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No.222 Sqn RAF - Squadron Profile.

No.222 Sqn RAF

Founded : 1st April 1918
Country : UK
Fate : Disbanded 30th June 1964
Known Aircraft Codes : CZ, ZD

Natal

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No.222 Sqn RAF

No.222 Sqn RAF Artwork Collection
Click the images below to view the fantastic artwork we have available to purchase!



Two of 222 by Anthony Saunders. (APB)


Clipped Signature - Robert Beardsley.


Clipped Signature - Iain Hutchinson.


Clipped Signature - Duncan Simpson.


Clipped Signature - Herbert Rigby.


222 Sqn Meteors over the Forth Bridge by Ivan Berryman.


Freedom Fighter by Adrian Rigby.

Aces for : No.222 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.
NameVictoriesInfo
D A P McMullen19.00
Aircraft for : No.222 Sqn RAF
A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by No.222 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
SquadronInfo

Blenheim


Click the name above to see prints featuring Blenheim aircraft.

Manufacturer : Bristol

Blenheim

The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WWII began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire.

Meteor


Click the name above to see prints featuring Meteor aircraft.

Manufacturer : Gloster
Production Began : 1944
Number Built : 3947

Meteor

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, and built by the Gloster Aircraft Company, Armstrong-Whitworth, the Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Gloster Meteor was not an aerodynamically advanced aircraft but the Gloster design team succeeded in producing an effective jet fighter that served the RAF and other air forces for decades. Meteors saw action with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the Korean War and other air forces used the Meteor. The Royal Danish Air Force, The Belgian Air Force and Isreali Air Force kept the Meteor in service until the early 1970's. A Total of 3947 meteors were built and two Meteors, WL419 and WA638, remain in service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds.

Spitfire




Click the name above to see prints featuring Spitfire aircraft.

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.

Tempest




Click the name above to see prints featuring Tempest aircraft.

Manufacturer : Hawker
Production Began : 1943
Retired : 1949
Number Built : 1395

Tempest

The Hawker Tempest was a much improved development of the Typhoon and first flew in June 1943. and started service with the RAF in April 1944. mainly serving in the attack role in Europe against ground targets including the V1 Flying Bomb installations. It remained in service after the war until 1949 when it was eventually replaced by the Jet Aircraft. but continued for another 4 years in the Indian and Pakistan air forces. In total no less than 1395 Hawker Tempests were built. Speed: 426mph at 18,500 feet, Crew One. Range 800 miles. Armament: Four 20mm Hispano cannons mounted in the wings and a bomb payload of upto 2,000 lbs.
Signatures for : No.222 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.
NameInfo

Squadron Leader Robert Beardsley DFC
Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Squadron Leader Robert Beardsley DFC
Squadron Leader Robert Beardsley DFC

An RAFVR pilot, joining 610 Squadron at Biggin Hill at the peak of the Battle of Britain, in August 1940, Beardsley had three confirmed victories before the end of the Battle. Posted to 41 Squadron, Beardsley spent months with the Tangmere Wing in 1941, remembering Bader for his determination to operate the wing on every possible occasion and his calmness of the radio which compared favourably with some other Wing Leaders. Commissioned in June 1941, Beardsley remained with 41 Squadron until November. After a period instructing, he went to North Africa with 93 Squadron, covering the Allied invasion. After D-Day he went to France with 222 Squadron on Spitfires. Beardsley left the RAF in 1945 but rejoined in 1949, flying Meteors with 74 Squadron.



Flt. Lt. John (Chips) Carpenter DFC
Click the name above to see prints signed by Flt. Lt. John (Chips) Carpenter DFC

