No. 500 Squadron RAF
No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron RAuxAF | |
---|---|
Active | 16 Mar 1931 – 11 Jul 1944 1 Aug 1944 – 23 Oct 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957 |
Country | |
Squadron Codes | SQ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[8][9] MK (Sep 1939 – Apr 1944)[10][11] RAA (May 1946 – 1950)[12][13] S7 (1950–1951)[14][15] |
Post-1950 squadron roundel |
No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron AAF was a
.During the Second World War, the squadron served in both
Following the war, the squadron was disbanded in October 1945. In May 1946, it was re-formed as an auxiliary squadron within
History
Formation and early years
The Squadron was formed at RAF Manston on 16 March 1931 as the first[16] Special Reserve night-bomber squadron with Vickers Virginia Mk.X aircraft. On 25 May 1936 the role changed to day-bombing and the squadron became part of the Auxiliary Air Force, flying Hawker Harts, later replaced with Hawker Hinds.[2][4]
To Coastal Command
On 7 November 1938 the squadron saw another role change as it was transferred to
In April 1941 the Ansons were replaced with Bristol Blenheims which were deployed on anti-shipping and air-sea rescue duties, as well as night intruder operations over German-occupied Europe.[21] The squadron moved from Detling to RAF Bircham Newton in May that year and converted to Lockheed Hudsons in November 1941.[21][23] In March 1942, the squadron moved to RAF Stornoway in Scotland, with detachments at Limavady in Northern Ireland for anti-submarine patrols over the Western Approaches.[21] It moved again in at the end of August to RAF St Eval in Cornwall, but this was only a brief stopover before moving to Gibraltar on 5 November 1942 in preparation for the Allied invasion of French North-West Africa.[21][23]
Mediterranean operations
The Allied landings saw 500 Squadron being very heavily deployed to protect the invasion shipping, making many attacks against German submarines attempting to interfere with the landings.
The squadron's aircraft continued to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Mediterranean, sinking
Back in Bomber Command
The Squadron was reformed on 1 August 1944 at
To Fighter Command
The Squadron was reformed again on 10 May 1946 at RAF West Malling, equipped with Mosquito NF.19s and later NF.30s, as a night fighter squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Later, following an Air Ministry decision to convert all RAuxAF units to day fighter roles, the squadron became equipped with Meteor F.3s.[48] The squadron disbanded finally on 10 March 1957, along with all other flying squadrons of the RAuxAF.[4][49][50]
Notable squadron members
Aircraft operated
From | To | Aircraft | Version |
---|---|---|---|
March 1931 | January 1936 | Vickers Virginia | Mk.X |
January 1936 | May 1937 | Hawker Hart | |
February 1937 | March 1939 | Hawker Hind | |
March 1939 | April 1941 | Avro Anson | Mk.I. |
April 1941 | November 1941 | Bristol Blenheim | Mk.IV |
November 1941 | April 1944 | Lockheed Hudson | Mks.III, V. |
December 1943 | July 1944 | Lockheed Ventura | Mk.V |
September 1944 | February 1945 | Martin Baltimore | Mk.IV |
September 1944 | October 1945 | Martin Baltimore | Mk.V |
February 1947 | August 1947 | de Havilland Mosquito | NF.19 |
April 1947 | October 1948 | de Havilland Mosquito | NF.30 |
May 1948 | October 1948 | Supermarine Spitfire | F.22 |
July 1948 | October 1951 | Gloster Meteor | F.3 |
July 1951 | February 1952 | Gloster Meteor | F.4 |
November 1951 | March 1957 | Gloster Meteor | F.8 |
Squadron bases
From | To | Base |
---|---|---|
16 March 1931 | 28 September 1938 | RAF Manston, Kent |
28 September 1938 | 30 July 1939 | RAF Detling, Kent |
30 July 1939 | 13 August 1939 | RAF Warmwell, Dorset |
13 August 1939 | 30 May 1941 | RAF Detling, Kent |
30 May 1941 | 2 April 1942 | RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk |
2 April 1942 | 31 August 1942 | Western Isles, Scotland
|
31 August 1942 | 5 November 1942 | RAF St Eval, Cornwall |
5 November 1942 | 11 November 1942 | RAF Gibraltar |
11 November 1942 | 19 November 1942 | RAF Tafaraoui, Algeria |
19 November 1942 | 3 May 1943 | RAF Blida, Algeria |
3 May 1943 | 6 January 1944 | RAF Tafaraoui, Algeria |
28 September 1943 | January 1944 | RAF Ghisonaccia Gare, Corsica |
6 January 1944 | 11 July 1944 | RAF La Senia, Algeria |
1 August 1944 | 24 August 1944 | RAF La Senia |
24 August 1944 | 14 September 1944 | en route to Italy |
14 September 1944 | 15 October 1944 | Pescara, Italy |
15 October 1944 | 9 December 1944 | Perugia, Italy |
9 December 1944 | 10 May 1945 | Cesenatico, Italy |
10 May 1945 | 28 September 1945 | RAF Eastleigh, Kenya
|
10 May 1946 | 10 March 1957 | RAF West Malling, Kent |
Commanding officers
From | To | Name |
---|---|---|
March 1931 | July 1931 | S/Ldr. S.R. Watkins, AFC
|
July 1931 | July 1933 | W/Cdr. L.F. Forbes, MC
|
July 1933 | May 1935 | W/Cdr. R. Halley, DFC, AFC |
