No. 43 Squadron — Fighting Cocks

One of Fighter Command’s oldest squadrons, No. 43 entered the war flying Hawker Hurricanes on defensive patrols from RAF Acklington in north-east England. On 3 February 1940, three of its aircraft intercepted a Heinkel He 111 over Whitby — the first German aircraft brought down on English soil. Moving south to RAF Tangmere under 11 Group, the squadron covered the Dunkirk evacuation before fighting through the full Battle of Britain, claiming around sixty confirmed kills. After a period of home defence in Scotland, it deployed to North Africa via Gibraltar in late 1942 for Operation Torch, converted to Spitfires in early 1943, and went on to serve through the Sicily landings, the Salerno beachhead, the Italian campaign, and the Allied invasion of southern France, ending the war in Austria. Notable pilots included Flight Lieutenant Peter Townsend and Squadron Leader Thomas Dalton-Morgan DSO DFC.