No. 502 Squadron RAF

No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II. It was reformed in September 2013, and is the oldest of all the reserve squadrons, being formed in 1925.

No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF
Active	15 May 1925 – 25 May 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957 September 2013 - present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Part of	RAF Bomber Command (25–38,46) RAF Coastal Command (38–45) RAF Fighter Command (47–57)
Motto(s)	Latin: Nihil timeo (Translation: "I fear nothing")[1][2][3][4][5]
Battle honours	Atlantic, 1939–44 Biscay, 1941–44 Channel & North Sea, 1942–45 Dieppe Baltic, 1944–45[6][7] These honours are all emblazoned on the squadron standard
Commanders
Honorary Air Commodores	Lord Londonderry Viscount Brookeborough
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A red hand erased[5] The red hand is taken from the arms of Ulster, 502 being the Ulster Auxiliary Squadron. The hand is erased though, instead of couped.[1][2][3][4]
Squadron Codes	KQ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[8][9] YG (Sep 1939 – Feb 1943)[10][11] V9 (Jun 1944 – May 1945, 1949–1953)[12][13] RAC (May 1946–1949)[14][15]

History

Formation and early years

No. 502 squadron was originally formed on 15 May 1925 as No. 502 (Bomber) Squadron,[16] a Special Reserve squadron at RAF Aldergrove, and it was composed of a mixture of regular and reserve personnel. On 1 December 1925 the name No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was adopted.[16] The squadron operated in the heavy night bomber role and as such it was initially equipped with Vickers Vimys from June 1925, re-equipping with Handley Page Hyderabads in July 1928. Vickers Virginias arrived in December 1931, but in October 1935 the squadron was transferred to the day bomber role for which it received Westland Wallaces, Hawker Hinds arriving in April 1937. Shortly after this, on 1 July 1937, it was transferred to the Auxiliary Air Force,[17] the Special Reserve being disbanded.[7]

In Coastal Command

The crew of a Whitley Mk VII of 502 Squadron on an anti-submarine patrol, August 1942

On 28 November 1938, No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron became part of RAF Coastal Command, and was re-equipped with Avro Ansons in January 1939. When war broke out, the squadron was used to fly patrols in the Atlantic off the Irish Coast. From October 1940, the Squadron flew with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was reported that on 30 November 1941 the squadron became the first Coastal Command unit to make a successful attack on a U-boat with air-to-surface radar, sinking U-Boat U-206 in the Bay of Biscay. This report has been countered with newer information that the U-206 was more probably sunk by the minefield, "Beech," laid there by the British after August 1940,[18] and that the squadron's attack was actually on U-71, which escaped without loss.[19]

In January 1942 the squadron officially moved to both Norfolk (RAF Docking) and Cornwall, where a maintenance station was set up at RAF St Eval. Until 1944 the squadron's main role was to carry anti-submarine patrols. In January 1943 conversion to Halifax GR.Mk.IIs began, the first patrol by this type being flown on 12 March. In addition to anti-submarine patrols, now also attacks on enemy shipping off the French coast were made. In September 1944 with the French coast back in Allied hands, the squadron moved to Scotland at RAF Stornoway to carry out attacks on German shipping off the Norwegian coast, remaining there until the end of the war. It was disbanded on 25 May 1945.[4]

Into the jet age

With the reactivation of the Auxiliary Air Force, No. 502 was reformed on 10 May 1946, again at RAF Aldergrove,[16] but now as a light bomber squadron, equipped with Mosquito B.25s from July 1946. In December night fighter Mosquitoes replaced the bombers, but in June 1948 the units of the by now Royal Auxiliary Air Force all converted to the day fighter role, 502 receiving Spitfire F.22s for the purpose. Jet conversion began in January 1951 with the arrival of Vampire FB.5s, which were supplemented by FB.9s in July 1954. The squadron continued to fly both types until, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.[20][21]

Reformation at Aldergrove

It was confirmed in September 2013 that No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron has reformed at Aldergrove Flying Station. As a general Squadron its mission is to provide fully trained Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel, across a wide spectrum of roles, to support current and future worldwide commitments.[22][23] No. 502 is the oldest of the reserve squadrons, having been formed in 1925, and in 2019, a new standard was awarded to the squadron as the old standard had been awarded in 1939 and was worn out.[24]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][20][21]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
June 1925	July 1928	Vickers Vimy
July 1928	February 1932	Handley Page Hyderabad
December 1931	October 1935	Vickers Virginia	Mk.X
October 1935	May 1937	Westland Wallace	Mk.I
November 1935	May 1937	Westland Wallace	Mk.II
April 1937	April 1939	Hawker Hind
January 1939	November 1940	Avro Anson	Mk.I
August 1940	November 1940	Blackburn Botha	Mk.I
September 1940	February 1942	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley	Mk.V
November 1941	February 1943	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley	Mk.VII
January 1943	March 1945	Handley Page Halifax	GR.Mk.II Srs.IA
December 1944	May 1945	Handley Page Halifax	GR.Mks.IIIA, VI
July 1946	December 1947	de Havilland Mosquito	B.25
December 1947	June 1948	de Havilland Mosquito	NF.30
June 1948	January 1951	Supermarine Spitfire	F.22
January 1951	March 1951	de Havilland Vampire	F.3
March 1951	March 1957	de Havilland Vampire	FB.5
July 1954	March 1957	de Havilland Vampire	FB.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 502 Squadron[4][20][21][25]

From	To	Base	Remark
27 January 1925	27 January 1941	RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim	Detachment at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire
27 January 1941	12 January 1942	RAF Limavady, County Londonderry	Detachments at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland; RAF Chivenor, Devon; RAF St Eval, Cornwall and RAF Reykjavik, Iceland
12 February 1942	22 February 1942	RAF Docking, Norfolk	Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
22 February 1942	2 March 1943	RAF St Eval, Cornwall
2 March 1943	25 March 1943	RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire	Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
25 March 1943	30 June 1943	RAF St Eval, Cornwall
30 June 1943	10 December 1943	RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire	Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
10 December 1943	11 September 1944	RAF St David's, Pembrokeshire, Wales
11 September 1944	25 May 1945	RAF Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland	Detachment at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland
17 July 1946	10 March 1957	RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][26]

From	To	Name
May 1925	November 1926	S/Ldr. R.D. Oxland
		W/Cdr. A.C. Wright, AFC
		S/Ldr. C.L. King, MC, DFC
		W/Cdr. F.P. Don
	March 1932	W/Cdr. R.T. Leather, AFC
March 1932	1934	W/Cdr. L.T.N. Gould, MC
1934		W/Cdr. J.C. Russell, DSO
	November 1937	S/Ldr. G.V. Tyrell, MC
November 1937	December 1940	W/Cdr. L.R. Briggs
December 1940	November 1941	W/Cdr. T.C. Cooper
November 1941	September 1942	W/Cdr. F.C. Richardson
September 1942	August 1943	W/Cdr. J.C. Halley, DSO
August 1943	May 1944	W/Cdr. N.M. Bayliss
May 1944	October 1944	W/Cdr. C.A. Maton, DSO, SAAF
October 1944	November 1944	W/Cdr. K.B. Corbould, DFC
November 1944	May 1945	W/Cdr. H.H.C. Holderness, DFC, AFC, RCAF
July 1946		S/Ldr. W.H. McGiffin
		S/Ldr. D.F.B. Sheen, DFC & Bar, RAAF
	1956	S/Ldr. N.G. Townsend, DFC
1956	March 1957	S/Ldr. J.H. Pearce

References

Notes

1. Hunt 1972, p. 396.
2. Moyes 1964, p. 264
3. Rawlings 1969, p. 458.
4. Rawlings 1982, p. 227.
5. Halley 1988, p. 390.
6. Hunt 1972, p. 394.
7. Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
8. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
9. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 50.
10. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 117.
11. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 121.
12. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 107.
13. Flintham & Thomas 2003, pp. 114,158.
14. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
15. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 184.
16. Moyes 1964, p. 265
17. Hunt 1972, p. 382.
18. Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-206". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
19. Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-71". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
20. Halley 1988, p. 391.
21. Jefford 1998, p. 96.
22. "502 (Ulster) Reserves". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
23. "RAF Reserves come back to Aldergrove". Antrim Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
24. Williams, Simon, ed. (31 May 2019). "Oldest reserve squadron receives new Standard". RAF News (1, 468). p. 17. ISSN 0035-8614.
25. McNeill, Ross (August 1999). "No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF". RAF Commands. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
26. Hunt 1972, pp. 379–396.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J. F.; Rawlings, John Dunstan Richard (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937-56. P. Stephens. ISBN 978-0-85059-364-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes Since 1938. Airlife. ISBN 978-1-84037-281-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Air Britain Historians Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85130-164-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hunt, Leslie (1972). Twenty-one Squadrons: History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–57. London: Garnstone Press. ISBN 978-0-85511-110-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link). (New edition in 1992 by Crécy Publishing, ISBN 978-0-947554-26-2.)
• Jefford, C.G. (1998). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84037-141-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) (second edition 2001)
• Moyes, Philip J.R. (1964). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-354-01027-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) (new edition 1976)
• Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7106-0187-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Rawlings, John D.R. (1969). Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-354-01028-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978)

External links

• 502 Squadron history on RAF site
• World War II bases at RAF Commands
• History of No.'s 500–520 Squadrons at RAF Web
• No. 502 Squadron aircraft and markings at RAF Web
• Ulster Aviation Society