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Book Launch of 'Northern Ireland's First Fighter Squadron'
On Wednesday 9 September 2026, the Northern Ireland War Memorial hosted the book launch of Northern Ireland’s First Fighter Squadron: No. 245 (Northern Rhodesia) Squadron, a Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM) publication by Guy Warner.
Principal guests included the Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast, Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE DStJ; High Sheriff of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey; Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Belfast, Mr Grzegorz Sala; and Honorary Air Commodore Alistair Finlay OBE representing the Royal Air Force. The book tells the story of No. 245 Squadron’s time flying Hawker Hurricanes from RAF Aldergrove, and subsequently, RAF Ballyhalbert between July 1940 and August 1941. It played an important role flying on convoy escort duties during the Battle of the Atlantic and acted as an Operational Training Unit for Polish, Czech, Free French and Norwegian pilots, several of whose biographies are featured in the book.
The squadron served as the only air defence unit based in Northern Ireland during the Belfast Blitz, with Squadron Leader John Simpson DFC managing to shoot down two enemy aircraft during the air raids. In May 1941 two squadron pilots were also involved in attempting to intercept the mysterious solo flight from Germany to Scotland of Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s Deputy Führer.
Northern Ireland’s First Fighter Squadron is available to purchase from the Northern Ireland War Memorial for £8.
About the author:
Guy Warner is a retired schoolteacher and former civil servant from Northern Ireland. He was educated at Abbots Cross Primary School, Belfast High School, the University of Leicester, the Civil Service College and Stranmillis College, Belfast. He is the author of more than thirty books and booklets on aviation past and present and has written several hundred articles for magazines and journals in the UK, Ireland, France, the Azores and Canada. He also reviews books and has given more than 200 talks on aviation history over the past decade or more in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He is a former Vice Chairman of the Ulster Aviation Society and a member of the Council of the Northern Ireland War Memorial.
