No. 232 Squadron RAF facts for kids
Quick facts for kids No. 232 Squadron RAF |
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|---|---|
| Active | 20 August 1918 – 5 January 1919 17 July 1940 – 26 February 1942 10 April 1942 – 31 October 1944 15 November 1944 – 6 January 1945 6 January 1945 – 15 August 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Strike |
| Engagements | Battle of Britain |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A dragon-ship under sail, oars in action |
| Squadron Codes | EF (Jul 1940 - Jul 1941, Apr 1942 - Oct 1944) |
No. 232 Squadron was a special group of the Royal Air Force (RAF). They were active in both World War I and World War II. This squadron had many different jobs. They patrolled for submarines, flew fighter planes, and even transported supplies.
Contents
Squadron History
World War I Missions
No. 232 Squadron started on August 20, 1918. It was made up of three smaller groups. They were based at Royal Naval Air Station RNAS Felixstowe. The squadron used large flying boats called Felixstowe F.2 and F.3. Their main job was to search for enemy submarines. They flew patrols over the North Sea. The squadron was active until World War I ended. It was officially closed down on January 5, 1919.
World War II Missions
Protecting Scotland
The squadron was started again on July 17, 1940. This was during World War II. They were based at RAF Sumburgh in Scotland. The squadron flew Hawker Hurricane fighter planes. Their job was to defend Scotland from enemy attacks. They stayed in Scotland until April 1941.
The squadron was then told to move to the Middle East. The ground crew left first. But the pilots were still flying missions. So, the ground crew came back. The squadron moved to RAF Ouston instead. They continued their defense duties there.
Fighting in the Far East
In November 1941, the squadron finally left for the Middle East. But their plans changed. When they reached South Africa, they were sent to the Far East. This was because Japan had invaded Malaya.
The ground crew arrived in Singapore. But by the time the pilots arrived, there were no airfields left. So, the planes flew to Java on January 27, 1942. The whole squadron met up in Sumatra on February 2. But they had to move again to Java. This was because Japan invaded Sumatra.
By mid-February 1942, the planes were in bad shape. So, No. 232 Squadron joined with No. 242 Squadron. The ground crews were sent to Ceylon. There, they joined other units. No. 232 Squadron stopped existing on February 26, 1942.
Operations in North Africa and Italy
The squadron was reformed again on April 10, 1942. They were at RAF Atcham. This time, they flew Spitfire planes. They started flying missions in May. In August, they moved to RAF Debden. From there, they flew attacks over France. They also helped with the Dieppe Raid.
In September, they moved to RAF Turnhouse. They got ready to go overseas again. They left the UK in November. The ground crew arrived in Gibraltar. The pilots and planes joined them in December. They moved to North Africa in early December. They were led by Archibald Winskill. The squadron immediately began attacking enemy ground targets. They also flew fighter missions. They supported the 1st Army. They continued these missions until the end of the North African campaign.
In June 1943, the squadron moved to Malta. They helped with the Allied invasion of Sicily. Then they moved to Sicily. From there, they supported the Allied landings in mainland Italy. In September, they moved to airfields in Italy.
In December, they were sent to the Lebanon. Their job was to defend the area. They got new Spitfire IX planes. In April 1944, they moved to Corsica. They helped with the Allied landing on the South Coast of France. They stayed in France to support the Allied advance. In October 1944, they returned to Naples. The squadron was closed down on October 31.
Becoming a Transport Squadron
The squadron was reformed again on November 15, 1944. This time, they became a transport unit. They were based at RAF Stoney Cross. They used Wellington Mk.XVIs planes. On January 6, 1945, these planes went to No. 242 Squadron. The ground crews helped form other units.
However, No. 232 Squadron did not close down. They immediately got new planes. These were Liberators. They also got new crews. In February, they took these planes to India. They started flying transport missions all over South-East Asia.
In July, they received some Douglas Skymaster Mk.Is. They used these planes to fly between Ceylon and Australia. In February 1946, the Skymasters were sent back to the UK. But the service started again in March. This time, they used Lancastrians instead of Skymasters. The squadron finally closed down on August 15, 1946. This happened at Poona. Civilian airlines took over their routes.
