Intentionally left blank.

Upon arrival in Britain, on 14 December 1943, the Squadron went first to the Reception Centre at Bournemouth on the south coast, where it spent a fortnight going through the customary procedure of documentation, accounting, medical examination, and personnel identification. Here the unit exchanged its Canadian designation, No. 123, for its new overseas number, No. 439.

On the last day of the year the Squadron left Bournemouth, travelling north to Wellingore, a satellite of Digby Station in Lincolnshire.  It was early evening (1830 hours) when the officers and airmen reached their destination and, as a result of weariness from their journey and the commotion of settling in new quarters, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day passed very quietly. This was the unit's first experience with a dispersed airfield, another factor which no doubt impeded any efforts to celebrate the arrival of a new year.

Squadron Leader F.W. Kelly, DFC, Acting CO 439 Sqn Jan 1944

Photo source : 439 Sqn archives PL28806

It was understood that the stay at Wellingore would not be long, just a brief period of "marking time" to complete organisation before beginning operational training at Ayr, Scotland. S/L F.W. Kelly, DFC, a veteran fighter pilot, acted as C.O. during this interval, pending the arrival of S/L W.M. Smith who had been designated to command the Squadron. Two flights were organised, "A" under the command of F/L H.K. McAvity, with F/L T.A. Dadson as 2 i/c, and "B" under F/L J.W. Saville with F/L N.E. Pollock as second in command.   The other pilots composing the original No. 439 overseas were: F/Os E.J. Allen, P.S. Barton, C.L. Burgess, A.C. Clark, E.L. Dixon, P.J. Elfner, J.E. Hogg, G.W. Hewson, R.A. Johns, J. Kalen, C.C. Leigh , M.P. Laycock, R.N. MacDonald, R.M. MacTavish, W.J. Mahagan, A.E. Monson, R.O. Moen, R.A. Porritt, J.W. Ross, N.H. Rassenti, B.P. Swingler, W.K. Scharff, I.W. Smith, J. Stelter, F.H. Thomas, and P/Os P.N. Bernhart and A.L. Henderson. All the officers mentioned, except S/Ls Kelly and Smith and P/O Bernhart, (1) had served with No. 123 Squadron in Canada. (F/L Saville and F/O Scharff, it will be recalled, had been in the original group of pilots posted to the School of Army Co-operation in October 1941).  Seven of them, F/Os Allen, Burgess, Hogg, Leigh, MacDonald, Porritt and Thomas, had preceded the Squadron overseas, in August 1943, but apparently rejoined it immediately upon its arrival.