Vickers Wellesley Mark I, 47 Sqn RAF, East Africa 1941/42

The Vickers Wellesley was a British 1930s light bomber built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey, for the Royal Air Force. While it was obsolete by the start of the Second World War and unsuited to the European air war, the Wellesley was operated in the desert theatres of East Africa, Egypt and the Middle East. It was one of two planes named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the other being the Vickers Wellington.

" ...By the time I arrived at Brooklands in July 1937 the Vickers Wellesley was in full production. This aircraft was a "geodectic" forerunner of the Wellington and was a large single-engined monoplane powered by a Bristol radial engine which was sometimes prone to failure. If this occurred on take-off one might fail to clear the banking of the rack-track, and the trees immediately beyond, but if one was lucky enough to do that one was bound for the cemetery just ahead. Presumably all that was necessary then was to shovel the earth over one..."

D. Bradley-Watson's Brooklands recollections appeared in Motorsport magazine in December 1971;

Wellesley, 47 Sqn RAF, East Africa 1941/42,

 Wellesley Mark I, L2673 ‘KU-C’, of No. 47 Squadron RAF based at Agordat, Eritrea, in flight over the rugged landscape of Eritrea.

Armourers of of No. 47 Squadron RAF fill Small Bomb Containers with incendiaries before loading them into the underwing panniers of Vickers Wellesley Mark I, K8527, at Kassala, Sudan, for a bombing raid on Italian positions in Eritrea. K8527 was shot down by Italian fighters over Keren on 16 March 1941. Note that this aircraft is fitted with a lengthened cockpit canopy.

Vickers Wellesley " long-range experimental bomber "

Below; A Flight Sergeant gives last minute instructions to an air gunner of 14 Squadron, Royal Air Force, before one of the unit's Vickers Wellesley aircraft takes off from RAF Amman in Transjordan.

© IWM (H(AM) 380)

Fairey Barracuda, the Navy's new torpedo bomber, 10 November 1943, Fleet Air Arm, Lee-on -Solent

The Barracuda, the Navy's new torpedo bomber, 10 November 1943 over FAA station Lee-On-Solent. From the IWM collection © IWM (A 20171)


© IWM (A 20178)



© IWM (A 20177)

Gloster Gladiator at Sidi Barrani, Egypt -Squadron Leader P H "Paddy" Dunn, CO of 80 Squadron RAF IWM collection

IWM photos available for publication on non-commercial web sites;

"Squadron Leader P H "Paddy" Dunn, the Commanding Officer of No. 80 Squadron RAF, sitting in the cockpit of his Gloster Gladiator at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, a few days after leading 'B' and 'C' Flights in a major engagement with Italian fighters over Bir el Gobi, Libya, on 8 August 1940, in which they claimed nine Fiat CR.42s shot down for the loss of two Gladiators. Dunn himself was credited with two CR.42s shot down within a few minutes of the start of the fight." Source: IWM (CM 42)
The Italian biplanes were from IX and X Groups, 4° Stormo CT, commanded by Maj Romagnoli, the real losses were 4 shot down, 4 force landed and later recovered, 1 pilot killed.

Below;
Pilot Office S Linnard of No. 80 Squadron RAF, views the artwork on his Gloster Gladiator from the cockpit. at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, a few days after taking part in the same engagement.

ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, 1939-1943.© IWM (CM 43)

D-Day stripes - Normandy Air War - latest edit January 2016

“..You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940 and 1941. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeat in open battle man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking...”

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Images from the IWM and Roger Freeman collections are published here under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Licence. Thank you

Below; Spitfire PR Mark XI, PL775 ‘A’, of No. 541 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, in flight.
As usual click on the images to view large

AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, 1939-1945: SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE.© IWM (CH 13493)

Bristol Beaufighter TF. Mk.X  RAF North Coates Strike Wing Squadron 236, June 5 1944, D-Day -1





Sherman tanks move up past a crash-landed Spitfire for an attack on Tilly-sur-Seulles, 17 June 1944. (IWM Collection)

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944© IWM (B 5660)


Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX raises the dust as it taxies past a Hawker Typhoon Mark IB of No. 181 Squadron RAF, at an advanced landing ground - probably B2/Bazenville - in Normandy. The Spitfire is fitted with a 45-gallon 'slipper' fuel tank.

ROYAL AIR FORCE: 2ND TACTICAL AIR FORCE, 1943-1945.© IWM (CL 182)

Above; 359th FG P-51B/C Mustang with D-Day stripes at East Wretham Airfield. 

Below; 56th FG 63rd Fighter Squadron. P-47D 42-26057 UN-W. This a/c was lost on 18 September 1944 when it crashed into North Sea due to Flak. Lt. Elwood D Raymond being killed in action.