11 / 2 / 2005Died : 11 / 2 / 2005
Flt. Lt. John (Chips) Carpenter DFC

Flt. Lt. John Chips Carpenter DFC was born on 9 April 1921. He began elementary flying instruction at Redhill and later on Harvards at Turnhill with the RAF in February 1939 and on completion of his training he joined 263 Squadron at Filton in November. On 21 April 1940 the squadron embarked on HMS ‘Glorious’ for Norway, flying off three days later to land on a frozen lake. By the 26th all the Gladiators were either destroyed or unserviceable, so 263 Squadron re-embarked for the UK. In May another attempt was made. From the 21st until it re-embarked on HMS ‘Glorious’ on 6 June the squadron gave a good account of itself, covering the evacuation of the Army and flying offensive patrols. The carrier was sunk by enemy action soon after sailing and nearly all 263’s pilots were lost. Carpenter had not flown on to the carrier and returned to the UK by another ship. He joined 222 Squadron on Spitfires at Hornchurch in late June 1940 in time for the evacuation of Dunkirk. On 31 August he claimed a probable Bf109, on 1 September he destroyed another Bf109, on the 3rd a Bf110 and on the 4th a further Bf109. Soon afterwards he was shot down and wounded and returned to the squadron in October. Carpenter stayed with 222 Sqn. until April 1941, when he was posted to 46 Squadron, just as it prepared to go to the Middle East. The squadron embarked on HMS ‘Argus’, before transferring to the ‘Ark Royal’, from which they flew off to Hal Far, Malta on 6 June. 46 Squadron was kept in Malta and re-numbered 126 Squadron. On 30 June Carpenter shot down a Mc200, on 4 September he claimed another, on 8 November a Mc202, on the 12th another Mc202 and on 27 December he shot a Ju88 down into the sea. Carpenter, who had been a Flight Commander since early October, was awarded the DFC (2.1.42) and posted to 92 Squadron in the Western Desert. In May 1942 he covered the invasion of Sicily and Italy and was given command of 72 Squadron at Anzio. After a rest Carpenter was given command of 72 Squadron at Lago, Italy in January 1944. On 11 April he was posted away, received a Bar to the DFC (7.7.44) and returned to the UK. He went to Hawker’s as a production test pilot. Carpenter was granted a Permanent Commission in September 1945 and he retired on 31 December 1959, as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. Post war he served as CO in Kai Tek, Hong Kong. He died 11th February 2005.



Flying Officer Tom Hannam
Click the name above to see prints signed by Flying Officer Tom Hannam
Flying Officer Tom Hannam

Flying Officer Tom Hannam qualified as a pilot in October 1942 having been trained by the US Army Air Forces in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Returning to the UK and after Operational Training Unit he joined 222 (Natal) Squadron, which was equipped with Spitfires Mark V’s in January/February 1943 aged 21. Most operational sorties were on sweeps, high cover for bombers and ships convey patrols. At the end of September he was shot down over Normandy and spent the next three months avoiding capture by the Germans. Eventually arriving in Gibraltar he was flown home on 23 December 1943. After a brief period he rejoined 222 Squadron to take part in the invasion of Europe and went through Northern France, Belgium and Holland. In December 1944, with the war in Europe no more than 5 months from its end, the Squadron converted onto Tempests Mark V’s and returned to Europe supporting the crossing of the Rhine near Nijmegen and then into Germany. Operational flying covered attacks on airfields, trains, road transport, tanks and rocket sites. When the war in Europe ended he became a flying instructor on Tiger Moths for a short period. Tom returned to civilian life a little older but very much wiser.




Squadron Leader Iain Hutchinson
Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Squadron Leader Iain Hutchinson

