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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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No 81 Sqn/Air Component Communications Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations
[Aug-Dec 1939 | Jan-Jun 1940 | Jul-Dec 1940]
Personnel Movements: Aug - Dec 1939
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| Sqn Ldr | G R Ashton | 25 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of Air Component Communications Sqn |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 25 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant |
| Plt Off | M R Fraser | 25 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Equipment Officer |
| Fg Off | Geoghegan | 27 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Medical Officer |
| Fg Off | A J Hudson | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 207 Sqn |
| Fg Off | W B Baxter | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 207 Sqn |
| Flt Sgt | W J Calver | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 207 Sqn |
| Sgt | H J Talbot | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 207 Sqn |
| Sgt | G R Wheeldon | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 207 Sqn |
| Fg Off | D A Smith | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 104 Sqn |
| WO | Murphy | 28 Aug 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Sqn Disciplinary WO |
| Fg Off | A J Hudson | 29 Aug 1939 | Appointed Billeting Officer |
| Fg Off | W B Baxter | 29 Aug 1939 | Appointed Armament Officer |
| Fg Off | D A Smith | 29 Aug 1939 | Appointed Transport Officer |
| Sgt | H J Talbot | 30 Aug 1939 | Appointed Sqn Navigation Officer |
| WO | Turner | 4 Sep 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Sqn Disciplinary WO |
| WO | Murphy | 4 Sep 1939 | Sqn Disciplinary WO, posted |
| Fg Off | A J Hudson | 5 Sep 1939 | Admitted to Salisbury Hospital as the result of a car accident |
| Fg Off | W B Baxter | 5 Sep 1939 | Admitted to Salisbury Hospital as the result of a car accident |
| Fg Off | J W Rabone | 8 Sep 1939 | RAFVR, arrived on posting |
| Fg Off | A J Sayer | 9 Sep 1939 | RAFVR, arrived on posting |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 25 Sep 1939 | Admitted to No 4 General Hospital |
| Sgt | Talbot | 26 Sep 1939 | Attached to HQ No 70 Wing |
| Sgt | Wheeldon | 26 Sep 1939 | Attached to HQ No 50 Wing |
| Fg Off | Foulsham | 2 Oct 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant |
| Fg Off | Sayers | 4 Oct 1939 | Appointed Officer i/c Ground Defence |
| WO | Barrett | 4 Oct 1939 | Appointed Officer i/c Motor Transport |
| Sgt | Wheeldon | 5 Oct1939 | Attached to Rote with a Fitter Aero-Engine |
| Fg Off | Geoghegan | 5 Oct 1939 | Medical Officer, appointed Security Officer |
| Flt Lt | Packenham | 6 Oct 1939 | Returned to UK |
| Flt Lt | Walker | 6 Oct 1939 | Returned to UK |
| Flt Lt | Lacey | 6 Oct 1939 | Returned to UK |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 7 Oct 1939 | Discharged from No 4 General Hospital |
| Plt Off | Lockett | 8 Oct 1939 | Attached to Arras |
| Fg Off | Gauthier | 10 Oct 1939 | Relinquished command of 'B' Flight |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 10 Oct 1939 | Assumed command of 'B' Flight |
| Fg Off | D A Smith | 10 Oct 1939 | Appointed Parachute Officer |
| Fg Off | T B Byrne | 10 Oct 1939 | Appointed Navigation Officer |
| Sgt | H J Talbot | 10 Oct 1939 | Appointed Assistant Navigation Officer |
| Plt Off | Lockett | 11 Oct 1939 | Ceased to be attached to Arras |
| Fg Off | J W Rabone | 13 Oct 1939 | Attached to HQ No 70 Wing |
| Sgt | Talbot | 13 Oct 1939 | Ceased to be attached to HQ No 70 Wing |
| Plt Off | Lockett | 13 Oct 1939 | Attached to Abbeville with two Tiger Moths |
| Flt Sgt | W J Calver | 17 Oct 1939 | Attached to HQ No 50 Wing |
| Sgt | Talbot | 23 Oct 1939 | Attached to HQ No 50 Wing |
| Flt Sgt | W J Calver | 23 Oct 1939 | Ceased to be a No 50 Wing |
| Sgt | Bevis | 24 Oct 1939 | Attached to Abbeville |
| Fg Off | T B Byrne | 29 Oct 1939 | Attached to Arras |
| Fg Off | Sayers | 29 Oct 1939 | Ceased to be attached to Arras |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 30 Oct 1939 | Appointed Anti-Sabotage Officer |
| Fg Off | D A Smith | 3 Nov 1939 | Promoted to Act Flt Lt |
| Fg Off | R A G Morgan | 3 Nov 1939 | Promoted to Act Flt Lt |
| Flt Lt | A A Malan | 8 Dec 1939 | Attached for duty with Operational Flight, Glisy |
| Plt Off | W G Sansom | 18 Dec 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty as Equipment Officer |
| Plt Off | M R Fraser | 20 Dec 1939 | Equipment Officer, posted to the Air Ministry |
| Plt Off | D Secretan | 20 Dec 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty with Operational Flight, Glisy |