May 1935 | April 1936 | S/Ldr. G.M. Lawson, MC |
April 1936 | October 1936 | F/Lt. W.G. Wooliams
|
October 1936 | October 1939 | S/Ldr. G.K. Hohler, Aux.AF |
October 1939 | June 1940 | S/Ldr. W. LeMay, Aux.AF |
June 1940 | March 1941 | W/Cdr. G.H. Turner |
March 1941 | July 1941 | W/Cdr. M.Q. Candler |
July 1941 | April 1942 | W/Cdr. G.T. Gilbert |
April 1942 | April 1943 | W/Cdr. D.F. Spotswood, DSO, DFC |
April 1943 | April 1944 | W/Cdr. D.G. Keddie |
April 1944 | June 1944 | W/Cdr. C.K. Bonner |
June 1944 | July 1944 | W/Cdr. C.E.A. Garton |
July 1944 | August 1945 | W/Cdr. H.N. Garbett |
August 1945 | October 1945 | W/Cdr. Matson |
August 1946 | February 1949 | S/Ldr. P. Green, OBE, AFC, R.Aux.AF |
February 1949 | March 1952 | S/Ldr. M.C. Kennard, DFC, R.Aux.AF |
March 1952 | August 1954 | S/Ldr. D. de Villiers, R.Aux.AF |
August 1954 | October 1954 | S/Ldr. D.M. Clause |
October 1954 | March 1957 | S/Ldr. D.H.M. Chandler |
See also
References
Notes
- Spanish Morocco.[27]
- ^ Hunt 1972, p. 327.
- ^ a b c d e f Moyes 1976, p. 262.
- ^ a b c d Rawlings 1982, p. 225
- ^ a b c d Halley 1988, p. 388.
- ^ a b Brooks 1982, p. 156
- ^ Hunt 1972, p. 314.
- ^ Brooks 1982, p. 138
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 51
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 72
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 90.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 184.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 95.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 156.
- ^ Hunt 1972, p. 313.
- ^ Rawlings 1982, pp. 225–226
- ^ Brooks 2019, pp. 49–50
- ^ Brooks 2019, pp. 50–51
- ^ Brooks 2019, pp. 51–52
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rawlings 1982, p. 226
- ^ Brooks 2019, p. 226
- ^ a b c Halley 1980, p. 302
- ^ R.Brooks 'Kent's Own' / Squadron Records / Logbook F.Bennett, 500 Squadron
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, pp. 65–66
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, pp. 98, 100
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 98
- ^ Blair 2000, p. 99
- ^ Blair 2000, p. 100
- ^ Blair 2000, p. 113
- ^ a b Blair 2000, p. 101
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-259 from 5 Nov 1942 to 15 Nov 1942". uboat.net. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 117
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 121
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, pp. 204–205
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 220
- ^ Blair 2000, p. 213
- ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 532
- ^ Shores et al. 2018, p. 54
- ^ Shores et al. 2018, p. 59
- ^ J.Pullen and C. Chapple 'RAF 100 Cookbook' / Squadron Records / Logbook F.Bennett, 500 Squadron
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 277
- ^ Blair 2000, pp. 525–526
- ^ Halley 1988, pp. 388, 549
- ^ Halley 1988, pp. 318, 388.
- ^ Brooks 1982, p. 136.
- ^ Brooks 1982, pp. 46–47, 68–69.
- ^ Bowyer 1984, p. 113.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. (2016). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 96.
- ^ Moyes 1976, pp. 262–263
- ^ a b Brooks 1982, p. 157
- ^ a b Jefford 2001, pp. 95–96
- ^ Rawlings 1976, pp. 454–455
- ^ Rawlings 1976, p. 454.
- ^ Brooks 1982, p. 155.
Bibliography
- Blair, Clay (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
- Bowyer, Chaz (1984). Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1425-6.
- Bowyer, Michael J. F.; Rawlings, John D. R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Brooks, Robin (January 2019). "Annie Get Your Gun". ISSN 0143-7240.
- Brooks, Robin J. (1982). Kent's Own: The History of 500 (County of Kent) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Rainham, Kent, UK: Meresborough Books. ISBN 0-905270-54-1.
- Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes Since 1938. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Halley, James J. (1980). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
- 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.
- Hunt, Leslie (1972). Twenty-one Squadrons: History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–57. London: Garnstone Press. ISBN 0-85511-110-0.
- Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Moyes, Philip J. R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
- 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.
- Rawlings, John D. R. (1976). Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
- Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried (2016). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Three: Tunisia and the End in Africa: November 1942 – May 1943. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-910690-00-0.
- Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried; Thomas, Andy (2018). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Four: Sicily and Italy to the Fall of Rome: 14 May, 1943 – 5 June, 1944. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-911621-10-2.