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No.99 Sqn RAF |
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Name : No.99 Sqn RAF Founded : 15th August 1917 Disbanded : 6th June 1976 Country : UK Fate : Disbanded 6th June 1976 More Details : Madras Presidency Quisque tenax - Each tenacious |
July 1940, based at Newmarket Heath. |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Pilot or Aircrew | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
Sergeant | unknown | 12th February 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Sergeant | unknown | 12th February 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Sergeant | unknown | unknown | |||||
| Pilots and Aircrew for : No.99 Sqn RAF | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Beal, D. N. Click the name above to see a profile of Beal, D. N.
| Beal, D. N. | |
| Blacklock, Graham Baptie Click the name above to see a profile of Blacklock, Graham Baptie
| Blacklock, Graham Baptie On completion of a tour of operations on the Wellington in July 1940, Blacklock joined three other pilots at Boscombe Down to form the Stirling Development Flight. Once they had become used to flying the ungainly aircraft, the small team left for an airfield in Yorkshire as the nucleus of No 7 Squadron, as it was re-equipping with the Stirling. On February 10 1941 three of the bombers took off to attack oil storage tanks at Rotterdam, the RAF's first bombing operation in the Second World War by a four-engine bomber. Blacklock flew as a second pilot, but all his subsequent operations were as a captain. He bombed Berlin on the night of April 9th, but most of No 7 Squadron's operations during this period were in daylight, sometimes with a fighter escort but on other occasions relying on cloud cover to mask their outbound route. On June 28th three Stirlings took off for a daylight attack on Bremen. One soon turned back, but Blacklock and his flight commander pressed on despite the lack of cloud. As they approached the target, they were attacked by nine enemy fighters. Blacklock skilfully manoeuvred his aircraft to allow his gunners to engage the enemy; at least one was shot down, and probably a second. On the return flight, he realised that the second Stirling had been severely damaged and he turned back to escort it. Eventually the crippled aircraft was forced to ditch near the Frisian Islands, and, despite the threat of more enemy fighters appearing on the scene, Blacklock orbited the spot for 10 minutes looking for survivors. The Stirling had, however, disappeared along with its crew. Blacklock was awarded an immediate DFC. On July 23rd there was a report that the battlecruiser Scharnhorst had left Brest for La Pallice, and three Stirlings – flown by the three original pilots to join No 7 Squadron – were sent to attack with armour-piercing bombs. They encountered heavy flak and were attacked by fighters, forcing an escape at very low level. This was the last daylight raid by the Stirlings, and Blacklock completed his tour of operations at night attacking industrial centres in the Ruhr. On August 28th, after his last operation to Duisburg, he was rested, having completed two full tours. Graham Baptie Blacklock, always known as Gerry, was born on June 23rd 1914 near Skipton, Yorkshire, and educated at Queen Mary's Royal Grammar School, Clitheroe. In 1931 he joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice and trained as a metal rigger. After service in England and at the RAF's aircraft depot at Aboukir, near Alexandria, he volunteered for pilot training during the rapid expansion of the Service prior to the Second World War. He was posted to No 99 Squadron to fly the Heyford, a biplane bomber he described as 'a mechanical praying mantis'. In 1938 it was replaced by the Wellington, and on the outbreak of war the squadron moved to the Rowley Mile on Newmarket racecourse. Operations during the Phoney War were limited, but an attack on December 14th 1939 met with disaster when six of the 12 Wellingtons were shot down. Blacklock, however, returned safely. He continued to fly North Sea sweeps and also dropped leaflets on German cities. After the German invasion of Norway he attacked Stavanger airfield, and on May 10th bombed the recently captured airfield at Rotterdam. On May 23rd his squadron was diverted to support the retreating British Expeditionary Force, before attacks were resumed against oil targets in Germany. At the end of his tour he was awarded a DFM. After completing his time on the Stirling, Blacklock, as an ex-aircraft apprentice, was well-qualified to establish the formal training of a new aircrew category, the flight engineer. For the remainder of the war he filled numerous technical training appointments. After the war he was an instructor on bombers before being appointed to the Far East to survey potential staging posts on the Indian Ocean islands of Gan, Diego Garcia and Christmas Island. At the works and finance branch of the Air Ministry in 1956, he helped to relocate RAF forces from Egypt to Cyprus. In October 1958 he conducted a survey of Ascension Island. On promotion to group captain, Blacklock commanded the RAF airfield at Hullavington, where the RAF's air electronic officers were trained. He took retirement in 1961. In addition to his gallantry awards, Blacklock was appointed OBE in 1953. Group Captain Blacklock died on 28th April 2011. | |
| Clough, A. R. Click the name above to see a profile of Clough, A. R.
