No. 237 Squadron RAF

Last updated

No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF
237 Squadron RAF Insignia.svg
The insignia of the No. 237 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, with the Lion and Tusk of the B.S.A.C., and later Rhodesia.
Active20 August 1918 – 14 May 1919
22 April 1940 – 1 January 1946
CountryFlag of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964).svg  Southern Rhodesia
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)Rhodesia
Motto(s)Primum agmen in Cælo
(Latin: The vanguard is in the sky) [1]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA lion passant guardant charged on the shoulder with an eagle's claw and holding in the front paw an elephant's tusk [2]

No. 237 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. During the Second World War the unit was formed from No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesian Air Force for operations in North Africa.

Contents

History

No. 237 Squadron was formed at RAF Cattewater in August 1918 from Nos 420, 421, 422 and 423 flights of the Royal Naval Air Service. The squadron operated the Short 184 on coastal and anti-submarine patrols in the English Channel until it was disbanded at the end of the First World War on 14 May 1919.

By 3 September 1939 the Southern Rhodesia Air Section under Squadron Leader M. Maxwell had arrived at Nairobi in the Kenya Colony. It was then renamed as No. 1 Squadron S. Rhodesian Air Force. 237 Squadron was re-formed as No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron on 22 April 1940 when No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesia Air Force was taken into Royal Air Force control. [3] It operated a number of Hawker biplanes and was based on the Abyssinian border as an active unit of the East African Campaign, initially to defend British East Africa against the anticipated movement of Italian troops down from their bases to the North. In the autumn of 1940, the squadron moved into Sudan for operations in Eritrea, and Westland Lysanders and Gloster Gladiators were added to its strength. In May 1941 the squadron moved into Egypt and was re-equipped with the Hawker Hurricane, being tasked with tactical reconnaissance duties in the Western Desert. In May 1942 the squadron was deployed to Iraq, as a defence against any German invasion, and then to Libya in an air defence role.

The squadron was re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire (Mark VCs first, then Mark IXs) and was moved to Corsica to fly operations over Southern France and Northern Italy. It eventually moved to Italy, where it operated until it was re-numbered as 93 Squadron before being disbanded on 1 January 1946.

Notable members

Ian Smith, who was later Prime Minister of Rhodesia, was assigned to the squadron during his service in World War II, and was shot down over Italy. [4]

Aircraft operated

DatesAircraftVariantNotes
1918–1919 Short 184 From the RNAS
1940 Hawker Audax From the SRAF
1940–1941 Hawker Hardy From the SRAF
1940 Hawker Hart
1940–1941 Westland Lysander I and II
1941 Gloster Gladiator II
1941–1942 Hawker Hurricane I
1943Hawker HurricaneIIC
1943–1944 Supermarine Spitfire VB and VC
1944–1945Supermarine SpitfireIX

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 8 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 8 Squadron of the Royal Air Force last operated the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 (AWACS) from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. As of 2020, the RAF AWACS fleet was made up of three Sentry AEW1s, down from seven originally ordered in the late 1980s. Pursuant to the 2021 defence review, the E-3D Sentry aircraft made its final flight in U.K. service in August 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 39 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 39 Squadron is an inactive squadron of the Royal Air Force. It last operated the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper from Creech AFB, Nevada, between January 2007 and July 2022. It had previously operated the English Electric Canberra PR.7, PR.9 and T.4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk, as No. 39 Squadron between July 1992 and July 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 42 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 42 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served during the First World War as an army co-operation squadron and during the Second World War in various roles. Between 1992 and 2010, it was the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, until the Nimrod MR.2's retirement in March 2010. No. 42 Squadron disbanded on 26 May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 13 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 13 Squadron, also written as XIII Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which operate the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle from RAF Waddington since reforming on 26 October 2012. The unit first formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps on 10 January 1915 and went on to fly the Martinsyde G.100, the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, the SPAD VII and SPAD XIII, the Sopwith Dolphin during the First World War. In Second World War it started out operating the Westland Lysander for army cooperation. From late 1942 it used Blenheims in North Africa but in 1943 squadron converted to Ventura for coastal patrols and convoy escort duties. Post war it operated Mosquito before transitioning to the new jet aircraft Gloster Meteor and English Electric Canberra for photoreconnaissance. From 1 January 1990, it operated the Panavia Tornado, initially the GR1A at RAF Honington and later the GR4/4A at RAF Marham where it temporarily disbanded on 13 May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 111 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 111 (Fighter) Squadron, also known as No. CXI (F) Squadron and nicknamed Treble One, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1917 in the Middle East as No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps during the reorganisation of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force after General Edmund Allenby took command during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The squadron remained in the Middle East after the end of the First World War until 1920 when it was renumbered as No. 14 Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moi Air Base</span> Military airport east of Nairobi, Kenya

