emblem RAFRAF No 87 Squadron

Ian Gleed showing a cartoon of Figaro the cat batting a swastika

Ian Gleed showing a cartoon of Figaro the cat batting a swastika

Aircrew RAF 87Sqn at Lille Seclin 6 Dec 1939 IWM F2344A

Aircrew RAF 87Sqn at Lille-Seclin 6 Dec 1939 IWM F2344A

On 6 December 1939 King George VI, with the Duke of Gloucester and Viscount Lord Gort (Commander-in-Chief of the BEF), inspected RAF Air Component units at Lille-Seclin. Here the King greets Squadron Leader J. S. 'Johnny' Dewar, commanding No 87 Squadron, in front of a smart line-up of Hurricanes.

Imperial War Museum IWM F 2344A https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205219332

Aircrew RAF Wing Commader Ian Gleed showing a cartoon of Figaro the cat batting a swastika Tunisia 1943 IWM5005

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 01

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 02

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 03

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 04

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 05

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 06

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 07

Airworthy Warbird Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed P2798 England 1941 08

Artwork titled Hurricane Force by finesthourart published in Aviation Classics 0A

Hawker Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn LKA L1630 Lille France 1940 0A

Hawker Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn LKD L1774 Lille France 1940 0A

Hawker Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn LKD line up France 1939 01

Hurricane IIa RAF 87Sqn LKA based at RAF Colerne England 1942 0A

Hurricane IIa RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed BE500 England 1940 01

Hurricane IIa RAF 87Sqn LKT based at RAF Colerne England 1942 0A

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LK7 HL864 0A

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKA Dennis Smallwood BE500 Charmy Down Somerset IWM COL186

Hurricane MkIIc RAF 87Sqn LKA Dennis Smallwood BE500 Charmy Down Somerset IWM COL186

Hurricane Mark IIC, BE500 'LK-A' "United Provinces Cawnpore", being flown by Squadron Leader Dennis Smallwood, the Commanding Officer of No.87 Squadron RAF based at Charmy Down, Somerset. BE500 subsequently served with No. 533 Squadron RAF and finally in the Far East.

Imperial War Museum IWM COL 186 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126546

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed BE500 England 1941 0A

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed BE500 England late 1940 01

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed BE500 England late 1940 02

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKQuestion Nightingale PO Frank Mitchell HL864 England 1941 01

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKR Night Duty Z3353 England 1941 01

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKR Night Duty Z3353 England 1941 02

Hurricane IIc RAF 87Sqn LKR Night Duty Z3353 England 1941 03

Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn at Lille Seclin Nov 1939 IWM C468

Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn at Lille-Seclin Nov 1939 IWM C468

Pilots of No 87 Squadron run to their Hurricane fighters for a mock 'scramble' at Lille-Seclin, November 1939. By now some replacement Hurricanes were arriving in France fitted with de Havilland three-bladed variable-pitch propellers, as evident in this photograph.

Imperial War Museum IWM C 468 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205094158

Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn LKA Ian Gleed England Sep 1940 01

Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn LK simulating a gas attack Lille Seclin aerodrome France MAr 1940 01

Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn simulating a attack Lille Seclin France Mar 1940 IWM C1152

Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn simulating a attack Lille Seclin France Mar 1940 IWM C1152

Smoke bombs envelop Hawker Hurricane Mark Is of 'B' Flight, No. 87 Squadron RAF, in their dispersal at Lille-Seclin during a gas attack practice.

Imperial War Museum IWM C 1152 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207560

Hurricane I RAF 87Sqn with Alan Gleed IWM CH1639

Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn with Alan Gleed IWM CH1639

Alan Gleed personal emblem A doctor's son, Ian Richard Gleed was born in Finchley, London on 3rd July 1916. Educated at Tenterden Preparatory School and Epsom College, he learned to fly privately and flew his first solo at the London Aeroplane Club, Hatfield on 16th November 1935. Gleed joined the RAF on a short service commission in March 1936 and carried out his ab-initio training at 2 E&RFTS, Filton.

On 16th May he went to 8 FTS, Montrose and then joined 46 Squadron at Digby on 25th December 1936. Gleed went to 266 Squadron as 'B' Flight Commander on 9th September 1939, when it was being reformed at Sutton Bridge. He was testing a Spitfire on 18th February 1940 when it broke up in the air. He was thrown out and lost consciousness. He came to, pulled his ripcord and the parachute opened. He came off flying and did not return to 266 until late April and was only allowed to fly dual.

He regained his full flying category on 14th May 1940 and was posted on the same day to 87 Squadron in France as 'A' Flight Commander. On 18th May Gleed claimed two Me110’s destroyed, on the 19th a Me109, two Do17’s, a He111 shared and a probable Me109 then on the 20th he shared a Ju88. The squadron was withdrawn to Debden on the 22nd.

Operational again on 21st June, 87 Squadron moved to Exeter in early July. On 15th August Gleed claimed two Me110’s destroyed and a probable Me109, then on the 25th two Me110’s destroyed and a Me109 damaged. He was awarded the DFC, this being gazetted on 13th September 1940. On 30th September he got a probable Ju88. Gleed took command of 87 Squadron on 24th December 1940. In an attack on Caen airfield during the night of March 14th/15th 1941 he shared in destroying a Do17 on the ground and damaged another Do 17 and a Ju88. He claimed a Do17 destroyed on 7th May, shared a Do18 on the 24th, shared a probable Ju88 on the 28th and damaged two Me109’s on the ground on 6th August.

