Winston Churchill Squadron ww2

[4Greens]

A Wing Commander Ray Holmwood was in command of this squadron. He was an Australian and was killed in 1942. Details
please for a relative of his or any written matter about him.

[Sedbergh]

In the book "Rene Mouchotte Mes Carnets" (Rene Mouchotte's logbook)he refers to his first RAF squadron (Huricanes) as having Winston Churchill as its "Parrain" which I can best translate as Patron.

I'm pretty sure Ray Holmwood is mentioned as his CO but until I get home tonight and look in the book I can't check the squadron number

[Sedbergh]

Right here we are, quotation lifted from Rene Mouchotte - hope my translation is better than Google!)

8th January 1941

Our Squadron Leader is a young man and a good sport. He is Australian and has an accent which I have a lot of difficulty understanding.
He's eager for combat but it's an intelligent eagerness which won't make him throw himself and his men into the
fight without having taken all the strategic advantages, sun, altitude, separation etc.
I think that if we have a bit of luck he'll get us to do some nice work, but he hates lukewarm types, the ones who follow the squadron like sheep.
He regards these types as murderers because they can cause the death of others.
He doesn't like that kind of person, and won't lead them unless there's no alternative.

There is a footnote to this entry which said "Squadron Leader Holmwood had just replaced Squadron leader Kayll at the head of 615 Squadron"

26th February 1941

A sad day today. One plane on its nose in a field. Pilot all right.
One pilot, Foxley-Norris was shot down. He baled out and woke up in hospital.
Our Squadron Leader Holmwood was also hit. He baled out.
Everything would have been ok if his parachute had not failed at 4000 metres for some unknown reason.
Another, Hone, is also in hospital.

Result one dead and two wounded!
However I was happy to learn that little Lafont,
the youngest of the French pilots has shot down his first Messerschmidt.

I've just learnt that Holmwood's plane was in flames, his parachute caught fire, and he fell from a height of 7000 metres .........

So Lafont got his Boche, the first shot down by a Frenchman.
Unhappily our joy was dulled by the squadron's bad luck.
We liked our boss a lot. He was very Francophile and often favoured us over the English.
It's because of him that Bouquillard and I are going to be made officers.

3rd March 1941
Holmwood's funeral


Presumably Mouchotte was talking about Holmwood's function (leader of the squadron) rather than his actual rank

Rene Mouchotte was listed missing in action in August 1943. He was then CO of the Free French "Alsace" squadron.
His body was washed up in Belgium

[4Greens]

Many thanks Guys. The relatives here in Oz will be thrilled to bits and all your data will be passed on.