No. 242 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader
commanded.
, and continued using the Short 184 from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs on anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of the First World War.
on 30 October 1939 with Canadian
personnel. At first using the Bristol Blenheim
and Fairey Battle
, it converted to the Hawker Hurricane
in February 1940.
was posted to command the Squadron as Squadron Leader
at the end of June 1940. It was mainly made up of Canadians who had suffered high losses in the Battle of France
and had low morale. Despite initial resistance to their new commanding officer, the pilots were soon won over by Bader's strong personality and perseverance, especially in cutting through red tape to make the squadron operational again. Upon the formation of No. 12 Group RAF
, No. 242 Squadron was assigned to the Group while based at RAF Duxford.
and then RAF Duxford as part of No. 12 Group RAF
and was involved in the Battle of Britain
. In 1941 it started offensive sweeps and bomber escorts and convoy patrols.
arriving at RAF Seletar on 13 January 1942. The situation was desperate and it had to move to Palembang
on Java
where the squadron collapsed through lack of spares and was dispersed by 10 March 1942.
with the Supermarine Spitfire
and was involved in coastal patrols. In October it was deployed to North Africa defending Algiers
. It fought into Tunisia then moved on to Malta and was involved in the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno beach-head operations. In 1944 it was moved to Syria for a rest period before moving to Corsica where it was part of the invasion of southern France and attacks on northern Italy. The squadron was disbanded in Italy on 4 November 1944.
as a transport squadron, training on the Vickers Wellington
then getting operational on the Short Stirling
. By 1946 it had become an operator of the Avro York
running scheduled freight services into India and to the Azores. In 1948 it became involved in the Berlin Air Lift operating from Wunstorf
. After the air lift it returned to England and requipped with Handley Page Hastings
. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Lyneham
on 1 May 1950.
as a surface-to-air missile unit with the Bristol Bloodhound. It was tasked to protect the V-bomber bases until disbanded on 30 September 1964.
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|To
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|Version
|-
| Aug 1918
| May 1919
| Short 184
|
|-
| Aug 1918
| Jan 1919
| Airco DH.6
|
|-
| Oct 1918
| Nov 1918
| Fairey Campania
|
|-
| Dec 1939
| Dec 1939
| Bristol Blenheim
| Mk.If
|-
| Dec 1939
| Feb 1940
| Fairey Battle
| Mk.I
|-
| Jan 1940
| Feb 1941
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mk.I
|-
| Feb 1941
| Feb 1942
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mk.IIb
|-
| Apr 1942
| Dec 1943
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.Vb
|-
| Jul 1943
| Feb 1944
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.Vc
|-
| Jun 1943
| Oct 1944
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.IX
|-
| Jan 1945
| Feb 1945
| Vickers Wellington
| Mk.XVI
|-
| Feb 1945
| Jan 1946
| Short Stirling
| Mk.V
|-
| Apr 1945
| Sep 1945
| Avro York
| C.1
|-
| Sep 1945
| Dec 1945
| Short Stirling
| Mk.IV
|-
| Dec 1945
| Sep 1949
| Avro York
| C.1
|-
| Sep 1949
| May 1950
| Handley Page Hastings
| C.1
|-
| Oct 1959
| Sep 1964
| Bristol Bloodhound
| Mk.I
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. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
commanded.
In World War I
No. 242 Squadron was formed on 15 August 1918 from the numbers 408, 409 and 514 Seaplane Flights at Newhaven Seaplane BaseNewhaven Seaplane Base
Newhaven Seaplane Base is today the derelict site of an experimental seaplane base at the head of the beach east of Newhaven Harbour, seaward of Tide Mills, East Sussex, England-History:...
, and continued using the Short 184 from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs on anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of the First World War.
In World War II
The squadron was reformed at RAF Church FentonRAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Plans for a new airfield adjacent to the village of Church Fenton were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable...
on 30 October 1939 with Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
personnel. At first using the Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
and Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
, it converted to 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...
in February 1940.
