No. 1452 Flight RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 1452 Flight was formed at RAF West Malling
on 22 May 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they co-operated at first with the Boulton Paul Defiant
s of 264 Squadron
and later with the Hawker Hurricane
s of 32 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 531 Squadron
on 8 September 1942 (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons) but officially disbanded as late as 22 January 1943.
531 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
RAF West Malling
RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England.Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling...
on 22 May 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Turbinlite
The Helmore/GEC Turbinlite was a 2,700 million candela searchlight fitted in the nose of a number of British Douglas Havoc night fighters during the early part of the Second World War and around the time of The Blitz....
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they co-operated at first with the Boulton Paul Defiant
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
s of 264 Squadron
No. 264 Squadron RAF
No. 264 Squadron RAF also known as No 264 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed from two former Royal Naval Air Service flights, No. 439 and No. 440, on 27 September 1918 at Souda Bay, Crete to perform anti-submarine patrols. It operated the Short 184 floatplanes on patrols in the...
and later with the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s of 32 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 531 Squadron
No. 531 Squadron RAF
No. 531 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 531 Squadron was formed at RAF West Malling, Kent on 8 September 1942, from No. 1452 Flight, as part of No. 11 Group RAF in Fighter Command...
on 8 September 1942 (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons) but officially disbanded as late as 22 January 1943.
531 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I (Turbinlite) |
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I |
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.II (Turbinlite) |
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.II |
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.II (Turbinlite) |
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.III (Turbinlite) |
Flight bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 7 July 1941 | 8 September 1942 | RAF West Malling RAF West Malling RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England.Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7 July 1941 | April 1942 | S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... J.E. Marschall, DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| April 1942 | 8 September 1942 | S/Ldr. G.R. Turner |