This section of the website is dedicated to the operations of 6 Squadron during WW1.

 

6 Squadron celebrated its 100th birthday on 31st January 2014 and holds the record for the longest period of continuous service of any squadron in the world - a record unlikely to be beaten.

 

Seventeen years ago, when I started researching my first book For God, England & Ethel (a factual historical novel about the early days of 6 Squadron), I quickly developed an affinity with the squadron in which my grandfather served for three tumultuous years between 1915 and 1917. What was originally intended to be a novel based upon truth ended up being a dramatised factual account of 6 Squadron's day to day operations over the Western Front, told by my grandfather, a humble wireless mechanic. In order to appease those readers who wanted more facts, I also included a large number of technical footnotes and selected snippets of the squadron's history, some of which have never appeared in print.

 

For God, England & Ethel was six long years in the making, during which time I developed close ties with several WW1 aviation historians as well as the 6 Squadron Association, whose website carries the name 'The Flying Tin-Openers' - a very apt nickname dating back to WW2 where the cannons of 6 Squadron's Hurricanes were used to great effect against enemy tanks in the North African campaign. 

 

I sent a copy of the book to Wing Commander Roddy Dennis, the newly appointed officer commanding 6 Squadron when it re-formed at Leuchars in September 2010 after the squadron was stood down for three years. Equiped with the Typhoon, the squadron's role was to be part of the 'Quick Reaction Alert force' to intercept unidentified aircraft approaching UK airspace. In response, Wg Cdr Dennis wrote:

 

"Your book will fill in many of the blanks in my knowledge of the squadron's early years. One of the greatest challenges is ensuring that I have a sound understanding of the squadron's heritage, and seeing that 6 has such a great history, there's a lot to cover. However, it's a great privilege to be in this position."

 

Since 2010, the squadron has moved to Lossiemouth and there have been si commanding officers, the latest being  Wing Commander Noel Rees who took the reins in September 2021.

 

And so the tradition continues . . . . . . . .

 

As I mentioned earlier, this web site concentrates on the early days of 6 Squadron. If you want to learn more about the recent history of this famous squadron, you should visit the 6 Squadron Royal Air Force Association website.

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The background image is of (as at 2014) Squadron Leader Jim 'Rosie' Lee standing in front of a Typhoon, holding the WW1 message bag that my grandfather brought back from the Western Front.

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