Does anybody have any information on the ww2 RAF Moon Squadrons. All I know is they flew mainly Lysander aircraft, and they went and dropped off secret agents and pick up others.

any help geratly appreciated
Chris

Off the top of my head, Chris - you might be looking at various activities carried out by 138 & 161 Squadrons which flew an assortment of Special Duties missions for the SAS & SOE many of which entailed the dropping of "Joes" into occupied territory, assorted drops to the resistance and other support activities. I think RAF Tarrant Rushton and RAF Tempsford may have been a couple of the Bases. Start there and I'm sure there's a lot more to discover ...

The Halifax was quite heavily involved in these operations - not just the "Tin Lizzie".

Incidentally was at the CWH Museum in Mount Hope today where the Lysander is almost complete in black and yellow striping of a Gunnery School drogue tow plane - quite an impressive aircraft! Still planning on getting to CFB Trenton to update the Hally progress soon ...

Chris

I would suggest you visit www.161squadron.org.
This site is run by Bob Body and is well worth a visit.
I am doing research into my uncle who flew with 138 Sqdn. If I can be of help drop me a line.


Edwin

Also, the following books are well worth getting hold of from your local library, even better, go and buy them as they are well worth it!!

"Flights of the Forgotten" by K. Merrick, published by Arms and Armour Press

"Agents by Moonlight" by Freddie Clark, published by Tempus.

Both detail heavily the work carried out by 138 and 161 Squadrons, and there are some great photos of Whitleys, Lizzies, and Halibags in them both. There's even a photo of a Lanc in one of them winks

Hope that helps

Ferret (in a very cool and soon to be wet South Wales)

"You can take the boy out of Wales,
But you cannot takes Wales out of the boy"

Greg

Thanks for the mail.

I have both of those books and they are good reading as is "Peter Five" by Freddie Clark.

If 138/161 Sqdns interest you let me know. My knowledge of them is slowly increasing but I am always looking for help. I am trying to identify a "Joe" who was on my uncle's aircraft and is buried alongside my uncle in Le Mans. It is proving very difficult.

Eastern South Wales is still dry.

Edwin

Thanks a bunch guys, I will check the sites when I get a chance.

Chris

There are a couple of other things you might like to look at:

Moon Squadron Jerrard Tickell, Pub: Doubleday & Co, 1958

This is a bit dated and fanciful in style, but Tickell was given access to the AM records - that really ticked off Elizabeth Nichols and Jean Overton Fuller - both of whom wrote anti-SOE books. They interested Irene Ward MP, author of "F.A.N.Y Invicta" in askeing questions in the house about the SOE. Cut a long story short, this is why Prof. Mr.R.D. Foot was commissioned to write "SOE in France." Accurate. No. Worth getting? if you an SD Squadron nut like me, yes.

Airborne Espionage:International Special Duties Operations during the World Wars David Oliver, Pub. Sutton Publishing, 2005

Bit generalist, but covers some of the other Special Duty operations from the German view point.

We Landed by Moon-light: The Secret RAF landings in France 1940-1944 Hugh Verity, Pub: Crecy Publications, 2000

This is entirely concerned with Lysander/Hudson operations but is a really good read.

The Bedford Triangle Martin Bowman,Pub. Sutton Publishing, 2003

This covers the US 'Carpetbagger' operations of 1944.

Don't forget the movie:

Now in Can Be Told Re-issued by the Imperial War Museum London.

This movie was made by the RAF Film Unit for the Central Office of Information. Filmed in England and France in late 1944 and early 1945, it features three actual agents and made ‘stars’ of two of them; namely Harry Rée and Jacqueline Nearne who had both served in France. The filmmakers used aircraft and pilots from the SD Squadron and includes re-enactments of actual incidents from the files of SOE and SD Squadron in the narrative. This film was intended as propaganda, but is remarkable in that it was both authentic and understated.


Hope this helps and sorry for the delay.

Elliott James,
St. Paul, MN

Chris
Without any question"Flights of the forgotten" is a very good referance and Hugh Verity s book the best read.
A note here for those who have read "We landed by moonlight" published 1978 read the (revised) edition published in 2000.
Another referance to look at is:-
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles
Number 45
138 Squadron....For freedom
These pofiles have been writen by Chris Ward (I do not think he has done 161 yet).
Edwin
Dad was the navigator referred to by Roy Scott on page 88 of the Flights of the forgotten and also in the squadron profile.
Peter.

Dear Greg, I've been doing a tiny look around to try and find out what I could about my uncle who flew with the 138. In all my snooping your name pops up. Great to have someone who gets around helping out lost beginners. Don't know where I'll find you next..... Carroll

My late wife worked for SOE and one of her job's was to drive the agents down to Tangmere to put them on the Lysanders to fly them to France. She was a member of the Special Forces Club and my son is today.
She was the first person to write about the women secret agents, see 'The Observer'late '40s.
At SOE she was Gubbins second recruit, having been allowed to resign from the WRENS by Dame Laura Matthews.

Can you contact me direct at edwindotbryceatkilsbywilliamsdotcom ( replacing dot and at with the appropriate).

It is with regard to SOE agents.

Edwin

You might like to have a look at www.geocities.com/fk790
which covers the Moon Squadrons of Tempdford.

The site is constantly under development and growing.