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The RAF Squadrons involved in WW2 in Belgium



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Last update: 25/06/23


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Squadron 301 to 350

Click to go on the right squadron
301 Squadron
303 Squadron
304 Squadron
305 Squadron
312 Squadron
313 Squadron
316 Squadron
320 Squadron
331 Squadron
332 Squadron
346 Squadron
349 Squadron
350 Squadron
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301 Squadron

No.301 "Pomeranian" Squadron went through two very different incarnations during the Second World War. The first was as a Polish-manned bomber squadron, equipped with the Fairey Battle (thus the name "Pomorski"). This first version of the squadron began attacks on the German invasion barges in September 1940, before converting to the Vickers Wellington in October 1940 and joining the night bombing campaign. This version of the squadron was disbanded on 7 April 1943, and its aircrew transferred to No.300 "Mazowiecki" Squadron, another Polish unit.
The second incarnation of No.301 "Pomeranian" Squadron was formed from No. 1586 (Special Duties) Flight at Brindisi, as part of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. This version of the squadron operated a mix of Halifaxes and Liberators to fly supply-dropping missions over Poland, Yugoslavia and northern Italy. The squadron returned to Britain during March 1945, and in April the squadron became a transport unit.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 301 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Wellington Z1379-GR-J fallen off coast on 15/04/1942
* Crash of Wellington R1615-GR-G fallen to Turnhout on 03/06/1942

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303 Squadron

No. 303 (Polish) Squadron (Polish: 303 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Warszawski im. Tadeusza Kościuszki") was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring of the Hurricane squadrons during the Battle of Britain and had the highest ratio of enemy aircraft destroyed to their own lost.
No. 303 Squadron RAF was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, England[4] before deployment to RAF Northolt on 2 August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946.
"Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry," wrote Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, head of RAF Fighter Command, "I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle (of Britain) would have been the same."
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 303 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire P8596-RF-V fallen off coast on 2/07/1941

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304 Squadron

No.304 'Slaski' Squadron was a Polish-manned squadron that served with Bomber Command from 1940-1942 before transferring to Coastal Command for the rest of the war.
The squadron was formed on 22 August 1940 around a core of Polish airmen who had escaped from France. At first it was equipped with the Fairey Battle, but these obsolete light bombers were replaced with the Vickers Wellington before the squadron became operational.
The first operation mission was flown on 25 April 1941. The squadron was part of Bomber Command's main force for the next year, but in May 1942 was transferred to Coastal Command.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 304 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Wellington X9764-NZ fallen to Leuven on 6/04/1942
* Crash of Wellington R1064-NZ fallen off coast on 16/12/1941
* Crash of Wellington Z1088-NZ fallen to Villers-la-Ville on 28/04/1942

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305 Squadron

No. 305 Squadron, the fourth and last of the Polish bomber squadrons, was formed at Bramcote, Warwickshire, in No. 6 (Training) Group, on 29th August 1940. It was manned by the same type of personnel as its immediate predecessor, No. 304 Squadron, and again, like No. 304, was originally equipped with Fairey Battle aircraft. In November 1940, it began to convert to Vickers Wellingtons and in December moved and transferred (with No. 304) to Syerston and No. 1 Group. It started operational flying in April 1941.
The squadron continued to operate with No. 1 Group until August 1943, and during this period was based at Syerston, Lindholme, Hemswell and Ingham in turn. It then disposed of its Wellingtons and early in September 1943, moved to Swanton Morley and joined the Second Tactical Air Force. It left a creditable record of service in Bomber Command: over a span of roughly 27 months of operations (25/26th April 1941 to 2nd/3rd August 1943) it had logged 1,117 sorties and dropped/laid 1,555 tons of bombs and mines. On the debit side it had lost 136 airmen killed, 10 missing and 33 taken prisoner.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 305 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Wellington HE347-SM-F fallen to Antwerpen on 22/06/1943
* Crash of Mosquito MM409 fallen to Zaventem on 1/05/1944
* Crash of Wellington Z1281-SM-Z fallen to Wihogne on 28/08/1942
* Crash of Wellington W5463-SM-E fallen off coast on 16/08/1941
* Crash of Wellington W5579-SM-L fallen off coast on 16/10/1941
* Crash of Wellington W5593-SM-P fallen to Marche-en-Famenne

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312 Squadron


For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 31 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire MH354 fallen to Brugge on 31/12/1944

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313 Squadron

No 313 Squadron was formed at Catterick on 10 May 1941 as the third Czech fighter squadron. Equipped with Spitfires, it moved to Cornwall in August and began to fly defensive patrols and sweeps over France, transferring to the south-east in December 1941 for four months. In June 1943 it moved to nothern Scotland for two months returning south to provide escorts for day bombers over France. As part of Second TAF, it was engaged in preparations for the invasion of France, and helped to cover the landings in June 1944. Next month it moved to the Orkneys to protect the fleet base at Scapa Flow. In October it arrived in East Anglia to fly long-range escort missions in support of Bomber Command's daylight raids, but most of its operations were ground attack sorties over the Netherlands. In August 1945, No.313 left for Czechoslovakia, where it was disbanded as an RAF unit on 15 February 1946.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 313 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire MJ558 fallen to Herentals on 19/04/1944
* Crash of Spitfire NH148 fallen on 1/02/1945

