Did Winston Churchill have his own Body Guard Squadron

Following on from the Missed Opportunity ThreadI was wondering if Churchill had his own Squadron assigned to him for escort duties when he travelled overseas?

I read the following today from Spears excellent book 'Assignment to Catastrophe, Volume One'.

Under the chapter XXV Friday, May 31st, 1940.

Spears is describing the moments leading upto the delayed arrival at Villacoublay, France of Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, CIGS Dill and Ismay:

After a painful period of waiting, some keen-eyed fellow cried that he saw them, then we all did, and almost at once there was an almighty roar, the plane landed, and out stepped the rather hunched but resilient figure of Winston, a stick on which he did not lean in his hand. He explained that the delay was due to taking a long and circuitous route because of German fighters north of Paris.

We drove straight to lunch at the Embassy, but not before Winston had waved his stick and beamed at the escorting pilots.


Were the escorts from what ever Squadron was free at the time of did he have a specific 'Body Guard' Squadron?

 

On 31st May 1940, 601 Squadron (with its Hurricanes) escorted Churchill to Paris.

Here you can find more details about that flight (see page 38). Also here.

 

Cheers Sol. Is that first book called Dunkirk Revisited?

 

Is that first book called Dunkirk Revisited?

Looks it is. You can find complete version here.

John Richards, the author, writes:

Welcome to Dunkirk Revisited
This site consists of an unpublished illustrated book on the 1940 Dunkirk Evacuation made freely available for you to download and use as you wish.
It is unlike any other published material on Dunkirk because of both its unusual structure and its scope.

 

Cheers,

What a shame you can't buy it.

Back to the topic-Come on the 'Brylcreem Boys', Did Churchill have his own Squadron for protection?

 

Cheers,

What a shame you can't buy it.

Back to the topic-Come on the 'Brylcreem Boys', Did Churchill have his own Squadron for protection?


Not that I've read or seen in print.

 

On 31st May 1940, 601 Squadron (with its Hurricanes) escorted Churchill to Paris.

Here you can find more details about that flight (see page 38). Also here.


I think that you will find that Churchill visited Paris earlier, on 16th May 1940 and was accompanied by Blue section Spitfires of No 92 Squadron.

Churchill flew in a de Havilland Flamingo airliner ( only 16 ever built).

Photograph attached from the book, Spitfire. Alfred Price.


Regards
Tom

 

I think that you will find that Churchill visited Paris earlier, on 16th May 1940 and was accompanied by Blue section Spitfires of No 92 Squadron.

Churchill flew in a Flamingo airliner.

Photograph attached from the book, Spitfire. Alfred Price.


Regards
Tom

Cheers Tom. I just looked for 31st May because of Andy's original post. And when talking about Churchill's visit to Paris on that day he traveled with Flamingo from 24th Squadron

31 May 1940 Wing Commander Goode, Flight Lieutenant Oldroyd, Corporal Ashley conveyed Mr. Winston Churchill and four passengers from Hendon to Villacoublay and from Villacoublay to Hendon in Flamingo aircraft E2765.
From here

Back to topic, I don't think that Churchill had is personal Body Guard Squadron. I never read anything like that.

 

Cheers all,

Churchill travelled to France quite few times in 1940 by air as did President of the Council, Paul Reynaud to Britain.

 

From 'Assignment to Catastrophe, Volume Two'

On the aerodrome I saw a picture and received an impression of beauty unequalled in my life. The nine fighter planes were drawn up in a wide semicircle round the Prime Minister's Flamingo. Very slight they seemed on their undercarriages, high and slender as mosquitoes. Churchill walked towards the machines, grinning, waving his stick, saying a word or two to each pilot as he went from one to the other, and, as I watched their faces light up and smile in answer to his, I thought they looked like angels of my childhood.