Portsmouth-born Edward Rowland Thorn joined 264 Squadron at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, in October 1939 when he teamed up with Leading Aircraftman Fred Barker. The unit was the first to be equipped with the Boulton Paul Defiant, a single-engined fighter fitted with a rear-facing gun turret in which was mounted four 0.303 machine-guns but no forward-firing fixed weapons. No.264 had the responsibility of developing tactics for the new type and after much flying and tactical training masterminded by the CO, Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter, the squadron was declared operational at the end of April. With the German invasion of the Low Countries, the unit moved to Duxford.
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机译：朴茨茅斯出生的爱德华·罗兰·索恩（Edward Rowland Thorn）于1939年10月加入萨福克郡Martlesham Heath的264中队，当时他与领航员Fred Barker合作。该部队是第一个装备Boulton Paul Defiant的部队，Boulton Paul Defiant是单引擎战斗机，配备向后的炮塔，在其中装有四把0.303机枪，但没有前向固定武器。 No.264负责为这种新型飞机制定战术，并且在空军司令Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter策划了大量的飞行和战术训练之后，该中队于4月底宣布投入使用。随着德国入侵低地国家，该部队迁至达克斯福德。
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