No. 204 Squadron RAF facts for kids
Quick facts for kids No 204 Squadron RAF |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 23 March 1915(RNAS) – 15 October 1915 31 December 1916 – 31 December 1919 1 February 1929 – 30 June 1945 1 August 1947 – 20 February 1953 1 January 1954 – 1 April 1971 1 April 1971 – 1 May 1972 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Praedam mari quaero ("I seek my prey in the sea") |
| Battle honours | Home Waters, 1915 Western Front, 1917–18 Atlantic, 1940–45 Norway, 1940 Arctic, 1941 |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | On water barry wavy, a mooring buoy, thereon a cormorant displayed The badge is based upon a photograph made by Aircraftsman T.E. Shaw (Lawrence of Arabia) |
| Squadron Codes | RF (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) KG (Sep 1939 – 1943) T (Jan 1954 – 1956) |
No. 204 Squadron was a special unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was first created in March 1915 as No. 4 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Over the years, this squadron was formed and disbanded several times, playing different roles in important historical events. Its motto, Praedam mari quaero, means "I seek my prey in the sea," which shows its main job was often to patrol the oceans.
Contents
The Squadron in World War I
No. 4 Squadron RNAS started on March 25, 1915, in Dover, England. It was first called the RNAS Defence Flight. In August 1915, it moved to Eastchurch and became No. 4 Wing RNAS.
The squadron was formed again on December 31, 1916, in Coudekerque, France. Here, they flew Sopwith 1½ Strutter planes. In March 1917, they got new Sopwith Pup planes and moved to Bray-Dunes. By June 1917, they were flying the famous Sopwith Camel.
In January 1918, the squadron briefly moved back to England to rest. They returned to France in March 1918. On April 1, 1918, when the Royal Air Force was officially created, the squadron was renamed No. 204 Squadron. They moved to different airfields near Dunkirk, settling at Téteghem in May 1918. In October 1918, they moved to Heule in Belgium, where they stayed until the war ended. In February 1919, the squadron returned to RAF Waddington in England and was officially closed down in December 1919.
Reforming and Ocean Patrols
No. 204 Squadron was formed again on February 1, 1929. This time, it was a coastal reconnaissance unit based at RAF Mount Batten in Plymouth. They used five Supermarine Southampton flying boats. Flying boats are special planes that can land and take off from water.
The squadron regularly trained and went on long flights. They even cruised to the Mediterranean Sea in 1932 and the Baltic Sea in 1933.
In August 1935, they replaced their old Southamptons with Supermarine Scapas. In September, they moved to Aboukir, Egypt. This was part of the UK's response to Italy invading Ethiopia. They stayed there until August 1936, then returned to Plymouth. From October 1936, they started flying Saro London planes.
The squadron continued its training and cruises. They visited Gibraltar in August 1937. A very special trip was to Australia in 1938 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sydney's founding. They were away from Britain from December 1937 to April 1938.
The Squadron in World War II
In June 1939, just before World War II began, the squadron got new Short Sunderland planes. These were large, powerful flying boats. When the war started in September 1939, No. 204 Squadron began flying important missions. They escorted convoys (groups of ships) and hunted for enemy submarines in the Western approaches of the Atlantic Ocean.
In April 1940, the squadron moved to Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands. From there, they patrolled the coast of Norway because Germany had invaded it.
In April 1941, the squadron moved to Reykjavík, Iceland. For five months, they flew patrols over the North Atlantic. In August, their Sunderlands flew to Gibraltar, then moved to Bathurst (now Banjul) in The Gambia, West Africa. Their job there was to fight German submarines that were active in the busy shipping lanes. The squadron stayed at Bathurst until June 30, 1945, when it was disbanded.
During World War II, No. 204 Squadron lost 19 Sunderland planes. They didn't sink any enemy submarines, but they did shoot down at least one German Junkers Ju 88 aircraft.
Becoming a Transport Squadron
On August 1, 1947, the squadron was formed again at Kibrit Air Base in Egypt. This time, it was a transport squadron. They flew Douglas Dakota planes, which were later replaced by Vickers Valettas in July 1949. On February 20, 1953, the squadron was disbanded again and its members became part of No. 84 Squadron RAF.
Back to Maritime Operations
The squadron was reformed one more time on January 1, 1954, at RAF Ballykelly. They were equipped with Avro Shackletons, which were large patrol aircraft.
In 1965, the white government in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) declared itself independent from Britain. This led to the United Nations putting sanctions on Rhodesia to try and stop them from getting oil. Rhodesia relied on an oil pipeline through Mozambique from the port of Beira.
The Royal Navy and the RAF worked together to enforce these sanctions. The RAF flew reconnaissance flights over the Beira Straits from their base in Madagascar. No. 204 Squadron was given this important task. They used two Avro Shackleton Mk2s for these patrols. The last flight happened on March 17, 1972, just before the base closed. The squadron was officially disbanded on April 28, 1972.
Aircraft Flown by the Squadron
The squadron used many different types of aircraft throughout its history:
- World War I: Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel.
- Between the Wars: Supermarine Southampton, Supermarine Scapa, Saro London. These were often "flying boats" that could land on water.
- World War II: Short Sunderland (Mk.I, Mk.II, Mk.III, Mk.V). These were large patrol planes.
- Post-War Transport: Douglas Dakota, Vickers Valetta. These were used for carrying people and supplies.
- Later Maritime Patrol: Avro Shackleton (MR.2, MR.1A, MR.2C). These were used for long-range patrols over the sea.
Images for kids
-
Official Squadron crest for No 204 Squadron RAF
Official Squadron crest for No 204 Squadron RAF
