No. 464 Squadron RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 464 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force
bomber squadron during World War II
.
, Norfolk
in the United Kingdom
, under the Empire Air Training Scheme
. No. 464 Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Ventura
light bombers and participated in its first operation (Operation Oyster – the attack on the Philips radio valve factory at Eindhoven, Holland) on 6 December. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and was reequipped with the more suited de Havilland Mosquito
aircraft in July.
In early 1944 No. 464 Squadron concentrated on attacking V-1 flying bomb
launch sites and gained a reputation for highly accurate bombing. This reputation lead it to be selected for Operation Jericho
. In this mission, aircraft from the Squadron formed part of the force which breached the walls of a Gestapo
prison at Amiens
, France
on February 18, 1944 allowing members of the French Resistance
to escape. From June 1944 the Squadron attacked transport and communications targets to support the Allied invasion of Europe. The Squadron also participated in a number of precision attacks on Gestapo
targets in occupied Europe. Most notable were the precision low-level attacks on the Aarhus University complex in Aarhus, Denmark (31 October 1944), Operation Carthage – the attack on the Shellhaus in Copenhagen, Denmark (21 March 1945) and on the Gestapo Headquarters in Odense, Denmark (17 April 1945).
No. 464 Squadron moved from England to France in February 1945 and continued day and night bombing missions until the end of the war. Following the German surrender a No. 464 Squadron aircraft carried German Colonel General Alfred Jodl
to Berlin
. No. 464 Squadron RAAF was disbanded at Melsbroek Air Base
, Belgium
on 25 September 1945.
During its brief existence, the Squadron carried out 3,067 operational sorties, dropped 3,466,500 lbs of bombs and destroyed at least 11 enemy aircraft. In so doing it lost 102 members from the RAAF, RAF, RCAF, RNoAF and RNZAF and its members were awarded one DSO
, three bars
to the DFC
, 36 DFCs, four DFMs
and one US Air Medal
.
|+Aircraft operated by no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| September 1942 || July 1943 || Lockheed Ventura
|| Mks.I & II
|-
| July 1943 || September 1945 || de Havilland Mosquito
|| Mk.VI
|+Bases and airfields used by no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base
|-
| 1 September 1942 || 3 April 1943 || RAF Feltwell
, Norfolk
|-
| 3 April 1943 || 21 July 1943 || RAF Methwold
, Norfolk
|-
| 21 July 1943 || 31 December 1943 || RAF Sculthorpe
, Norfolk
|-
| 31 December 1943 || 25 March 1944 || RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
|-
| 25 March 1944 || 8 April 1944 || RAF Swanton Morley
, Norfolk
|-
| 8 April 1944 || 17 April 1944 || RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
|-
| 17 April 1944 || 18 June 1944 || RAF Gravesend
, Kent
|-
| 18 June 1944 || 5 February 1945 || RAF Thorney Island
, West Sussex
|-
| 5 february 1945 || 17 April 1945 || B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre
, France
|-
| 17 April 1945 || 25 September 1945 || B.58/Melsbroek
, Belgium
|+Officers commanding no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 1 September 1942 || 26 April 1943 || Wing Commander
Richard Hillyard 'Bob' Young, DSO
, AFC
, RAF
|-
| 27 April 1943 || 5 January 1944 || Wing Commander Henry John Walter 'Jack' Meakin, DFC
, RAF
|-
| 6 January 1944 || 21 June 1944 || Wing Commander Robert Wilson 'Bob' Iredale, DFC, RAAF
|-
| 22 June 1944 || 22 August 1944 (KIA) || Wing Commander Gordon 'Peter' Panitz, DFC, RAAF
|-
| 23 AUgust 1944 || 14 January 1945 || Wing Commander Arthur Wellesley 'Bill' Langton, DFC, AFC, RAF
|-
| 15 January 1945 || 27 September 1945 || Wing Commander Noel Fraser Vincent, DFC, RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
bomber squadron during 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...
.
History
The Squadron was officially formed on 1 September 1942 at RAF FeltwellRAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, under the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. No. 464 Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Ventura
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
light bombers and participated in its first operation (Operation Oyster – the attack on the Philips radio valve factory at Eindhoven, Holland) on 6 December. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and was reequipped with the more suited de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
aircraft in July.
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
launch sites and gained a reputation for highly accurate bombing. This reputation lead it to be selected for Operation Jericho
Operation Jericho
Operation Jericho was a low-level World War II bombing raid by Allied aircraft on Amiens Prison in German-occupied France on 18 February 1944. The stated object of the raid was to free French Resistance and political prisoners. The raid is remarkable for the precision and daring of the attack,...
