No. 297 Squadron RAF

No 297 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was notable for being the first airborne forces squadron formed.[5] With sister No 296 Squadron it formed No 38 Wing RAF in January 1942, joined in August by No 295 Squadron; the Wing expanded in 1943 to become No 38 Group RAF. The squadron saw action in Sicily and took part in the D-Day invasion and Operation Market Garden. It was disbanded in 1950.

No 297 Squadron RAF
Active22 January 1942 – 1 April 1946
1 April 1946 – 15 November 1950
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleAirborne forces
Transport
Part ofNo 38 Group RAF
EngagementsSicily, Normandy, Arnhem
Insignia
Squadron CodesP5 (Jul 1943 – 1945)[1][2]
L5 (Apr 1944 – 1946)[3][4]

History

Formation and World War II

The squadron originally formed as the Parachute Exercise Squadron at RAF Ringway on 15 December 1941 and moved to RAF Netheravon on 22 January 1942, then officially becoming No 297 Squadron RAF.[6][7][8] In February 1942 they were equipped with Whitley Mk.V aircraft. The squadron moved to RAF Hurn on 5 June 1942 and to RAF Thruxton on 24 October 1942. In July 1943 the squadron was equipped with the first of the Albemarle Mk.I aircraft, which they kept until December 1944 while being supplemented with the Albemarle Mk.II in February 1944, the Albemarle Mk.V in April 1944 and the Albemarle Mk.VI in July 1944. In 1943 the squadron flew Albemarles to Algeria to take part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, returning to Britain the same year.

An example of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle as used by 297 Sqn.

The squadron moved to RAF Station Stoney Cross on 25 August 1943, where they practised parachute drops with the 8th Battalion parachute regiment and 22 independent parachute regiment in preparation for the D-Day invasion.[5] They then moved to RAF Station Brize Norton on 14 March 1944 to practice towing Horsa gliders in preparation for Operation Deadstick, the deployment to capture the now famous Pegasus Bridge and the Merville Battery located on the Normandy coast overlooking Sword Beach. Their involvement in the D-Day operation was :

  • At 11:00 PM on Mon 5 June 1944 four Albemarles dropped ten men of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company and thirty paratroopers comprising the Advance Party of the 5th Parachute Brigade near Ranville
  • Later that night nine Albemarles dropped paratroops of the 5th Parachute Brigade as part of the main force
  • At 3:30 AM on D-Day itself a further 8 Horsa gliders were towed to the drop zone
  • Three Horsas were towed over manned by elements of 9th Parachute Battalion and engineers of the 591st Parachute Squadron to attack and silence the Merville Battery.
  • Later that day 19 more Horsas were towed across. One aircraft was shot down.

In September 1944 the squadron played its part in Operation Market Garden after temporarily moving to RAF Station Manston. They towed 29 Horsa and 2 Waco gliders in the first wave and 24 Horsas in the second, all without loss. On 30 September 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Station Earls Colne where the process of changing the Albemarles for the Halifax Mk.V was started, the squadron received additional Halifax Mk.III aircraft in February 1945 and Halifax A.7 in December 1945. On 24 Mar 1945 thirty Halifax aircraft towed Horsas manned with 6th Airborne paratroops to effect a successful Rhine crossing.[9] The squadron was disbanded on 1 April 1946.[7][8][10]

Post-war

The Squadron was reformed in a peacetime role on 1 April 1946 at RAF Station Tarrant Rushton and merged with 295 squadron, keeping the 297 Squadron markings. The reformed squadron kept the Halifax A.7 aircraft and moved to RAF Brize Norton on 5 September 1946. In January 1947 the squadron was re-equipped with Halifax A.9 aircraft which they kept until October 1948, during this time they moved to RAF Station Fairford on 21 August 1947 and to RAF Station Dishforth on 1 November 1948.[7][8][10] In November 1948 the Squadron was equipped with Hastings C.1 aircraft until November 1950. During this time the squadron moved as a detachment to Schleswig returning to RAF Station Topcliffe on 22 August 1949 where they stayed until 15 November 1950 when the squadron was disbanded.[7][8][10]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No 297 Squadron RAF, data from[7][8][10]
FromToAircraftVariant
January 1942March 1942de Havilland Tiger MothMk.II
February 1942February 1944Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V
July 1943December 1944Armstrong Whitworth AlbemarleMk.I
February 1944December 1944Armstrong Whitworth AlbemarleMk.II
April 1944December 1944Armstrong Whitworth AlbemarleMk.V
July 1944December 1944Armstrong Whitworth AlbemarleMk.VI
October 1944February 1945Handley Page HalifaxMk.V
February 1945April 1946Handley Page HalifaxMk.III
December 1945March 1947Handley Page HalifaxA.7
January 1947October 1948Handley Page HalifaxA.9
November 1948November 1950Handley Page HastingsC.1

Squadron station
Stations and airfields used by No 297 Squadron RAF, data from[7][8][10]
FromToStationRemark
22 January 19425 June 1942RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire
5 June 194224 October 1942RAF Hurn, Dorset
24 October 194225 August 1943RAF Thruxton, Hampshire
25 August 194314 March 1944RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire
14 March 194430 September 1944RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
30 September 19441 April 1946RAF Earls Colne, Essex
1 April 19465 September 1946RAF Tarrant Rushton, DorsetNo. 295 Squadron RAF renumbered
5 September 194621 August 1947RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
21 August 19471 November 1948RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
1 November 194822 August 1949RAF Dishforth, North YorkshireDet. at RAF Schleswigland, Germany for Berlin air lift
22 August 194915 November 1950RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire

Commanding officers
Officers Commanding No 297 Squadron RAF, data from[5][10]
FromToName
22 January 194227 April 1942W/Cdr. B.A. Oakley
27 April 19421 February 1943W/Cdr. R.B. Wardman, AFC
1 February 194313 August 1943W/Cdr. G.F.K. Donaldson, DFC, AFC, DFC(US)
13 August 194331 August 1943W/Cdr. N.B. Hallmark, AFC (acting)
31 August 19434 November 1943W/Cdr. R.W.G. Kitley
4 November 194329 December 1943S/Ldr. P.B.N. Davis, DSO
29 December 194314 September 1944W/Cdr. J.G. Minifie
14 September 19444 December 1944W/Cdr. J.R. Grice
4 December 19441946W/Cdr. E.G. Dean, DFC
gollark: Gibson
gollark: Kamila
gollark: But not actually that sure.
gollark: I'm SURE this is meant to be UB.
gollark: ```c#include <stdio.h>#include <stdlib.h>int main() { int* i = malloc(33); printf("%d", *i);}```

See also

References

Notes
  1. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 84.
  2. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 96.
  3. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 70.
  4. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 87.
  5. "297 Squadron, 38 Group : History". www.raf38group.org. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  6. Rawlings 1982, p. 195.
  7. Halley 1988, p. 353.
  8. Jefford 2001, p. 86.
  9. http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/unit_R297.htm
  10. Rawlings 1982, p. 196.

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, 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, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • 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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