No. 292 Squadron RAF

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No. 292 Squadron RAF
Active1 February 1944 – 14 June 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role Air-sea rescue
Part of Air Command, South East Asia
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryNo badge authorised [1]
Squadron CodesNo code(s) are known to have been used by this squadron [2] [3]

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.

Contents

History

No. 292 Squadron was formed at RAF Jessore, Bengal, (then) British India, on 1 February 1944, as a dedicated air-sea rescue squadron equipped with Walrus flying boats. A detachment of the squadron was sent further south, in Ceylon. In April the squadron received a number of Vickers Warwick patrol aircraft, but these were found to be unsuitable in the tropical climate, and in December 1944 they received Consolidated Liberator Mk.VIs as replacements. In November 1944 the squadron received a number of Supermarine Sea Otters, a more modern flying boat. It was posted to RAF Agartala in February 1945, as operations had shifted further eastwards through Burma; they were located there when the squadron was disbanded on 14 June. [4] Its duties were then taken over by three independent flights, No's 1347, 1348 and 1349 Flights.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 292 Squadron [5] [6] [7]
FromToAircraftVersion
February 1944June 1945 Supermarine Walrus Mks.I, II
April 1944June 1945 Vickers Warwick ASR.Mk.I (unsuited for tropical climate, non-operational after November 1944)
November 1944June 1945 Supermarine Sea Otter Mk.II
December 1944June 1945 Consolidated Liberator Mk.VI

Squadron basesd

Camps and airfields used by No. 292 Squadron [5] [6] [7] [8]
FromToAirfieldRemark
1 February 19445 February 1945 RAF Jessore, Bengal, British India Det. at RAF Ratmalana, Ceylon; RAF Sigiriya, Ceylon and RAF Santa Cruz, Maharashtra, British India
5 February 194514 June 1945 RAF Agartala, Tripura, British IndiaDets. at RAF Kankesanthurai, Ceylon and RAF Chittagong, Bengal, British India

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "An index to the badges of RAF Squadrons in AIR 2". National Archives. 1993.
  2. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 147.
  3. ↑ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 231.
  4. ↑ "RAF - History". mod.uk.
  5. 1 2 Rawlings 1982 , p. 252.
  6. 1 2 Halley 1988 , p. 350.
  7. 1 2 Jefford 2001 , p. 86.
  8. ↑ Delve 1994 , pp. 76–77.

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN   0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-85310-451-5.
  • Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN   0-7106-0187-5.
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