No. 154 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 154 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron formed as a fighter unit in World War II
.
as a fighter squadron equipped with Spitfire IIAs
. It was briefly located in the south west of England then based at RAF Hornchurch
. In November 1942 it moved to Gibraltar
and Algeria
to take part in Operation Torch
. On 4 June 1943 it arrived in Malta
, it then operated from Palestine
and Cyprus
.
From 23 August 1944 it was based at Frejus
, France
providing air cover for the forces that moved north to join those that had landed at Normandy
. It was disbanded in Naples
on 1 November 1944 but reformed on 16 November 1944 at RAF Biggin Hill to escort bombers and flew Mustangs
until it was finally disbanded on 31 March 1945.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron formed as a fighter unit in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation and World War I
No. 154 Squadron Royal Air Force was formed on 7 August 1918 but was disbanded on 11 September having not received any aircraft.Reformation in World War II
The squadron reformed in November 1941 at RAF FowlmereRAF Fowlmere
RAF Fowlmere is a former airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield is located six miles SW of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire.-RAF use:Flying at Fowlmere originated in 1918 when the airfield was used by Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Service Aero Squadrons...
as a fighter squadron equipped with Spitfire IIAs
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. It was briefly located in the south west of England then based at RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
. In November 1942 it moved to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
to take part in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. On 4 June 1943 it arrived in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, it then operated from Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
From 23 August 1944 it was based at Frejus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
providing air cover for the forces that moved north to join those that had landed at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. It was disbanded in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 1 November 1944 but reformed on 16 November 1944 at RAF Biggin Hill to escort bombers and flew Mustangs
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
until it was finally disbanded on 31 March 1945.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1941 | Apr 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
IIA |
| Jan 1942 | Apr 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | IIB |
| Feb 1942 | Apr 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | VA |
| Feb 1942 | Aug 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB |
| Nov 1942 | Feb 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VC |
| Jul 1943 | Oct 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX |
| Aug 1944 | Oct 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VIII |
| Nov 1944 | Feb 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | VII |
| Feb 1945 | Mar 1945 | P-51 Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
IV |