Operation Tonga

The History of RAF Blakehill

D DAY OPERATIONS - RAF BLAKEHILL FARM - OPERATION 'TONGA'

Operation Tonga was the airborne phase of Operation Overlord, or, the D Day Landings. On the evening 5th June 1944 the peace in the south of England was shattered as 362 transport aircraft from fifteen RAF squadrons started their engines from eight separate airfields. RAF Blakehill was one of them - the first aircraft to take off from RAF Blakehill were six No.233 Squadron Dakotas towing Horsa gliders of The Glider Pilot Regiment at 22.50 hrs. They were followed by 24 Dakotas carrying troops.

Dakota III KG424
- W/C N E Morrison (Captain)
- F/L A Johnstone (2nd Pilot)
- F/O H Cowie (Navigator)
- F/O Sharpe (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG341
- W/O G P Bailey (Captain)
- F/S E G Warrington (2nd Pilot)
- W/O N S Beckett (Navigator)
- Sgt E C Fitt (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG329
- F/O E E Wood (Captain)
- F/S A W Illingworth (2nd Pilot)
- F/O D W B Carr (Navigator)
- Sgt I Thomas (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ678
- F/L H J Barley (Captain)
- F/O W L Greenwood (2nd Pilot)
- F/O G N Taylor (Navigator)
- F/L C Inglby (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG315
- F/O J H Fram (Captain)
- F/O N C Trigg (2nd Pilot)
- W/O J C Pinder (Navigator)
- W/O R G Johnston (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG415
- F/O J F Halmand (Captain)
- F/O K F Munro (2nd Pilot)
- F/Sgt B H Wallington (Navigator)
- W/O H P C Welch (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG313
- S/L B A Miller (Captain)
- F/O F R Priestley (2nd Pilot)
- F/L G N Taylor (Navigator)
- Sgt D G Morris (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG403
- F/O R R C Hyne (Captain)
- W/O R W Evered (2nd Pilot)
- F/O J L Knapp (Wireless Operator)
- W/O G E Fotheringham (Navigator)

Dakota III KG410
- F/O P I Burden (Captain)
- F/O F R Marricks (2nd Pilot)
- F/O M K Fitzpatrick (Navigator)
- W/O O D Moore (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ685
- F/L A B S Holdsworth (Captain)
- F/S Cooper (2nd Pilot)
- F/O E S Smith (Navigator)
- W/O V O M Roberts (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG427
- F/O C D Hamilton (Captain)
- F/O W Menzies (2nd Pilot)
- W/O F B Knight (Navigator)
- F/Sgt L J Firth (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG399
- F/O A C MacAvley (Captain)
- F/O A C Lord (2nd Pilot)
- F/O J Slater (Navigator)
- W/O W J Watt (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG440
- S/L G D Lane (Captain)
- W/O M W Lee (2nd Pilot)
- F/O A H Wallace (Navigator)
- F/O J F Sweeney (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ686
- W/O R P Holliday (Captain)
- F/Sgt E J E James (2nd Pilot)
- W/O W G A Cosens (Navigator)
- F/Sgt H J Richardson (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG400
- W/O R Chesney (Captain)
- F/Sgt P Johnson (2nd Pilot)
- F/O G A Coppel (Navigator)
- Sgt R E Simmons (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG430
- F/L A C Mackie DFC (Captain)
- F/O W C Hunter (2nd Pilot)
- P/O J W Proctor (Navigator)
- Sgt J L Anderson (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG433
- W/O R D Saunders (Captain)
- F/Sgt O D Lock (2nd Pilot)
- W/O F A Hickay (Navigator)
- W/O N H P Conrad (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ679
- F/O R S Down (Captain)
- F/Sgt W R Neal (2nd Pilot)
- W/O C H F Cousins (Navigator)
- W/O N M Elliston (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG356 - CRASHED - SHOT DOWN
- F/O H E Jones (Captain) - KILLED IN ACTION
- F/Sgt J A Daldorph (2nd Pilot) - Baled out of aircraft
- F/O L N Williams (Navigator) - Baled out of aircraft
- W/O C Engleberg (Wireless Operator) - Rescued from aircraft wreckage

Dakota III KG429 - CRASHED - SHOT DOWN
- W/O M M McCannell (Captain) - KILLED IN ACTION
- F/Sgt A R Porter (2nd Pilot) - KILLED IN ACTION
- W/O A T Downing (Navigator) - KILLED IN ACTION
- W/O N L Berger (Wireless Operator) - KILLED IN ACTION

Dakota III KG455
- W/O G S Wright (Captain)
- F/Sgt I Cooper (2nd Pilot)
- W/O P F White (Navigator)
- Sgt F B Lewis (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ672
- S/L C J Mackencie (Captain)
- F/O D C Harcus (2nd Pilot)
- F/O R S J Phillips (Navigator)
- F/O W C Bradley (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG437
- F/O J A Stewart (Captain)
- F/O D A Todd (2nd Pilot)
- F/O R S J Phillips (Navigator)
- F/O W C Bradley (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ688
- F/O F W Vines (Captain)
- F/O G B Wood (2nd Pilot)
- F/O J K M Eadie (Navigator)
- W/O F Henry (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ448
- F/L A Cody DFC/DFM (Captain)
- F/L M R Sisley (2nd Pilot)
- F/O A C Hollingworth (Navigator)
- Sgt G P W Goodfellow (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ681
- F/S A W Coventon (Captain)
- F/S R L Beighton (2nd Pilot)
- F/S J A Edwards (Navigator)
- F/S G N Mirfin (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG412
- W/O N Mills (Captain)
- Sgt E Woodgate (2nd Pilot)
- W/O J Buckton (Navigator)
- Sgt G G Sparkes (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III FZ692 (Kwicherbichen)
- W/O J P R McRae (Captain)
- F/Sgt S Delarmere (2nd Pilot)
- W/O W A Milne (Navigator)
- W/O S C Davidson (Wireless Operator)

Dakota III KG420
- F/L R McIlraith (Captain)
- F/Sgt P M Diamond (2nd Pilot)
- F/Sgt A J Philips (Navigator)
- F/O G Smee (Wireless Operator)

Horsa Glider under tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- Lt Pickwoad (Pilot)
- Sgt Watts (2nd Pilot)

Horsa Gliderunder tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- S/Sgt England (Pilot)
- Sgt Graham (2nd Pilot)

Horsa Glider under tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- S/Sgt Banks (Pilot)
- S/Sgt Hebblethwaite (2nd Pilot)

Horsa Glider under tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- S/Sgt Ridgeway (Pilot)
- S/Sgt Foster (2nd Pilot) - KILLED IN ACTION

Horsa Glider under tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- S/Sgt Herron (Pilot)
- Sgt Davidson (2nd Pilot)

Horsa Glider under tow from tug C47 - Glider Pilot Regiment
- S/Sgt L Weeden (Pilot)
- Sgt Griffiths (2nd Pilot)