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No. 512 Squadron RAF

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No. 512 Squadron RAF
Active18 June 1943 – 14 March 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom 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]

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

History

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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 three Dakotas piloted by Fl Lt Hyde, W.O. James Proctor and a C Flight Flying Officer dropped a specialist team at 00.02 on 6 June to try to 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 It suffered losses during Operation Market Garden and was withdrawn to operate a transport service from Brussels in March 1945, although it was still involved in airborne operations associated with the Rhine crossing.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

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Douglas Dakota
Aircraft operated by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1943 September 1943 Lockheed Hudson Mk.IIIa
June 1943 March 1946 Douglas Dakota Mks.I, III
August 1944 1945 Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson
April 1945 March 1946 Douglas Dakota Mk.IV

Squadron bases

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Bases and airfields used by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][5]
From To Base Remark
18 June 1943 14 February 1944 RAF Hendon, Middlesex
14 February 1944 31 March 1945 RAF Broadwell, Oxfordshire
31 March 1945 6 August 1945 B.56/Evère, Belgium Air echelon till 5 July 1945
6 August 1945 8 October 1945 RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire
8 October 1945 24 October 1945 RAF Qastina, Palestine
24 October 1945 2 December 1945 RAF Gianaclis, Egypt
2 December 1945 23 February 1946 Bari, Italy
23 February 1946 14 March 1946 en route to the UK Disbanded upon arrival

Commanding officers

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

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Rawlings 1982, p. 229.
  2. ^ a b c d e Halley 1988, p. 395.
  3. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 49.
  4. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 77.
  5. ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 96.

Bibliography

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  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing
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