No. 281 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 281 Squadron was a Royal Air Force
air-sea rescue
squadron during the second world war.
, England
on the 29 March 1942 as an air-sea rescue
squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Supermarine Walrus
and the Avro Anson
. The squadron disbanded on the 22 November 1942 when it was absorbed by 282 Squadron
.
The squadron reformed at RAF Thornaby
on 22 November 1943 with the Vickers Warwick
. The squadron moved to Tiree
in February 1945 to provide air-sea rescue cover for Northern Ireland
and western Scotland
.
At the end of the Second World War
the squadron disbanded at RAF Ballykelly on 24 October 1945.
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| Apr 1942
| jun 1943
| Boulton-Paul Defiant
| Mk.I
|-
| Feb 1943
| Nov 1943
| Supermarine Walrus
| Mks.I, II
|-
| Apr 1943
| Nov 1943
| Avro Anson
| Mk.I
|-
| Nov 1943
| Oct 1945
| Vickers Warwick
| Mks.I, IV
|-
| April 1944
| Oct 1945
| Supermarine Sea Otter
| Mk.II
|-
| Sep 1945
| Oct 1945
| Vickers Wellington
| Mks.XIII, XIV
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...
air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
squadron during the second world war.
History
No. 281 Squadron was formed at RAF OustonRAF Ouston
Royal Air Force Station Ouston, more commonly known as RAF Ouston, is a former air station that was located near the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall on Hadrian's Wall near Newcastle upon Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the 29 March 1942 as an air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
and the Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
. The squadron disbanded on the 22 November 1942 when it was absorbed by 282 Squadron
No. 282 Squadron RAF
No. 282 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.-History:No. 282 Squadron was formed at RAF Castletown, Scotland on 1 January 1943 as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Supermarine Walrus and the Avro Anson...
.
The squadron reformed at RAF Thornaby
RAF Thornaby
RAF Thornaby was a former RAF Station located at the Teesside town of Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire. The station was created in the mid 1920s and came under the control of No. 18 Group, RAF Coastal Command in 1939. Being used mostly for reconnaissance work, anti shipping strikes, and attacks on...
on 22 November 1943 with the Vickers Warwick
Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
. The squadron moved to Tiree
Tiree
-History:Tiree is known for the 1st century BC Dùn Mòr broch, for the prehistoric carved Ringing Stone and for the birds of the Ceann a' Mhara headland....
in February 1945 to provide air-sea rescue cover for 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...
and western Scotland
Scotland
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...
.
At the end of the Second World War
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...
the squadron disbanded at RAF Ballykelly on 24 October 1945.
Aircraft operated
! style="text-align: left;"|From! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| Apr 1942
| jun 1943
| Boulton-Paul Defiant
| Mk.I
|-
| Feb 1943
| Nov 1943
| Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
| Mks.I, II
|-
| Apr 1943
| Nov 1943
| Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
| Mk.I
|-
| Nov 1943
| Oct 1945
| Vickers Warwick
Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
| Mks.I, IV
|-
| April 1944
| Oct 1945
| Supermarine Sea Otter
Supermarine Sea Otter
|-Survivors:No museum holds a complete aircraft. Australia's Museum of Flight has the nose section of JN200, a Sea Otter which served with the Royal Australian Navy.-See also:-References:...
| Mk.II
|-
| Sep 1945
| Oct 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...
| Mks.XIII, XIV