WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._459_Squadron_RAAF
No. 459 Squadron RAAF
No 459 Squadron RAAF | |
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Members of 459 Squadron RAAF with one of the Squadron's Lockheed Hudson aircraft in 1944 | |
Active | 10 February 1942 – 10 April 1945 |
Country | Australia |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
Role | Maritime patrol Bomber |
Part of | No 201 Group RAF, RAF Middle East Command[1] |
Motto | Death to the invaders[2] |
Battle honours |
|
Disbanded | 10 April 1945 |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge heraldry | A Scorpion (unofficial)[2] |
Squadron Codes | GK (Feb 1942 – 1943)[3] BP (1943 – 1945?)[4][5] |
Aircraft flown | |
Bomber | Lockheed Ventura Martin Baltimore |
Patrol | Lockheed Hudson Bristol Blenheim |
No 459 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron during World War II. It served from 1942 as a maritime patrol and bomber unit in the mediterranean theatre of war until disbanded in 1945.
Contents[hide] |
History
No 459 Squadron was formed at LG 39/Burg-el-Arab, Egypt on 10 February 1942 under the Empire Air Training Scheme. The Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Hudson and Bristol Blenheim aircraft and operated in the maritime reconnaissance role. During 1942 and early 1943 the Squadron operated against German shipping in the Mediterranean and sank a number of ships including a destroyer. In September 1943 the Squadron temporally changed roles to become a bomber unit. The Squadron was equipped with Lockheed Venturas from March to July 1944, when it was re-equipped with Martin Baltimore aircraft.
No 459 Squadron continued operating around the Greek islands until March 1945, when it was posted to the United Kingdom. No 459 Squadron shortly thereafter disbanded at RAF Chivenor, Devon on 10 April 1945.
Aircraft operated
From | To | Aircraft | Version |
---|---|---|---|
February 1942 | May 1942 | Bristol Blenheim | Mk.IV |
March 1942 | December 1942 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.III |
July 1942 | January 1944 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.IIIa |
August 1943 | April 1944 | Lockheed Huson | Mk.VI |
September 1943 | November 1943 | Lockheed Huson | Mk.V |
December 1943 | July 1944 | Lockheed Ventura | Mk.V |
July 1944 | February 1945 | Martin Baltimore | Mks.IV, V |
March 1945 | April 1945 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.XIII |
Squadron stations
From | To | Station | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
10 February 1942 | 14 May 1942 | LG.39/Burg-el-Arab, Egypt | Dets. at LG.05/Sidi Barrani, Egypt and RAF Gambut, Libya |
14 May 1942 | 30 June 1942 | LG.40/Bahig South, Egypt | |
30 June 1942 | 10 September 1942 | LG.208/LG Z'Mahsma, Egypt | Dets at LG.226/Gianaclis, Egypt; RAF St Jean, Palestine; RAF Khormaksar, Aden; Scuscuiban; RAF Socotra, Yemen; Gambut III, Libya; LG 227/Gianaclis Satellite, Egypt |
28 November 1942 | 18 December 1942 | LG.226/Gianaclis, Egypt | Dets at RAF Khormaksar, Aden; Scuscuiban; Socotra, Yemen; Gambut III, Libya; LG.227/Gianaclis Satellite, Egypt; Berka III, Libya |
18 December 1942 | 5 april 1944 | LG.143/Gambut III, Libya | Dets at RAF Khormaksar, Aden; Berka III, Libya; LG.227/Gianaclis Satellite, Egypt; RAF Nicosia, Cyprus; LG.91, Egypt; LG.07/'Z'LG/Matruh West, Egypt; RAF Lydda, Palestine; Gianaclis, Egypt; RAF El Adem, Libya; RAF St Jean, Palestine and RAF Ramat David, Palestine |
5 April 1944 | 15 May 1944 | RAF Ramat David, Palestine | |
15 May 1944 | 9 August 1944 | RAF St Jean, Palestine | |
9 August 1944 | 17 February 1945 | Berka III, Libya | Det. at Mersa Matruh, Egypt |
17 February 1945 | 25 February 1945 | RAF Almaza (No 22 PTC), Egypt | |
25 February 1945 | 14 March 1945 | en route to the UK | |
14 March 1945 | 10 April 1945 | RAF Chivenor, Devon | Disbanded before becoming operational |
Commanding officers
From | To | Name |
---|---|---|
10 February 1942 | 19 April 1942 | Squadron Leader P.W. Howson (acting) |
19 April 1942 | 15 September 1942 | Wing Commander K.S. Hennock |
15 September 1942 | 19 January 1943 | Wing Commander P.W. Howson |
19 January 1943 | 5 October 1943 | Squadron Leader W. Allsopp |
5 October 1943 | 9 November 1944 | Wing Commander A.D. Henderson |
9 November 1944 | 10 April 1945 | Wing Commander C.E. Payne |
References
Notes
- ^ Delve 1994, p. 67.
- ^ a b c 459 Squadron History – 1942–1945
- ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 76.
- ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 23.
- ^ a b Australian War Memorial: 459 Squadron
- ^ a b c Rawlings 1982, p. 223.
- ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 480.
- ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 95.
Bibliography
- Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
- Eather, Steve. Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 1995. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
- Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain(Historians) Ltd., 1988, p. 484. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Kane-McGuire, Leon. Desert Scorpions: a history of 459 Squadron RAAF, 1942–45. , Loftus, NSW, Australia: Australian Military History Publications, 2007. ISBN 9780980320466.
External links
Related content
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http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11161.asp
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
459 Squadron RAAF
459 Squadron RAAF
459 Squadron was formed at Burg-el-Arab on 10 February 1942 as a maritime patrol squadron in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme It joined 201 Group of the Royal Air Force’s Middle East Command and commenced operations off the Egyptian coast on 14 February. Initially, the squadron was equipped with two Lockheed Hudson aircraft and four Bristol Blenheims borrowed from 203 Squadron RAF but by May was fully equipped with Hudsons. The Mediterranean Sea was the focus of the squadron’s operations throughout 1942 and it operated from several airfields in Egypt and Libya. Until the Allied victory at El Alamein in October, the squadron’s main role was to interdict German watercraft running supplies between Tobruk and Mersa Matruh - the closest landing point to their defensive position. Once the German land forces began to retreat following their defeat at El Alamein, 459 Squadron roamed wider escorting Allied shipping, and seeking out and attacking enemy shipping across the eastern Mediterranean as far north as the Greek islands. During 1942, detachments from 459 Squadron also conducted anti-submarine patrols over the Red Sea from Khormaksar in Aden (current day Yemen), and around Cyprus from St Jean in Palestine.
In December 1942 459 Squadron moved to Gambut III airfield in Libya, between Bardia and Tobruk, which was to be its home for the next sixteen months. Maintaining the efficient reputation it had already established, the squadron continued its convoy escort and anti-submarine work over the Mediterranean throughout 1943. In September of that year it was also employed to conduct attacks against land targets in Greece and Crete.
The new year brought new aircraft - Lockheed Venturas - and the squadron continued to combine its maritime patrol duties with night bombing attacks on Rhodes and other land targets in the Aegean. The Venturas did not prove a success, however, and were replaced by Martin Baltimores in July 1944. In April 1944 the squadron relocated to Palestine and, operating from a succession of airfields (Ramat David, April - May 1944; St Jean, May - August 1944; Berka, August 1944 - February 1945) continued anti-shipping patrols and bombing attacks around the Greek islands.
In February 1945, 459 Squadron proceeded to Egypt and sailed for the United Kingdom, for retraining on Wellingtons prior to joining Coastal Command. The return of time-expired aircrew to Australia, combined with the transfer of other experienced crews to other squadrons, however, prevented a quick conversion to the new aircraft. Thus, 459 Squadron was disbanded at Chivenor in Devon on 10 April 1945.
Squadron Motto
- Nil
Squadron Code
- BP
Glossary
- Article XV Squadrons
- Battle of Bardia
- Battles for Tobruk
- Battles of El Alamein
- Empire Air Training Scheme
Equipment
Battle Honours
Casualties
- 53 Australians killed
For more information please see the Roll of Honour and Second World War Nominal Roll (external website) databases.
Commanding Officers
Decorations
- 1 OBE
- 7 DFC
- 1 DFM
For more information please see Honours and Awards database
Collection Items
Search for related collection items
References
- AWM 64, RAAF formation and unit records
ORMF 0118, Roll 88
1/282 February - July 1942
1/283 August - December 1942
1/284 Januray - April 1943
1/285 May 1943 - May 1944
1/286 June 1944 - January 1945
1/287 February 1942 - August 1943
1/288 October 1943 - October 1945 - Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: a concise history. Volume 4, maritime and transport units, (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995).
- ...................................................................... http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/units/459sqn.htm
- RAAF MUSEUM
No 459 Squadron
Equipped with Hudsons and Blenheims, No 459 Squadron formed in Egypt in February 1942. Operating in a maritime reconnaissance role, the Unit began an intensive campaign against enemy shipping, in particular attacking German tank landing craft.
On 28 July 1942, four Hudsons made their first attack on two of these landing craft, damaging one so badly that it was subsequently beached. In the following months at least twelve of landing craft were sunk, and soon losses became so heavy that the Germans ceased operating these vessels during the daylight hours.
Staging through many bases in Northern Africa, No 459 Squadron's Hudsons scored a number of major successes. In September 1942 the Squadron sank an enemy destroyer, while the following year a German U-boat was destroyed.
In September 1943, No 459 Squadron temporally changed roles to that of a bomber unit - conducting day and night strikes against targets on Greece and Crete. After operating Venturas for a period of four months the Squadron was re-equipped with Baltimores in July 1944. With these aircraft, No 459 Squadron continued its attacks around the Greek islands until the Unit was re-located to England in March 1945 - disbanding a month later.
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