No. 299 Squadron RAF

No. 299 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during the Second World War and was part of No. 38 Group.

No. 299 Squadron RAF
Active4 Nov 1943 – 15 Feb 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleSpecial Operations
Transport
Part ofNo. 38 Group RAF[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryNo badge authorised[2][3]
Squadron CodesX9 (Jan 1944 – Feb 1946)[4][5]
5G (Jan 1944 – Feb 1946)[6][7]

History
Short Stirlings of Nos. 196 and 299 Squadrons RAF lining the runway at RAF Keevil on the evening of 5 June 1944 before emplaning paratroops of the 5th Parachute Brigade Group for the invasion of Normandy

No. 299 Squadron was formed on 4 November 1943 form 'C' flight of 297 Squadron at RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire as a special operations squadron. It became operational in April 1944 dropping SOE agents. During the Normandy landing the squadron first delivered paratroopers, and then returned to air-tow 16 Airspeed Horsa gliders across the English Channel. The squadron continued operations with resupply drops until 10 June when it returned to SOE duties. In between the SOE duties the squadron air-towed Horsa gliders for the Arnhem landing (Operation Market Garden), and the Rhine crossing (Operation Varsity). It was also involved in supply-dropping to resistance forces in Norway until the end of the war. At the end of the Second World War the squadron disbanded at RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk on 15 February 1946.[8][9]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 299 Squadron RAF, data from[2][8][9]
FromToAircraftVersion
November 1943January 1944Lockheed VenturaMks.I and II
January 1944February 1946Short StirlingMk.IV
January 1945February 1946Short StirlingMk.V

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 299 Squadron RAF, data from[2][8][9]
FromToBase
4 November 194315 March 1944RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire
15 March 19449 October 1944RAF Keevil, Wiltshire
9 October 194425 January 1945RAF Wethersfield, Essex
25 January 194515 February 1946RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 299 Squadron, data from[2][3]
FromToName
4 November 194328 December 1943W/Cdr. R.W.G. Kitley
28 December 194319 September 1944W/Cdr. P.B.N. Davis, DSO
19 September 19441 November 1944W/Cdr. P.N. Jennings (acting after KIA of W/Cdr. Davis over Arnhem)
1 November 194431 December 1944W/Cdr. C.B.R. Colenso, DFC
31 December 1944September 1945W/Cdr. P.N. Jennings
September 194515 February 1946W/Cdr. R.N. Stidolph
gollark: Yes, it just wouldn't be very good propulsion.
gollark: styropyro in the year 2400
gollark: I duckduckgoed myself, and I found a Twitter account of someone in the US with the same name who just retweets random political stuff, a consultant company of some sort named "[REDACTED] & Associates", a page for someone working at "ZDNet", a Wikipedia article and a LinkedIn page. Weird.
gollark: Could you put a thin layer of glass on top of plastic, or would that be a "problems of both, benefits of neither, exciting new problems too" kind of situation?
gollark: Actually, how come tempered glass is used instead of plastic, which would *not* randomly explode as far as I know? Strength?

See also

References

Notes
  1. Delve 1994, pp. 69–70, 81.
  2. Rawlings 1982, p. 197.
  3. No. 38 Group History site
  4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 115.
  5. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 117.
  6. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 48.
  7. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 57.
  8. Halley 1988, p. 354.
  9. Jefford 2001, p. 86.

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.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • 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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