. In this mission, aircraft from the Squadron formed part of the force which breached the walls of a Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
prison at Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, 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...
on February 18, 1944 allowing members of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
to escape. From June 1944 the Squadron attacked transport and communications targets to support the Allied invasion of Europe. The Squadron also participated in a number of precision attacks on Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
targets in occupied Europe. Most notable were the precision low-level attacks on the Aarhus University complex in Aarhus, Denmark (31 October 1944), Operation Carthage – the attack on the Shellhaus in Copenhagen, Denmark (21 March 1945) and on the Gestapo Headquarters in Odense, Denmark (17 April 1945).
No. 464 Squadron moved from England to France in February 1945 and continued day and night bombing missions until the end of the war. Following the German surrender a No. 464 Squadron aircraft carried German Colonel General Alfred Jodl
Alfred Jodl
Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl was a German military commander, attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command during World War II, acting as deputy to Wilhelm Keitel...
to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. No. 464 Squadron RAAF was disbanded at Melsbroek Air Base
Melsbroek Air Base
Melsbroek Air Base is a Belgian Air Component facility in Zaventem, Belgium. It is located on the northern side of the same site as Brussels Airport, with which it shares runways and ground and air control facilities....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 25 September 1945.
During its brief existence, the Squadron carried out 3,067 operational sorties, dropped 3,466,500 lbs of bombs and destroyed at least 11 enemy aircraft. In so doing it lost 102 members from the RAAF, RAF, RCAF, RNoAF and RNZAF and its members were awarded one DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, three bars
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to the 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...
, 36 DFCs, four DFMs
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
and one US Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
.
Aircraft operated
{|class="wikitable"|+Aircraft operated by no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| September 1942 || July 1943 || Lockheed Ventura
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
|| Mks.I & II
|-
| July 1943 || September 1945 || de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
|| Mk.VI
Squadron bases
{|class="wikitable"|+Bases and airfields used by no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base
|-
| 1 September 1942 || 3 April 1943 || RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
|-
| 3 April 1943 || 21 July 1943 || RAF Methwold
RAF Methwold
RAF Methwold was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom which operated during and after World War II.-History:...
, Norfolk
|-
| 21 July 1943 || 31 December 1943 || RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England...
, Norfolk
|-
| 31 December 1943 || 25 March 1944 || RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
|-
| 25 March 1944 || 8 April 1944 || RAF Swanton Morley
RAF Swanton Morley
The former Royal Air Force Station Swanton Morley, more commonly known as RAF Swanton Morley, was a Royal Air Force Station in Norfolk, England, located near to the village of Swanton Morley...
, Norfolk
|-
| 8 April 1944 || 17 April 1944 || RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
|-
| 17 April 1944 || 18 June 1944 || RAF Gravesend
RAF Gravesend
RAF Gravesend was a Fighter Airfield during the Battle of Britain, and was home to the following Squadrons during the Battle:*No. 610 Squadron RAF from 26 May 1940*No. 604 Squadron RAF from 3 July 1940*No. 501 Squadron RAF from 25 July 1940...
, 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...
|-
| 18 June 1944 || 5 February 1945 || RAF Thorney Island
Thorney Island (West Sussex)
Thorney Island is an island that juts into Chichester Harbour in West Sussex. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel called the Great Deep. The village of West Thorney lies on the east coast of the island and has been incorporated into the military base...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
|-
| 5 february 1945 || 17 April 1945 || B.87/Rosières-en-Santerre
Rosières-en-Santerre
Rosières-en-Santerre is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated some southeast of Amiens, at the junction of the D28 and D329 roadsnext to the Mcdonalds-Population:-Places of interest:...
, 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...
|-
| 17 April 1945 || 25 September 1945 || B.58/Melsbroek
Melsbroek Air Base
Melsbroek Air Base is a Belgian Air Component facility in Zaventem, Belgium. It is located on the northern side of the same site as Brussels Airport, with which it shares runways and ground and air control facilities....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Commanding officers
{|class="wikitable"|+Officers commanding no. 464 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 1 September 1942 || 26 April 1943 || Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Richard Hillyard 'Bob' Young, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, RAF
|-
| 27 April 1943 || 5 January 1944 || Wing Commander Henry John Walter 'Jack' Meakin, 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...
, RAF
|-
| 6 January 1944 || 21 June 1944 || Wing Commander Robert Wilson 'Bob' Iredale, DFC, RAAF
|-
| 22 June 1944 || 22 August 1944 (KIA) || Wing Commander Gordon 'Peter' Panitz, DFC, RAAF
|-
| 23 AUgust 1944 || 14 January 1945 || Wing Commander Arthur Wellesley 'Bill' Langton, DFC, AFC, RAF
|-
| 15 January 1945 || 27 September 1945 || Wing Commander Noel Fraser Vincent, DFC, RAAF