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No.133 Sqn RAF Founded : 1st March 1918
Eagle Let us to the battle
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No.133 Sqn RAF
| Aces for : No.133 Sqn RAF | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| Donald James Mathew Blakeslee | 15.50 | The signature of Donald James Mathew Blakeslee features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| James A Goodson | 15.00 | The signature of James A Goodson features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Carroll W McColpin | 8.00 | The signature of Carroll W McColpin features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Aircraft for : No.133 Sqn RAF | |||
| A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by No.133 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
| Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1936 Number Built : 14533 | Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built. | ||
Manufacturer : Curtiss | Kittyhawk Curtiss Kittyhawk, single engine fighter with a top speed of 362mph, ceiling of 30,000 feet and a range of 1190 miles with extra fuel tanks but 900 miles under normal operation. Kitty Hawk armaments was four or six .50in machine guns in the wings and a bomb load of up to 1,000 lb's. A development of the earlier Tomahawk, the Kitty Hawk saw service in may air force's around the world, American, Australian, New Zealand, and the Royal Air Force. which used them in the Mediterranean, north Africa, and Malta. from January 1942/ apart from the large numbers used by the Us Air Force, over 3,000 were used by Commonwealth air force's including the Royal air Force. | ||
Manufacturer : Supermarine Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1948 Number Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. | ||
| Signatures for : No.133 Sqn RAF | |||||
| A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||||
| Name | Info | ||||
 Colonel Don Blakeslee Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Colonel Don Blakeslee
| Colonel Don Blakeslee Joining the RAF in 1940 Don Blakeslee flew Spitfires with 401 Squadron. When the Eagle Squadron were formed he transferred as an experienced flight commander with several victories to his credit. An aggressive and fearless fighter pilot, Blakeslee was promoted to lead 133 Squadron, and was described as the best fighter leader the war produced. Already an Ace, he transferred to the USAAF 4th Fighter Group. By the war end he had over four years of continuous combat flying, and 14.5 air victories to his credit. Colonel Don Blakeslee sadly passed away on 3rd September 2008. | ||||
 Captain Richard Braley Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Captain Richard Braley | Captain Richard Braley Richard Braley joined the Royal Air Force as a volunteer in March, 1942. He flew Spitfires with 64 Squadron before being personally recruited by by General McColpin to join 133 Squadron - the third Eagle squadron to be formed by the RAF. On September 12, 1942, the Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the USAAF and activated as the 4th Figher Group. Richard Braley was one of the squadron P-51 strafing experts - attacking and destroying numerous trains, a bridge and an electrical plant. He flew over 210 combat missions, first in Spitfires, then in P-47s and P-51s - including 3 missions as Flight Commander of 336 Squadron on D-Day. | ||||
 Lieutenant Steve Crowe Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Lieutenant Steve Crowe | Lieutenant Steve Crowe Steve Crowe flew Hurricanes with 257 Squadron RAF. and undertook his first combat operation in November 1941. Along with other Americans he was then posted to join 133 Eagle Squadron, flying Spitfires, transferring to the USAAF in September 1942 as the 336th Fighter Squadron. He flew over 70 combat missions in both the European and Mediterranean theatres of operations. | ||||
 Colonel Bill Edwards Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel Bill Edwards | Colonel Bill Edwards Volunteering for the RAF in 1940, Bill Edwards was to fly 37 combat operations with 133 Squadron, the third Eagle Squadron to be formed, first on Hurricanes and then on Spitfires. Transferring to the 4th Fighter Group in September 1942, he was leading the Group on 13th July 1944 when he was shot down and taken prisoner of war. He remained in German captivity until liberated in June 1945. He retired from the USAF in 1968. | ||||
 Colonel Jim Goodson Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel Jim Goodson
| Colonel Jim Goodson Jim Goodson joined the RAF in 1940. Posted to re-form 133 Eagle Squadron RAF flying Spitfires, he transferred to the USAAF 4th fighter Group in September 1942, commanding 336 Squadron. Flying P47s and then P51s, Jim Goodson flew continuously until he was shot down ten months before the end of the war. He was one of the most highly decorated Aces in the USAAF, with 32 enemy aircraft to his credit. | ||||
 Lieutenant General Don Laubman DFC* Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Lieutenant General Don Laubman DFC*
