No. 119 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, flying with
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was the only
RAF unit flying the
Short G class and
Short C class flying boats.
History
Formation in World War I
No. 119 Squadron was originally formed on 1 January 1918 at
RAF Andover
RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station in England, west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Army Air ...
to become a day bomber unit. It flew various aircraft, including
Airco DH.4s and
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) – also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 – was a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War.
The DH.9 was a development of Airco's earlier successful ...
s
in the working up period spent at
RAF Duxford and later
RAF Thetford,
[Jefford 2001, p. 60.] but failed to become operational and was disbanded at
RAF Wyton on 6 December of the same year.
Reformation in World War II
On Flying boats
The squadron was reformed from 'G' flight at
RAF Bowmore
Royal Air Force Bowmore or more simply RAF Bowmore is a former Royal Air Force seaplane station located in Bowmore, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The following units were here at some point:
* No. 119 Squadron RAF reformed here on 13 March 1941 and ...
,
Strathclyde on 13 March 1941, as part of
No. 15 Group of
Coastal Command. The unit was equipped with the three Short G class and two
Short C class (Clio and Cordelia) flying boats, re-equipping with the
Catalina Mk.Ib in June 1941. The squadron deployed to
RAF Pembroke Dock on 4 August, becoming non-operational there for lack of serviceable aircraft
until they moved to
RAF Lough Erne
Royal Air Force Castle Archdale or more simply RAF Castle Archdale, also known for a while as RAF Lough Erne is a former Royal Air Force station used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force station in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
His ...
on 19 April 1942, where they re-equipped with the Catalina Mk.IIIa the next month. In August they returned to Pembroke Dock, changing to
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
Mks.II and IIIs in September. The squadron was disbanded on 17 April 1943 at Pembroke Dock.
On biplanes
On 19 July 1944 however, 119 Squadron was reformed by redesignation of a flight of
No. 415 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
at
RAF Manston, equipped with
Albacore Mk.Is, taking over the aircraft as well as the squadron code, 'NH' (till this moment the aircraft of no. 119 sqn had only carried single-letter individual aircraft codes).
They deployed to
RAF Swingfield
Royal Air Force Swingfield or more simply RAF Swingfield is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground located north west of Dover, Kent and south of Aylesham, Kent. The airfield was operational between February 1917 and 28 April 1945.
H ...
and (very briefly)
RAF Beccles
Beccles Airfield, also known as Beccles Airport or Beccles Aerodrome , is located in Ellough, southeast of Beccles in the English county of Suffolk. Built during the second world war, it has operated as a heliport servicing the North Sea oil a ...
before being based at
RAF Bircham Newton in September, flying anti-shipping patrols and hunting for German E-boats and R-boats. In October 1944 detachments of the squadron were sent to
B.65/Maldeghem,
B.63/St. Croix and
B.83/Knocke-Le Zoute in Belgium and added German midget-submarines to its prey. In January 1945 they re-equipped with the ASV-equipped
Swordfish Mk.III which aided in the hunt on midget-submarines, destroying three before their final mission was flown on 8 May 1945.
[Thomas 1998, p. 77.] The squadron disbanded at Bircham Newton on 25 May 1945.
One of the Swordfish flown by the squadron, Swordfish Mk.III, ''NF370'' is preserved and displayed at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford, painted in its original 119 Squadron markings.
Aircraft operated
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. ''Squadron Codes, 1937-56''. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. .
* 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. .
* Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. .
* Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). .
* Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. .
* Thomas, Andrew. "Light Blue 'Stringbags':The Fairey Swordfish in RAF Service". ''
Air Enthusiast'', No. 78, November/December 1998. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 73–77.
External links
No. 119 Squadron RAF movement and equipment historyRAF site of No. 119 Squadron
{{RAF squadrons
119 Squadron
119 Squadron