The Battle for France
In May 1940 it moved to RAF Biggin Hill and went into action over France. Douglas BaderDouglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
was posted to command the Squadron as Squadron Leader
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...
at the end of June 1940. It was mainly made up of Canadians who had suffered high losses in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and had low morale. Despite initial resistance to their new commanding officer, the pilots were soon won over by Bader's strong personality and perseverance, especially in cutting through red tape to make the squadron operational again. Upon the formation of No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
, No. 242 Squadron was assigned to the Group while based at RAF Duxford.
The Battle of Britain
In June 1940 it moved to RAF ColtishallRAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
and then RAF Duxford as part of No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
and was involved in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. In 1941 it started offensive sweeps and bomber escorts and convoy patrols.
Dispersed at Java
In December 1941 the squadron moved to the far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
arriving at RAF Seletar on 13 January 1942. The situation was desperate and it had to move to Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
on Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
where the squadron collapsed through lack of spares and was dispersed by 10 March 1942.
Reformed on Spitfires
On 10 April 1942 the squadron re-formed at RAF Turnhouse, ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with the 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...
and was involved in coastal patrols. In October it was deployed to North Africa defending Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. It fought into Tunisia then moved on to Malta and was involved in the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno beach-head operations. In 1944 it was moved to Syria for a rest period before moving to Corsica where it was part of the invasion of southern France and attacks on northern Italy. The squadron was disbanded in Italy on 4 November 1944.
In Transport Command
The squadron reformed again on the 15 November 1944 at RAF Stoney CrossRAF Stoney Cross
RAF Station Stoney Cross is a former World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton....
as a transport squadron, training on the Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
then getting operational on the Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
. By 1946 it had become an operator of the Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
running scheduled freight services into India and to the Azores. In 1948 it became involved in the Berlin Air Lift operating from Wunstorf
Wunstorf
Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf....
. After the air lift it returned to England and requipped with Handley Page Hastings
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force...
. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No...
on 1 May 1950.
On missiles
On the 1 October 1959 it was reformed at RAF MarhamRAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
as a surface-to-air missile unit with the Bristol Bloodhound. It was tasked to protect the V-bomber bases until disbanded on 30 September 1964.
Aircraft operated
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|From! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|To
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #B0C4DE;"|Version
|-
| Aug 1918
| May 1919
| Short 184
|
|-
| Aug 1918
| Jan 1919
| Airco DH.6
Airco DH.6
The Airco DH.6 was a British military trainer biplane used by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. Known by various nicknames, including the "Skyhook", the trainer became a widely used light civil aircraft in the postwar era....
|
|-
| Oct 1918
| Nov 1918
| Fairey Campania
Fairey Campania
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Taylor, H.A. Fairey Aircraft since 1915. London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-370-00065-x....
|
|-
| Dec 1939
| Dec 1939
| Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
| Mk.If
|-
| Dec 1939
| Feb 1940
| Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
| Mk.I
|-
| Jan 1940
| Feb 1941
| 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...
| Mk.I
|-
| Feb 1941
| Feb 1942
| Hawker Hurricane
| Mk.IIb
|-
| Apr 1942
| Dec 1943
| 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...
| Mk.Vb
|-
| Jul 1943
| Feb 1944
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.Vc
|-
| Jun 1943
| Oct 1944
| Supermarine Spitfire
| Mk.IX
|-
| Jan 1945
| Feb 1945
| Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
| Mk.XVI
|-
| Feb 1945
| Jan 1946
| Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
| Mk.V
|-
| Apr 1945
| Sep 1945
| Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
| C.1
|-
| Sep 1945
| Dec 1945
| Short Stirling
| Mk.IV
|-
| Dec 1945
| Sep 1949
| Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
| C.1
|-
| Sep 1949
| May 1950
| Handley Page Hastings
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force...
| C.1
|-
| Oct 1959
| Sep 1964
| Bristol Bloodhound
| Mk.I
External links
- no. 242's actions between 10/05/1940 and 30/06/1940 on www.epibreren.com
- WW2 bases of no. 242 squadron
- squadron histories for nos. 241-245 squadron on RAFweb
- http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/squadrons/242sqn.htmNo. 242 Squadron and the Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
]