Moi Air Base, formerly known as RAF Eastleigh and Eastleigh Airport is a military airport located to the east of Nairobi, in the Eastleigh suburb. The airport is used by the Kenya Air Force. Additionally, the airfield is the home of the East African School of Aviation run by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, which was established at the airport in 1954 as the DCA training school. The airport is also used to train Kenyan Air Cadets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 34 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 34 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. During the First World War it operated as a reconnaissance and bomber squadron and in the 1930s operated light bombers. It was re-equipped with fighter-bombers in the later half of the Second World War and in the post-war period was reformed four times; first as a photo-reconnaissance unit, then anti-aircraft co-operation, then as a jet fighter squadron through the 1950s. It was last active in the 1960s, as a Blackburn Beverley transport squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 683 Squadron RAF</span> WW2 British RAF photo-recon unit

No. 683 Squadron RAF was a photo-reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and from August 1950 to November 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesian Air Force</span> Military unit

The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the air arm of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland between 1953 and 31 December 1963; of Southern Rhodesia once again from 1 January 1964; and of the unrecognised nation of Rhodesia following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain on 11 November 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 21 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 21 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 245 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 245 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew as an anti-submarine squadron during World War I and as a fighter squadron during World War II. After the war it was first a jet-fighter squadron and its last role was as a radar-calibration unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 257 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 257 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force active during the First World War, the Second World War and also the Cold War. It was finally disbanded in December 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 266 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 105 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 105 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force, active for three periods between 1917 and 1969. It was originally established during the First World War as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and disbanded after the war. Reactivated shortly before the Second World War, it was inactive again after the conflict. During its second existence it was a bomber unit and had the distinction to be the first to operate the de Havilland Mosquito light bomber. During the 1960s it was reactivated again for six years to provide transport support for the British Army in the Aden Protectorate and the Far East.

No. 204 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit first formed in March 1915 as No.4 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service.

No. 110 Squadron RAF was a unit of the British Royal Air Force, initially formed as a bomber squadron during the First World War. Re-formed during the Second World War, again as a bomber squadron, it was re-formed twice more post-war, firstly as a transport, and then a helicopter squadron, before being disbanded in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 103 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.

No. 624 Squadron RAF was at first a special duties squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was later in the war tasked with mine-spotting, until disbanded at the end of the war.

No. 621 Squadron RAF was a reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying from Somaliland and Aden. It was after the war stationed in Egypt and Palestine and tasked with air-sea rescue and was also active in Operation Sunburn, looking for illegal immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military service of Ian Smith</span> 1941–1945 military career of the future Rhodesian Prime Minister

The future Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War, interrupting his studies at Rhodes University in South Africa to join up in 1941. Following a year's pilot instruction in Southern Rhodesia under the Empire Air Training Scheme, he was posted to No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron, then stationed in the Middle East, in late 1942. Smith received six weeks' operational training in the Levant, then entered active service as a pilot officer in Iran and Iraq. No. 237 Squadron, which had operated in the Western Desert from 1941 to early 1942, returned to that front in March 1943. Smith flew in the Western Desert until October that year, when a crash during a night takeoff resulted in serious injuries, including facial disfigurements and a broken jaw. Following reconstructive plastic surgery to his face, other operations and five months' convalescence, Smith rejoined No. 237 Squadron in Corsica in May 1944. While there, he attained his highest rank, flight lieutenant.

References

Notes

  1. "237 Sqn | RAF Heraldry Trust". rafht.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 304.
  3. Dr. Leo Niehorster. "British Forces in Aden and Air Headquarters Aden, RAF, Middle East, 03.09.1939". Niehorster.org. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  4. Berlyn 1978, pp. 56–57.

Bibliography