No. 548 Squadron RAF was a fighter

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

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 ...

(RAF) from 1943 to 1945.

History

The squadron was formed at Lawnton, near

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

on 15 December 1943 to provide air defence duties with

Spitfires The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...

, as the RAAF Kittyhawks were inadequate for interception missions.RAF – Squadron history.
/ref> It was first formed under the command of Squadron Leader

Dave Glaser Squadron Leader Ernest Derek 'Dave' Glaser (20 April 1921 – 2001) was a British Royal Air Force officer of the Battle of Britain, and later a notable test pilot. Biography Glaser was the son of a former Royal Flying Corps officer and brought ...

, a RAF veteran of 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 first months were spent training with Wirraways and

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...

s, but in April 1944 the squadron's Spitfires arrived. The squadron was made up of RAF aircrew and

RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

groundstaff. On 15 June 1944 the squadron moved initially to

Livingstone Airfield Livingstone Airfield (34 mile) was an airfield at what is now Livingstone, Northern Territory, Australia during World War II. The airfield was built by the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion, less Company A and HQ Detachment, between 16 March 194 ...

and

Strauss Airfield Strauss Airfield was an airfield in the Northern Territory of Australia in the locality of Noonamah constructed between 19 March to 27 April 1942 during World War II. It was also known as 27 Mile Field or Humpty Doo Strip. History Construc ...

in the

Northern Territory of Australia The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

. The squadron was then relocated in October 1944 to

Parap Airfield Parap Airfield was the civilian aerodrome of Darwin, Northern Territory, in Australia between 1919 and 1946. Located in the coastal suburb of Parap, it was also known as ''Darwin Aerodrome'' and '' Ross Smith Aerodrome''. History The airfield ...

Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( ; Larrakia: ) is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. With an estimated population of 147,255 as of 2019, the city contains the majority of the residents of the sparsely populated Northern Territory. It is the smalle ...

. Only two offensive operations were undertaken by the squadron before the Japanese surrender. A sweep was conducted over

Selaru Island Selaru is an island in Indonesia in the Tanimbar Islands group, Southeast Maluku. It is located south of Yamdena. It is one of the 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een groep jonge mannen te Adaoet ...

, 300 miles north of Darwin, on 5 September 1944, and the airfield at Cape Chater, Timor was attacked on 3 June 1945.

Disbandment

There has been confusion regarding when the squadron disbanded. According to some sources, the squadron was disbanded at Parap Airfield (Darwin/Civil),

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

on 9 October 1945. A more recent source states that it was disbanded on 31 October at

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. The confusion is likely the result of misreadings of the squadron's Operations Record Book, which includes a handwritten note that "Sqn disbanded on 9 Oct 1945", in line with Air Force Command Order B443/45; just above this note is what appears to be a correction, at first glance appearing to be the number 31 but more likely the numeral 3 followed by a correction mark. The squadron's Personnel Occurrence Reports (POR) show that the squadron was wound down during September 1945, when RAAF ground staff were either posted to other units or demobilised. The squadron's RAF pilots meanwhile ferried their aircraft out of the Northern Territory and were posted to Melbourne, mostly during the period 16-23 September, and given permission to "live out" while the RAF organised for their return home to the United Kingdom. The squadron's final POR, dated 2 October 1945, notes that the last member, Flying Officer I. H. Lance, RAAF, a ground staff officer who was likely the Adjutant, was posted to another squadron with effect from 3 October.548 Squadron Personnel Occurrence Report, 2 October 1945, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=12234126 It would appear therefore that the disbandment process was completed on 3 October 1945, six days ahead of the scheduled date of 9 October.

Aircraft operated

Squadron bases

Commanding officers

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

History of No. 548 Squadron at raf.mod.uk

712 Squadron Australia Air Force Cadets Information
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 548 Squadron Raf 548 Squadron Military units and formations established in 1943 Fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II