He was appointed Wing Leader at Middle Wallop on 18th November. Gleed claimed a Ju88 probably destroyed on 13th March 1942, a Ju88 on the 23rd, a Me109 and another probable on 17th April and a probable Fw190 on 5th May. He was awarded the DSO (gazetted 22nd May 1942)

Imperial War Museum IWM CH 1639 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205212594

Hurricane Is RAF 87Sqn LKD LKL LKN practicing a scramble at Lille Seclin IWM C465

Hurricane MkIs RAF 87Sqn LKD LKL LKN practicing a scramble at Lille-Seclin IWM C465

Pilots of No. 87 Squadron practicing a scramble to their Hawker Hurricane Mark Is at Lille-Seclin.

Imperial War Museum IWM C 465 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207506

Hurricane personal emblem RAF 87Sqn DH Ward RNZAF Battle of Braitain 1940 01

Spitfire Vb RAF Ibsley Wing RG with IR Gleed at Ibsley Hampshire IWM CH5908

Spitfire MkVb RAF Ibsley Wing RG with IR Gleed at Ibsley Hampshire IWM CH5908

Wing Commander I R "Widge" Gleed sitting in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB, AA742 'R G', at Ibsley, Hampshire, when leading the Ibsley Wing. Note Gleed's personal emblem, depicting "Figaro" the cat swatting a swastika, beneath the cockpit.

Imperial War Museum IWM CH 5908 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205210199

Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England September 1940

Profile 01: Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England September 1940

Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-G P/O 'Watty' Watson England August 1940

Profile 01: Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-G P/O 'Watty' Watson England August 1940

Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-P P/O I.J. Badger P3149 St Mary's, Isles of Scilly June-July 1941

Profile 01: Opsrey Aircraft of the Aces, No 57 - Hurricane Aces 1941-45. St Mary's is the largest island of the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the southwest coast of Cornwall in England

IL-2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover - COD/CLOD skins
 
  COD skin by Cpt Farrels CF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England September 1940
  COD skin by Cpt Farrels CF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England September 1940 V0A

  Hawker Hurricane MkI (Rotol Prop) skin for Il-2 Sturmovik - Cliffs of Dover by Cpt Farrel
This aircraft was flown by Pilot: "Widge" Gleed, Unit: 87 Squadron, September 1940 Uploaded: 2012-05-18

  COD skin by Cpt Farrels CF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-G P/O 'Watty' Watson England August 1940
  COD skin by Cpt Farrels CF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-G P/O 'Watty' Watson England August 1940 V0A

  Hawker Hurricane MkI (Rotol Prop) skin for Il-2 Sturmovik - Cliffs of Dover by Cpt Farrel
This aircraft was flown by Pilot: 'Watty' Watson, Unit: 87 Squadron, August 1940 Uploaded: 2012-05-18
Cpt Farrels IL2/FB Skins http://www.cptfarrels.com/
The Profile Paintshop and Official 1C Company forum http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/

  COD skin by Kristorf KF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England 1941
  COD skin by Kristorf KF Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-A P/O Ian 'Widge' Gleed England 1941 V0A

  Kristorf's stuff Official 1C Company forum http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/

  COD skin by major-setback MS Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-P P/O I J Badger St Mary's, Isles of Scilly June 1941
  COD skin by major-setback MS Hawker Hurricane MkI RAF 87Sqn LK-P P/O I J Badger St Mary's, Isles of Scilly July 1941

  Hurricane I P3149/LK-P of Plt Off I J Badger, No 87 Sqn, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, June-July 1941. 'To counter Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights over the UK's south-west approaches, 'B' Flight of No 87 Sqn was detached to the tiny aistrip at st Mary's in the Scilly Isles on 19 May 1941. Immediately after arrival, Ivor Badger was scrambled to the south-west to shoot down an Ar 196 seaplane, thus gaining his second victory. He returned to the Islands on further detachments throughout the summer, when he regularly flew this aircraft, as did Sqn Ldr 'Widge' Gleed, and Flt Off 'Bee' Beamont.' From: Opsrey Aircraft of the Aces, No 57 - Hurricane Aces 1941-45
major-setback/restranger Official 1C Company forum http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=39397

    Magazine References: +

  • Airfix Magazines (English) - http://www.airfix.com/
  • Avions (French) - http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/rubrique10.html
  • FlyPast (English) - http://www.flypast.com/
  • Flugzeug Publikations GmbH (German) - http://vdmedien.com/flugzeug-publikations-gmbh-hersteller_verlag-vdm-heinz-nickel-33.html
  • Flugzeug Classic (German) - http://www.flugzeugclassic.de/
  • Klassiker (German) - http://shop.flugrevue.de/abo/klassiker-der-luftfahrt
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://boutique.editions-lariviere.fr/site/abonnement-le-fana-de-l-aviation-626-4-6.html
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://www.pdfmagazines.org/tags/Le+Fana+De+L+Aviation/
  • Osprey (English) - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/
  • Revi Magazines (Czech) - http://www.revi.cz/

    Web References: +

  • History of RAF Organisation: http://www.rafweb.org
  • Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/
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This webpage was updated 27th August 2023

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