RAF vehicles

[Allan Hillman]

Hi Les

A little background information - working initially from advanced landing grounds built by airfield construction units, and taking over former Luftwaffe bases in Belgium, Holland and Germany, 125 Wing operated from landing 3 Squadrons (132, 453, 602) of Spitfire IX's and then, from mid-july '44, 4 Squadrons when 144 RCAF Wing was disbanded (taking over 441 Squadron) - it then changed over to become a Tempest V (80 & 274) and Spitfire XIV (130 & 402) Wing at B.70 Antwerp/Deurne in late September - a week later the Tempest V's moved to 122 Wing - then, with additions in December, it became an all Spitfire XIV Wing (41, 130, 402, 350, 610). - 402 moved over to join a fully Canadian Spitfire IX Wing at the end of '44

They were the first 2TAF unit to operate east of the Rhine - “The Spitfire squadrons of No. 125 Wing were the first to cross the river and station themselves at Twente, an airfield captured twenty-four hours earlier by the British Second Army.” Source: Royal Air Force 1939 – 1945 Volume III – The Fight is Won. - and was also the first into Denmark.

cheers

Allan