Yanks in Southend ....

1 Attachment(s)

The photo, below, was taken in August 1942 at the Rochford airfield (now London/Southend Airport). I think the Americans were flying in for a pit stop during their relocation to RAF Debden.

I live about 5 miles from the airport.

Attachment 11355

No. 121 Squadron was a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft squadron that during the Second World War was one of the three Eagle Squadrons manned by American volunteers.

The squadron as originally formed on 1 January 1918, as a day bomber squadron, to operate the Airco DH.9. The squadron was equipped with Airco DH.4s for training, but due to delays with the DH.9 and the end of the war approaching, the squadron was disbanded on 17 August 1918 without becoming operational.

The squadron was reformed on 14 May 1941 as No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey, the second of three Eagle Squadrons manned by American volunteers. Equipped with the Hawker Hurricane, the squadron then converted to the Supermarine Spitfire and moved south to RAF North Weald to begin operations on channel sweeps and Rhubarb operations. On 15 November 1941 the squadron claimed its first enemy aircraft destroyed. The squadron then upgraded to cannon-armed Spitfire VBs and carried out offensive operations over the channel and providing bomber escorts.

In September 1942, the squadron moved to RAF Debden to be with the other Eagle squadrons. The squadron was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces as the 335th Fighter Squadron and officially disbanded as a RAF unit on 29 September 1942. The new squadron became part of the 4th Fighter Group of the Eighth Air Force.

Aircraft operated:

Jan 1918 - Aug 1918 Airco DH.4
May 1941 - Jul 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Jul 1941 - Nov 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
Oct 1941 - Nov 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa
Nov 1941 - Sep 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb

I bet they shot down looaads of Fucker Wulfs and Prick 109s! :naughty:

Interesting stuff, gonna try visiting London this Autumn... Eat some bland British food and watery beer, enjoy the weather..

Really cool. Absolutely love the historical pieces you post. I love learning about history, it's all around us yet most rarely take the time to look. Thanks for sharing.

Must been One of the Best Squadron I've known

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