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Aircraft Index |
Squadron Index |
Aviation Art by Country |
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No.60 Sqn RAF
Founded : 15th May 1916
Country : UK
Fate :
Known Aircraft Codes : MU, AD
Per ardua ad aethera tendo - I strive through difficulties to the sky
No.60 Sqn RAF
No.60 Sqn RAF Artwork |
No.60 Sqn RAF Artwork Collection |
  Clipped Signature - John Townesend. |   Clipped Signature - Norman Rutter. |   Clipped Signature - Sir Hughie Edwards VC. |
  Clipped Signature - Lord Harold Balfour of Inchyre. |   Boom Boom Billy by Stan Stokes. |
| Aces for : No.60 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. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| William Billy Bishop | 72.00 | The signature of William Billy Bishop features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Aircraft for : No.60 Sqn RAF | |||
| A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by No.60 Sqn RAF. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
| Squadron | Info | ||
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. | ||
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1930 Number Built : 1042 | Hart During the mid 1920’s The British Air Ministry recoignised the need for a light Bomber. The options were proposed the Avro Antelope, Fairey Fox and the Hawker Hart. Due to the low cost of maintenance for the hawker hart. It was chosen over the other two. The first prototype flew in June 1928 (J9052). Hawker Harts were first used in 1930 by No.33 Squadron at Eastchurch. Many of these aircraft were used overseas in India, the Middle East and South Africa, with some alterations being made to tropicalise the aircraft. With the Outcome being the Hart India. The Hawker Hart saw service during the Abyssinian Crisis in 1935/36 and served also in the North West Frontier of India. However, in Britain, most were being replaced by 1936, some still operating well into World War Two. Mainly in communication and Training roles until 1943 having been used by a total of 20 RAF and AAF Squadrons. A total of 1042 of this aircraft were built. The Hawker Hart saw service with many air forces. Including The Swedish Air Force who used it to great success as a dive bomber. (calling the Hart the B4), Egyptian Air Force, Royal Indian Air Force, Southern Rhodesian Air Force and Yugoslavian air force. | ||
Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1936 Number Built : 14533 | Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built. | ||
| Nieuport 17 Full profile not yet available. | ||
Production Began : 1943 Number Built : 15683 | Thunderbolt Alexander Kartveli was a engineer with Seversky Aircraft who designed the P-35, which first flew in 1937. With Republic Aviation Kartveli supervised the development of the P-43 Lancer. Neither of these aircraft were produced in large numbers, and neither was quite successful. However, the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also nicknamed the Jug, was quite a different story. The Jug was the jewel in Kartvelis design crown, and went on to become one of the most produced fighter aircraft of all time with 15,683 being manufactured. The P-47 was the largest and heaviest single seat fighter of WW II. The P-47 immediately demonstrated its excellent combat qualities, including speed, rate of climb, maneuverability, heavy fire power, and the ability to take a lot of punishment. With a wingspan of more than 40 feet and a weight of 19,400 pounds, this large aircraft was designed around the powerful 2000 HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. The first P-47 prototype flew in May of 1941, and the primary variant the P-47D went into service in 1943 with units of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The Jug had a maximum speed in excess of 400 MPH, a service ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet, and was heavily armed with either six or eight heavy caliber machine guns. With its ability to carry up to a 2,500 pound bomb load, the Jug saw lots of use in ground attack roles. Until the introduction of the N model, the P-47 lacked the long range required for fighter escort missions which were most often relegated to P-51 Mustangs or P-38 Lightnings. In his outstanding painting entitled Bridge Busting Jugs, noted aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts Eighth Air Force Jugs in a ground attack mission in the Alps in June of 1944. The top P-47 ace was Francis Gabreski who had flown with the 56th Fighter Group, the first unit to be equipped with the P-47. In August of 1943 Gabreski attained his first aerial combat victory (over an Fw-190) and by years end he had reached ace status with 8 confirmed victories. As Commander of the 61st Squadron, Gabreski continued to chalk up victory after victory, and on seven different occasions he achieved two victories during the same mission. However, in July of 1944 Gabreski damaged the prop on his Jug during a low level attack on an airfield near Coblenz. Forced to make a crash landing, he was captured and remained a prisoner of war until Wars end in 1945. Following the War Gabreski returned to military service with the Air Forces 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea. Flying the F-86 Sabre Jet, Gabreski attained 6.5 more aerial victories in 1951 and 1952 becoming an ace in two different wars | ||
| Signatures for : No.60 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. | |||||
| Name | Info | ||||
 William Billy Bishop Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of William Billy Bishop
| William Billy Bishop William Avery Bishop. Born 8th February 1894, died September 1956 aged 62. Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, better known as Billy Bishop (his awards being VC, CB, DSO and Bar, MC, DFC, ED ) was the top Canadian Fighter ace of World War One, with 72 Victories which made him the top overall Ace from the British Empire. Billy Bishop joined the Mississauga Horse as an Officer when the war broke out in 1914, but due to illness he did not go with the regiment to Europe. Once he recovered from pneumonia he transferred to the 8th Canadian Mounted Rifles and was stationed in London, Ontario. On the 9th of June 1915 the regiment left for Britain. In July 1915 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer. After training he was moved to France at Boisdinghem airfield near st Omer on the 1st January 1916 - he was an observer on RE7 reconnaissance aircraft. On one mission he injured his knee and was sent back to Britain. On his recovery he was accepted in for Pilot training. Once he was awarded his wings he requested to be transferred to France and in March 1917 was posted to 60 Squadron at Filescamp Farm near Arras. He flew the Nieuport 17 Fighter aircraft. Billy Bishop's first victory was on the 25th March which was an Albatros D.III. He won his Victoria Cross on the 2nd June 1917 when he flew a solo mission behind enemy lines to attack a German Aerodrome. He claimed to have shot down three German aircraft who were about to take off to engage him and destroyed many others on the ground. His Victoria Cross was the only VC awarded without requiring witnesses. His VC was Gazetted on the 11th August 1917. For most conspicuous bravery, determination, and skill. Captain Bishop, who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machines about, he flew on to another aerodrome about three miles southeast, which was at least 12 miles the other side of the line. Seven machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about fifty feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of 60 feet, Captain Bishop fired 15 rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground. A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired 30 rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree. Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at a height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain Bishop emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station. Four hostile scouts were about 1,250 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine gun fire from the ground. He went back to Canada as a hero in 1917 and helped the morale of the Canadian public. He again returned to France in April 1918 and was promoted to the rank of major and given the command of no 85 Squadron (Flying Foxes). The squadron was equipped with SE5a scouts and in this aircraft Bishop scored a further three victories. The Canadian Government was getting concerned if Bishop was killed what effect that may have on the Canadian morale so he was ordered back to Britain, to organise the Canadian Flying Corps. On the 5th August he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and became Officer Commanding-designate of the Canadian Air Force Section of the general Staff. Bishop died in his sleep while in Florida on the 11th September 1956 and is buried in Owen Sound Ontario at greenwood Cemetery. | ||||
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