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RAF 100th ANNIVERSARY

W

hen World War Two began on

September 3, 1939, 65 Sqn

was one of the few RAF units

equipped with Spitfires. It had

switched from flying biplane Demons and

Gauntlets as war clouds loomed.

The first Spitfires arrived at Hornchurch,

Essex, in March 1939 amid much

excitement. Commanded by Sqn Ldr D

Cooke, there was soon a full complement

of aircraft and pilots quickly became

operational on their potent new mount. The

squadron, which had seen distinguished

service in World War One, was ready as

part of Fighter Command. It had been re-

formed on August 1, 1934 but quickly lost

personnel to the Middle East because of the

Abyssinian crisis in 1935. It was reduced

to a cadre but began building up again with

Gauntlets by July 1936.

Wartime operations started on September

5, 1939 with a scramble to investigate an

unidentified aircraft approaching London,

though it didn’t take long to classify the

’intruder’ as friendly.

The squadron moved to Northolt,

northwest London, on October 2 and began a

routine of sector patrols throughout the winter

in defence of the capital. No action came its

way during the first months of 1940, but this

changed in May, by which time it had returned

to Hornchurch.

DUNKIRK

When the Germans went on to the offensive

in the spring of 1940, the Allied armies were

swiftly pushed back and eventually Fighter

Command was ordered to commit some of

its precious Spitfires to the battle. On May 17,

a section from 65 Sqn, led by Fg Offs Brian

Kincome and Welford patrolled over Flushing,

the Netherlands, and engaged a Ju 88, which

crashed on to a beach. It was the squadron’s

first victory of the war and the first of 11 for

the 23-year-old Brian Kincombe.

The British Expeditionary Force was falling

back and eventually concentrated around

Dunkirk to await evacuation. Patrols over

the Boulogne-Calais-Dunkirk areas were in

BY FORCE OF ARMS

Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the 1942

Channel Dash, Dieppe... 65 Sqn’s

Spitfires were engaged in some of the

major battles of World War Two and

lived up to its motto ‘By force of arms’,

as Tom Spencer recounts.

30 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018

30-33_raf_spitfireDCDC.mfDC.mf.indd 30 30/11/2017 18:20