No. 297 Squadron RAF

No 297 Squadron RAF
Active	22 January 1942 – 1 April 1946 1 April 1946 – 15 November 1950
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Airborne forces Transport
Part of	No 38 Group RAF
Engagements	Sicily, Normandy, Arnhem
Insignia
Squadron Codes	P5 (Jul 1943 – 1945) L5 (Apr 1944 – 1946)

No 297 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was notable for being the first airborne forces squadron formed. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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 :

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