No. 262 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine patrol 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) an ...
between 1942 and 1945.
History
The squadron was officially formed on 29 September 1942
[Halley 1988, p. 328.][Jefford 2001, p. 82.] at
RAF Hednesford
Royal Air Force Hednesford or more simply RAF Hednesford is a former Royal Air Force station situated south-east of Stafford, Staffordshire, England.
History
The RAF station of Hednesford was built just south of Cannock Chase, above the vill ...
, although this was a paper exercise as the squadron personnel and equipment were at that moment in transit to
Congella in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. It did not start to operate as a squadron until arriving in
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
on 5 November 1942, arriving at Congella a week later,
but still had to wait until February 1943 before their first
Consolidated Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
aircraft arrived. It began to operate long anti-submarine patrols over the Indian Ocean. From November 1943 it started to training crews from the
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
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with a detachment at
Langebaanweg
Langebaanweg is a town on the southwest coast of South Africa, in Western Cape Province.
It is the location of the air force base AFB Langebaanweg.
Langebaanweg has been an important mining center, with its mai minerals consisting of phosphori ...
in the Cape Province, it still carried out anti-submarine patrols but began to restrict those patrols to within the South Africa Defence Area. On 15 February 1945 the squadron was disbanded when it was renumbered as
35 Squadron South African Air Force.
Aircraft operated
See also
*
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, during the First World ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
* 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. .
* Spring, Ivan. ''Flying Boat: The History of 262 Squadron RAF and the origins of 35 Squadron SAAF''. Johannesburg, South Africa: Spring Air, 1995. .
* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing, UK.
{{Royal Air Force
No. 262
Maritime patrol aircraft units and formations
Military units and formations established in 1942
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945