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Civilians
A number of local people also recalled their memories of RAF Wick
during the war.
Mrs Jean Murray,
Inverness
Mr
James Bremner, Wick
Mr
David Miller, Upper Ackergill Farm, Nr Wick
Don
Harper, Halkirk
John
Miller, Wick
Others
Probably the largest number of letters we received could not be put into
any specific category but were from men involved in a wide range of
activities at Wick airport. Others tell of specific memories of events or
people they met.
John Telfer, Glasgow
J W
Hazeldine, Sedgely, West Midlands
Flt/Lt
Thomas Hasty, Blackpool, Lancs
Mr C F
Cheekley, Newport Pagnell, Bucks
Hubert
Nettleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire
A Connelly,
Blairgowrie, Perthshire
Rev
Leonard Arridge, Bangor, Gwynedd
Jack
Hughes, Mold, Clwyd
G Angus,
Leven, Fife
E J Curtis,
Shifnal, Shropshire
Ray Weir,
Bury, LancsKenneth Marsden, Bolton
Frank
Manson, Wolverhampton
L Turner,
Wolverhampton
Mr E Dover,
Over Hulton, Bolton
Charlie Simpson, East Kilbride
Dane
Dunnett, Great Sutton, South Wirral
G G Lang,
Glasgow
Ron Whyte,
Margate, KentDouglas Johnston, Lochgelly, Fife
Alex
Campbell, Duns, Berwickshire
J Scanlaw,
Barlanark, Glasgow
Mr T Cooper,
Braintree, Essex
Ernest
Dawson, Sutton Coldfield
T Gwynn
Jones, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd
Ernest
Neil, Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne
L M
MacRae, Northampton
Mr Steven
Batt, Dudley, Worcestershire
James
Swanson, Edinburgh
Mr P Woods,
Glasgow
Mr E A Holt, Flint, Clwyd
Mr S
Kennedy, Montrose, Angus
C W Cox, Newton Abbot, Devon
Robert
Y Carnie, Edinburgh
Women At War
A great number of women were posted to Wick during the war to aid the
work of the Royal Air Force. Many women wrote and told us of their wartime
experiences in Wick.
Mrs Sue Best, Hartlepool, Cleveland
Wilma
L Hall (nee Dewar), Belmont, Durham
Pam
Dickson, Alloa, Clackmannanshire
Miss
Barbara Guild, Blairgowrie
Sheila Thomson (nee Rankin), Edinburgh
Doris
Jones, Long Whatton
Mrs
W Vickerstaff, Belper, Derbyshire
Mr & Mrs R Conner, Thornliebank, Glasgow
Vi
Mitchell, Dundee
lsobel Harvey, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Mrs Elizabeth Robertson,
Dundee
Mrs
Frances Smith, Darlington, Co. Durham
Mrs M
Young, Glasgow
Mrs
Helen Rowan
Mrs N
Watson, Stourbridge, West Midlands
Mrs
C F Elkington, Braintree, Essex
Airfield And Aircraft
Defence
Although at first, the Seaforth regiment carried out airfield defence
in Wick, RAF regiments later replaced them. A number of artillery units
were also placed in the area to defend against attacking aircraft. Replies
were received from a number of men involved with these activities.
Colin Campbell,
Haywards Heath, West Sussex
D G Jubb, Norton, Near
Doncaster, South Yorks
Roy Jack, Crosby,
Liverpool
Alick George, Cross
Heath, Newcastle, Staffs
Mr J Cowan, Dalkeith,
Midlothian
D E Reynolds,
Wolverhampton
J Thorpe, Farnworth,
Bolton
W H Newton, Wickford,
Essex
Kenneth Williams,
Newbridge, Newport
Glad To Land
Although not stationed at Wick
some airmen were only too delighted to land there. We received two such
replies.
D
Thomas, Eaton, Grantham
Frank
Harper, Pathfinders, North Cornwall
Fighter
Squadrons
Fighter squadrons were based in
Wick for the early months of 1940 as protection for Scapa Flow. Later the
fighter squadron were more likely to be based at the satellite station of
Castletown. Only one reply was received from a member of a fighter
squadron based at Wick.
