No. 451 Squadron RAF

No. 451 Squadron RAAF
September 1944. A Spitfire LF. VIII of 451 Squadron RAAF at Cuers-Pierrefeu, France. In the background is a K-class blimp belonging to US Navy squadron ZP-14.
Active	1 July 1941 – 21 January 1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Motto(s)	Into the midst from above
Engagements	World War II
Battle honours	France and Germany, 1944–1945 Rhine Egypt and Libya, 1940–1943 Mediterranean, 1940–1943 Italy, 1943–1945
Squadron codes	BQ (July 1941 – October 1944) NI (December 1945 – January 1946)
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire
Transport	Westland Lysander

No. 451 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force army cooperation and fighter squadron of World War II. It was formed at Bankstown, New South Wales, on 12 February 1941 and began flying operations on 1 July as part of the North African Campaign in Egypt and Libya. No. 451 Squadron was withdrawn for refitting in early January 1942 and spent the remainder of the year performing garrison duties in Syria. In January 1943, it was transferred to Egypt to contribute to local air defence but saw almost no combat. This inactivity caused morale among the squadron's personnel to greatly deteriorate.

The squadron returned to combat in April 1944 when, operating from bases in Corsica, it took part in the Italian Campaign and Allied invasion of Southern France until September. No. 451 Squadron moved to Italy between September and October 1944, but was transferred to the United Kingdom in November. From January to April 1945, it took part in the liberation of Europe by escorting Allied bomber units and conducting air strikes against German V-2 rocket sites and transportation targets. Following the war, the squadron was deployed to Germany from September 1945 as part of the Allied occupation forces, but was disbanded on 21 January 1946 when the Australian Government dropped plans for a permanent Australian contribution to the occupation of Germany due to a shortage of volunteers for this duty.

No. 451 Squadron was formed as an army cooperation unit at Bankstown, New South Wales on 12 February 1941. As one of Australia's Article XV squadrons it was intended that the squadron would serve overseas as part of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The squadron's personnel departed Sydney on 9 April on board the ocean liner Queen Mary and arrived in Egypt on 5 May. While it had been planned that the squadron would be issued with aircraft from British stocks on its arrival in Egypt, the difficult situation facing Allied forces in the region meant that all available aircraft were needed by the experienced squadrons engaged in combat and none could be spared. It was not until 1 July 1941 that No. 451 Squadron took over No. 6 Squadron RAF's Hawker Hurricane fighters and other equipment at Qasaba. The Australian War Memorial states that the squadron also operated Westland Lysander aircraft.