No. 257 Squadron RAF
No. 257 (Burma) Squadron RAF | |
---|---|
Active | 18 August 1918 - 30 June 1919 17 May 1940 - 5 March 1945 1 September 1946 - 31 March 1957 1 July 1960 – 31 December 1963 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Nickname(s) | Burma |
Motto(s) | Burmese: Thay myay gyee shin shwe hti ("Death or glory") |
post 1950 aircraft insignia | ![]() |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Robert Stanford Tuck |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge | A Chinthe sejant[1] |
Squadron Codes | ML (May 1940 - Jun 1940) DT (Jun 1940 - May 1941) FM (May 1941 - Mar 1945) A6 (Sep 1946 - 1951) |
No. 257 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the
History
In World War I
No. 257 Squadron was formed at Dundee on 18 August 1918[1] from Nos. 318 and 319 Flights. It flew both seaplanes and flying boats on anti-submarine patrols from Dundee until the end of the First World War and disbanded there on 30 June 1919.[2]
In World War II
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Robert_Stanford_Tuck.jpg/170px-Robert_Stanford_Tuck.jpg)
The squadron was re-formed on 17 May 1940 at
During the Second World War the squadron was the Burma gift squadron; the chinthe (a lion) in its logo is a Burmese effigy.[3]
Post War
On 1 September 1946 the squadron was re-formed at RAF Church Fenton[4] as a fighter squadron, flying Gloster Meteors until January 1955. It then converted to Hawker Hunters. On 31 March 1957 the squadron was disbanded for the third time.[2]
On 28 June 1949, two Meteors from the squadron - operating out of RAF Finningley to participate in a nine-day NATO operation called 'Exercise Foil', designed to test Britain's air defences - collided. Both pilots ejected. One was Flying officer A H Turner; the second Warrant Officer Levene. One aircraft crashed at Hatfield Moor, Lindholme, near Doncaster, and the second on a country estate near Retford called Serlby Park. A third Meteor, flown by F/O Hawes, also force-landed at Finningley due to undercarriage failure returning from the same mission to intercept 'enemy' USAF Boeing B-29 Superfortresses over the North Sea. There were no ground casualties.
On Bloodhounds
The squadron re-emerged on 1 July 1960 at
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1981-1988. 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, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- 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.
- Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- Robinson, Anthony. RAF Squadrons in the Battle of Britain. London: Arms and Armour Press Ltd., 1987 (republished 1999 by Brockhampton Press, ISBN 1-86019-907-0.).
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)