| Plt Off | E F J Charles | 20 Dec 1939 | Arrived on posting for duty with Operational Flight, Glisy |
| Fg Off | T E Syms | 23 Dec 1939 | Arrived on posting from No 18 Sqn for duty with Operational Flight, Glisy |
Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/677)
Organisational Movements: Aug - Dec 1939
| Date | Notes |
| 25 Aug 1939 | Air Component Communication Sqn formed at RAF Andover |
| 11 Sep 1939 | 9 x Tiger Moths were delivered from RAF Hullavington |
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| 11 Sep 1939 | MT departed RAF Andover for the Port of Embarkation, staying overnight at Romsey |
| 12 Sep 1939 | 6 x vehicles proceeded from Romsey to Southampton for shipment to France |
| 12 Sep 1939 | 2 x Tiger Moths departed RAF Andover for France |
| 13 Sep 1939 | Remainder of MT proceeded to Southampton |
| 13 Sep 1939 | 9 x Tiger Moths collected from RAF Aston Down |
| 14 Sep 1939 | Loading of MT commenced at Southampton |
| 15 Sep 1939 | Main Rail Party, departed RAF Andover for Port of Embarkation |
| 15 Sep 1939 | MT Personnel embarked and set sail for France |
| 16 Sep 1939 | MT Personnel arrived in Brest |
| 17 Sep 1939 | Unloading of MT commenced |
| 17 Sep 1939 | 7 x Tiger Moths departed RAF Andover for Laval in France via Shoreham and Poix, |
| 18 Sep 1939 | Main Rail Party arrived at Laval |
| 19 Sep 1939 | First 10 MT vehicles departed Brest for Laval |
| 22 Sep 1939 | 9 more MT vehicles arrived at Laval from Brest |
| 29 Sep 1939 | Remainder of MT vehicles arrived at Laval from Brest |
| 1 Oct 1939 | Rail and Road Parties departed Laval for Amiens |
| 1 Oct 1939 | Air Party departed Laval for Glisy |
| 2 Oct 1939 | Road and Rail Parties arrived at Amiens |
| 3 Oct 1939 | Air Party departed Glisy for Mount Joie |
| 6 Oct 1939 | Rail Party of 'B' Flight arrived |
| 6 Oct 1939 | Ai Party, 'B' Flight departed RAF Andover for Mount Joie via Shoreham |
| 20 Oct 1939 | 2 x Sergeants arrived for duty with the Auto-gyro, to be attached to the squadron |
| 22 Oct 1939 | 1 x Tiger Moth delivered from RAF Andover to complete the unit establishment |
| 21 Nov 1939 | Squadron redesignated No 81 Sqn* |
| 30 Nov 1939 | Maintenance Flight formed |
| 3 Dec 1939 | 1 x Tiger Moth delivered from RAF Tangmere |
| xx Dec 1939 | Cierva C40 Rota II attached to the squadron |
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Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/677), except*
Personnel Movements: Jan - Jun 1940
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| Flt Lt | A A Malan | 1 Jan 1940 | Promoted to Act Sqn Ldr |
| Sqn Ldr | A A Malan | 6 Jan 1940 | Posted to Home Establishment |
| Plt Off | A M Roberts | 9 Jan 1940 | Arrived on posting from No 1 ASP for duty with Operational Flight, Glisy |
| Sqn Ldr | J H Hills | 1 Mar 1940 | Arrived on posting pending assuming command of No 81 Sqn |
| Sqn Ldr | G R Ashton | 5 Mar 1940 | Relinquished command of No 81 Sqn |
| Sqn Ldr | J H Hills | 5 Mar 1940 | Assumed command of No 81 Sqn |
| Sgt | Bevis | 8 Mar 1940 | Proceeded to UK for Goggle Fitting Course |
| Plt Off | Fairbank | 15 Mar 1940 | Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant |
| LAC | J C Wade | 16 Mar 1940 | Admitted to hospital on Dangerously Ill List |
| LAC | J C Wade | 17 Mar 1940 | Died in hospital |
| Sgt | Bevis | 18 Mar 1940 | Returned from UK on completion of Goggle Fitting Course |
| Sgt | L W Hole | 22 Mar 1940 | Promoted to Flt Sgt, wef 1 Mar 1940 |
| Temp Sgt | A J Bellchambers | 22 Mar 1940 | Remustered to the trade of Service Police, wef 1 Apr 1940 |
| Temp Cpl | F Blogg | 25 Mar 1940 | Remustered to the trade of Service Police, wef 1 Apr 1940 |
| AC1 | F W Chapman | 25 Mar 1940 | ACH/Service Police, reclassified as LAC, wef 1 Oct 1939 |
| All entries for April and May 1940 are missing | |||
Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/677)
Organisational Movements: Jan - Jun 1940
| Date | Notes |
| 15 Jun 1940 | Squadron disbanded |
Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/677)
Personnel Movements: Jul - Dec 1941
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| Flt Lt | Rook | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Plt Off | McGregor | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Plt Off | Bush | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Plt Off | Holmes | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Flt Sgt | O'Malley | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield (NCO i/c 'A' Flight) |
| Sgt | Haw | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Sgt | Reed | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Sgt | Smith | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Sgt | Waud | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Sgt | Anson | 28 Jul 1941 | Posted from No 504 Sqn to RAF Leconfield |
