No. 79 Squadron RAF
No. 79 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.
History
World War I
It was first formed at
John McNeaney, and Edgar Taylor.[3]
After the end of the war, it formed part of the
British Army of Occupation, before being disbanded at Bickendorf on 15 July 1919.[2]
Post World War I through 1942
It was reformed on 22 March 1937 by splitting off "B" Flight of
Second World War began. It claimed its first success on 21 November 1939, when it shot down a Dornier Do 17 over the English Channel. As the Battle of France intensified, it was deployed to Merville, operating over France for ten days, claiming 25 German aircraft.[2] During the Battle of Britain the squadron operated from Biggin Hill and RAF Hawkinge in July, being moved to RAF Acklington in Northumberland for a rest before returning to Biggin in August.[2]
Far Eastern service
In 1942, it was sent to the
Burma on 30 December 1945.[4]
Korean War era onwards
The squadron was reformed again on 15 November 1951 as a fighter-reconnaissance squadron, flying
RAF Wunstorf. It was renumbered as 4 Squadron on 1 January 1961.[4]
Operational training role from 1967 onwards
No. 79 Squadron was reformed as part of No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit at
Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1 and BAC Jet Provost T4 until finally disbanded at RAF Brawdy on 31 August 1992.[5]
See also
- Jimmy Davies, first American-born airman killed in combat in World War II.
References
- ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ a b c d Rawlings 1960, p. 425.
- ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, pp. 39, 62
- ^ a b c "Royal Air Force History: History of No. 79 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ Air of Authority: No 76 - 80 Squadron Histories Archived 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 23 March 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- Rawlings, J. D. R. (December 1960). "Squadron Histories:79 Squadron". Air Pictorial. Vol. 22, no. 12. pp. 425–426.
- Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
- Royal Air Force website: History of No. 79 Squadron
- Air of Authority: No 76 – 80 Squadron Histories
External links
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