Hawker Typhoon of 609 West Riding Squadron. Aviation art print showing the Hawker Typhoon of Squadron Leader Roland Beamont of 609 Squadron which took part in the D-Day Landings, Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain.

Aircraft side view by M A Kinnear.  Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib R7752 PR-G.  

Aircraft History: First delivered to 609 West Riding Squadron June 1942. It was the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader Roland Beamont whilst he was the Commanding Officer at 609. His personal victory tally is shown in greater detail in the pencil drawing. R7752 was damaged by enemy anti aircraft fire off Vissingen and crash landed at RAF Manston on 1st June 1943. The pilot, Squadron Leader A Ingle DFC, AFC, the Commanding officer of 609 at the time, was uninjured. R7752 was struck off charge 25th August 1943.

Wing Commander Roland P Beamont, CBE, DSO and bar, DFC (USA), DL: Born 10th August 1920, Roland Beamont joined No. 87 squadron in France during November 1939. Returning to England 20th May 1940 (having destroyed a Do17 and an ME109) he went on to destroy a further three enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain. In June 1941, he was posted to No.79 Squadron as Flight Commander. In December 1941 he went to Hawker Aircraft Ltd as a Service test pilot flying Hurricanes. On 29th June 1942, he was posted as Flight Commander to Hawker Typhoon equipped 609 Squadron at Duxford, and took command of the squadron in October. He returned to Hawker Aircraft during May 1943, to test fly the Tempest. In February 1944, he was tasked with forming the first Tempest Wing, No.150 at Castle Camps and later Newchurch. When leader of the five squadron Tempest Wing No.122 over Germany on 12th October 1944, Roland Beamont was shot down by ground fire and became a POW.

During his time with No.150 and No.122 Wings he destroyed one Bf109, one Fw190, one Ju188 on the ground, and thirty two V1 flying bombs. After the war Roland Beamont became Chief Test Pilot for English Electric, test flying the Canberra, P1, Lightning and TSR2 aircraft. He was the first British pilot to fly a British aircraft at Mach 1 in level flight, and later Mach 2. After serving as Director of Flight Operations for the Tornado test programme he retired and became a respected author.

609 Squadron came into being on the 10th February 1936 as part of the expanding Auxiliary Air Force. Initially a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Harts. On 8th December, 1938, the Squadron's role was changed from bomber to fighter and the squadron took delivery of its first Spitfires Mk I during August 1939. The squadrons first victory was a Heinkel HE111 H-2 of 2/KG26 which was shot down near St. Abbs Head, 27th February 1940, by Flying Officer G. D. Ayre, Pilot Officer J R Buchanan and Flying Officer D Persse-Joynt. 609 squadron was, it is said, the first Spitfire Squadron to reach 100 victories (Ju88 A-5 1/KG51) on 21st October 1940. The victory was shared by Flight Lieutenant F J Howell and Pilot Officer S J Hill. During April 1942, 609 began to replace its Spitfires with Hawker Typhoons, and went on to become the first Typhoon squadron with 227 victories. Based at many RAF Stations 609 was in action throughout WWII, covering the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and supporting the D-Day landings as part of the 2nd TAF. There were many decorations awarded to squadron members, these included 3 DSOs, 22 DFCs and Bars and 4 DFMs. On 16th December 1947, King George VI gave permission for use of the Royal Prefix for all Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. 609 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded on 10th March 1957, whilst equipped with Gloster Meteors F8 at RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire. On 1st October, 1999, 609 (west Riding) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, was re-formed at RAF Leeming operating in the guise of Air Defence Support Squadron (ADSS).