No. 549 Squadron RAF

No. 549 Squadron RAF
Some of No. 549 Squadron's pilots and a Spitfire in June 1945 near Darwin, Australia
Active	15 Dec 1943 – 31 Oct 1945 [1]
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Insignia
Squadron Codes	ZF (Apr 1944 – Oct 1945) [2] [3]

No. 549 Squadron RAF was a fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) operating in Australia from 1943 to 1945.

History

The squadron was formed at Lawnton Airfield, Queensland Australia on 15 December 1943, ^[1] made up of RAF Aircrew and RAAF groundstaff, to provide air defence duties with Spitfires, as the RAAF Kittyhawks were inadequate for interception missions. ^{[4] [5]} On 1 January they moved to Petrie Airfield, Strathpine, Queensland. ^[1] In April 1944 the squadron's Spitfires arrived. May 1944 the unit moved to RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, ^[1] while June saw a move to Strauss Airfield, Northern Territory with a detachment at Truscott Airfield, Western Australia. On 5 September 1944 it joined sister unit No. 548 Squadron RAF on a sweep over Selaru Island, 300 miles north of Darwin. In October they went to Parap Airfield (Darwin/Civil), Northern Territory, maintaining their detachment in Truscott. On 27 November they went over Timor. Throughout its life the Squadron was commanded by Sqn Ldr E.P.W. Bocock. The squadron was disbanded, according to some sources, at Parap Airfield, Darwin, on 9 October 1945. ^{[6] [7]} However, a more recent source states that disbandment occurred on 31 October, at Melbourne. ^[1] Afterwards, the RAF personnel returned to the United Kingdom.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 549 Squadron RAF ^{[1] [6] [7]}

From	To	Aircraft	Version	Remarks
December 1943	April 1944	CAC Wirraway		For training
December 1943	April 1944	de Havilland Tiger Moth		For training
April 1944	October 1945	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.VIII	Tropicalised

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 549 Squadron RAF ^{[1] [6] [7] [8]}

From	To	Base	Remarks
15 December 1943	1 January 1944	Lawnton Airfield, Queensland
1 January 1944	24 May 1944	Petrie Airfield, Strathpine, Queensland
24 May 1944	16 June 1944	RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland	Detachment at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland
16 June 1944	23 October 1944	Strauss Airfield, Northern Territory	Detachment at Truscott Airfield, Western Australia
23 October 1944	23 September 1945	Parap Airfield (Darwin/Civil), Darwin, Northern Territory	Detachment at Truscott Airfield, Western Australia
23 September 1945	31 October 1945	RAAF Base Melbourne (No. 1 PD), Victoria

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 549 Squadron RAF ^[9]

From	To	Name
January 1944	October 1945	S/Ldr. E.P.W. Bocock, DFC

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. Jefford 2001, p. 98.
2. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 120.
3. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 123.
4. RAF – Squadron history.
5. Halley 1988 , p. 409.
6. Halley 1988 , p. 410.
7. Rawlings 1978 , p. 467.
8. Jefford 2001 , p. 275.
9. Rawlings 1978 , p. 468.

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.
• Possé, Victor (2003). Together up There: Unit History of 549 RAF/RAAF Fighter Squadron in Northern Australia in World War II. Loftus, New South Wales, Australia: Australian Military History Publications. ISBN   1-876439-92-0.
• Rawlings, John (1978) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (Revised ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01028-X.

External links

• The history of No. 549 Squadron at raf.mod.uk
• History of No.'s 541–598 Squadrons at RAF Web