No. 38 Squadron RAF facts for kids
Quick facts for kids No. 38 Squadron RAF |
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No. 38 Squadron badge. A heron volant.
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| Active | July 1916 – July 1919 September 1935 – March 1967 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Bomber |
| Part of | No. 3 Group 1939–1940 No. 205 Group 1940–1942 |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Ante lucem ("Before the dawn") |
| Battle honours | Home Defence, 1917–1918 Western Front, 1918 Channel & North Sea, 1939 Fortress Europe, 1940 Norway, 1940 France & Low Countries, 1940 Invasion Ports, 1940 Ruhr, 1940 German Ports, 1940 Berlin, 1940 Egypt & Libya, 1940–1942 Malta, 1941 Mediterranean, 1941–1943 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Arthur Harris |
No. 38 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a special group of planes and pilots. It started in 1916 as a bomber squadron, meaning they flew planes that dropped bombs. Later, they also flew planes for looking over the sea. The squadron was active for many years and was last stopped in 1967.
Contents
World War I: Protecting the Skies (1916-1919)
No. 38 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (which later became the RAF) first formed in 1916. It was set up to defend Britain, especially the West Midlands area, from enemy air attacks. At first, they used B.E.2c planes.
Later in 1916, the squadron got new F.E.2b aircraft. Their main job was to protect against Zeppelin airships, which were used by Germany to bomb British cities. They flew at night to spot and stop these airships. A famous leader, Captain A. T. Harris, who later became a very important Air Chief Marshal, commanded the squadron for several months during this time.
In May 1918, the squadron became a night bomber unit and moved to Dunkirk in France. They flew missions to drop bombs on German targets like docks, railways, and airfields in Belgium. After five months of these operations, the squadron returned to England and was officially stopped on 4 July 1919.
Reforming for New Challenges (1935-1938)
No. 38 Squadron started up again in September 1935. They were a night bomber squadron once more, first flying Handley Page Heyford planes. They were one of the first RAF squadrons to get a new type of bomber called a monoplane, the Fairey Hendon, in November 1936. A monoplane has only one set of wings, unlike older biplanes which had two.
In 1937, the squadron moved to RAF Marham. In December 1938, they received their first Vickers Wellington bombers. These planes were very important for the squadron. No. 38 Squadron was one of the few RAF groups that used the Wellington bomber from the very start to the very end of World War II.
World War II: Action and Impact (1939-1945)
Early Missions and Home Defence
When World War II began, No. 38 Squadron started by flying missions over the North Sea. Their first bombing mission was on 3 December 1939. They joined other squadrons to attack German warships. During this mission, a brave gunner, LAC J. Copley, shot down an enemy fighter plane and was awarded a medal for his courage.
In May 1940, the squadron began helping the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), which was the British army in Europe. They flew missions to support the soldiers as they were leaving the beaches of Dunkirk. One of their planes was shot down, and the crew sadly lost their lives. The co-pilot, Flying Officer Vivian Rosewarne, had written a letter to his mother that was later published. This letter touched many people and became very famous, even reaching King George VI.
From May 1940 onwards, No. 38 Squadron regularly flew night raids. They targeted important ports and industrial areas in Germany, sometimes even flying as far as Berlin.
Fighting in the Mediterranean
In November 1940, No. 38 Squadron moved to Egypt. Their new mission was to attack Italian ports along the North African coast. This helped to stop supplies from reaching Italian forces in the desert. They also carried out raids on Greek islands and Yugoslavia.
In January 1942, the squadron started focusing on anti-shipping duties. This meant they would attack enemy ships. From March to October 1942, they carried out night torpedo attacks on enemy ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Wellington bomber was still their main aircraft. Even though it was slow, it could fly long distances at night, which was important for these missions. Some Wellingtons were fitted with radar and called 'Snoopingtons'. They would find enemy ships and light them up with flares for other Wellingtons, called 'Torpingtons', to attack with torpedoes. Torpedoes had to be released very close to the water, which was a dangerous job.
After the Axis forces were defeated in North Africa, the squadron continued to attack enemy ships and lay mines along the coasts of Italy and the Balkans.
From 1943 to 1944, the squadron also flew reconnaissance missions (looking for enemy activity), laid mines, and patrolled for submarines. They had teams of planes that would hunt and sink enemy ships. In 1944, they moved to Greece to help with air operations there. Later, they moved to southern Italy. They dropped supplies to resistance fighters and continued attacking Axis shipping until the war ended.
After World War II (1945-1967)
In July 1945, No. 38 Squadron moved to Malta. They started using Vickers Warwick planes for looking over the sea and for air sea rescue duties, helping people in trouble at sea. In 1946, they switched to Avro Lancaster planes and spent about 18 months in Palestine. There, they helped the Royal Navy stop illegal immigration by sea.
The squadron continued its important work of sea reconnaissance and rescue. In 1954, they got new Avro Shackleton planes and stayed based in Malta until 1967. During this time, they helped with patrols in places like the Beira Strait and the Persian Gulf.
No. 38 Squadron was officially stopped at Hal Far, Malta, on 31 March 1967. The squadron's number was later used for a training unit for Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft until 1992, when that unit was also stopped.
See also
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
