No. 52 Squadron RAF
No. 52 Squadron RAF | |
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Active | 15 May 1916 ( Latin: Sudore quam sanguine ("By sweat and blood")[1] |
Battle honours | World War I • Western Front 1916–1918 • Ypres, 1917 • Messines, 1917 World War II • Mediterranean, 1943 • Sicily, 1943 • Pacific 1944-45 • Burma, 1945[2] |
Insignia | |
Squadron badge heraldry | A lion rampant guardant holding in the forepaws a flash of lightning. The personnel of this squadron were originally recruited from the district of Hounslow, Heston and Isleworth, so the lion has been introduced which appears in the arms of Heston and Isleworth and in those which were used by Hounslow Abbey. The flash of lightning refers to the marking used by this squadron during the First World War. |
Squadron codes | MB Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 ZE Sep 1939 - Apr 1940 |
No. 52 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in both World War I and World War II.
History
First World War
No. 52 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed as a Corps Reconnaissance squadron at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 15 May 1916. It moved to France in November that year, being the first squadron equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8.[3] At first the squadron had little success with its R.E.8s, suffering many spinning accidents, and these losses affected morale so much that in January 1917 the squadron swapped its R.E.8s for the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s of 34 Squadron.[4] It re-equipped again with R.E.8s in May, flying in support of the allied offensives at Ypres that summer. In March 1918 it suffered heavy losses flying ground attack sorties against the German Spring Offensive. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force when the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918, continuing in the Corps Reconnaissance role, for the rest of the war. It returned to the United Kingdom in February 1919, disbanding at Lopcombe Corner on 23 October 1919.[3][5]
Reformation
No 52 Squadron reformed at
The squadron reformed on 1 July 1941 at
External image | |
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A pre-war Fairey Battle of the squadron at RAF Upwood, Cambs. Photo possibly taken in 1937. |
No. 52 became a flying squadron again in October 1942, when it received Bristol Blenheims, which were used for survey work over Iraq. Its Blenheims were supplemented with Martin Baltimores in January 1943. It moved to Egypt in February 1943, when it discarded its Blenheims to become a solely Baltimore equipped squadron. 24 Squadron moved to Tunisia in June 1943, where it became operational, flying maritime reconnaissance and Air-Sea-Rescue searches. The squadron moved to Italy in November that year, with detachments at Malta, and then moved again to Gibraltar in February 1944, disbanding on 31 March 1944,[7] having operated within RAF Coastal Command from 20 February 1944.[8]
Transport squadron
On 1 July 1944,
The Squadron received a number of
The squadron moved to Mingladon in Burma in October 1946, but transferred to Singapore in July 1947 following a coup.[2][9] From here it was soon involved in 'Operation Firedog'. Dakotas were replaced by Valettas in 1951 and based at RAAF Butterworth these continued to be used on a regular passenger run between Singapore and Butterworth until unreliability forced cessation of passenger carrying. The squadron continued to operate, notably from Kuching dropping supplies to the jungle troops, mainly Gurkhas, fighting the Indonesian troops in the confrontation war until disbanded on 25 April 1966. The squadron reformed, for the final time so far, on 1 December 1966 at Seletar. It was still employed on general transport duties but was now equipped with Andover aircraft, which it used until disbanding on 31 December 1969.
Tasks were found for the squadron with regular flights to
In 1968, the squadron was relocated to
References
- ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ a b "No 51 - 55 Squadron Histories" Archived 23 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ^ a b c Rawlings 1982, p. 71.
- ^ Bruce 1982, p. 460.
- ^ a b c d e f Halley 1980, p. 87.
- ^ "RAF History: Bomber Command 60th Anniversary: No. 52 Squadron". Royal Air Force, 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ^ a b c Rawlings 1982, pp. 71–72.
- ^ Ashworth 1992, p. 235.
- ^ a b Rawlings 1982, p. 72.
- ^ Flight 14 January 1946, p. 169.
- Ashworth, C. (1992). RAF Coastal Command 1936-1969. ISBN 1-85260-345-3.
- Bruce, J. M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing). London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1980. ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
- "Hump Finale". Flight, 14 February 1946, p. 169.
- Rawlings, John D. R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London:Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
- Royal Air Force History - No. 52 Squadron