16 Squadron RAF Photo Reconnaissance

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Tom Wallace, Apr 2, 2015.

  1. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    What's the best approach to finding details about the squadron? It was based at RAF Hartford Bridge in Hampshire and in 1944 was equipped with Spitfire PR Mk XI's flying photo reconnaissance sorties for the 2nd Tactical Airforce.

    I'm after information about the sorties that took the photos of Arnhem in September 1944 and maybe before.

    Tom
     
  2. Andy Fletcher

    Andy Fletcher Junior Member

    Hi Tom,

    The 16 Sqn ORB at the NA would provide the info you require:

    AIR 27/223: 1/44-12/44

    Best Regards

    Andy Fletcher
     
  3. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Thanks for the info, Andy. Hopefully I can put a name to the pilot.

    Tom
     
  4. Andy Fletcher

    Andy Fletcher Junior Member

    Hi Tom,

    The first image (MH2061) was taken on 18 Sep 44 by Wg Cdr G.F.H. WEBB from HQ 34 Wing. He was flying Spitfire PL834 on a sortie to Arnhem, Nijmegen and Eindhoven.

    Best Regards

    Andy Fletcher
     
  5. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Thanks for that, Andy. I've done a little more searching and I can now see that 16 Squadron was part of 34 Reconnaissance Wing and comprised of 69 and 140 Squadrons too.

    Here's a nice thread from Britmodeller which talks about 'Sandy' Webb and the colour of the PR Spitfire XI's that flew low level at Arnhem.

    Tom
     
  6. Andy Fletcher

    Andy Fletcher Junior Member

    Hi Tom,

    Sandy Webb was Wg Cdr Ops 34 Wing at the time, he had previously commanded 140 Sqn. He actually flew the first ever operational sortie by 140 Sqn (1416 Flt as it was then) on 14 Sep 41.

    Cheers

    Andy Fletcher
     
  7. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Tom,

    My website www.john-lowrie.com refers to 140 Squadron. It is in tribute to my boyhood friend who served with 104 Squadron but had volunteered for a special reconnaissance flight with 69 Squadron, the Wellington being brought down near Roermond and he was killed along with four other members of the crew.

    Regards

    Joe Brown.
     
  8. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Good info, Andy. I'd forgotten I'd come across some info last year whilst doing some similar aerial photo research online and sifting through books I have. I came across an interesting fact on page 460 of After The Battle's volume 2. Wing Commander 'Sandy' Webb took the classic low level oblique photos of Arnhem bridge on Monday the 18th. He belonged to No. 16 Photo Recce Squadron from RAF Northolt. The sortie was known as a special 'N' mission and the photos were taken from a Spitfire at 2000 feet.

    I started off looking for aerial recce photos of Arnhem last year because I've felt that although they've appeared in many books since WWII, that they're a story in their own right, especially with Major Brian Urquhart's connection to recce photos.

    Tom
     

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