History - Other Australian Squadrons

OTHER AUSTRALIAN BOMBER SQUADRONS OPERATING IN EUROPE From information compiled by Philip Moyes in his book "BOMBER SQUADRONS of the RAF and their aircraft." Published by, Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Limited, Paulton House, 8 Shepherdess Walk, London, N1 United Kingdom.

. No. 454 SQUADRON, R.A.A.F .    Eventually formed in late 1942, the squadron was equipped with Blenheims and operated as a light bomber unit in Iraq. In January, 1943, it moved to Egypt and was re-equipped with with Baltimores operating as a general reconnaissance unit of Middle East Command.
    From bases i Egypt, Libya and Palestine, the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols, bombing raids against
Crete and Greece and bombed shipping at sea.
    In July, 1944, the squadron was transferred to Italy in the role of a light bomber unit against targets in Northern Italy and Yugoslavia, During this time, it flew 1,420 sorties, dropped 1,013 tons of bombs and logged 2,539 operational hours.
    454 Squadron was disbanded in August, 1945.

BASES.
                        Formed on 30. 9.42 as No. 454 Squadron
                        Aqir, Palestine.......................................Sep. 1942 -- Oct. 1942
                        Qaiyara, Iraq..........................................Oct. 1942 -- Jan. 1943
                        Egypt......................................................Jan. 1943 -- July 1944
                        Berka, Libya..........................................July 1944 -- Aug. 1944
                        Pescara, Italy.........................................Aug. 1944 --Sep. 1944
                       Falconara, Italy.......................................Sep. 1944 -- Dec. 1944
                       Cesenatico, Italy....................................Dec. 1944 -- May 1945
                       Vvilla-Orba, Italy.....................................May 1945 -- Aug. 1945
                       Disbanded                         14. 8.45
.
AIRCRAFT.
                       Bristol Blenheim, Mk V                           Nov. 1942 -- July 1944
                       Martin Baltimore, Mk 1V and V             July 1944 -- Aug. 1945

. No. 455 SQUADRON, R.A.A.F. .BADGE.       In front of two battle axes in saltire a winged helmet.
MOTTO.       "Strike and strike again."
.
    No. 455 Squadron first came into existence at Willamtown, New South Wales then was re-established in Britain on 6th June, 1941 at Swinderby, Lincolnshire in 5 Group and was equipped wit Hampden aircraft. It was the first Australian bomber squadron to be formed in Britain. Its first operational flight was against Frankfurt on the night of 29/30 August, 1941.
    It made many attacks against the enemy along with other squadrons in Bomber Command, including the attack on the ships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in Brest harbour.
    In February, 1842, the squadron moved to Wigsley and then, in April, was transferred to Coastal Command as a torpedo-bombing unit.
    In September, 1942 a detachment went to Russia to teach Russian pilots to fly Hampdens.
    The squadron changed to Beaufighter in December, 1943 until it was disbanded at Dullachy, Scotland.

BASES.
                     Swinderby, Links..........................................Jun. 1941 -- Feb. 1942
                     Wigsley, Notts...............................................Feb. 1942 -- Apr. 1942
                     Leuchars........................................................Apr. 1942 -- May. 1945
                     Disbanded                           May, 1945

AIRCRAFT.
Handley Page Hampden Jun. 1941 -- Dec. 1943
Bristol Beaufighters Dec. 1943 -- May 1945

No. 458 Squadron, R.A.A.F.

458 Squadron was established in Britain on August 25th, 1941 at Holme-on-Spalding Moor as a medium bomber unit in No. 1 Group. It flew Wellington aircraft on operations from 20/21 October, 1941 and was reputed to have the highest aircraft serviceability in the United Kingdom.
In January, 1942, the Squadron was transferred to the Middle East, ferrying 36 Wellingtons safely to Egypt but their aircraft were issued to other hard-pressed units. The squadron was re-formed in September, 1942 at Shallufa, Egypt, as a Wellington torpedo-bomber unit, rendering valuable service in the Mediterranean area. It was dis-banded in Gibraltar in June, 1945.

BASES.
                    Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorks...................Aug. 1941 -- Jan. 1942
                    Shallufa, Egypt..................................................Sept. 1942 -- June 1945
                    Disbanded                              June, 1945

AIRCRAFT. ( Code letters "FU")
Vickers Wellington Mk IV Aug. 1941 -- June 1945

No. 460 Squadron, R.A.A.F.BADGE. In front of a boomerang in base a kangaroo salient.
MOTTO. "Strike and Return."

