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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons UK and Commonwealth No.225 Sqn to No.269 Sqn  No.236 Sqn |
[UP] - No.225 Sqn - No.228 Sqn - No.229 Sqn - No.234 Sqn - No.235 Sqn - No.236 Sqn - No.238 Sqn - No.240 Sqn - No.242 Sqn - No.243 Sqn - No.244 Sqn - No.245 Sqn - No.247 Sqn - No.248 Sqn - No.249 Sqn - No.253 Sqn - No.254 Sqn - No.257 Sqn - No.261 Sqn - No.262 Sqn - No.263 Sqn - No.264 Sqn - No.266 Sqn - No.269 Sqn |
Speculati nuntiate - Having watched, bring word
| No.236 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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| Text for the above items : |
RAF North Coates Strike Wing by Robin Smith. The print depicts the three squadrons that comprised the first, and most successful Coastal Command strike wing, based at RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire. Using Beaufighters nicknamed whispering death due to their speed and armament and low noise, they worked together as a team, destroying enemy shipping with terrifying efficiency. A Beaufighter from 143 Squadron would go in first using 20mm nose cannon and wing guns. Secondly a Beaufighter from 236 Squadron would follow with eight 60lb or 25lb rockets - 25lb warheads were found to be more effective as they penetrated deeper into the hull, creating more damage. These two initial attacks reduced the on-deck anti aircraft initiative. You only have to look at some of the spectacular photos of convoys under attack, the ships can hardly be seen for water spray and explosions. This mayhem allowed a 254 Squadron Beaufighter with its 21in torpedo to finish the job off. The three squadrons operated together on three occasions during the war at North Coates, October 1942 - August 1944, February 1944 - May 1944 and September 1944 - October 1944. This painting was commissioned for a reunion of association members at the North Coates airfield in May 2001 |
| No.236 Sqn RAF Aircraft details |
 Beaufighter Manufacturer : Bristol Built : 5564 | Beaufighter BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER The Bristol Beaufighter was a Torpedo Bomber and had a crew of two. with a maximum speed of 330mph and a ceiling of 29,000 feet. maximum normal range of 1500 miles but could be extended to 1750 miles. The Bristol Beaufighter carried four 20mm cannon in the belly of the aircraft and upto six .303in browning machine guns in the wings. it could also carry eight 3 -inch rockets, 1605 lb torpedo or a bomb load of 1,000 lb. The Bristol Beaufighter first flew in July 1939 and with some modifications entered service with the Royal Air Force in July 1940. In the winter of 1940 - 1941 the Beaufighter was used as a night fighter. and in March 1941 the aircraft was used at Coastal Command as a long range strike aircraft. and in 1941, the Beaufighter arrived in North Africa and used as a forward ground attack aircraft. The Bristol Beaufighter was used also in India, Burma and Australia. A total of 5,564 Beaufighters were built until production in Britain finished in 1945, but a further 364 were built in Australia for the Australian Air Force |
 Blenheim Manufacturer : Bristol Built : 4422 | Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WWII began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. On the day that war was declared on Germany, a Blenheim piloted by Flying Officer Andrew McPherson was the first British aircraft to cross the German coast and the following morning 15 Blenheims from three squadrons set off on one of the first bombing missions The Blenheim units operated throughout the battle, often taking heavy casualties, although they were never accorded the publicity of the fighter squadrons. The Blenheim units raided German occupied airfields throughout July to December 1940, both during daylight hours and at night. Although most of these raids were unproductive, there were some successes; on 1 August five out of 12 Blenheims sent to attack Haamstede and Evere (Brussels) were able to bomb, destroying or heavily damaging three Bf 109s of II./JG 27 and apparently killing a Staffelkapitän identified as Hauptmann Albrecht von Ankum-Frank. Two other 109s were claimed by Blenheim gunners. Another successful raid on Haamstede was made by a single Blenheim on 7 August which destroyed one 109 of 4./JG 54, heavily damaged another and caused lighter damage to four more. There were also some missions which produced an almost 100% casualty rate amongst the Blenheims. One such operation was mounted on 13 August 1940 against a Luftwaffe airfield near Aalborg in north-western Denmark by 12 aircraft of 82 Squadron. One Blenheim returned early (the pilot was later charged and due to appear before a court martial, but was killed on another operation); the other 11, which reached Denmark, were shot down, five by flak and six by Bf 109s. Blenheim-equipped units had been formed to carry out long-range strategic reconnaissance missions over Germany and German-occupied territories, as well as bombing operations. In this role, the Blenheims once again proved to be too slow and vulnerable against Luftwaffe fighters and they took constant casualties While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire. In