No. 164 Squadron RAF

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No. 164 Squadron RAF
Active	6 April 1942
Role	Fighter Squadron
Motto	'"Firmes volamos" (Firmly we fly)
Equipment	Spitfire, Hurricane, Typhoon
Insignia
Identification symbol	In front of the rising sun a lion passant guardant

No. 164 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a fighter squadron during the Second World War.

1 Background
2 Service
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

No. 164 Squadron RAF was originally founded on 1 June 1918, but never received aircraft and was disbanded on 4 July 1918. The squadron was reformed at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on 6 April 1942, as a fighter squadron initially equipped with Spitfire Mk VAs, becoming operational in early May.

Around 600 Argentine volunteers, mostly of Anglo-Argentine descent, joined the British and Canadian Air Forces, many in the 164 Argentine-British RAF squadron, whose emblem featured an Argentine sun with a lion passant.^[1]

In January 1943 the squadron moved to South Wales to train as a ground-attack unit, where it was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Operations against enemy shipping and coastal targets began in June 1943.

After providing support for the landing forces from southern England, using Hawker Typhoons, the squadron moved to France in July 1944. During the Battle of Normandy, No.164 used its rockets against enemy armour in the battle area and after the breakout moved forward through northern France and Belgium in support of the 21st Army Group.

The squadron was renumbered No. 63 Squadron RAF on 31 August 1946.

[edit] Service

From	To	Aircraft
April 1942	September 1942	Supermarine Spitfire VA
September 1942	February 1943	Supermarine Spitfire VB
February 1943	May 1943	Hawker Hurricane IID
February 1943	February 1944	Hawker Hurricane IV
January 1944	May 1945	Hawker Typhoon IB
June 1945	July 1946	Supermarine Spitfire IX
July 1946	August 1946	Supermarine Spitfire LF XVIE