Group photograph of pilots of No. 501 Squadron, France, 1940

Pilots of No. 501 Squadron on airfield somewhere in Northern France in 1940. James 'Ginger' Lacey, who would go on to be the second-highest scoring RAF fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain, is part of the group.

No. 501 Squadron was one of the squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, part of the volunteer reserve part of the RAF. At the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the squadron was based at RAF Filton, near Bristol. When the German attack on France and the Low Countries brought an end to the 'Phoney War', the squadron became part of the Advanced Air Striking Force and moved to France where it saw extensive action, stationed at airfields as Bétheniville, Anglure, Le Mans and Dinard. After the retreat from France through Saint Helier, Jersey, its battle-hardened pilots were reorganised at RAF Croydon and then moved on to RAF Middle Wallop and later RAF Gravesend (now Gravesend Airport). It subsequently served at RAF Kenley, south London, commanded by Squadron Leader Harry Hogan, until 17 December 1940 by which time the squadron had claimed 149 enemy aircraft destroyed. Success came at a high cost; in addition to the heavy losses suffered in France, the squadron lost 19 pilots killed during the Battle of Britain, more than any other squadron.