No. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF was a

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) an ...

squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...

roles during its existence. It was one of the top scoring fighter squadrons of the RAF in World War II.

History

First formation

No. 249 Squadron was formed for the first time on 18 August 1918 from Nos. 400, 401, 419 and 450 flights at DundeeHalley 1988, p. 318. Equipped with a variety of seaplanes the squadron flew coastal patrol and anti-submarine duties as part of No. 78 Wing RAF. It remained at Dundee until April 1919 when it moved to RNAS Killingholme, without its aircraft. The squadron was disbanded not long after, on 8 October 1919.

During World War II

On 16 May 1940, 249 squadron reformed as a

fighter squadron A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, dependi ...

RAF Church Fenton Royal Air Force Church Fenton or RAF Church Fenton was a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south east of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England and north west of Selby, North Yorkshire, near the village of Church Fenton. The station wa ...

. Equipped with

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

, the unit fought in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

. The only

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

awarded to an

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Brita ...

pilot during the Battle of Britain, was won by

James Brindley Nicolson Wing Commander Eric James Brindley Nicolson, (29 April 1917 – 2 May 1945) was a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British ...

while serving with 249 squadron. Offensive missions over France began in December 1940 but in May 1941, No. 249 was transferred to

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

by aircraft carrier. There it formed part of the fighter defences, converting to Spitfires in February 1942. Fighter bomber missions over Sicily began in November 1942 and October 1943 the squadron moved to Italy. Sweeps were carried out over Albania and Yugoslavia and in September 1944, No. 249 converted to

Mustangs The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...

. In April 1945, it moved to Northern Yugoslavia for a month and after a short period in northern Italy the squadron disbanded on 16 August 1945. On 23 October 1945, No. 500 Squadron at

Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen, ...

, Kenya was renumbered 249 Squadron and flew Baltimores for a short time before re-equipping with

Mosquitoes Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small Diptera, flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish ...

in February 1946. After taking part in survey flights, No.249 moved to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

in June 1946 and became a

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

fighter squadron.

Into the jet age

The squadron was stationed at RAF Deversoir in the Egyptian Canal Zone in 1952, flying Vampires. Vampires were received in 1950 and after a period in Egypt the squadron moved to Jordan and converted to

Venoms Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...

. In August 1956, it moved to Cyprus and in July 1957 to Kenya where it disbanded on 15 October 1957. It reformed at Akrotiri on the same day as a Canberra light bomber unit and after twelve years in the area No.249 disbanded on 24 February 1969

Present

In the year 2000 the Squadron gave its number to an Air Cadet Squadron based in

Hailsham Hailsham is a town, a civil parish and the administrative centre of the Wealden district of East Sussex, England.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Da ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. This was because 249 Squadron lost a man over the town during the Battle of Britain. The Air Cadets Squadron is also an affiliated member of 249 Squadron Association.

Commemoration

Battle of Britain Class The SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes, collectively known as ''Light Pacifics'' or informally as ''Spam Cans'', are air-smoothed 4-6-2 ''Pacific'' steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway by its Chief Mechanical Engine ...

steam locomotive, Number ''34073, 249 Squadron'', was named after the squadron. The locomotive escaped scrapping after it was withdrawn from service in 1964 and is currently awaiting restoration to running condition. In 2014 the locomotive was moved from Bury to storage at Carnforth. A replica Hurricane was unveiled in 2012 in Alexandra Gardens, Barry Avenue, Windsor SL4 3HD. It bears the code letters GN-J of 249 Squadron.

Noted squadron members

* Sqn Ldr George Barclay DFC * Sqn Ldr Robert Barton OBE, DFC and bar * Wg Cdr John "Beazle" Beazley DFC * Flt Lt George "Buzz" Beurling DSO DFC DFM* * Sqn Leader A G Lewis DFC and bar * Wg Cdr Percy "Laddie" Lucas CBE DSO DFC * Sqn Ldr Robert "Buck" McNair DSO DFC** * Wg Cdr Tom "Ginger" Neil DFC* AFC AE * Wg Cdr Eric Nicolson VC DFC * Flt Lt "Titch" Palliser DFC AE * Flt Lt Jack Rae DFC* * Gp Cpt Stan Turner DSO DFC* * Sqn Ldr Ernest J. Cassidy DFC AFC

Aircraft operated

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Bowyer, Chaz. ''Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1984. . * Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. ''Squadron Codes, 1937–56''. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. . * Cull, Brian. ''249 at War: The Authorized History of the RAF's Top Scoring Squadron of WWII''. London, Grub Street, 1997. . * 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: Airlife Publishing, 1998 (second edition 2001). . * Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). . * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. . * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). .

External links

249 Squadron Association

Aviation art painting – F/O Percy Burton of No.249 Squadron in combat over Hailsham, 27 September 1940

{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 249 Squadron Raf 249 Squadron Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations established in 1945 1918 establishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations in Mandatory Palestine in World War II