    No. 460 Squadron was formed at Molesworth, Huntingdonshire on 15th November, 1941, as a bomber squadron equipped with Wellington aircraft. It transferred to Breighton, Yorks. in January, 1942 and began operations on the 12/13 March.
    In September, 1942, the squadron re-equipped with Halifaxes but in October changed to Lancasters. In May, 1943 it moved to Binbrook, Lincs., where it remained until July, 1945.
    The squadron attacked many major targets, including Berlin and Peenemunde, logging on Lancasters alone 5700 operational sorties. The squadron is reputed to have dropped more bombs than any squadron in the RAF.
    One of its aircraft, "G" for George was presented to the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
    In July, 1945 it moved to East Kirby and was disbanded in October, 1945

BASES.
                        Molesworth, Hunts..........................................Nov. 1941 -- Jan. 1942
                        Breighton, Yorks.............................................Jan. 1942 -- May. 1943
                        Binbrook, Lincs...............................................May.1943 -- July 1945
                        East Kirby, Lincs.............................................July 1945 -- Oct. 1945
                        Disbanded                  10.10.45

AIRCRAFT.      (Code letters "AR". Originally "UV". Changed May, 1943)
                        Vickers Wellington Mk IV                                Nov, 1941 -- Sep. 1942
                        Handley Page Halifax BII                                Sep, 1942 -- Oct. 1942
                        Avro Lancasters BI & III                                  Oct. 1942 -- Oct. 1945

No. 462 Squadron, R.A.A.F. .    No. 462 Squadron was formed at Fayid in Egypt on 7th September, 1942 and was the first Halifax squadron in the Middle East. Tobruk was its first target on the 8/9 September and subsequently other North African targets included Italy, Greece, Crete, the Dodecanese islands and Sicily. It completed leaflet raids on Greece, Crete, Rhodes, Leros and Samos. On the 3rd March, it was moved to Italy and re-numbered 614 Squadron, R.A.F.and given a pathfinder role.
    On 12 August, 1943, No. 462 Squadron, R.A.A.F. was re-formed at Driffield, Yorks., as a heavy bomber squadron in No. 4 Group. It was equipped with Halifax aircraft, operating in main force raids both by day and night. In December, 1944, the squadron moved to Foulsham and began operations with 100 (Bomber Support) Group.
    The unit carried out "spoof" raids dropping "window" foil and making feint attacks with a small bomb load.
It also had radio and radar counter-measure equipment fitted to the aircraft to disrupt enemy transmissions.
    The Squadron was disbanded on 24th September, 1945.

BASES.
                    Fayid, Egypt...................................................Sept. 1942 -- Nov. 1942
                    Bir El Baheira, Libya.....................................Nov. 1942 -- Dec. 1942
                    Slouch, Libya..................................................Dec. 1942 -- Feb. 1943
                    Gardabia Main, Libya....................................Feb. 1943 -- May 1943
                    Hosc Raui, Libya............................................May 1943 -- Oct. 1943
                    Terria, Libya....................................................Oct. 1943 -- Jan. 1944
                    El Adem, Libya...............................................Jan. 1944 -- Feb. 1944
                    Celone, Italy........ ............................................Feb. 1944 -- Aug 1944
                    Driffield, Yorks.................................................Aug. 1944 -- Dec. 1944
                    Foulsham, Norfolk...........................................Dec. 1944 -- Sept. 1945
                    Disbanded                          24. 9.45

AIRCRAFT. (Code letters "UK")
Handley Page Halifax Mk II, & III

No. 463 Squadron, R.A.A.F.BADGE. In front of a star of seven points four sledge hammers in saltire.
MOTTO. "Press on regardless."

    No. 463 Squadron was formed at Waddington, Lincs, on 25th November, 1943 as a Lancaster bomber squadron in 5 Group. Formed from "C" Flight of 467 Squadron, it began operations the next day attacking Berlin. There followed more raids on that city and many other targets. The squadron was prominent in connection with the Allied invasion of Europe. One aircraft recorded on cine the successful attack on the Tirpitz in Tromso fjord in November, 1944.
    During its wartime career, No. 463 Squadron dropped a total of 11,430 tons of bombs.
    Early in July, 1945 this unit moved to Skellingthorpe where it was disbanded in September, 1945.