27 / 4 / 2007Died : 27 / 4 / 2007
Squadron Leader Iain Hutchinson

Squadron Leader Iain Hutchinson was born in Charminster. Posted to join 222 Squadron at Hornchurch, Iain Hutchinson flew with them from June 1940 throughout the Battle of Britain. He said of his experience; On our first sortie we lost half the squadron. I myself was shot down the next day. I was flying again the next day but I was shot down five times during the next month, though I didn't end up in hospital until the last time. That happened when he was shot down in flames over south west London, miraculously managing to bale out, although he was badly burned. Hutchinson was treated for burns at RAF hospital Uxbridge where he was one of the last to receive a tannic acid treatment then used for burns. He said: The acid produced great scabs that covered my face and legs while the whites of my eyes turned bright red. As the fighting grew towards its crescendo, on 30th August his Spitfire was damaged in fighting and he force landed unhurt in Essex. Returning to the fray he downed an Me109 on 6th September, another the following day, and a third a week later. On 18th September, after combat over Kent, he was forced to bale out near Canterbury, and then on 30th September following action over London he was wounded and made a forced landing at Denham. His Battle of Britain totals were three Me109 German fighters as confirmed kills, one Heinkel bomber, an Me109 and one Me110 twin-engined heavy fighter as probably destroyed and one Me109 damaged. It was Hutchinson who shot down the German Ace Oberleutenant Eckhardt Priebe, who was taken prisoner and sent to Canada Squadron leader Hutchinson conitnued his service flying reconnaissance un armed spitfires. He was on a long range mission in a specially adapted Mosquito when he was shot donw by a Me109 over Norway. He landed despite the tail being shot off and his navigator fired a Verey pistol into a pool of petrol, blowing up the Mosquito. Hutchinson spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 3 the prisoner of war camp of Wooden Horse and Great Escape fame. After the war he returned and stayed with the RAF flying the Vampire jet aircraft and helped pioneer innovations in aircraft safety, finally retiring form the Royal Air Force in 1957. Sadly he died on April 27th 2007 in Dorchester aged 88.



Duncan Simpson OBE
Click the name above to see prints signed by Duncan Simpson OBE
Duncan Simpson OBE

Educated at the De Havilland Aeronautical Technical School he joined the RAF in 1949 and completed a tour with 222 Squadron. He then served with the Central Fighter Establishment flying Vampires, Meteors, Venoms, Swifts, Sabres and Hunters. Joining Hawker Aircraft Ltd as a test pilot in 1954 he became involved in development and production test flying of the Hunter. From 1964 he was part of the P.1127 Kestrel - Harrier Squadron and became responsible for the conversion of the Kestrel Tripartite Evaluation Programme pilots. In 1969 he repeated this with the first RAF Harrier training team. Awarded the Queens Commendation in 1969 he became Hawker Chief Test Pilot in 1970 and continued on the Harrier dvelopment, making the first flight in the Hawk aircraft in 1974. Retiring from flying in 1978 he became Deputy Director of the Society of British Aerospace Companies until he finally retired in 1992.




Wing Commander George W Swanwick
Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Wing Commander George W Swanwick

4 / 1 / 2011Died : 4 / 1 / 2011
Wing Commander George W Swanwick

George Swanwick was born on 10th November 1915 and was an air-gunner on Wallaces and Hinds with 504 squadron at RAF Hucknall during the 1930s. In May 1936, 504 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force, and in October 1938 converted to a fighter unit, equipped with Gauntlets. In 1938 George re-trained as a pilot, and was promoted to Sergeant Pilot in August 1939. In May 1940 George Swanwick joined 7 BGS, and on 7th September was posted to 54 Squadron at Catterick flying Spitfires. He then went to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch. Commissioned in late 1941, he was posted to 222 Squadron at North Weald in April 1942 as a Flight Commander. In July George Swanwick joined 603 Squadron in Malta and in September 1942, George was posted to 7 OTU at Port Sudan as Flight Commander. In July 1943, he joined 81 Squadron in Malta as a supernumerary. George was invalided back to the UK and following his discharge from hospital in 1944, George held various staff appointments until the end of the war. George Swanwick was granted a Permament Commission in 1949 and retired on 30th April 1970, as a Wing Commander. Sadly, George Swanwick passed away on 4th January 2011.



Wing Commander Tim Vigors DFC
Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Wing Commander Tim Vigors DFC

14 / 11 / 2003Died : 14 / 11 / 2003
Wing Commander Tim Vigors DFC

Born 22nd March 1921. He joined No. 222 Sqn in February 1940 flying Spitfires. By the end of September 1940, he had downed 6 enemy aircraft with a further 6 probables, while being forced to crash land his Spitfire on two occasions. He claimed a further two Me109s in October. He was posted to Singapore, joining No.243 Sqn and then 453 Sqn RAAF, the Fleet Defence Squadron for Force Z when the Royal Navy lost the battleships Repulse and Prince of Wales to Japanese aircraft. Moving the squadron to Malaya, he was forced to bale out of his Buffalo after a skirmish with a large number of Japanese aircraft, being evacuated to India, retirning from the RAF after the war. He died 14th November 2003.


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