No. 544 Squadron RAF

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No. 544 Squadron RAF
Active 19 October 1942 – 13 October 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Motto(s) Latin: Quero (I seek)
Insignia
Squadron Badge A gannet with its head lowered

No. 544 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a photographic reconnaissance squadron in World War II.

Royal Air Force Aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world. Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.

Reconnaissance military exploration beyond the area occupied by friendly forces

In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration outside an area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about natural features and other activities in the area.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Contents

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron formed at RAF Benson on 19 October 1942 and was equipped with Ansons, a detachment then went to Gibraltar where it operated Wellingtons. It then operated Spitfires and Mosquitos on reconnaissance missions, including Aarhus five days before the air raid on 31 October 1944. It disbanded on 13 August 1945 after hostilities ceased.

RAF Benson Royal Air Force main operating base in Oxfordshire, England.

Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and home to it's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, comprising No. 33 Squadron and No. 230 Squadron. Other flying units comprise No. 28 Squadron which is the combined Puma and Boeing Chinook HC4 operational conversion unit, the Oxford University Air Squadron and No. 6 Air Experience Flight both flying the Grob Tutor T1. The National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance are also based at the station, both operating the Airbus H135 helicopter.

Avro Anson airplane

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War.

Gibraltar British Overseas Territory

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to over 30,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 544 Squadron RAF
FromToAircraftVariant
Oct 1942Mar 1943 Avro Anson I
Oct 1942Mar 1943 Martin Maryland I
Oct 1942Mar 1943 Vickers Wellington IV
Oct 1942Oct 1943 Supermarine Spitfire IV
Mar 1943Oct 1943 de Havilland Mosquito IV
Aug 1943Oct 1943Supermarine SpitfireXI
Aug 1943Feb 1945de Havilland MosquitoIX
Mar 1944Apr 1945de Havilland MosquitoXVI
Oct 1944Oct 1945de Havilland MosquitoXXXII
Apr 1945Oct 1945de Havilland MosquitoXXXIV

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References

  1. C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.