No. 266 Squadron RAF

No. 266 Squadron RAF
No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF
Active 27 September 1918 - 1 September 1919
30 October 1939 - 31 July 1945
1 September 1946 - 11 February 1949
14 July 1952 - 16 November 1957
1 December 1959 - 30 June 1964.
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Allegiance Flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.svg Rhodesia
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Nickname Rhodesia
Motto Shona: Hlabezulu
("The stabber of the sky")
Insignia
Squadron Badge A bateleur eagle volant
Squadron Codes UO (Jan 1940 - Jul 1942)
ZH (Jul 1942 - Jul 1945)
FX (Sep 1946 - Feb 1949)
L (Jul 1952 - 1953)
A (1953 - 1955 )

No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.

Contents

History

World War I

The squadron was formed from No's 437 and 438 Flights at Mudros, Greece on 27 September 1918[1] to carry out anti-submarine patrols in that area, flying Short 184s and 320s along with Felixtowe F.3s[2]. In February 1919 it was transferred to the Caucasus on HMS Engadine. It operated from Petrovsk and from HMS Aladar Youssanoff and HMS Orlionoch. It was witdrawn on 27 Aust 1919 and disbanded on 1 September 1919 at Novorossisk.[3]

World War II

The squadron was reformed on 30 October 1939 at RAF Sutton Bridge as a fighter squadron. The squadron was one of the Rhodesian gift squadrons and was named 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron in honour of the gift. Originally it was equipped with the Fairey Battle light bomber, but soon after in January 1940 it received the Supermarine Spitfire and became a fighter squadron. It was in action over Dunkirk in early June and fought in the Battle of Britain. To rest the squadron it was moved north to RAF Wittering to carry out patrols over France.

In January 1942 the squadron moved to RAF Duxford and re-equipped with the Hawker Typhoon. The squadron changed role to fighter-bomber in support of the Normandy invasion and flew also armed reconnaissance missions in support of the invasion forces. The squadron moved along with the fighting forces and was disbanded at Hildesheim, Germany on 31 July 1945.

Into the jet age

The squadron re-formed at RAF Boxted on 1 September 1946 when 234 Squadron was renumbered. It was now a fighter squadron operating the Meteor F.3 twin-jet fighter. After a move to RAF Tangmere, Sussex two years later the squadron converted to Meteor F.4s. The squadron was disbanded when it was re-numbered to 43 Squadron on 11 February 1949.

On 14 July 1952 the squadron was reformed at Wunstorf, flying the de Havilland Vampire and later the de Havilland Venom in the ground attack role. The squadron moved on 16 October 1955 to RAF Fassberg, West-Germany for exactly one year before going back again to Wunstorf, where it was disbanded one year later on 16 November 1957.

On Bloodhound missiles

The last time the squadron reformed was on 1 December 1959 at Rattlesden to operate the Bristol Bloodhound anti-aircraft missile until it was finally disbanded on 30 June 1964.

Aircraft and missiles operated

From To Aircraft Version
Aug 1918 Sep 1919 Short 184
Aug 1918 Sep 1919 Short 320
Aug 1918 Sep 1919 Felixstowe F.3
Dec 1939 Apr 1940 Fairey Battle Mk.I
Jan 1940 Sep 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
Sep 1940 Oct 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa
Oct 1940 Apr 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
Mar 1941 Sep 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa
Sep 1941 May 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb
Jan 1942 Jul 1945 Hawker Typhoon Ia, Ib
Sep 1946 Apr 1948 Gloster Meteor F.3
Feb 1948 Feb 1949 Gloster Meteor F.4
Jul 1952 Jun 1954 de Havilland Vampire FB.5, FB.9
Apr 1953 Sep 1955 de Havilland Venom FB.3
Jul 1955 Nov 1957 de Havilland Venom FB.4
Dec 1959 Jun 1964 Bristol Bloodhound I

[1][3]

In fiction

266 Squadron RFC is the squadron in which Captain James Bigglesworth serves in the Biggles stories that are set in the First World War.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 333.
  2. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 187.
  3. ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 83.

Bibliography

  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-88. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE,BA,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • No. 234 Squadron RAF — No. 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF Active 20 Aug 1918 15 May 1919 30 Oct 1939 1 Sep 1946 1 Aug 1952 15 Jul 1957 22 Oct 1958 31 Aug 1992 1 Sep 1992 1 Apr 1994 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 43 Squadron RAF — Official badge of No. 43 Squadron RAF Active 15 April 1916 31 December 1919 1 July 1925 16 May 1947 1 February 1949 7 November 1967 1 September 1969 13 July 2009 …   Wikipedia

  • No. 504 Squadron RAF — No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron RAF Active 26 Mar 1928 10 Aug 1945 10 May 1946 10 Mar 1957 1 Oct 1999 present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 206 Squadron RAF — Active 31 Dec 1916(RNAS) 27 Aug 1917 1 Nov 1917 31 Mar 1918 1 Apr 1918(RAF) 1 Feb 1920 15 Jun 1936 25 Apr 1946 17 Nov 1947 31 Aug 1949 1 Dec 1949 20 Feb 1950 27 Sep 1952 1 Apr 2005 1 Apr 2009 Present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 205 Squadron RAF — Active 2 Aug 1915 (RNAS) – Oct 1915 31 Dec 1916 1 Apr 1918 1 Apr 1918 (RAF) 22 Jan 1920 15 Apr 1920 1 Apr 1923 8 Jan 1929 31 Mar 1942 23 Jul 1942 31 …   Wikipedia

  • No. 353 Squadron RAF — Active 1 June 1942 1 October 1946 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 669 Squadron RAF — Active 16 November 1944 – 31 December 1944 1 January 1945 10 November 1945 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 671 Squadron RAF — Active 1 January 1945 – 25 October 1945 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 503 Squadron RAF — No. 503 (City of Lincoln) Squadron RAF Active 5 October 1926 1 November 1938 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 668 Squadron RAF — Active 16 November 1944 – 10 November 1945 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”