the German night-bombing raid on London on 18 June 1940, Blenheims accounted for five German bombers, thus proving that they were better-suited for night fighting. In July, No. 600 Squadron, by then based at RAF Manston, had some of its Mk IFs equipped with AI Mk III radar. With this radar equipment, a Blenheim from the Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Ford achieved the first success on the night of 2–3 July 1940, accounting for a Dornier Do 17 bomber. More successes came, and before long the Blenheim proved itself invaluable as a night fighter. One Blenheim pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on Singora, Thailand, on 9 December 1941. Another bomber of No. 60 Squadron RAF was credited with shooting down Lt Col Tateo Katō's Nakajima Ki-43 fighter and badly damaging two others in a single engagement on 22 May 1942, over the Bay of Bengal. Katō's death was a severe blow to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. |
 Wellington Manufacturer : Vickers | Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a Bomber aircraft and also used for maritime reconnaissance. and had a normal crew of six except in the MKV and VI where a crew of three was used. Maximum speed was 235 mph (MK1c) 255 mph (MK III, X) and 299 mph (MK IIII), normal operating range of 1805 miles (except MK III which was 1470miles) The Wellington or Wimpy as it was known, was the major bomber of the Royal Air Force between 1939 and 1943. The Royal Air Force received its first Wellingtons in October 1938 to 99 squadron. and by the outbreak of World war two there were 6 squadrons equipped with the Vickers Wellington. Due to heavy losses on daylight raids, the Wellington became a night bomber and from 1940 was also used as a long range bomber in North Africa. and in 1942 also became a long range bomber for the royal Air Force in India. It was well used by Coastal Command as a U-Boat Hunter. The Wellington remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1953. Probably due to its versatile use, The aircraft was also used for experimental work including the fitting of a pressure cabin for High altitude tests. The Vickers Wellington could sustain major damage and still fly, probably due to its construction of its geodesic structure and practical application of geodesic lines. Designed by Sir Barnes Wallis |
 Whitley Manufacturer : Armstrong Whitworth Built : 1814 | Whitley The Whitley first entered service with No. 10 Squadron in March 1937, replacing Handley Page Heyford biplanes. By the outbreak of the Second World War, seven squadrons were operational, the majority flying Whitley IIIs or IVs, as the Whitley V had only just been introduced. ] With the Handley Page Hampden and the Vickers Wellington, Whitleys bore the brunt of the early fighting and saw action on the first night of the war, when they dropped propaganda leaflets over Germany.[8] Among the many aircrew who flew the Whitley in operations over Germany, was Leonard Cheshire who spent most of his first three years at war flying them. Unlike the Hampden and Wellington—which met specification B.9/32 for a day bomber—the Whitley was always intended for night operations and escaped the early heavy losses received in daylight raids on German shipping, early in the war. With Hampdens, the Whitley made the first bombing raid on German soil on the night of 19/20 March 1940, attacking the Hornum seaplane base on the Island of Sylt. Whitleys also carried out Operation Haddock the first RAF raid on Italy, on the night of 11/12 June 1940. As the oldest of the three bombers, the Whitley was obsolete by the start of the war, yet over 1,000 more were produced before a suitable replacement was found. A particular problem with the twin-engine aircraft, was that it could not maintain altitude on one engine. Whitleys flew 8,996 operations with RAF Bomber Command, dropped 9,845 tons (8,931 tonnes) of bombs and 269 aircraft were lost in action. From April 1942, the Whitley was retired as first-line bomber. It continued to serve as glider tug, paratroop trainer, transport, or radio countermeasures aircraft. It also played an important role in Coastal Command . No. 100 Group RAF used Whitleys to carry airborne radar and electronic counter-measures. In February 1942, Whitleys carried the paratroops who participated in the Bruneval raid (Operation Biting) in which German radar technology was captured from a German base on the coast of France. The British Overseas Airways Corporation operated 15 Whitley Mk Vs converted into freighters in 1942. Running night supply flights from Gibraltar to Malta, they took seven hours to reach the island, often landing during air attacks. They used large quantities of fuel for a small payload and were replaced in August 1942 by the Lockheed Hudson, with the 14 survivors being returned to the Royal Air Force. Long-range Coastal Command Mk VII variants, were among the last in front-line service, with the first kill attributed to them being the sinking of the German submarine U-751, on 17 July 1942, in combination with a Lancaster heavy bomber. |
| No.236 Sqn RAF Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Squadron Leader Pat Fry DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Squadron Leader Pat Fry DFC Commanding Officer of No.236 Squadron. Flew Beaufighters with the North Coates Strike Wing. |
