No. 452 Squadron RAAF
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No. 452 Squadron RAAF
| No. 452 Squadron RAAF | |
|---|---|
.jpg) No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft near Morotai in late 1944 |
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| Active | 8 April 1941 – 17 November 1945 2011–current |
| Country |  Australia |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Australian Air Force |
| Role | fighter squadron (1941–1945) Air traffic control (2011–current) |
| Part of | No. 44 Wing |
| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Keith "Bluey" Truscott |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Codes | UD (Apr 1941 – Mar 1942)[1][2] QY (Jan 1943 – Nov 1945)[3][4] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Supermarine Spitfire |
No. 452 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force air traffic control unit. It was originally formed in 1941 fighter unit formed in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II, in England. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over the UK and Nazi-occupied Europe. The squadron was later based in Australia and the Netherlands East Indies before being disbanded in 1945. It was re-raised in its current role in February 2011.
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Contents
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History
No. 452 Squadron RAAF was the first Australian squadron formed in Britain during the Second World War. Its first personnel gathered at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey on 8 April 1941 and the squadron became operational there on 22 May of that year, flying Supermarine Spitfires. No. 452 Squadron rapidly developed a formidable reputation in operations against German forces. They were involved in many different kinds of operations. One of the most unusual was escorting a bomber that — with the co-operation of the Germans — dropped an artificial leg by parachute into Europe, for the use of the British ace Douglas Bader, who was a prisoner of war. The bombers flew on to bomb a factory.
Another notable operation was the attack on the German warships Scharnhorst, Prinz Eugen and Gneisenau which were attempting the "Channel Dash", from their French harbour. Allied aircraft inflicted severe damage to these ships, despite intense anti-aircraft fire. The squadron did not lose an aircraft or suffer any damage to it on this occasion. Truscott was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for this action. Keith "Bluey" Truscott was perhaps the best-known of the squadron's fliers. Although it was an RAAF unit, while it was in Europe, 452 Sqn also had some British personnel, from the Royal Air Force as well as other British Commonwealth air forces and other nationalities. One of these was the Irish ace Paddy Finucane. A number of Polish pilots also flew with the squadron and proved to be formidable pilots, despite occasional language problems.
In March 1942, 452 Squadron replaced its sister, 457 Squadron, at RAF Andreas, Isle of Man, where it remained until it withdrew from operations in Britain in June of that year to return to Australia. It sailed for home on 21 June, arriving in Melbourne on 13 August and re-assembled at RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales on 6 September. The squadron began a refresher training at Richmond, using a varied collection of aircraft because its Spitfires had been commandeered in transit by the Royal Air Force in the Middle East.
452 Squadron became operational again on 17 January 1943. Re-equipped with Spitfires, it was based at Batchelor Airfield in the Northern Territory and there joined No. 1 Wing RAAF, which defended Darwin from Japanese air raids. The squadron was relocated to Strauss Airfield on 1 February and, with the exception of a brief period between 9 and 27 March 1943 when it was deployed to RAAF Base Pearce to reinforce the air defences of Perth, it remained there (Strauss Airfield), protecting Darwin, until 30 June 1944, in May 1944 having become part of No. 80 Wing RAAF.
On 1 July 1944 the Squadron moved to Sattler Airfield in the Northern Territory. The protection of Darwin had been handed over to two Royal Air Force squadrons, allowing 452 Squadron to be employed in a ground attack role for the rest of the war. Initially the squadron operated against targets in the Dutch East Indies from Sattler Airfield, but on 11 December 1944 it joined the 1st Tactical Air Force and was relocated to Morotai in the Dutch East Indies, to support the Australian operations in Borneo (Kalimantan). The ground staff established themselves quickly at the newly captured Juwata airfield on Tarakan on 10 May 1945, but the state of the landing field was such that it was not fit for the aircraft of the squadron until 29 June. Following the landing at Balikpapan on 1 July a detachment of 452 Squadron Spitfires moved there on 15 July, to support the land campaign. The squadrons last sortie of the war was flown on 10 August 1945 and it disbanded two months later at Tarakan on 17 November 1945.
