No. 242 Squadron RAF

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No. 242 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.

The squadron motto was Toujors Pret.

[edit] History

No. 242 Squadron was formed on 15th August 1918 from the numbers 408, 409 and 514 Seaplane Flights at Newhaven Seaplane Base, and continued using the Short 184 from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs on anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of the First World War.

The squadron was reformed at RAF Church Fenton on 30 October 1939 with Canadian personnel. At first using the Bristol Blenheim and Fairey Battle it converted to the Hawker Hurricane in February 1940. In May 1940 it moved to RAF Biggin Hill and went into action over France. In June it moved to RAF Coltishall and then RAF Duxford as part of No. 12 Group RAF and was involved in the Battle of Britain. In 1941 it started offensive sweeps and bomber escorts and convey patrols. In December 1941 the sqaudron moved to Singapore arriving in January 1942. The situation was desperate and it had to move to Java where the squadron collapsed through lack of spares.

On 10 April 1942 the squadron re-formed at RAF Turnhouse, Scotland with the Supermarine Spitfire and was involved in coastal patrols. In October it was deployed to North Africa defending Algiers. It fought into Tunisia then moved on to Malta and was involved in the Scillian invasion and the Salerno beach-head operations. In 1944 it was moved to Syria for a rest period before moving to Corsica where it was part of the invasion of southern France and attacks on northern Italy. The squadron was disbanded in Italy on 4 November 1944.

The squadron reformed again on the 15 November 1944 at RAF Stoney Cross as a transport squadron flying the Vickers Wellington then the Short Stirling. By 1946 it had become an operator of the Avro York running scheduled freight services into India and to the Azores. In 1948 it became involved in the Berlin Air Lift operating from Wunstorf. After the air lift it returned to England and requipped with Handley Page Hastings. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Lyneham on 1 May 1950.

On the 1 October 1959 it was reformed at RAF Marham as a surface-to-air missile unit with the Bristol Bloodhound. It was tasked to protect the V-bomber bases until disbanded on 30 September 1964.

[edit] Aircraft operated

[edit] References

  • G G Jefford, RAF Squadrons, second edition 2001, Airlife Publishing, UK, ISBN 1-84037-141-2.