No. 132 Squadron RAF

No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.

No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron RAF
Active1 Mar 1918 – 23 Dec 1918
7 Jul 1941 – 15 April 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Motto(s)Latin: Cave leopardum
("Beware the leopard")[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA leopard rampant.
Squadron CodesFF (Jul 1941 – Apr 1946)

History

Formation and World War I

No. 132 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force a month later, but it disbanded on 23 December 1918 without becoming operational.

Reformation in World War II

The squadron reformed in 1941 as a fighter unit equipped with Spitfires and then provided air defence from Peterhead, Scotland, and Southern England. It then moved to Normandy after the D-Day landings. It returned to England in September 1944 before moving to Vavuniya, Ceylon, in January 1945. It was then based in Hong Kong, and was disbanded on 15 April 1946.

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No. 132 Squadron RAF[2]
FromToAircraftVariant
Jul 1941Nov 1941Supermarine SpitfireI
Sep 1941Apr 1942Supermarine SpitfireIIB
Mar 1942Jun 1943Supermarine SpitfireVB
May 1943Jun 1943Supermarine SpitfireVC
Jun 1943Oct 1943Supermarine SpitfireVB
Sep 1943Jan 1944Supermarine SpitfireIXB
Jan 1944Mar 1944Supermarine SpitfireVB
Jan 1944Mar 1944Supermarine SpitfireVI
Mar 1944Jul 1944Supermarine SpitfireIXB
Jun 1944Sep 1944Supermarine SpitfireIXE
Sep 1944Nov 1944Supermarine SpitfireIXB
Jan 1945May 1945Supermarine SpitfireVIII
May 1945Apr 1946Supermarine SpitfireXIV

References
  1. Pine, L G (1983). A dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 31. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
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