No. 452 Squadron was re-raised as an air traffic control unit on 16 February 2011. It forms part of No. 44 Wing and is headquartered at RAAF Base Darwin. It maintains subordinate flights at RAAF Base Darwin, RAAF Base Tindal, RAAF Base Amberley, RAAF Base Townsville and the Oakey Army Aviation Centre which provide air traffic control for these bases.[5]
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1941 | May 1941 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.I |
| May 141 | August 1941 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IIa |
| August 1941 | April 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.Vb |
| April 1944 | November 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.VIII |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 April 1941 | 21 July 1941 | RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire | |
| 21 July 1941 | 21 October 1941 | RAF Kenley, Surrey | |
| 21 October 1941 | 14 January 1942 | RAF Redhill, Surrey | |
| 14 January 1942 | 23 March 1942 | RAF Kenley, | |
| 23 March 1942 | 21 June 1942 | RAF Andreas, Isle of Man | Ground echolon at RAF Atcham, Shropshire |
| 21 June 1942 | 13 August 1942 | en route to Australia | |
| 6 September 1942 | 17 January 1943 | RAAF Richmond, New South Wales | RAAF Station Mascot[8] |
| 17 January 1943 | 1 February 1943 | Batchelor Airfield, Northern Territory | |
| 1 February 1943 | 9 March 1943 | Strauss Airfield, Northern Territory | Dets. at Wyndham, Western Australia and Milingimbi Island, Northern Territory |
| 9 March 1943 | 27 March 1943 | RAAF Pearce, Western Australia | Guildford Airfield[8][9] |
| 27 March 1943 | 30 June 1944 | Strauss Airfield, Northern Territory | |
| 1 July 1944 | 11 December 1944 | Sattler Airfield, Northern Territory | |
| 11 December 1944 | 29 June 1945 | Morotai, Dutch East Indies | |
| 29 June 1945 | 17 November 1945 | Juwata Airfield, Tarakan | Det. at Balikpapan Airfield, Kalimantan |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 8 April 1941 | 15 June 1941 | Squadron Leader Roy Gilbert Dutton (RAF), DFC & Bar |
| 15 June 1941 | 25 January 1942 | Squadron Leader Robert Wilton Bungey |
| 25 January 1942 | 18 March 1942 | Squadron Leader Keith "Bluey" Truscott |
| 18 March 1942 | 30 March 1943 | Squadron Leader Ray Edward Thorold-Smith, DFC |
| 30 March 1943 | 3 February 1944 | Squadron Leader Ronald Sommerville MacDonald |
| 3 February 1944 | 4 June 1945 | Squadron Leader Louis Thomas Spence |
| 4 June 1945 | 17 November 1945 | Squadron Leader Kevin Milne Barclay |
See also
References
Notes
- ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 100.
- ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 109.
- ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 143.
- ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 132.
- ^ "Senator Feeney Celebrates the Reformation of Number 452 and 453 Squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown". Media release. Senator The Hon. David Feeney MP Parliamentary Secretary for Defence. 16 February 2011. http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Feeneytpl.cfm?CurrentId=11466. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ a b c Rawlings 1978, p. 444.
- ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 475.
- ^ a b c d Jefford 2001, p. 94.
- ^ a b c d Ozatwar: 452 SQUADRON RAAF IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII
Bibliography
- Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd.). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- RAAF Historical Section. Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: a concise history. Volume 2: fighter units. Canberra: Australian Governmeny Publishing Service, 1997. ISBN 0-644-42794-9.
- Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- Smith, Frank; Geoffrey Pentland (1971). Spitfire Markings of the RAAF: Pacific area 1942–45, part 1. Dandenong, Victoria, Australia: Kookaburra Technical Publications. ISBN 0-85880-001-2.
- Smith, Frank; Peter Malone (1971). Spitfire Markings of the RAAF: Pacific area 1944–45, part 2. Dandenong, Victoria, Australia: Kookaburra Technical Publications. ISBN 0-85880-007-1.
- Southall, Ivan. Bluey Truscott: Squadron Leader Keith William Truscott, R.A.A.F., D.F.C. and Bar. Sydney, Australia: Angus and Robertson, 1958.
- Wawn, Clive Jr. (collection of memorabilia and documents)
External links
- Australian War Memorial – 452 Squadron
- Digger History – An excellent website for research
- 452 Squadron RAAF Museum Point Cook: 452 Squadron
- "Out of the Blue" – Thorold-Smith painting by Troy White
- Stories of Pilots, many of whom flew with 452 Squadron
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