| Lieutenant General Don Laubman DFC* Born in Provost, Alberta, 16th October 1921. Home in Edmonton. Enlisted there, 13th September 1941. Trained at No.2 ITS (graduated 27th November 1940), No.5 EFTS (graduated 16th January 1942) and No.3 SFTS (graduated 4th May 1941), Awarded wings 4th May 1941 as a Sergeant. Promoted successively to Flight Sergeant and Warrant Officer. Commissioned 1st July 1942. Promoted to Flying Officer, 1st January 1943, Flight Lieutenant, 1st July 1944, Squadron Leader, 6th April 1945. Retained in Canada for home defence duties with No.133 Squadron from 7th September 1942 to 8th May 1943. Arrived in UK, June 1943. With No.412 Squadron, 16th August 1943 to 5th November 1944, and No.402 Squadron 6th-14th April 1945. Briefly POW, 14th April 1945. Released 25th September 1945. Re-enrolled 17th January 1946. Initially with No.6 Communications Flight, NWAC. Command of No.416 Squadron (January 1951 to March 1952). Command of No.3 Wing at Zweibrucken (July 1963 to August 1966). Command of No.1 Air Division (July 1969 to April 1970). Command of Canadian Forces in Europe (April 1970 to Aug. 1971), &. Chief of Personnel, CFHQ (May 1972 to retirement) | ||||
 Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie DFC CD Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie DFC CD
| Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie DFC CD 421 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 403 Sqn RCAF. Born in Montreal, 10th August 1920 and enlisted there 6th June 1940. Attended No.1 Manning Depot, Toronto, 7-24 June 1940. Trained at No.1 ITS (24 June to 21 July 1940), No.4 EFTS (21 July to 6 October 1940) and No.31 SFTS (6 October 1940 to 8 January 1941). Central Flying School, Trenton (8 Jan. to 10 April 1941) on Flying Instructors Course No.30, 3 Feb. to 22 March 1941. Instructed at No.11 SFTS, 11 April to 30 July 1941, at CFS, Trenton, 31 July 1941 to 24 April 1942, and at No.16 SFTS, 25 April 1942 to 24 January 1943. Commissioned 31 March 1942. At Y Depot, Halifax, 25 January to 18 February 1943. No.421 Squadron, 10 August 1943 to 16 May 1943; No.403 Squadron, 16 May to 28 August 1944. Shot down by American AAA over Utah beach. Returned to Canada, flew Kittyhawks with No.133 Sq. (11 Dec 1944 to 28 Jan 1945) and No.135 Squadron (29 January to 7 September 1945). Transferred to Reserve, 1 October 1945; to Special Reserve (full employment), 3 April 1946; to Regular Force, October 1946. Flew in Korea. Shot down by another Sabre Pilot 5th December 1952. POW - not released until 5th dec 1954 - long after the 27 July 1953 cease fire. He was the RCAF's only POW in Korea. Retired in 1967. Home in Oxford Station, Ontario. Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie sadly passed away in 2009. Citation for the the Distinguished Flying Cross. Award effective 15 January 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 January 1944 and AFRO 410/44 dated 25 February 1944. | ||||
 Major General Carroll W McColpin Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Major General Carroll W McColpin
| Major General Carroll W McColpin Carroll Warren McColpin was born in Buffalo, New York on November 15th 1914 and was raised and educated in Los Angeles. Carroll McColpin participated in civilian flying activities in Los Angeles, he started to learn to fly in 1928 and in 1936 obtained his pilots certificate. As a young man, he had built his own airplane and taught himself the basics of stick flying and aerial acrobatics by the age of sixteen. Carroll Red McColpin volunteered for the RAF in 1940 despite official US disapproval, going via Canada to England. After serving with No.607 Squadron, he became the second Eagle Ace after shooting down two ME-109s on October 2, 1941 and is the only pilot known to have fought in aerial combat to a draw - with Werner Molders, the high-scoring German Ace. Red McColpin commanded 133 Eagle Squadron up to the transfer to the USAAF in September, 1942, General McColpin was the only American to fly combat in all three RAF American Eagle Squadrons. His total missions in these Squadrons exceeded three hundred counting the ones he flew with the 607. He was a double ace before Pearl Harbor and was the first American to be decorated, in Buckingham Palace by King George during World War II. McColpin joined the 4th Figher Group. He later led the 404th Fighter Group in support of the D-Day invasion and the drive across Europe. In 400 missions, he recorded 11.5 victories and collected 29 awards for gallantry. Following the war, McColpin remained in the Air Force, serving in several command and senior staff positions, ultimately becoming the commander of the 4th Air Force. He retired as a Major General in August, 1968. Sadley Major General Carroll Warren McColpin passed away on November 28, 2003. | ||||
 Lt Col Ervin Miller Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Lt Col Ervin Miller | Lt Col Ervin Miller Served with 133 Eagle Squadron. | ||||
 First Lieutenant Bill Slade Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by First Lieutenant Bill Slade | First Lieutenant Bill Slade Arriving in England in July 1941, Bill quickly completed his RAF training and joined his fellow compatriots at 133 Eagle Squadron, formed a few months earlier. Flying Spitfires he took part in the air operations attacking the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during the Channel Dash. Transferring to the 336th Fighter Squadron, USAAF, he completed a total of over 80 combat sorties during the war. | ||||
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