No. 59 Squadron was a

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) an ...

, based in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

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 ...

History

No.59 Squadron was formed at Narborough Airfield in

on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. On 13 February 1917, the Squadron crossed the English Channel, deploying to

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audoma ...

in northern France to operate in the army co-operation role, equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s.Halley 1980, p. 96. 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 opposi ...

it was attached to

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 ...

(1937–1940),

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

(taking part in the Millennium II raid on Bremen) and

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 ...

(1940–1945). After the war, No 59 Squadron was attached to Transport Command, flying troops to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

from September 1945 until 15 June 1946, when the squadron was disbanded. On 1 December 1947 whilst at RAF Waterbeach, half the crew of No 51 Squadron were designated to reform as No 59 Squadron. At 0800 the move from RAF Waterbeach to RAF Abingdon commenced whereupon the arrival of their commanding officer, Squadron Leader E.V Best A.F.C at 1000, the squadron officially reformed, as a Long Range Transport Unit flying Avro Yorks. A detached flight would later take part in the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

(1948–49). The squadron disbanded again on 31 October 1950, then reformed at

RAF Gutersloh 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 ...

, Germany in August 1956, when No. 102 Squadron was re-numbered No 59 Sqn flying

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...

B.2s and B(I).8s. No 59 Squadron was last disbanded in 1961, when it was re-numbered to No.3 Squadron.

References

* *
number59.com: No.59 Squadron RAF Historical and Memorial Site

Royal Air Force:Historic Squadrons: 59 Squadron

External links

Australian War Memorial 59 Squadron RAF- Roll of Honour
059 Squadron 059 Squadron Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in the United Kingdom {{RAF-stub