No. 252 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 252 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron that formed as bomber unit in World War I
and a RAF Coastal Command
bomber unit World War II
.
on 1 May 1918 as a day bomber unit when some RNAS flights were amalgamated and was equipped with the Blackburn Kangaroo
and DH.6s
. The squadron disbanded at Killingholme
on 30 June 1919
and was equipped with Blenheims
and Beaufighters
as a Coastal Command unit. It moved to Northern Ireland
in April 1941 and an attachment went to Gibraltar
.
The squadron was disbanded upon renumbering as No. 143 Squadron RAF
on 15 June 1941 and re-established at Idku
, Egypt
on 14 Nov 1941. It then operated from Libya
and various locations in Greece
and was finally disbanded on 1 December 1946.
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 that formed as bomber unit in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and a RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
bomber unit 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. 227 Squadron was formed at TynemouthTynemouth
Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right...
on 1 May 1918 as a day bomber unit when some RNAS flights were amalgamated and was equipped with the Blackburn Kangaroo
Blackburn Kangaroo
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography...
and DH.6s
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....
. The squadron disbanded at Killingholme
Killingholme
Killingholme is an area of Lincolnshire, comprising the villages of North Killingholme and South Killingholme. It is the site of two oil refineries, the Humber Refinery and Lindsey Oil Refinery, and an liquid petroleum gas storage facility .It is also a fast expanding port, handling RORO ferries...
on 30 June 1919
Reformation in World War II
On 21 November 1940 the squadron reformed at RAF Bircham NewtonRAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
and was equipped with Blenheims
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 Beaufighters
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
as a Coastal Command unit. It moved to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in April 1941 and an attachment went 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...
.
The squadron was disbanded upon renumbering as No. 143 Squadron RAF
No. 143 Squadron RAF
No. 143 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter unit in World War I and reformed as an RAF Coastal Command fighter and anti-submarine unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
on 15 June 1941 and re-established at Idku
Idku
Idku, also spelt Edkou is a town in Al Buhayrah Governorate, Egypt....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 14 Nov 1941. It then operated from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and various locations in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and was finally disbanded on 1 December 1946.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 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.... |
|
| May 1918 | Aug 1918 | Blackburn Kangaroo Blackburn Kangaroo |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography... |
|
| Dec 1940 | Apr 1941 | 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... |
IF |
| Dec 1940 | Apr 1941 | Bristol Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design... |
IVF |
| Dec 1940 | Jun 1941 | Bristol Beaufighter | IC |
| Nov 1941 | Jan 1944 | Bristol Beaufighter | IC |
| Sep 1942 | Jan 1944 | Bristol Beaufighter | VIC |
| Jun 1943 | Jan 1944 | Bristol Beaufighter | XI |
| Jun 1944 | Dec 1946 | Bristol Beaufighter | X |