| Sqn Ldr | A H Rook | 29 Jul 1941 | Assumed command of No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Fg Off | Kennedy | 29 Jul 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Intelligence Officer |
| Plt Off | McGregor | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Plt Off | Bush | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Plt Off | Coneybeare | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Plt Off | Holmes | 29 Jul 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant |
| Flt Sgt | O'Malley | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Sgt | Haw | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Sgt | Reed | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Sgt | N H Smith | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Sgt | Waud | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Sgt | Anson | 29 Jul 1941 | Transferred to No 81 Sqn on formation |
| Plt Off | Walker | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 402 Sqn |
| Plt Off | Ramsay | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 402 Sqn |
| Plt Off | Edmiston | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 123 Sqn |
| Flt Sgt | Barkus | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as Disciplinary NCO |
| Flt Sgt | Baker | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting for duty as NCO i/c 'B' Flight |
| Sgt | Rigby | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 605 Sqn |
| Sgt | Crewe | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 605 Sqn |
| Sgt | Mulroy | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 615 Sqn |
| Sgt | Carter | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 615 Sqn |
| Sgt | Bishop | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 43 Sqn |
| Sgt | Sims | xx Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 43 Sqn |
| Flt Lt | M Rook | xx Aug 1941 | Proceeded to Russia in charge of the Advance party |
| Sgt | N H Smith | 12 Sep 1941 | Killed in action |
| Plt Off | Bush | 16 Nob 1941 | Embarked on HMS Speedy for the UK |
| Plt Off | Holmes | 16 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Hussar for the UK |
| Sqn Ldr | A H Rook | 21 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| Flt Lt | M Rook | 21 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| Flt Lt | McGregor | 21 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| Plt Off | Coneybeare | 21 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| Flt Sgt | Barkus | 21 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| Plt Off | Ramsay | 22 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Bedouin for the UK |
| Plt Off | Edmiston | 22 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Bedouin for the UK |
| Flt Sgt | Baker | 22 Nov 1941 | Embarked on HMS Bedouin for the UK |
Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/678)
Organisational Movements: Jul - Dec 1941
| Date | Notes |
| 29 Jul 1941 | Squadron reformed at RAF Leconfield as a fighter unit from a nucleus provided by 'A' Flight, No 504 Sqn equipped with Hurricanes |
| xx Aug 1941 | Advance party departed RAF Leconfield and embarked for Russia |
| 12 Aug 1941 | Ground party departed RAF Leconfield for Liverpool and embarked on the 'Llanstephen Castle' |
| xx Aug 1941 | Air Party departed RAF Leconfield and embarked on the HMS Argus |
| 30 Aug 1941 | Ground party on 'Llanstephen Castle' arrived in Archangel |
| 7 Sep 1941 | Air party, (12 x Hurricane IIBs) arrived at Vayenga having been flown off HMS Argus |
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| 15 Oct 1941 | Soviet pilots operated in 'A' Flight machines for the first time. |
| 22 Oct 1941 | All aircraft and equipment was transferred to the Russia |
| 16 Nov 1941 | 2 x officers and 20 x airmen embarked on HM Minesweepers for the UK |
| 21 Nov 1941 | 4 x officers and 70 x airmen embarked on HMS Kenya for the UK |
| 22 Nov 1941 | 2 x officers and 18 x airmen embarked on HMS Bedouin for the UK |
| 24 Nov 1941 | HMS Kenya, Bedouin and Intrepid set sail with Russian ships to carry out a combined operation |
| 28 Nov 1941 | The naval vessels set sail to escort a convoy back to the UK |
| 6 Dec 1941 | HMS Kenya arrived at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth |
| 6 Dec 1941 | Squadron personnel disembarked and proceeded by rail to RAF Turnhouse |
| 10 Dec 1941 | The party on HMS Bedouin disembarked and proceeded by rail to RAF Turnhouse |
| 17 Dec 1941 | Final party disembarked and proceeded by rail to RAF Turnhouse |
| xx Dec 1941 | Squadron commenced re-equipment with Spitfire VAs |
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Source - No 81 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/678)
[Aug-Dec 1939 | Jan-Jun 1940 | Jul-Dec 1940]
This page was last updated on 18/03/25©
