Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

No. 141  Squadron RAF

No.141 Squadron features on this site because it is one of many RAF Squadrons in which Australian personnel served, fought and often died during WW2.

The squadron reformed at RAF Turnhouse on 4 October 1939, as a day-fighter squadron to be equipped with the two-seat Boulton-Paul Defiant turret fighter.  It had to wait for its designated aircraft, Boulton-Paul Defiants, receiving some Gloster Gladiators (biplanes) in October and Bristol Blenheim twin engined heavy fighters soon afterwards. These were used for training until the Defiants finally arrived in April 1940.

The Defiant was characterised by an interesting but ultimately unsuccessful feature of a four-gun turret mounted in the fuselage.  It was simply too heavy and detracted from the aircraft's performance.  Defiants in genral, and No. 141 Squadron in particular, endured fairy brutal punishment at the hands of the Luftwaffe's Bf 109 cannon-armed fighters during the Battle of Britain.  They were withdrawn from the day fighter role and successfully transitioned as interim night fighters until superseded by twin engined Bristol Beaufighters and de Havilland Mosquitoes.

The squadron became operational at Grangemouth on 3 June, and began operations on 1 July. By the middle of the month the aircraft were based at West Malling, and the squadron H.Q. at Biggin Hill in the 'front line' of the Battle of Britain.

First contact with the enemy came disastrously on 19 July, when the Squadron was scrambled to mount a patrol over Folkstone. 

Nine aircraft took off in three 'Vics' of three. They were barely at their designated height when, soon after taking off , the Defiants were jumped by Bf 109Es that approached out of the sun. Six of the nine Defiants were shot down and only one managed to make it back to its home base. Two days later the squadron was withdrawn to Prestwick, in Scotland.

The squadron received new Defiants, now painted black, and in September sent a detachment back to southern England to operate at night. The squadron's first night flight had actually come much earlier, on 1 July, but large scale night operations really began when the entire squadron moved back to England in October 1940. No. 141 continued to operate as a night fighter squadron over the winter of 1940-41, scoring its first confirmed victory on 22 December.

In April 1941 the Squadron moved back to Scotland and converted to the Beaufighter, a variant fitted with in-line Merlin engines rather than the radial engines normally associated with the 'Beau'. For the next year it performed defensive duties over Scotland and the north east of England. Defensive duties continued after the squadron moved south to Tangmere in June 1942.

In February 1943 the Squadron moved to the south west and began to fly intruder missions over north-west France. At the end of April it moved to Wittering and in June began to fly intruder missions over German night fighter airfields in support of Bomber Command. The Squadron continued to operate in support of Bomber Command until the end of the war.

The Beaufighters were replaced with de Havilland Mosquitoes in October 1943.  As heavilly armed as the Beaufighter, the Mosquitoes were faster.  In December  1943 the unit joined No.100 Group, Bomber Command's dedicated support group.  In this role, the Squadron's aircraft now joined the main bomber stream, attacking enemy night fighters and airfields and helping to cause the 'Mosquito panic' among the German defenders.

No. 141 Squadron was disbanded on 7 September 1945.  It was re-raised after the war in a number of guises.

Compiled and edited by Steve Larkins Sep 2020

Sourced from

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/141_wwII.html

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500029991