Mr C H Grace, Southampton, Hants
Squadrons 48 & 608
E W Robinson, Southampton
Leo Maturi,
Birmingham
Flt Lt Douglas A Weaver, Birmingham
Andrew Hendrie, Storrington
Mr S Chaffers, Liverpool
Mr W F Booth,
Portsmouth
Charles W Brown,
Banff
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Hurricanes & Lancaster at Wick
Probably the aeroplane
which flew from Wick more than any other during the first three years of
World War Two was the Lockheed Hudson. This plane was involved in
reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, convoy escort and strikes
against the enemy in Norway and Norwegian waters. The following letters
were received from those who helped perform and support such activities
with Lockheed Hudsons in squadrons 269, 48 & 608 and 220.
Squadron 269
Ex Wing Commander T.R.N.
Wheatley Smith,
Hitchin, Herts
Kenny
Martin, Glasgow
W LeRay, Ramsgate, Kent
J
Owen-King, Worthing, West Sussex
E Preston, Forfar, Angus
David
Stirling, Ardrossan, Ayrshire
Jim
Robertson, Newmill, Keith
M
Saunders, Renfrew
Alex Scott, Wyke, Bradford
Squadron 220
Eric A Stone, D.F.C., Dunmow
R R Smith,
Billingham, Cleveland
Squadron 612
Another squadron, which could be
classed as "Scottish" and were based at Wick was 612 squadron - the City
of Aberdeen Auxiliary Squadron - which flew Whitley aircraft from Wick and
were involved mainly in convoy patrol and anti U-boat activity.
Cliff Peters, MBE, Bristol
Duncan Radburn,
Stockton on Tees
James McMallan,
Aberdeen
H M (Bunny) March, Canada
Mr H J Belcher,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
R Walker, Newbiggin-by-Sea
Gordon Anderson,
Aberdeen
John Adam, Ellon
Mr 0 Dennett, Anlaby, Near
Hull
Those Who Did Not
Return
 Met Flights
In the second half of World War Two, Wick became home for important
meteorological flights which were used to collect important weather data.
It is said that the date of D-day was changed as a result of one of those
flights. At first the small unit 1406 were based at Wick and this later
developed into 519 squadron.
L F Hart, Orpington, Kent
F Vaisey,
Moulton, Northants
Mr David
Bain, Wick
Stanley Chambers, lpswich
Peter Rackliff, Wokingham, Berks
Squadron 43
 Probably one of the most notable events involving a
fighter squadron at Wick was the landing of a German Heinkel III bomber on
Wick airfield. This capture was made by Squadron 43 - "The Fighting Cocks"
who flew Hurricanes from Wick. The story is a fascinating one.
F Lt Peter Townsend in his version from his book "Duel Of The Eagles"
and Cook Butcher with the RAF Harry Thompson remembers that night.
Heinkel
111 Shot Down At Wick Airport
Torpedo
Squadrons
After the German invasion of
Norway, the Germans often used Norwegian fiords to hide their large
battleships. Wick and the satellite station of Skitten often housed
squadrons of torpedo bombers, which could be used to attack such shipping
targets. The following letters were received from men involved in such
activity.
F
S Holly, Deganwy, Gwynedd
J
Blyth, Musselburgh
J
A Scorey, Walsall, West Midlands
F/Lt W D Barrett, Stratford on Avon
Gilbert White, Hartlepool,
Cleveland
T
A McGarry, Chichester, West Sussex
J
Broombam, Walsall, West Midlands
Bill Newby, Sherburn Village, Durham
Charles M Tapper,
Christchurch 6, New Zealand
Canadian
Squadrons
A number of Canadian Squadrons
involved in anti U-boat activity and shipping strikes used Wick as a base
in 1943 and 1944. Through the Canadian Air Crew Association several of
these men were contacted.
C E Walker, Vancouver, B.C.
F/L Hornell, Canada
- Awarded The Victoria Cross
M A Botham,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Harry F
Brant, Toronto, Ontario.
D M Asp,
Calgary, Alberta.
W D (Wally)
Thomsett, North Vancouver, BC
Lloyd M.
Goring, Mississauga, Ontario.
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