Spitfires and Hurricanes, of course, were of prime importance in WWII and especially the Battle of Britain… but let’s just focus on how striking they; and these photographs; are! (though it’s interesting how much geographical variety there is– truly a world war).

 

Unless otherwise noted, photographs taken from 1939-1945, and of RAF aircraft.

 

Flying Officer C "Cheval" Lallemant, a Belgian pilot of No 609 Squadron RAF receiving the congratulations of members of his squadron after being decorated with the DFC at Manston, Kent. - Lallemant finished his first tour of operations shortly afterwards. Later, in mid-1944, he returned to 609 Squadron as its commanding officer.

 

Flight Lieutenant Raymond 'Cheval' Lallemant's reputation as an admirer of all things equestrian was reflected in this shot set up in front of a Typhoon at Martragny (B-7) on 30 July 1944. - The 24 year old Belgian was a flight commander with No 198 Squadron at this time, and was soon to command No 609. Badly burned in a crash in August, 'Cheval' did not return to operations until March 1945.

 

 

 

Spitfires in formation over England, 1938.

 

A Royal Australian Air Force Spitfire landing in Lincolnshire.

 

Australian pilots of No. 452 Squadron relax outside their dispersal hut at Kirton-in-Lindsey, 18 June 1941.

 

American pilots of No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAF gathered in front of one of their Hawker Hurricane Mk Is at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

 

American pilots of No 71 'Eagle' Squadron rush to their Hurricanes at Kirton-in-Lindsey, 17 March 1941.

 

A Hawker Hurricane Mark I of No 71 (Eagle) Squadron takes off from Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, as 'XR-Z', another aircraft of the Squadron, taxies to its take-off point.

 

 

A flight of Supermarine Spitfire Mark IIAs of No. 65 Squadron RAF move out of their dispersal at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, for take off.

 

 

 

Boulton Paul Defiant Mark Is (L7006 'PS-X' nearest) of No. 264 Squadron RAF, being prepared for take off by groundcrew at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

 

An armourer working on a Spitfire in Tunisia, 1939-1943.

 

Spitfire LF Mk Vs of No. 244 Wing flying over the Tunisian coast after escorting light bombers on a sortie to Mareth, 23 March 1943.

Three Spitfire LF Mark VBs of No. 244 Wing RAF based at Bu Grara, flying in close starboard echelon formation off the Tunisian coast after escorting light bombers on a sortie to Mareth. Nearest the camera is AB502 IR-G, the personal aircraft of the Wing Leader, Wing Commander I R "Widge" Gleed, which he flew when he was shot down and killed over Cap Bon on 16 April 1943, while the two accompanying aircraft are ER220 ‘UF-V and EP481 UF-F of No. 601 Squadron RAF. All three are fitted with Aboukir air filters and have ‘clipped’ wings in order to assist low-level performance.

 

A pilot in his plane’s cockpit pre-take-off, Normandy, 1944. - Wing Commander A G Page, leader of No. 125 Wing, in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXE 'AGP', with a 500-lb GP bomb under the fuselage and two 250-lb GP bombs on wing racks, ready for take off at B11/Longues, Normandy. Later the same day, Page was to shoot down his 14th enemy aircraft, a Messerschmitt Bf 109, returning to Longues wounded in the leg and his aircraft damaged by anti-aircraft fire.

 

Three Spitfire LF Mark VBs of No. 244 Wing RAF based at Bu Grara, flying in close starboard echelon formation off the Tunisian coast after escorting light bombers on a sortie to Mareth.

 

Spitfires over the Adriatic Sea. - Supermarine Spitfire Mark VCs of No. 2 Squadron SAAF based at Palata, Italy, flying in loose line astern formation over the Adriatic Sea while on a bombing mission to the Sangro River battlefront.

 

Spitfire F Mark XII, MB882 ‘EB-B’, of No. 41 Squadron RAF based at Friston, Sussex, in flight over Eastbourne.

 

Supermarine Spitfire Mark II, P8652 'D', of No. 53 Operational Training Unit based at Llandow, Glamorganshire, taking off from Aston Down, Gloucestershire.

 

 

A Hurricane IIB of No 79 Squadron refuelling at Fairwood Common, Swansea, 15 September 1941.

 

 

Three Hawker Hurricane Mark IIBs of No 79 Squadron RAF based at Fairwood Common, Glamorgan, flying in 'vic' formation above South Wales. The pilots were, the Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader G D Haysom (leading aircraft, Z3745 'NV-B'), and his flight commanders, Flight Lieutenant R P Beamont (nearest aircraft, Z2633 'NV-M'), and Flight Lieutenant L T Bryant-Fenn (furthest aircraft, Z3156 'NV-F).

 

Warrant Officer C R Castleton of Bingley Yorkshire, bids farewell to his ground crew as he readies for take off in his North American Mustang Mark III of No. 122 Squadron RAF, armed with two 1000-lb bombs on wing racks, at B12/Ellon, Normandy. The ground crew are from left to right: Leading Aircraftman G Townsend of Cheshire, Corporal E Whitney of Northampton, Leading Aircraftman S J Davey of Launceston and Leading Aircraftman W Jessop of Preston.

Members of a Repair and Salvage Unit attend to North American Mustang Mark III, FZ190 'QV-A', of No. 19 Squadron RAF in the shadow of the shell-torn village church at B12/Ellon, Normandy. From left to right they are: Flying Officer F H Price of Hereford, Leading Aircraftman L Polley of Boxted near Colchester, Corporal J Hughes of Crewe, Corporal N Lee of Birmingham and Sergeant W G Ward of Emsworth.

 

A party of airmen on leave in Brussels have a glass of beer at a pavement cafe. They are (left to right): Sergeant A Mason of Wallasey, Leading Aircraftman C Train of Balfron, Glasgow, Leading Aircraftman W Marsh of London, Corporal F Marshall of Croydon and Leading Aircraftman T Windrow of Barnsley.

 

Group Captain A G Malan (second from left), Commanding Officer of No 145 (Free French) Wing discusses the operational situation on the morning of 'D-Day' with some of his pilots at Merston, Sussex. On the left stands Free French pilot, Lieutenant Raoul Duval; second from the right is the Wing Leader, Wing Commander W V Crawford-Compton; third right is Commandant C Martell, Commanding Officer of No. 341 (Free French) Squadron RAF.