No. 228 Squadron RAF

No. 228 Squadron RAF was a unit that during the greatest part of its existence flew over water, doing so in First, and Second World Wars and beyond, performing anti-submarine, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue tasks.

No. 228 Squadron RAF
Active20 Aug 1918 - 30 Jun 1919
15 Dec 1936 – 4 Jun 1945
1 Jun 1946 - 30 Sep 1946
1 Jul 1954 - 6 Mar 1959
1 Sep 1959 – 28 Aug 1964
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Roleanti-submarine, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue
Motto(s)Latin: Auxilium a caelo
(Translation: "Help from the sky")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA winged helmet[1][2]
Squadron CodesTO (Apr 1939 - May 1939)
BH (May 1939 - Sep 1939)
DQ (Sep 1939 - Aug 1943)
UE (Jul 1944 - Jun 1945)
L (Jul 1954 - 1956)
228 (1956 - May 1959)

History

Formation and the First World War
A Curtiss H.12 used by the RNAS

The squadron formed on 20 August 1918 at Great Yarmouth during the re-organisation of the former RNAS stations of Nos. 324, 325 and 326 Flights.[1] The squadron was initially equipped with both Felixstowe F.2A and Curtiss H.16 aircraft and was involved in anti-submarine patrols. The last patrol was flown on 24 October 1918 and the squadron disbanded on 30 June 1919 at RNAS Killingholme.[1][2]

A Supermarine Stranraer as flown by 228 Squadron

Reformation

The squadron reformed on 15 December 1936 at RAF Pembroke Dock, and was initially equipped with a variety of aircraft including Short Singapores, a Supermarine Scapa, a Saro London and a Supermarine Stranraer.[2] However, by September 1938 the squadron was just operating Stranraers.[3][4] In November 1938 the squadron received its first Short Sunderland, and by April 1939 the squadron was completely re-equipped with Sunderlands.[3][4]

A Short Sunderland

Second World War

When the Second World War began the squadron was at Alexandria in Egypt. The squadron immediately returned to Pembroke Dock and sent detachments to RAF Invergordon and RAF Sullom Voe. In June 1940 the squadron returned to Egypt following Italy's declaration of war on Britain. In June 1941 the squadron moved to Gambia, West Africa, returning in August 1941 to Pembroke Dock and then RAF Stranraer to be re-equipped. In March 1942 at RAF Oban, the squadron became operational again, moving to RAF Lough Erne in December 1942 and then back to Pembroke Dock in May 1943, where it remained until disbanding on 4 June 1945.[3][4]

A Liberator at the Royal Air Force Museum London at the Hendon Aerodrome.

On Liberators

On 1 June 1946 the squadron reformed at RAF St Eval when No. 224Y Squadron was renumbered. The squadron was equipped with Consolidated Liberators GR.6 and GR.8s and performed passenger and freight services with the Liberators to Ireland, Gibraltar, the Azores and Morocco, but also had reconnaissance, air-sea rescue and meteorological tasks. It disbanded on 30 September 1946 at RAF St Eval.[1][4]

Avro Shackleton with Saunders-Roe airborne lifeboat

On Shackletons

The squadron reformed again on 1 July 1954 at St Eval, equipped with the Avro Shackleton as a maritime reconnaissance unit, moving in November 1956 to RAF St Mawgan and in January 1958 back to St Eval, where is disbanded on 1 April 1959.[1][4]

On Helicopters

In September 1959 the squadron reformed again via the renumbering of No. 275 Squadron at RAF Leconfield. The squadron was now a helicopter search and rescue unit, flying Bristol Sycamores -passing them on to 118 sqn- and Westland Whirlwinds.

On 28 August 1964 the squadron was disbanded at Leconfield, when it was renumbered to No. 202 Squadron.[1][4]

Aircraft operated
A Felixtowe F2A
A Whirlwind used in the air-sea rescue role
Aircraft operated by no. 228 Squadron RAF, data from[3][4]
FromToAircraftVersion
August 1918April 1919Felixstowe F.2a
August 1918March 1919Curtiss Model H16
February 1937August 1938Supermarine Scapa
February 1937September 1938Saro LondonMk.I
April 1937September 1937Short SingaporeMk.III
April 1937April 1939 1937Supermarine Stranraer
November 1938August 1941Short SunderlandMk.I
November 1941March 1943Short SunderlandMk.I
November 1941March 1943Short SunderlandMk.II
March 1942April 1945Short SunderlandMk.III
February 1945June 1945Short SunderlandMk.V
June 1946September 1946Consolidated LiberatorMk.VIII
July 1954March 1959Avro ShackletonMR.2
September 1959March 1960Avro AnsonT.21
September 1959June 1960Bristol SycamoreHR.14
September 1959December 1962Westland WhirlwindHAR.2
September 1959December 1962Westland WhirlwindHAR.4
September 1962August 1964Westland WhirlwindHAR.10

Squadron airfields
Airfields used by no. 228 Squadron RAF, data from[3][4]
FromToBaseRemark
20 August 191830 April 1919RAF Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
30 April 19195 June 1919RAF Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire
5 June 191930 June 1919RAF Killingholme, Lincolnshire
15 December 193629 September 1938RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
29 September 19389 October 1938RAF Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
9 October 19385 June 1939RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
5 June 193910 September 1939RAF Alexandria, Egypt
10 September 193910 June 1940RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
10 June 194019 July 1940RAF Alexandria, EgyptDetachment at RAF Kalafrana, Malta
19 July 194013 September 1940RAF Aboukir, EgyptDetachment at RAF Kalafrana, Malta
13 September 194025 March 1941RAF Kalafrana, MaltaDetachment at RAF Alexandria, Egypt
25 March 194116 June 1941RAF Alexandria, Egypt
16 June 194128 August 1941En route to West Africa
28 August 194126 September 1941RAF Bathurst, Gambia
26 September 19419 October 1941En route to UK
9 October 194110 March 1942RAF Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotlandre-established here
10 March 194211 December 1942RAF Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
11 December 19424 May 1943RAF Castle Archdale, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland(Lough Erne)
4 May 19434 June 1945RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
1 June 194630 September 1946RAF St Eval, Cornwall
1 July 195429 November 1956RAF St Eval, Cornwall
29 November 195614 January 1958RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall
14 January 19586 March 1959RAF St Eval, Cornwall
1 September 195928 August 1964RAF Leconfield, YorkshireDets. at RAF Acklington, Northumberland;
RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland;
RAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk and
RAF Coltishall, Norfolk
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References
Citations
  1. Halley 1988, p. 294.
  2. Rawlings 1982, p. 154.
  3. Halley 1988, pp. 294-295.
  4. Jefford 2001, p. 76.
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.
  • Evans, John. Help from the Heavens: A History of No. 228 Squadron RAF. Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, UK: Paterchurch Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-870745-06-X.
  • 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, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
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