 Group Captain A K Gatward DSO, DFC, AE Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 1998 | Group Captain A K Gatward DSO, DFC, AE A pre-war RAFVR pilot, Gatward completed his first tour of operations in 1940-41 with 53 Squadron Bomber Command, flying Blenheims. His second tour was to take him into Coastal Command, on Beaufighters, and considerable fame. Gatward and his navigator, Sergeant George Fern, now of 236 Squadron, were selected for a special mission. Shortly before midday on 12th June 1942, they left Thorney Island and set course for Paris where their brief was to beat up the routine daily parade of German occupation troops along the Champs Elysees, dropping two French national flags at the same time. Achieving their objective and strafing the German Maritime HQ in Paris on the way out, they returned home without incident and shortly afterwards Gatward completed his second tour, receiving a DFC for his Paris sortie. In June 1943 he began a third tour as a Flight Commander of the famous No.404 Buffalo Squadron RCAF at Wick, again piloting Beaufighters. Afters 404s CO was lost in action, Gatward took over the Squadron, ending the war with a bar to his DFC and a DSO. He passed away in 1998. |
 W/O S. F. (Paddy) Hope Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | W/O S. F. (Paddy) Hope W/O S. F. (Paddy) Hope joined the RAFVR in July 1940 and trained as a WOP/Nav at Blackpool, Yatesbury, Torquay and Staverton, joining 236 Squadron, Coastal Command at Carew Cheriton, S. Wales in October 1941 on Blenheims. After 3 operations, he converted to Beaufighters before moving to Wattisham, where he did 3 operations on Beaufighters over the German Bight. Paddy then transferred to PRU Benson on Mosquitoes in May 1942. He completed 20 more ops with F/O F McKay (N.Z.) before baling out over Belgium in December 1942 after engine failure. After evading for one month, he was captured at the Spanish frontier with Comete Line leader (A deJongh) and held by the Gestapo for questioning, for four months. He was made a P.o.W. in Germany until returning home on 11 May 1945. |
Ken Lilly Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Ken Lilly Flew on Beaufighters as a Navigator with No.236 Squadron as part of the North Coates strike wing. |
  John R Toombs Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2006 | John R Toombs John Richard Toombs, known throughout his service as Jack, was born on 29th September 1919 in Southend-on-Sea and joined the RAFVR in April 1939 as an Airman u/t WOp/AG. Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed his training and joined 236 Squadron at St. Eval in August 1940. His first operational sortie with 236 was made on 24th August. All Toombs’ sorties during the Battle of Britain period were made with the same crew, P/O AL van Waeyenberghe, pilot, and Sgt. JR Thompson, observer. These two men were lost on 10th March 1941, serving with 272 Squadron, when their Blenheim was lost without trace on a sortie from Northern Ireland. Returning from a sortie to Brest, Toombs fired a Verey pistol at two Me109s, attacking his aircraft. It seems that one pulled up sharply and collided with the other. Toombs watched one go down but did not see what happened to the second. In 1941 Toombs was posted to 7 Squadron, operating in Stirlings from Oakington. He flew as a rear gunner. He completed his tour and later did a second tour, again as a rear gunner, this time with a Lancaster squadron of the Pathfinder force. He was commissioned in July 1944. Toombs was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant. He went to Ceylon and Sumatra, working in rubber plantations and on jungle clearing. After returning to England, he is believed to have later rejoined the RAF and served with the Traffic Branch, retiring in 1974. Toombs died on 11th December 2006. |
 Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC, AFC Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2009 | Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC, AFC An ex-Cranwell entrant who had graduated in 1937, Wheeler had served in Bomber Command before the war. In 1940 he joined the Photographic Development Unit at Heston pioneering photographic reconnaissance, flying unarmed Spitfires deep into enemy territory. In November 1942 he was just completing his OTU on Beaufighters when the posting arrived to 236 Squadron and the North Coates Wing shortly after its first disastrous strike attack on 28th November 1942. Wheelers review and revision of the tactics involved in Strike Wing attacks, and the intensive training program he introduced, were to prove critical to the success of the whole concept. On 18th April 1943, Wheeler led the North Coates Wing in its first successful attack, on a German convoy off Ijmuiden. Leading the Wing until September 1944, Neil Wheeler went on to hold high command in the post-war RAF. Sadly, Neil Wheeler died on 9th January 2009. |
Alex Yates Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Alex Yates No.236 Sqn Beaufighter pilot who flew with the North Coates strike wing. |
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