No. 502 Squadron RAF

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No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF
Honorary Air Commodores
Lord Londonderry
Viscount Brookeborough
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA red hand erased[5]
The red hand is taken from the arms of Ulster, 502 being the Ulster Auxiliary Squadron. The hand is erased though, instead of couped.[1][2][3][4]
Squadron CodesKQ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[8][9]
YG (Sep 1939 – Feb 1943)[10][11]
V9 (Jun 1944 – May 1945, 1949–1953)[12][13]
RAC (May 1946–1949)[14][15]

No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II. It was reformed in September 2013, and is the oldest of all the reserve squadrons, being formed in 1925.

History

Formation and early years

No. 502 squadron was originally formed on 15 May 1925 as No. 502 (Bomber) Squadron,

Auxiliary Air Force,[17] the Special Reserve being disbanded.[7]

In Coastal Command

The crew of a Whitley Mk VII of 502 Squadron on an anti-submarine patrol, August 1942

On 28 November 1938, No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron became part of

U-206 in the Bay of Biscay. This report has been countered with newer information that the U-206 was more probably sunk by the minefield, "Beech," laid there by the British after August 1940,[18] and that the squadron's attack was actually on U-71, which escaped without loss.[19]

In January 1942 the squadron officially moved to both Norfolk (RAF Docking) and Cornwall, where a maintenance station was set up at RAF St Eval. Until 1944 the squadron's main role was to carry out anti-submarine patrols. In January 1943 conversion to Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk.II, a British four-engined heavy bomber, began, with the first patrol by this type being flown on 12 March. In addition to anti-submarine patrols, now also attacks on enemy shipping off the occupied French coast were made. In September 1944 with the French coast back in Allied hands, the squadron moved to Scotland, based at RAF Stornoway, to carry out attacks on German shipping off the Norwegian coast, remaining there until the end of the war. It was disbanded on 25 May 1945.[4]

Into the jet age

With the reactivation of the Auxiliary Air Force, No. 502 was reformed on 10 May 1946, again at RAF Aldergrove,[16] but now as a light bomber squadron, equipped with de Havilland Mosquito B.25 from July 1946. In December night fighter de Havilland Mosquitoe replaced the bomber variant, but in June 1948 the units of the by now Royal Auxiliary Air Force all converted to the day fighter role, 502 receiving Supermarine Spitfire F.22 fighter aircraft for the purpose. Jet conversion began in January 1951 with the arrival of de Havilland Vampire FB.5, which were supplemented by the FB.9 variant in July 1954. The squadron continued to fly both types until, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.[20][21]

Reformation at Aldergrove

It was confirmed in September 2013 that No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron has reformed at Aldergrove Flying Station. As a general Squadron its mission is to provide fully trained Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel, across a wide spectrum of roles, to support current and future worldwide commitments.[22][23] No. 502 is the oldest of the reserve squadrons, having been formed in 1925, and in 2019, a new standard was awarded to the squadron as the old standard had been awarded in 1939 and was worn out.[24]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][20][21]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1925 July 1928 Vickers Vimy
July 1928 February 1932 Handley Page Hyderabad
December 1931 October 1935 Vickers Virginia Mk.X
October 1935 May 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.I
November 1935 May 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.II
April 1937 April 1939 Hawker Hind
January 1939 November 1940 Avro Anson Mk.I
August 1940 November 1940 Blackburn Botha Mk.I
September 1940 February 1942 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V
November 1941 February 1943 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.VII
January 1943 March 1945 Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk.II Srs.IA
December 1944 May 1945 Handley Page Halifax GR.Mks.IIIA, VI
July 1946 December 1947 de Havilland Mosquito B.25
December 1947 June 1948 de Havilland Mosquito NF.30
June 1948 January 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22
January 1951 March 1951 de Havilland Vampire F.3
March 1951 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.5
July 1954 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 502 Squadron[4][20][21][25]
From To Base Remark
27 January 1925 27 January 1941
RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim
 Detachment at
RAF Hooton Park
, Cheshire
27 January 1941 12 January 1942 RAF Limavady, County Londonderry Detachments at
RAF Chivenor,
Devon; RAF St Eval, Cornwall and RAF Reykjavik
, Iceland
12 February 1942 22 February 1942 RAF Docking, Norfolk Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
22 February 1942 2 March 1943 RAF St Eval, Cornwall
2 March 1943 25 March 1943
RAF Holmesley South
, Hampshire		 Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
25 March 1943 30 June 1943 RAF St Eval, Cornwall
30 June 1943 10 December 1943 RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
10 December 1943 11 September 1944 RAF St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales
11 September 1944 25 May 1945
Western Isles
, Scotland		 Detachment at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland
17 July 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][26]
From To Name
May 1925 November 1926
R.D. Oxland
W/Cdr. A.C. Wright, AFC
S/Ldr. C.L. King, MC, DFC
W/Cdr. F.P. Don
March 1932 W/Cdr. R.T. Leather, AFC
March 1932 1934 W/Cdr. L.T.N. Gould, MC
1934 W/Cdr. J.C. Russell, DSO
November 1937 S/Ldr. G.V. Tyrell, MC
November 1937 December 1940 W/Cdr. L.R. Briggs
December 1940 November 1941 W/Cdr. T.C. Cooper
November 1941 September 1942 W/Cdr. F.C. Richardson
September 1942 August 1943 W/Cdr. J.C. Halley, DSO
August 1943 May 1944 W/Cdr. N.M. Bayliss
May 1944 October 1944 W/Cdr. C.A. Maton, DSO, SAAF
October 1944 November 1944 W/Cdr. K.B. Corbould, DFC
November 1944 May 1945 W/Cdr. H.H.C. Holderness, DFC, AFC, DSO
July 1946 S/Ldr. W.H. McGiffin
S/Ldr. D.F.B. Sheen, DFC &
RAAF
1956 S/Ldr. N.G. Townsend, DFC
1956 March 1957 S/Ldr. J.H. Pearce

Notable personnel

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Hunt 1972, p. 396.
  2. ^ a b Moyes 1964, p. 264
  3. ^ a b Rawlings 1969, p. 458.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rawlings 1982, p. 227.
  5. ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 390.
  6. ^ Hunt 1972, p. 394.
  7. ^ a b Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  8. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  9. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 50.
  10. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 117.
  11. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 121.
  12. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 107.
  13. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, pp. 114, 158.
  14. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  15. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 184.
  16. ^ a b c Moyes 1964, p. 265
  17. ^ Hunt 1972, p. 382.
  18. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-206". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  19. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-71". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  20. ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 391.
  21. ^ a b c Jefford 1998, p. 96.
  22. ^ "502 (Ulster) Reserves". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  23. ^ "RAF Reserves come back to Aldergrove". Antrim Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  24. ISSN 0035-8614
    .
  25. ^ McNeill, Ross (August 1999). "No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF". RAF Commands. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  26. ^ Hunt 1972, pp. 379–396.

Bibliography

External links

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