No. 276 Squadron RAF

Last updated

No. 276 Squadron RAF
Active21 October 1941 – 14 November 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Motto(s)Retrieve
Insignia
Squadron BadgeThe head of a labrador Retriever dog
Squadron CodeAQ (October 1941 - November 1945)

No. 276 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an air-sea rescue unit in World War II.

Contents

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron formed at RAF Harrowbeer, Devon on 21 October 1941 equipped with the Lysander and Walrus, with the responsibility of Air Sea Rescue over the Western part of the English Channel and the Bristol Channel. [1] Hurricanes, Defiants, Spitfires and Ansons were then supplied, the fighter aircraft being used for spotting downed aircrew at sea and for dropping dinghies to the downed airmen. [2] [3]

Warwicks which could drop lifeboats were operated from April 1944 until they were transferred to No. 277 Squadron RAF. A detachment and then the whole squadron relocated to Querqueville, France, and then Belgium following the Normandy landings. The squadron then moved to Kjevik, Norway, on 23 August 1945 and it returned to RAF Dunsfold on 10 November 1945 where it disbanded on 14 November 1945.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 276 Squadron RAF [4]
FromToAircraftVariant
Oct 1941May 1943 Westland Lysander IIIA
Nov 1941Jan 1942 Hawker Hurricane I
Jan 1942Nov 1945 Supermarine Walrus
Mar 1942Apr 1942 Supermarine Spitfire IIA
May 1942Jun 1943 Boulton Paul Defiant I
Feb 1943May 1944Supermarine SpitfireIIA
Mar 1943Mar 1944 Avro Anson I
Feb 1944May 1944 Supermarine Sea Otter
Apr 1944Nov 1944 Vickers Warwick I
May 1944Jun 1945Supermarine SpitfireVB

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 3 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 3 Squadron, also known as No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2006. It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps – being the first to fly heavier than air aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 7 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC6 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 18 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 18 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham. Owing to its heritage as a bomber squadron, it is also known as No. 18 (B) Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 78 Squadron RAF</span> Squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 78 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, is the squadron number plate of RAF (Unit) Swanwick based at London Area Control Centre, Swanwick, Hampshire. The squadron was allocated the role in early 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 14 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) role from RAF Waddington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 28 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 28 Squadron, also known as No. 28 Squadron or No. 28 (AC) Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Based at RAF Benson, it serves as the RAF's Operational Conversion Unit for the Westland Puma HC2 and Boeing Chinook HC5/6/6A helicopters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 84 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Puma HC Mk.2 helicopter. The squadron transitioned from the previously operated Bell Griffin HAR.2 to the Puma HC Mk.2 in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 22 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is an operational testing and evaluation squadron for all the Joint Helicopter Command helicopter types including Chinook, Puma HC2, Merlin HC4, Apache and Wildcat AH1. Formerly the Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation and Training Unit, the highly experienced helicopter aircrew will also ensure frontline crews have Qualified Warfare Instructors to support them on operations worldwide. The squadron was reformed in May 2020 to serve as the Joint Helicopter Command Operational Evaluation Unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 202 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the maritime and mountains training element of the No.1 Flying Training School, operating the Airbus Helicopters H145 Jupiter.

<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.

No 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Cramlington in 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1975.

No. 280 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.

No. 52 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in both World War I and World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 500 Squadron RAF</span> Royal Air Force flying squadron

No. 500 Squadron AAF was a Royal Air Force flying squadron. It was initially formed in 1931 as a Special Reserve squadron and in 1936 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force, at this time based at Manston and Detling.

No. 293 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron. During the Second World War the unit operated search and rescue missions for Allied aircraft operating over Italy.

No. 294 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air search and rescue (ASR) squadron active under RAF Middle East Command. During the second world war the unit operated rescue missions for Allied aircraft and aircrew over the eastern Mediterranean and later the Persian Gulf and Arabian sea.

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.

No. 144 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 during the First World War, operating as a bomber squadron in the Middle East. It reformed in 1937, serving in the bomber and anti-shipping roles during the Second World War. A third incarnation saw the squadron serving as a strategic missile squadron during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

No. 292 Squadron RAF was an air-sea rescue (ASR) squadron of the Royal Air Force operating in the Bay of Bengal during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 279 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.

References

  1. ↑ Dunnell Aeroplane April 2018, p. 60.
  2. ↑ Rawlings 1982, pp. 250–251.
  3. ↑ Dunnell Aeroplane April 2018, p. 61.
  4. ↑ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.