SQUADRON LEADER, MAURICE "ROY" SKEET.
(39800) RAF BOMBER COMMAND (1937-42)
Decorations awarded Posthumously and a 1937 Pilot Licence photo' of the late Maurice Roy Skeet.
| 1936 | |
| September 14th | Passed as fit for Pilot Training by RAF Medical Board. |
| - | |
| 1937 | |
| April 5th | Attended Civil Flying School, Prestwick, Ayrshire. Signed for a 4 Year, Short Service Commission. |
| April 26th | Qualified for his Private Pilots License, (All types of land plane). |
| May 31st | Graded as Acting Pilot Officer. Posted to Depot 24(T) Group, for further Flying Training. |
| June 5th | Posted to No' 6 Flight Training School, 23(T) Group, Netheravon. (As Pilot.) |
| September 4th | Granted his Wings. (Aircraft Flown, DH82, Hawker Hart, Avro Anson, Tiger Moth.) |
| - | |
| 1938 | |
| January 8th | Posted to No' 102 Bomber Squadron, 3 Group, Honington, for Flying Duties. (Pilot, Handley Page Heyford.) |
| April 5th | Confirmed in Appointment. Graded as Pilot Officer. |
| November 14th | Posted to No' 77 Bomber Squadron, 4 Group, Driffield, for Flying Duties. (Pilot, Whitley III.) |
| - | |
| 1939 | |
| April 8th | Posted to No' 70 (BT) Squadron, Middle East, Helwan, for Flying Duties. (Observer, Navigator, Pilot, Valentia I.) |
| August 30th | Posted to No' 70 Squadron, Middle East, Heliopolis, for Flying Duties. (Pilot, Valentia I.) |
| September 3rd | War Declared. |
| October 10th | Posted to No' 70 Squadron Detachment, RAF Station Habbaniya Iraq, for Flying Duties. (Pilot, Valentia I.) |
| December 5th | Promoted to the Rank of Flying Officer. |
| - | |
| 1940 | |
| August 8th | Appointed as Officer Commanding No' 70 Squadron Detachment at RAF Station, Habbaniya, Iraq. |
| October 5th | No' 70 Squadron Detachment re-established as No' 216 Squadron Detachment at RAF Habbaniya. |
| December 5th | Promoted to the Rank of Flight Lieutenant. |
| December 20th | No' 216 Squadron detachment re-established as the reformed 'Communications Flight', Iraq. |
| - | |
| 1941 | |
| February 2nd | Admitted to RAF Habbaniya Hospital with Acute Appendicitis. |
| March 7th | Informed he was to be transferred to the RAFO as of 5th April 1941 on completion of the 4 Year SSC. |
| March 17th | Returned to Unit. |
| April 5th | Transferred to the Reserve, Retained on the Active List with all Rights to Command and Precedence. |
| April 7th | The Communication Flight and All Personnel placed under the
orders of 'The Habbaniya Defence
Scheme'. Instructed to have Two Valentia's standing by for possible evacuation of civilians/personnel from Baghdad. |
| April 9th | Instructed to have One Valentia 'Bombed Up' at Two Hours Readiness for Night Combat Duty. |
| April 30th | The General Alarm Sounded at RAF Station Habbaniya, the
Station under Siege by Iraqi Forces. All Three Valentia's Bombed up for Night Combat Operations. |
| May 2nd | Hostilities commenced between the Iraqi and British Forces at RAF Station Habbaniya, Iraq |
| May 2nd-31st | The Communications Flight in Combat related Duty with 'The Habbaniya Air Striking Force'. |
| May 31st | The Communications Flight concluded Combat duties, British Forces in control of Iraq. |
| September 24th | Admitted to RAF Habbaniya Hospital with an Infection. |
| October 25th | Returned to Unit. |
| December 15th | Listed as transferred to the personnel list at No' 1 Depot, pending repatriation. |
| - | |
| 1942 | |
| February 14th | RAF Bomber Command adopts 'The Area Bombing Campaign' over German Cities. |
| February 16th | Recorded as on Temporary Loan to the Middle East Desert, prior to repatriation. |
| February 18th | Repatriated to the UK. Granted Leave from 18th February to 3rd March '42. |
| March 1st | Promoted to the Rank of Squadron Leader. |
| March 5th | Returned to Duty, Posted to No' 10 Operational Training Unit, Abingdon. (Pilot, Whitley III.) |
| April 4th | Training with No' 1501 Blind Approach Training Flight. Abingdon. (Pilot, Wellington II.) |
| May 5th | Posted to No' 158 Squadron, Driffield, Appointed as 'A' Flight Commander. (Pilot Wellington II.) |
| May 30th | As 2nd Pilot in Wellington Z8429, No' 158 Squadron. The 1st Thousand Bomber Raid. |
| June 1st | As 2nd Pilot in Wellington Z8429, No' 158 Squadron. The 2nd Thousand Bomber Raid. |
| June 5th | Arrived at 'Eastmoor' with the advance party of 'A' Flight, No' 158 Squadron. |
| June 16th | Posted to No' 10 Squadron, Lynton On Ouse. (No record of arrival.) |
| June 26th | Found Dead from a Gunshot Wound to the Head in a Bathroom at The Knavesmire Hotel, York. |
| June 27th | At an Inquest held by the York Deputy Coroner it was concluded that the Wound was self inflicted. |
| June 30th | Interred in RAF Grave 13, Row 'Q' at Newton on Ouse, (All Saints) Churchyard, Yorkshire. |
| July 4th | RAF Court of Enquiry held at RAF Satellite to investigate the Circumstances and Cause of Death. |
| - | |
| 1945 | |
| July 16th | War Service Gratuity calculated as 33 Months 24 Days from 3rd September 1939 to 26th June 1942. |
Recorded as remembered with honour in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
at the time Squadron Leader Maurice 'Roy' Skeet served in them,
please contact me via the E-Mail link or Guest book on my Homepage.
| HOME PAGE | PAGE TOP | SITE CONTENTS |
All content Copyright © Michael A.R.Skeet. 2001-2007, except where otherwise stated.