Volunteer Aces of Churchill’s Few: The Part-Time Pilots and their Auxiliary Squadrons which Helped win the Battle of Britain

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAAF) serves as the primary reinforcement capability for the regular Royal Air Force (RAF). Established in October 1924 as the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), it consists of paid volunteers who train on evenings and weekends to support the RAF during national emergencies and conflicts. Their pre-war counterparts, alongside pilots of the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), played a pivotal role in the Battle of Britain.Of the sixty-two squadrons involved in the Battle of Britain, fourteen were AAF units. These experienced Auxiliary squadrons claimed 30% of the enemy aircraft destroyed in the summer of 1940. Notably, No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron became the first Spitfire squadron to claim 100 enemy kills. The highest scoring Auxiliary unit was No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, which achieved fifty-eight kills under Squadron Leader George Denholm''s leadership.Auxiliary Aces of Churchill’s Few highlights the stories of many of these heroic pilots. Squadron Leader Archie McKellar, a plasterer turned fighter pilot with No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, became an "Ace in a Day" by shooting down five Me109s in just 24 hours while flying with No. 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron. Sergeant James ‘Ginger’ Lacey of No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron shot down a bomber attacking Buckingham Palace during his service. Flight Lieutenant Findlay Boyd of No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron downed a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka less than a minute after take-off, recording the fastest victory of the battle.The Auxiliaries’ dedication was remarkable, exemplified by their achievements, including the first flight over Mount Everest in 1933. Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park credited their contribution as essential, stating, ''Without the Auxiliaries we would not have defeated the Luftwaffe in 1940''. Auxiliary Aces of Churchill’s Few captures their bravery, skill, and vital role during this critical period. It has been many decades since the skies over southern Britain were filled with the sound and fury of the Battle of Britain. In that desperate fight, one band who had joined as part-time pilots before the war would play a vital role in eventual victory. Formed in October 1924, the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) provided fourteen of the sixty-two RAF fighter squadrons involved in the battle. The AAF pilots, alongside those of the RAF Volunteer Reserve who also trained in their spare time, provided some of the highest scoring RAF aces in the fighting in the summer of 1940. These former part-timers helped these squadrons achieve 30 per cent of the enemy ‘kills’ achieved in the battle. Indeed, the first Spitfire squadron to claim 100 enemy aircraft destroyed was No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron – an Auxiliary unit. The book captures the sense of adventure these young weekend flyers showed. This was typified by an early achievement of the Auxiliary squadrons – the staging of the first flight over Mount Everest in 1933 by the CO of No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron. One their pilots, Flight Lieutenant Findlay Boy, joined in 1935 while working as a mining engineer and he would go on to score the fastest victory of the battle, downing a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka less than a minute after taking off. Such were their endeavours in the Battle of Britain that the then Air Vice Marshal Keith Park, AOC 11 Group, summed up their vital contribution by stating that, ‘Without the Auxiliaries we would not have defeated the Luftwaffe in 1940’. Likewise, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding was to say at the height of the battle ‘Thank God for the RAFVR!’ Today, the Royal Auxiliary Air Force is the main reserve component for the regular RAF. It consists of paid volunteers who support RAF operations in the UK and around the world in their spare time. With astonishing tales of bravery, skill and dedication, Volunteer Aces of Churchill’s Few tells the story of those pilots – both Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve who flew with the squadrons of the AAF – a most remarkable band within ‘The Few’.

• | Author: Martin Wade
• | Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
• | Publication Date: Nov 20, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781036121693
• | ISBN-10: 1036121690