| Clough, A. R. | |
| Curtis, Lawrence Click the name above to see a profile of Curtis, Lawrence
| Curtis, Lawrence Joining the RAF in 1939, he was posted as a wireless operator firstly to 149 Squadron and then 99 Squadron on Wellingtons. He then joined OTU on Whitleys before moving firstly to 158 Squadron, and then 617 Squadron on Lancasters, where he was Unit Signals Leader for 18 months. After bomber operations he joined Transport Command in 1944. He died on 21st June 2008. | |
| Robinson, Click the name above to see a profile of Robinson, | Robinson, | |
Died : 12 / 2 / 1941Historical Notes :
11-02-1941 - Wellington was abandoned in the vicinity of Cambridge after the bomber fell across houses, killing three women and injuring another.
11-02-1941 - Wellington was abandoned in the vicinity of Cambridge after the bomber fell across houses, killing three women and injuring another.
Historical Notes :
31-01-1941 - Wellington force-landed at Looms Lane and ran into a shallow ditch. The aircraft then burst into flames after pilot attempted to restart the engines.
31-01-1941 - Wellington force-landed at Looms Lane and ran into a shallow ditch. The aircraft then burst into flames after pilot attempted to restart the engines.
Historical Notes :
11-02-1941 - Wellington was abandoned and crashed at Stags Holt Elm in Cambridgeshire. Sergeants Beal and Clough were killed.
11-02-1941 - Wellington was abandoned and crashed at Stags Holt Elm in Cambridgeshire. Sergeants Beal and Clough were killed.
Known Individual Aircraft of No.99 Sqn RAF : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
- | ||||||||
- | no information | |||||||
- | ||||||||
| Aircraft for : No.99 Sqn RAF | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with No.99 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Heyford
Manufacturer : Handley Page | Heyford Full profile not yet available. | |
Wellington 
Manufacturer : Vickers Production Began : 1938 Retired : 1953 | Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a Bomber aircraft and also used for maritime reconnaissance. and had a normal crew of six except in the MKV and VI where a crew of three was used. Maximum speed was 235 mph (MK1c) 255 mph (MK III, X) and 299 mph (MK IIII), normal operating range of 1805 miles (except MK III which was 1470miles) The Wellington or Wimpy as it was known, was the major bomber of the Royal Air Force between 1939 and 1943. The Royal Air Force received its first Wellingtons in October 1938 to 99 squadron. and by the outbreak of World war two there were 6 squadrons equipped with the Vickers Wellington. Due to heavy losses on daylight raids, the Wellington became a night bomber and from 1940 was also used as a long range bomber in North Africa. and in 1942 also became a long range bomber for the royal Air Force in India. It was well used by Coastal Command as a U-Boat Hunter. The Wellington remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1953. Probably due to its versatile use, The aircraft was also used for experimental work including the fitting of a pressure cabin for High altitude tests. The Vickers Wellington could sustain major damage and still fly, probably due to its construction of its geodesic structure and practical application of geodesic lines. Designed by Sir Barnes Wallis | |
Last edited : 13:37, April 13, 2017
Last editor : kc
No.99 Sqn RAF Artwork |
  Globemaster III by Ivan Berryman. |   Overdue by Gerald Coulson. |   Merlins Thunder by Gerald Coulson. |
  Wellington Dispersal by Michael Turner |
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