RAF 624 (Special Duties ) Squadron

 

4th March. 1941  Attended Aircrew Selection Board at Euston House Subsequently accepted for training as Pilot -posted to St .John's Wood. London  for Induction and Medicals.

 

 

November 1941  Posted to 17 EFTS (Elementary Flying School) to commence basic Flying Training.

 

 

December 1941  Posted to the United States to complete Flying Training with the United States Air Force.

 

January 1942  Travelled by sea to Moncton -New Brunswick. Canada  then by train to Albany. Georgia. U.S.A   for initial ground training, drill. P. T. etc

 

 

February 1942 Transferred from Albany to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for Flying Training.

 

 

Feb.1942 -Mar 1942  Flying Training at Tuscaloosa. F AILED COURSE Subsequently returned to Trenton. Ontario. Canada   for re-mustering.  ACCEPTED  FOR TRAINING AS AIR NAVIGATOR.

 

 

July 1942  Posted to 5 A.O.S (Air Obsrver School) Winnipeg.Canada for training as Air Navigator

 

July -Oct.1942  Completed course at Winnipeg. PASSED COURSE

 

 

Nov/Dec.1942   Returned to United Kingdom on the "Queen Elizabeth

 

April/May 1942  Attended Advanced Navigation Course at 3. O.A.F.U. Bobbington. PASSED COURSE

 

June 1943  Posted to 19 O.T.U (Operational Training Unit) at Kinloss  Scotland. joined other members of crew to carry out Operational Training (Fighter Affiliation, Cross-country and other exercises)

 

 

August 1943  Completed course. Posted to 1663 Conversion Unit at Rufforth Yorkshire to convert crew to Halifax aircraft  Pilot -Sgt Adams is killed flying as second pilot on operations over Germany.

 

 

September 1943  Re-crewed with new pilot -Sgt Laurence Paulden Conversion course completed late September  Volunteered and accepted for a Special Duties Squadron

 

 

October 1943  Collected new Halifax aircraft; carried out various tests

 

November 1943  Flew new aircraft from U.K to Rabat.Morocco. From there via Tunisia to 624 Squadron base at Toctra. Nr Benghazi. Tripoli.

 

 

December 1943  Flew seven operations ftom Tocra to Greece,Albania and Yugoslavia

 

 

End Dec. 1943   624 Squadron transferred from Tocra to Brindisi.Italy

 

January 1944  Flew six operations from Brindisi to Greece and Yugoslavia.

 

February 1944  624 Squadron transferred from Brindisi to Blida.Nr Algiers

 

Feb to Sept. '44   Flew forty-two operations from Blida to France

 

September 1944  624 SQUADRON DISBANDED Volunteered for Aircraft Ferry duties.

 

 

Oct '44/Feb '45  Flew nineteen ferry trips as Navigator carrying out various movements of Halifax and Stirling aircraft through Middle East and to United Kingdom

 

 

February 1945  Returned permanently to the United Kingdom carrying out various ground duties until demobilisation in 1946

 

 

J. W .GUNDRY - SERVICE HISTORY

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