Moths, Hawkers: Hart, Audax, Hardy,and Hind, Gloster: Gauntlets and a Gladiator, Vampires, Hunters, Canberras, Miles Magisters, Valencias, Blenheims, Proctors, Beech Barons, Avro Ansons Mks I and IXX, DH Rapides, Otters, Dakotas, Pembrokes, Trojans (AL60s), Chipmunks, Kittyhawk, Navion 262, Cessna 206, Mustang, Meteor and Airspeed Oxford.
Empire Air Forces Reviewed - 1939 http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0513.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0514.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0517.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0518.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0519.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0520.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0525.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0526.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0527.pdf
Air Forces In Empire Lands... ....AND ALLIED COUNTRIES 1939 http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0533.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0534.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0535.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0536.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0539.pdf http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939 - 0540.pdf
Fleet Air Arm An often forgotten airforce is the FAA. This site tries to fill that gap in the history of WW2: http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Index.html ....and in my view, does it very well
French Air Forces http://perso.orange.fr/frenchaces/ This site is in French, but Babel seems to provide a reasonable translation. It's well worth the effort because the site covers both the Allied and Vichy units. Enter the above url into the "Translate a Web page" on http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and change to "French to English"
Us 6th Air Mobility Wing History U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet 6TH AIR MOBILITY WING HISTORY The 6th began its long and illustrious history on 30 September 1919 as the 3d Observation Group at France Field in the Panama Canal Zone. Its mission: providing protection for the Panama Canal area, participating in maneuvers, flying patrol missions, photographing the canal area, staging aerial reviews and making good-flights to Central and South America. In 1921 the group was redesignated the 6th Group (Observation) and in 1922, the 6th Group (Composite). The 6th flew such aircraft at the Curtiss R-4, DeHavilland 4-B, SE-5A, MG-3A, Piper L-4, P-12B and Martin B-10 and B-18 aircraft. In 1937, as the mission of the 6th moved toward bombardment, the War Department renamed it the 6th Bombardment Group. They continued to operate in the Canal Zone under the VI Bomber Command of the Sixth Air Force until 31 October 1943, when it inactivated. Five months later, on 19 April 1944, the 6th reactivated at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas. Equipped first with B-17 aircraft, crews were later trained in B-29 aircraft for deployment to the Pacific Theater. By 28 December 1944 the 6th had deployed to North Field, Tinian, under Twentieth Air Force, from where it entered WWII by flying navigational escort for a major attack force bound for Iwo Jima. The 6th then struck Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and facilities during daylight high-altitude bombing raids, with crippling, non-stop incendiary raids which destroyed lines of communication, supply, and numerous kamikaze bases. On 25 May 1945, the 6th flew a low-altitude night mission through alerted enemy defenses to drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo, for which they received their first Distinguished Unit Citation. In addition to incendiary raids, the 6th also participated in mining operations. By mining harbors in Japan and Korea in July 1945, the group contributed to the blockade of the Japanese Empire earning their second Distinguished Unit Citation. The 6th's final WWII mission came on 14 August 1945, with the dropping of 500-pound general purpose bombs on the Marifu railroad yards at Iwakuni. With the war over, the 6th dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war and took part in show-of-force flights over Japan.
List of Czechoslovak personnel List of Czechoslovak pilots, technicians and women in R.A.F. during WWII 35 pages of names etc http://www.military.cz/british/air/war/list_en.htm
1 Squadron RAAF From: http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_Second World War11019.asp1 Squadron RAAF When war broke out on 3 September 1939, 1 Squadron conducted the first patrol of the Second World War, a diverging search off Cape Otway in Victoria. For the early part of 1940, 1 Squadron flew Ansons aircraft as escorts for convoys of troopships and supplies vessels leaving Australia for Europe. On 4 July 1940 the squadron moved to Sembawang in Singapore. Now flying Hudson aircraft, the squadron conducted seaward reconnaissance and patrols until August when the unit moved to Kota Bharu in northeast Malaya. 1 Squadron was the first squadron to see action in the Pacific War. Before the Japanese raids on Pearl Harbor, Japanese convoys were sighted moving south of Indo-Chian. Early on 8 December 1941 seven Hudsons were despatched under the command of Wing Commander Davis, after reports that another convoy of Japanese warships was shelling beach defences in Malaya in preparation to land troops. By dawn one transport had been destroyed, a second was ablaze, and a third later disappeared after receiving many direct hits. 1 Squadron lost two aircraft and their crews. The rapid advance of Japanese forces along the Malaya peninsula forced 1 Squadron to move to Palembang in Sumatra, after taking over 8 Squadron’s Singapore-based aircraft. From the new base 1 Squadron harassed Japanese bases, conducted reconnaissance, and attacked Japanese convoys. A day before the fall of Singapore, Japanese paratroops landed at Palembang. After two days of fighting the squadron was, once again, forced to relocate. From a new base in Semplak in Java, the squadron began attacking shipping and oilfields. On 6 March, after weeks of heavy fighting, the remaining three Hudsons carrying sick and wounded personnel, were flown to Australia. Only 120 members of 1 Squadron left Java before the island was overrun by the Japanese. Following the capitulation, 180 other members, including Davis, became prisoners of war. The squadron was subsequently disbanded and did not reform until 1 December 1943 at Menangle, New South Wales. By late-March 1944, operations were being flown against enemy-held islands across the north. Squadron Leader Campbell led the first strike – a night attack on Lautem on 4 April with three Beauforts. 1 Squadron also participated in combined bombing raids on Penfoei, Cape Chater, Koepang, Timor, and Aru Island. Operations in concert with other units continued for the remainder of 1944, in addition to regular reconnaissance and night searching operations using Air-to-Surface Vessel radar. On 15 January 1945 1 Squadron was re-equipped with the Mosquito aircraft. In May the main party was deployed to Moratai and then Labuan to await the arrival of the aircraft in July. 1 Squadron flew 65 sorties between 8 August and the Japanese surrender on 15 August. The squadron returned to Narromine, New South Wales, in December 1945 before being disbanded on 7 August the following year. Of the 88 members of 1 Squadron killed during hostilities, many died as prisoners of war. Read more at the link.
My wife's neice's boyfriend is on the board of directors for this museum at juno beach. So if anyone wants info on the D-Day movemnts of any CEF units let me know and i'll be happy to ask him for you. Sniper eep:
