No. 512 Squadron RAF

No. 512 Squadron was a Second World War Royal Air Force transport squadron.

No. 512 Squadron RAF
Active18 June 1943 – 14 March 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleTransport
Airborne forces
Motto(s)Latin: Pegasus Militans
(Translation: "Pegasus at war")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryIn front of a horse's head couped, a sword erect, the point upwards[1][2]
Squadron CodesHC (Jun 1943 – Mar 1946)[3][4]

History

No. 512 Squadron was formed on 18 June 1943 from the Dakota element of 24 Squadron at RAF Hendon. It operated on supply routes from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar and Algeria to support the campaign in North West Africa. It also flew internal routes within the United Kingdom, and to the Azores and India. In February 1944 the squadron changed role and was transferred to No. 46 Group at RAF Broadwell, it was now a tactical Dakota squadron and started training glider towing and parachute dropping. Its first operation in the new role was a leaflet drop on 5 June 1944 over France, this followed intensive flying in and out of France including dropping parachutists at Arnhem. In fact, 512 Squadron can claim that they were the first planes over on D Day as 3 Dakotas piloted by Fl Lt Hyde, W.O. James Proctor and a C Flight Flying Officer dropped a specialist team at 00.02 on 6th June to try and disrupt the Merville Battery before the main assault. It suffered losses during Operation Market Garden and was withdrawn to operate a transport service from Brussels in March 1945, although it was still involved in airborne operations associated with the Rhine crossing. After VE Day in July 1945 it extended its trooping routes to Palestine and the Middle East and moved to RAF Qastina in Palestine in October 1945, moving on by the end of the month to Gianaclis near Alexandria, Egypt. In December 1945 it moved to Bari, to operate scheduled flights within Italy. It returned to the United Kingdom in February 1946 and was disbanded upon arrival on 14 March 1946.[1][2][5]

Aircraft operated
Douglas Dakota
Aircraft operated by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2]
FromToAircraftVersion
June 1943September 1943Lockheed HudsonMk.IIIa
June 1943March 1946Douglas DakotaMks.I, III
August 19441945Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson
April 1945March 1946Douglas DakotaMk.IV

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][5]
FromToBaseRemark
18 June 194314 February 1944RAF Hendon, Middlesex
14 February 194431 March 1945RAF Broadwell, Oxfordshire
31 March 19456 August 1945B.56/Evère, BelgiumAir echelon till 5 July 1945
6 August 19458 October 1945RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire
8 October 194524 October 1945RAF Qastina, Palestine
24 October 19452 December 1945RAF Gianaclis, Egypt
2 December 194523 February 1946Bari, Italy
23 February 194614 March 1946en route to the UKDisbanded upon arrival

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from[1]
FromToName
August 1943September 1943W/Cdr. M. Booth, DFC
September 1943December 1943W/Cdr. K.J.D. Dickson
December 1943February 1944W/Cdr. R.M. Blennerhassett
February 1944January 1945W/Cdr. B.A. Coventry, DFC
January 1945July 1945W/Cdr. R.G. Dutton, DSO, DFC & Bar
July 1945December 1945LtCol. P.G.A. McMurdock
December 1945March 1946S/Ldr. W.A. Mostyn-Brown
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See also

References

Notes
  1. Rawlings 1982, p. 229.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 395.
  3. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 49.
  4. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 77.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 96.

Bibliography
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1981–1988. 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.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing
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