Fighter Flight Prestwick

[alex crawford]

Hi,

From what I can gather a fighter flight was formed at Prestwick with Gladiators N5912 and N5914. N5914 arrived on 9th May, don't have the movement card for N5912. According to RAF serial L1000-N9999 these two aircraft have no further trace.

Now we know that N5914 ended up with 263 Sqn in Norway in May-Jun 1940. Could it be possible that N5912 went the same way?

Did Prestwick have a fighter flight or were these two aircraft en route to 263 Sqn at RAF Turnhouse? N5914 came from 27 MU, not sure about N5912.

According to the abbreviation list in the RAF serial book FF also stand for Ferry Flight. Did Prestwick have a ferry flight and was simply ferrying the aircraft to 263 Sqn?

From my previous research I have been able to identify 17 of the 18 Gladiators that went to Norway for the 2nd Expedition in May-Jun 1940. The 18th I had was N5904 whose last entry on its movement card is from 27MU to 263 Sqn on 14th April 1940. I am now wondering if the 18th Glad is N5912.

Any thoughts/ideas in this?

Alex

[Graham Boak]

Air Britain's Flying Training and Support Units has the Reserve Echelon (Fighter Flight) formed at Prestwick in May 1940 - fate unknown. The two Gladiators you mention are only known to have served with this flight, but there is no record for either after 9.5.40. The suggestion is lost in France or Norway - I would think that Norway is the likeliest.

There does not seem to have been any other use of the term "Reserve Echelon"

The only other "Fighter Flight" as such was the Fighter Flight, Shetlands, formed at Turnhouse 18.12.39 with a detachment of 3 Gladiators from 152 Sq., at Sumburgh 27.12.39, renamed Fighter Flight Sumburgh 5.1.40, 24.7.40 left the Shetlands to form the nucleus of 247 Sq at Roborough - interesting enough but not your Gladiators.

[alex crawford]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your reply. A bit of a quandary this one. Fighter Flight Shetlands is pretty well documented, but not so FF Prestwick. That's why I thought these two Glads ended up with 263 Sqn, one did anyway.

I need to try and find out how many Glads were still in service in the UK by May 1940. Some weekend research I think.

Alex