No. 213 Squadron RAF

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No. 213 (Ceylon) Squadron RAF
Active1 April 1918 - 31 December 1919
8 March 1937 - 30 September 1954
1 September 1955 – 31 December 1969
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)The Hornets (1918)
Ceylon
Motto(s)Irritatus Lacessit Crabro
Latin: "The Hornet Attacks When Roused" [1]
Battle honours Western Front 1914-1948*; Channel and North Sea 1939-1940; France and the Low Countries 1939-1940*; Dunkirk*; Battle of Britain 1940*; Home defence 1940-1945; Egypt and Libya 1940-1943*; Syria 1941*; El Alamein*; Mediterranean 1942-1943; South East Europe 1942-1945*
Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard [2]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA Hornet
Squadron CodesAK (Apr 1939 - Jan 1950) [3]

No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. [4] This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Seaplane Defence Flight which, since its creation in June 1917, had had the task of defending the seaplanes which flew out of Dunkirk.

Contents

History

World War I

Formed originally from the Seaplane Defence Flight, which was itself founded in June 1917 at Dunkirk, it was reorganized as No. 13 Squadron RNAS on 15 January 1918. As the SDF, it operated Sopwith Pups. When the Royal Naval Air Service merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, it was renumbered as 213 Squadron. [5] In this incarnation, it flew Sopwith Baby floatplanes and transitioned to Sopwith Camels. It was during this time that the squadron derived its Hornet insignia and motto for the squadron badge, after overhearing a Belgian General refer to the squadron's defence of his trenches, "Like angry hornets attacking the enemy aircraft". The Hornet became affectionately known as "Crabro," Latin for hornet. The squadron's official motto became, "Irritatus Lacessit Crabro" (The Hornet Attacks When Roused). [6] In March 1919 the squadron went back to the UK where it disbanded on 31 December 1919. [4]

During its wartime existence, the squadron had 14 flying aces serve with it, including such notables as; [5] John Edmund Greene, Colin Brown, George Chisholm MacKay, Leonard Slatter, Maurice Cooper, Miles Day, Ronald Graham, John Paynter, John Pinder, and George Stacey Hodson.

A 213 Sqn Hurricane I over Cyprus, circa 1941. Hurricane 213 Sqn RAF over Cyprus c1941.jpg
A 213 Sqn Hurricane I over Cyprus, circa 1941.

Second World War

The squadron was reformed on 8 March 1937 flying Gloster Gauntlet IIs, converting to Hawker Hurricanes in January 1939 and flew throughout the war. It participated as part of the British Expeditionary Force; then at Dunkirk; the Battle of Britain and finally in the Middle East as part of the Desert Air Force. It also flew Supermarine Spitfires and North American Mustangs.

Post-Second World War

After the war, the squadron remained in the Middle East, first flying Hawker Tempests and then de Havilland Vampires. It was stationed at Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone from October 1948 till its disbandment there on 30 September 1954.

With Bomber Command to RAF Germany

The squadron reformed once again on 1 September 1955 as an English Electric Canberra squadron, specialising in low level interdiction missions. It was the only squadron to fly the Canberra B(I).6 variant, still with the "Crabro" insignia adorning the tail fin, first from RAF Ahlhorn and later from RAF Bruggen, while a detachment was for a short time in 1956 stationed at Valkenburg Naval Air Base in the Netherlands. [7] The squadron finally disbanded on 31 December 1969. [4]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft of 213 Squadron [4] [8] [9]
FromToAircraftVersion
April 1918December 1919 Camel F1
March 1937February 1939 Gauntlet Mk.II
January 1939February 1942 Hurricane Mk.I
August 1941March 1944 Hurricane Mks.IIa, IIc
February 1944May 1944 Spitfire Mk.Vc
February 1944June 1944 Spitfire Mk.IX
May 1944February 1947 Mustang Mk.III
February 1945February 1947 Mustang Mk.IV
January 1947January 1950 Tempest F.6
November 1949April 1952 Vampire FB.5
April 1952September 1954 Vampire FB.9
March 1956December 1969 Canberra B(I).6

Commanding officers

Commanding Officers of 213 Squadron [10] [11]
FromToName
3 July 191721 November 1918S/Cdr. R. Graham
21 November 191831 December 1919Maj. A.G. Tayler
3 May 193727 May 1940S/Ldr. J.H. Edwardes Jones
27 May 194025 August 1940S/Ldr. H. McGregor, DSO
25 August 194014 November 1941S/Ldr. D.S. MacDonald
14 November 194116 January 1942S/Ldr. R. Lockhart
16 January 194218 May 1942S/Ldr. G.V.W. Kettlewell
18 May 194212 October 1942S/Ldr. M.H. Young, DFC
12 October 19421 January 1943S/Ldr. P. Olver
1 January 194324 August 1943S/Ldr. V.C. Woodward, DFC
24 August 194316 September 1944S/Ldr. S.R. Whiting, DFC
16 September 194417 December 1944S/Ldr. C.S. Vos, DFC
17 December 194417 January 1946S/Ldr. P.E. Vaughan-Fowler, DFC & Bar
17 January 19464 November 1946S/Ldr. R.S. Nash, DFC
4 November 19462 January 1947S/Ldr. M.C. Wells
2 January 194718 March 1948S/Ldr. D.C. Colebrook
18 March 194818 April 1949S/Ldr. P.J. Kelley, DFC
18 April 194914 September 1951S/Ldr. D.J.A. Roe, DSO, DFC
14 September 195131 March 1954S/Ldr. D.M. Finn, DFC
31 March 195430 September 1954S/Ldr. A.J.H. Kitley
1 September 195429 December 1957W/Cdr. H.J. Dodson, AFC
29 December 195710 August 1959W/Cdr. I.R. Campbell, AFC
10 August 19597 June 1961W/Cdr. P.T. Bayley
7 June 196124 April 1964W/Cdr. S. Slater, DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar
24 April 196413 June 1966W/Cdr. R.H. Arscott
13 June 196623 May 1968W/Cdr. T.E. Benson
23 May 196831 December 1969W/Cdr. M.R.T. Chandler

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References

  1. ↑ Pine, LG (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes . London: Routledge & K. Paul. p.  116. ISBN   0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ↑ Leeson 1998, p. 194.
  3. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, pp. 14, 16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Halley 1988, p. 278.
  5. 1 2 Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 42.
  6. ↑ Squadrons of the Battle of Britain. Aircraft, badges and history - 213 to 236 Squadrons on the UK Ministry of Defense Website
  7. ↑ Moyes 1976, p. 201.
  8. ↑ Rawlings 1978, pp. 327-328.
  9. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 73.
  10. ↑ Rawlings 1978, p. 328.
  11. ↑ Leeson 1998, p. 195.
Bibliography
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