William Ernest David Stockwell - Fitter, No.615 Squadron, 1940.
William Ernest David Stockwell Certificate of Service and Discharge
Stephen Stockwell
William Ernest David Stockwell Service Record.
Stephen Stockwell
William Ernest David Stockwell, back row fourth from left.
Stephen Stockwell
Stephen's tribute to his Father's service on Battle of Britain Day, 2020.
Stephen Stockwell
William 'Ernie' Stockwell with a Gloster Gladiator.
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell. Gloster Gladiator coded 'RR' (before 615 were assigned KW as their squadron code).
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell. Stan Ford (615 engine fitter) thinks this was taken during 615's summer camp at RNAS Ford, 1939.
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell. Stan Ford (615 engine fitter) thinks this was taken during the squadron's summer camp at RNAS Ford, 1939.
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell.
©Stephen Stockwell
Hawker Hurricane with 'Ernie' Stockwell on ladder.
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell. Vic Bashford (615sq) says this is Vitry Station in France. 615 and 607 squadron Officers had their Mess in the Station Hotel, which was nearby.
©Stephen Stockwell
Photo from the collection of 'Ernie' Stockwell.
©Stephen Stockwell
Stephen Stockwell has kindly shared his Father’s RAF Service records. William Ernest David Stockwell served as a Fitter with No.615 (County of Surrey) Squadron from June 1939 until November 1940. Stephen thinks he may have been with ‘B’ Flight.
Stephen recalls what his Father said about his time at Kenley:
He remembered the low level raid on Kenley [18/8/1940- ‘The Hardest Day’]. His friend was killed that day and he went to see the downed Dornier Do17, where it came down [in Golf Rd] also the triple bay hangers that got hit – one was full of officers cars. He remembered the gun posts that came up from the ground [Pickett Hamilton forts] and those cables that shot from the ground [Parachute and Cable]. I know he loved Kenley.
Joel Diggle has very kindly gone through ‘Ernie’s’ Service Record.
Service Records for William David Ernest Stockwell (536421).
- 9/12/36 – Training Wing Uxbridge. Under training Aircraft Hand, General Duties Branch/Trade – AC2.
- 20/3/37 – 54 (F) Sqn, RAF Hornchurch (Gauntlets then Gladiators from June), RAF Hornchurch – Aircraft Hand.
- 11/6/37 – No.3 School of Technical Training, RAF Blackpool – Remustered – U/T (Under Training) Flight Rigger.
- 18/8/37 – No.79 (F) Sqn, RAF Biggin Hill, Gauntlets.
- 9/9/38 – No.1 Wing, RAF Halton – No.1 School of Technical Training – Remustered U/T Fitter/Rigger.
- 1/4/39 – RAF Hednesford – Fitter 2.
- 16/6/39 – No.615 Sqn, RAF Kenley/Croydon/Merville, France (BEF), Gladiators – Fitter 2.
- Between 15 Nov 1939 and 22 May 1940 he attended two more courses I cannot decipher.
- 22/5/40 – No.615 (F) Sqn, Hurricanes, RAF Kenley, Manston, Prestwick, Northolt, – Fitter 2.
- 22/11/40 – No.2 School of Technical Training, RAF Cosford – further training course – Fitter 2+.
- 21/1/41 – No.96 (F) Sqn, (Hurricane and Defiant Night Fighter Unit) RAF Cranage in No.9 Group Fighter Command (North West of England/Wales and Irish Sea) with detachment at RAF Squires Gate, Blackpool to cover the Rootes/Blackburn Aircraft Factory.
- 30/4/41 – Station Engineering Sqn, RAF Biggin Hill.
- 18/1/42 – No.3034 Servicing Echelon (mobile field support to Fighter Sqns) But was at Manston 4 Aug – 22 Sept 1943 under 2nd Tactical Air Force for pre-invasion training.
- 13/3/44 – RAF Defford (Home of the Radio Research Experimental Establishment).
- 13/5/44 – RAF Culmhead (RAF Forward Fighter Station, just south of Taunton, Somerset), probably training for D-Day Mobile Airfield Operations…(Best Guess as it was home to a Spitfire Wing led by Pete Brothers of 32 Sqn Battle of Britain Fame).
- 22/6/44 – No.6219 Servicing Echelon, various locations, but quite probably into France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- 3/11/44 – RAF Hunsdon – Mosquito Night Fighter/Intruder Station.
- 21/8/45 – Discharged from Service at Hunsdon.
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