BASES.
                     Waddington, Lincs.......................................Nov. 1943 -- July 1945
                     Skellingthorpe, Lincs...................................July 1945 -- Sep. 1945
                     Disbanded                             25. 9.45

AIRCRAFT. (Code letters "JO")
Avro Lancasters Mk 1 & 111 Nov. 1943 -- Sep. 1945

. No. 464 SQUADRON, R.A.A.F. .BADGE. A demi piping shrike.
MOTTO. "Aequo animo" ("Equanimity")

    464 Squadron was formed at Feltwell, Norfolk on the 1st September, 1942, as a light day-bomber squadron equipped with Ventura aircraft and began operations on the 6th December when 14 Venturas, at low-level, raided the Philips factory at Eindhoven. Other such operations followed.
    On the 10th July, 1943, the squadron and the Group transferred to the Second Tactical Air Force. In August, 1943, No. 464 Squadron converted to Mosquito aircraft -- a fighter-bomber version of the famous "Wooden Wonder". From then on it operated by both day and night, sometimes as a light bomber and sometimes as a fighter-intruder..
    Notably, it was involved in the raid on the Amiens prison on February 18, 1944, along with 467 (R.N.Z.A.F.) and 21 Squadrons. The prison walls were breached and 258 prisoners were able to escape, including patriots who were awaiting execution.
    No. 464 Squadron was also involved in the raids on Gestapo Headquarters at Aarhus, Denmark on 31 October, 1944 and Copenhagen on 21 March 1945.
    From February, 1945 the squadron operated from the Continent from Melsbroek, Brussels and was disbanded on 25 September, 1945.

BASES.
                      Feltwell, Norfolk..............................................Sep. 1942 -- Apr. 1943
                      Methwold, Norfolk...........................................Apr. 1943 -- July 1943
                      Sculthorpe, Norfolk.........................................July 1943 -- Dec. 1943
                      Hunsdon, Herts................................................Dec. 1943 -- Apr. 1944
                      Gravesend, Kent..............................................Apr. 1944 -- June 1944
                      Thorney Island, Hants......................................June 1944 -- Feb. 1945
                      Rosieres-en-Santerre, France........................Feb. 1945 -- Apr. 1945
                      Melsbroek, Brussels.........................................Apr. 1945 -- Sep. 1945
                      Disbanded                           25. 9.45

AIRCRAFT.     (Code letters "SB")
                      Lockheed Ventura Mk I & II                            Sep. 1942 -- Aug. 1943
                      de Havilland Mosquito FBVI                          Aug. 1943 -- Sep. 1945

No. 466 Squadron, R.A.A.F.

    This squadron was formed at Driffield, Yorks on October, 1942 as a medium bomber squadron. It was equipped with Wellington aircraft and attached to 4 Group. It moved to Leconfield in December, 1942 then returned to Driffield in June, 1944, remaining there until the end of the war.
    First operation was a mine laying mission off the Frisian Islands. The squadron continued operating with Wellingtons until August, 1943 having dropped 620 tons of bombs and laid 330 tons of mines.
    Halifax BIII's replaced the Wellingtons in September, 1943 and the unit in these made 170 raids against 92 different targets, including Berlin, Cologne, Essen and many others.
    On 7 May, 1945 the squadron was transferred to Transport Command and re-named No. 10 Squadron R.A.A.F. This was not implemented and after moving to Bassingbourn in September to convert to Liberators the squadron disbanded.

BASES.
                         Driffield, Yorks...............................................Oct. 1942 -- Dec. 1942
                         Leconfield, Yorks...........................................Dec. 1942 -- June 1844
                         Driffield, Yorks................................................June 1944 -- May 1945
                         Disbanded                       Sept. 1945

AIRCRAFT.     (Code letters "HD")
                         Vickers Wellington Mk lll & X                       Oct. 1942 -- Sep. 1943
                         Handley Page Halifax B ll                             Sep.1943 -- May 1945

No. 467 Squadron, R.A.A.F.     No. 467 Squadron was formed at Scampton, Lincolnshire on 7 November, 1942 in 5 Group. Almost immediately it moved to Bottesford, Leicestershire. A year later, the squadron moved to Waddington, Lincolnshire, where it remained until the end of the war.
    Equipped with Lancasters, this squadron took part in all the major bombing campaigns against Germany, such as the Battles of the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin. The squadron helped to inaugurate the so-called shuttle bombing raids when, after bombing Friedrichshafen on 20/21 June, 1943, it flew on to North Africa and on the return flight bombed Spezia, the home of the Italian Navy.
    No. 467 Squadron "owned" "S" Sugar that altogether logged 137 operational sorties, only exceeded by Lancaster ED888 of 103 Squadron.
    "S" for Sugar stands at the entrance to R.A.F. Station Scampton to this day.
    467 Squadron moved to Metheringham in June, 1945 and was disbanded on 30 September, 1945.

BASES.               Scampton, Lincs.......................................Nov. 1942
                              Bottesford, Leics......................................Nov. 1942 -- Nov. 1943
                              Waddington, Lincs...................................Nov. 1943 -- June 1945
                              Metheringham, Lincs...............................June 1945 -- Sep. 1945
                              Disbanded                       30. 9.45

AIRCRAFT. (Code letters "PO")
Avro Lancaster B l & lll Nov. 1942 -- Sep. 1945

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