No. 126 Squadron RAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron RAF
Active	1 March 1918 – 17 August 1918 28 June 1941 – 10 March 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)	Persian Gulf
Motto(s)	"Foremost in attack"
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A Maltese Cross under a laurel wreath.
Squadron Codes	V (Jun 1942 – Dec 1942) MK (Dec 1942 – May 1943) 5J (Apr 1943 – Mar 1946)

No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron RAF was a special group of pilots and planes in the Royal Air Force, which is the UK's air force. This squadron was first formed during World War I to drop bombs. Later, it was brought back during World War II to fly fighter planes and protect places.

Squadron History

Starting Up: World War I

No. 126 Squadron was first created on March 1, 1918. Back then, it was part of the Royal Flying Corps, which was the air force before the Royal Air Force. Just a month later, it became part of the new Royal Air Force. However, this first version of the squadron was closed down on August 17, 1918.

Back in Action: World War II

The squadron was started up again in 1941. This time, it was a fighter unit, meaning it flew planes designed to fight other aircraft. They used Hawker Hurricane planes and were based in Malta. Their job was to defend Malta from enemy attacks from the air.

Later, the squadron got new planes called Supermarine Spitfires. They then moved to fly from Sicily and Italy. In April 1944, the squadron moved to the UK. It was finally closed down for good on March 10, 1946, after flying North American Mustang planes for a while.

Planes They Flew