No. 353 Squadron RAF

No. 353 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active during World War II carrying out maritime patrol and transport tasks.

No. 353 Squadron RAF
Active1 June 1942 – 1 October 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofNo. 221 Group RAF, Air Command, South East Asia[1]
No. 229 Group RAF, ACSEA[2]
Motto(s)Fear naught in unity[3][4]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA Bengal Tiger rampant[3][4]
Squadron CodesNo identity markings are known to have been carried[3]

History

No. 353 Squadron was formed on 1 June 1942 at Dum Dum, British India from 62 Squadron RAF and 103 (Coast Defence) Flight, Indian Air Force. The squadron was engaged in coastal patrols over the Bay of Bengal equipped with Lockheed Hudson aircraft. In August 1943 the squadron moved to Palam and was assigned to transport duties. From 1944 onwards the squadron re-equipped with Douglas Dakotas, and also operated a number of Avro Anson aircraft, which were replaced with Expeditors in January 1945. The squadron became fully Dakota equipped by April 1945, but disbanded at RAF Mauripur on 1 October 1946.

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no 353 Squadron RAF, data from[3][4][5]
FromToAircraftVersion
June 1942October 1944Lockheed HudsonMk.III
October 1944October 1944Lockheed HudsonMk.VI
April 1944September 1945Douglas DakotaMk.I
April 1944October 1946Douglas DakotaMks.III, IV
August 1944January 1945Avro AnsonMks.I, X, XII
November 1944March 1945Vickers WarwickMk.III
January 1945July 1945Beechcraft ExpeditorMk.II

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no 353 Squadron RAF, data from[3][4][5][6]
FromToBaseRemark
1 June 194224 February 1943RAF Dum Dum, BengalDet. at RAF Cuttack, Orissa
24 February 19432 April 1943RAF Dhubalia, BengalDet. at RAF Jessore, Bengal
2 April 194324 August 1943RAF Tanjore, Thanjavur, Tamil NaduDet. at St Thomas Mount, Madras, Tamil Nadu
24 August 19431 May 1946RAF Palam, DelhiDets. at Dum Dum (renumbered to 52 Squadron on 1 July 1944) and Jiwani, Balochistan
1 May 19461 October 1946RAF Mauripur, SindhDisbanded here

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 353 Squadron RAF, data from[3]
FromToName
1 June 19421 July 1944W/Cdr. L.G.W. Lilly
1 July 1944February 1945W/Cdr. C.E. Slee, MVO, AFC
February 1945March 1945S/Ldr. F.M. Biddulph
March 1945October 1945W/cdr. A.M. Harding, DFC
October 19451 October 1946W/Cdr. P.B. Wood

References

Notes
  1. Delve 1994, p. 68.
  2. Delve 1994, pp. 77, 84.
  3. Rawlings 1982, p. 203.
  4. Halley 1988, p. 383.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 90.
  6. Jefford 2001, pp. 266–271.

Bibliography
  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
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