No. 242 Squadron RAF
| No. 242 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 Aug 1918 – 15 May 1919 30 Oct 1939 – 10 Mar 1942 10 Apr 1942 – 4 Nov 1944 15 Nov 1944 – 1 May 1950 1 Oct 1959 – 30 Sep 1964 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Nickname(s) | "All Canadian" |
| Motto(s) |
French: Toujours prêt ("Always ready") |
| Engagements | Battle of Britain, Invasion of Sicily, Berlin Airlift |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Douglas Bader |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A moose's head erased At the time that the badge was awarded, many of the air crew serving with the squadron were Canadian. |
| Squadron Codes |
LE (Feb 1940 – Dec 1941, Apr 1942 – Nov 1944) KY (Nov 1944 – 1948) |
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron. It flew in many roles during the First World War, Second World War and Cold War.
During the Second World War, the squadron was notable for (firstly) having a large number of pilots who were either RCAF personnel or Canadians serving in the RAF – to the extent that it was sometimes known, unofficially, as "242 Canadian Squadron", and (secondly) for being as the first squadron to be commanded by Douglas Bader.
No. 242 Squadron was formed on 15 August 1918 from the numbers 408, 409 and 514 Seaplane Flights at Newhaven Seaplane Base, and continued using the Short 184 from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs on anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of the First World War.
The squadron was reformed at RAF Church Fenton on 30 October 1939 with Canadian personnel. At first using the Bristol Blenheim and Fairey Battle, it converted to the Hawker Hurricane in February 1940.
In May 1940 the squadron moved to RAF Biggin Hill and went into action over France.Douglas Bader was posted to command the Squadron, as a Squadron Leader, at the end of June 1940, when the unit was mainly made up of Canadian pilots that had suffered high losses in the Battle of France and had low morale. Despite initial resistance to their new commanding officer, the pilots were soon won over by Bader's strong personality and perseverance, especially in cutting through red tape to make the squadron operational again. Upon the formation of No. 12 Group RAF, No. 242 Squadron was assigned to the Group while based at RAF Duxford.
...
Wikipedia