No. 279 Squadron RAF

No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.

No. 279 Squadron RAF
One of No. 279 Squadron's Avro Lancasters carrying a lifeboat in December 1945
Active16 Nov 1941 – 10 Mar 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleAir-sea rescue
Motto(s)To See and be Seen[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryAbove waves of the sea, nine flashes of lightning[1]
Squadron codesOS (Nov 1941 - Nov 1944)[2][3]
RL (Nov 1944 - Mar 1946)[4][5]

History

No 279 Squadron was formed at RAF Bircham Newton on 16 November 1941. It was originally equipped with Lockheed Hudson fitted, from 1943, to carry Mark I airborne lifeboats.[6] Detachments of the squadron were stationed at several RAF stations in the south-west of England between April 1942 and December 1943 to provide an air-sea rescue capability over the Bay of Biscay and Western Approaches.[7]

In October 1944 No 279 Squadron was transferred to RAF Thornaby and re-equipped with Vickers Warwick aircraft. The squadron subsequently deployed detachments to RAF airfields in the north of Scotland to provide support to patrol and strike squadrons. Following the end of the war the Warwicks were replaced with Avro Lancasters in September 1945. These were flown until the squadron was disbanded on 10 March 1946 at RAF Beccles by being renumbered to No. 38 Squadron. A detachment had left in January 1946 for Pegu in Burma and upon arrival there around March was designated 1348 Air Sea Rescue Flight.[7][8]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 279 Squadron RAF, data from[1][9][10]
FromToAircraftVersion
November 1941November 1944Lockheed HudsonMks. III, V, VI
November 1944September 1945Vickers WarwickASR Mks.I, VI
April 1945June 1945Hawker HurricaneMks.IIc, IV
July 1945September 1945Supermarine Sea OtterMk.II
September 1945March 1946Avro LancasterASR.3

Squadron locations
Airfields used by No 279 Squadron RAF, data from[1][9][11]
FromToAirfieldRemark
16 November 194114 October 1944RAF Bircham NewtonPosted
28 April 194229 May 1942RAF SumburghDetachment
29 June 19421942RAF BenbeculaDetachment
15 July 19421942RAF LeucharsDetachment
26 July 194215 August 1942RAF Reykjavik, IcelandDetachment
14 August 194215 August 1942RAF Thorney IslandDetachment
15 August 194219 August 1942RAF ChivenorDetachment
23 August 19425 February 1943RAF St EvalDetachment
25 September 19421942RAF BeaulieuDetachment
5 February 19439 June 1943RAF Davidstow MoorDetachment
9 June 194314 December 1943RAF HarrowbeerDetachment
28 September 19431945RAF WickDetachment
1 January 19441 August 1944RAF Reykjavik, IcelandDetachment
1 October 1944September 1945RAF TainDetachment
1 October 1944September 1945RAF WickDetachment
14 October 19443 September 1945RAF ThornabyPosted
31 October 194427 December 1944RAF BanffDetachment
27 December 1944September 1945RAF FraserburghDetachment
26 May 1945September 1945RAF Reykjavik, IcelandDetachment
July 1945September 1945RAF BanffDetachment
3 September 194510 March 1946RAF BecclesPosted

References
Notes
  1. Halley 1988, p. 345.
  2. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 80.
  3. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 96.
  4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 90.
  5. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 104.
  6. http://www.rafbnmp.org.uk/airsearescue.htm
  7. "History of No. 279 Squadron". Royal Air Force History. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  8. Docherty 2007, p. 207.
  9. Rawlings 1982, p. 251.
  10. Docherty 2007, pp. 210–217.
  11. Docherty 2007, p. 209.
Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Docherty, Tom (2007). Dinghy Drop : 279 Squadron at War 1941–1946. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England: Pen & Sword Aviation. ISBN 1-84415-482-3.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Lake, Alan. Flying Units of the RAF: The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • 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.
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