RAF West Malling over the Channel. The three surviving aircraft were rescued only when the fight was joined by Hurricanes from No. 111 Squadron. The remainder of the unit returned north to RAF Prestwick on 25 July due to the ineffectiveness of the Defiant against single-seat fighters. No. 29 Squadron flying Bristol Beaufighters arrived for its first tour of duty on 27 April 1941. One of the Squadron's pilots, Guy Gibson VC, later officer commanding 617 Squadron on the Dambusters Raid, said of the station "Of all the airfields in Great Britain ... we have the most pleasant". A regular and long-standing inhabitant,
RAF Krendi in the Mediterranean. In February 1942, RAF Krendi appears to be acting as a decoy site for RAF Luqa. Although a shortage of materials, labour and transport delayed its development, in December 1942 one runway at Krendi came into use, and after this progress became more rapid. Weblog entries from RAF veterans based at RAF Krendi quote the following RAF fighter squadrons as being based at the airfield: No more Spifires or other RAF fighters were based at RAF Krendi after Autumn 1943. After the war, Krendi was one of a number of military facilities retained on Malta by the