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316 Squadron

No 316 Squadron was formed at Pembrey on 15 February 1941 as a Polish fighter unit equipped with Hawker Hurricane Mk.Is. It was engaged in defensive duties over south-west England until it re-equipped with Hurricanes Mk.IIs and began sweeps over northern France. It later re-equipped with the Spitfire and then Mustang aircraft.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 316 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire BR143-SZ-Q fallen off coast on 187/06/1943

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320 Squadron


For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 320 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Mitchell FR165 fallen to Tienen on 9/02/1945
* Crash of Mitchell FW212 fallen to Tienen on 9/02/1945

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331 Squadron

No. 331 Squadron RAF was a Second World War squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was primarily manned with Norwegian aircrew. The squadron was part of Fighter Command between 1941 and March 1944 when it joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force until the end of the war. The squadron took part in the Dieppe Raid and the Normandy landings.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 331 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire MJ534 fallen to Blauberg on 25/02/1944
* Crash of Spitfire MK182 fallen to Moorsele on 7/05/1944

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332 Squadron

Number 332 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed at RAF Catterick in the North Riding of Yorkshire on 16 January 1942, as a Supermarine Spitfire-equipped fighter squadron manned by Norwegians.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 332 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire W3833 fallen to Brugge on 24/07/1942
* Crash of Spitfire NH312-M fallen to Gent on 17/09/1944

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346 Squadron

RAF No. 346 (GB/II/23 Guyenne’) French Squadron
Formed at Elvington on 16 May 1944, it was composed of French Personnel who had been in North Africa. It was equipped with Halifax Vs initially, but by the time it became operational, in June 1944, it was mainly equipped with the Mk.III. The Squadron remained as part of Bomber Command’s Main Force until the end of the War, beginning to re-equip with the Halifax VI in March 1945. The Squadron was transferred to the Armée de l’Air on 27th November 1945. Squadron Code Letters H7
For the full text, see here
Sources: Flt Lt Alfred Edward (Ted) Church

Crash in which the 346 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Halifax NA557 H7-L fallen to Thines on 21/11/1944
* Crash of Halifax NA166 H7-G fallen to Genk on 16/03/1945

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349 Squadron

349th Squadron (French: 349e escadrille, Dutch: 349ste Smaldeel) is a fighter squadron in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. The unit, which originated as No. 349 (Belgian) Squadron in the Royal Air Force, was founded in 1942. It was transferred to the Belgian Air Force, together with 350th Squadron, in 1946. Considered a "honorary" squadron, it retained its original name and numbering and has been flying under the Belgian flag ever since. Today it is part of the 10th Tactical Wing, operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon from Kleine Brogel airbase.
With the Royal Air Force:
No 349 (Belgian) Squadron was formed as a Royal Air Force squadron by Belgian personnel at RAF Ikeja (near Lagos), Nigeria on 10 November 1942.[1] The squadron was equipped with the Curtiss Tomahawk for local defence duties but the squadron did not become operational as such. The pilots were used for ferrying aircraft to the Middle East instead. The squadron was disbanded in May 1943 and the personnel transferred to the UK. On 5 June 1943, the Squadron was reformed at RAF Station Wittering, operating the Supermarine Spitfire V and became operational at RAF Digby in August 1943. The squadron moved to southern England to operate over France as bomber escorts and low-level sweeps. In early 1944, it began training as a fighter-bomber unit and then operated as such in occupied Europe. During the invasion of Normandy, it carried out beachhead patrols and were used as bomber escorts. In August 1944 the squadron moved to France, in the fighter-bomber role, and carried out armed reconnaissance behind enemy positions, attacking targets of opportunity (mainly vehicles). In February 1945, the squadron returned to England to convert to the Hawker Tempest. This did not go well: conversion ended in April, and the squadron reacquired Spitfire IXs, operating from the Netherlands. It moved to Belgium and was disbanded as an RAF-squadron on 24 October 1946 on transfer to the Belgian Air Force, keeping the number.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 349 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire PT841 fallen outside of borders on 19/10/1944

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350 Squadron

No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron, was the first Belgian squadron of the Royal Air Force . Initially, pilots and pilot candidates who joined England following the Belgian surrender are distributed and integrated into different RAF squadrons.
The November 12, 1941, the Belgian pilots are regrouped in a new squadron. The No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron was created at RAF Valley air base and became operational on December 22. The official inauguration of the squadron takes place onFebruary 12, 1942in Northolt in the presence of Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot and Minister of Finance Camille Gutt .
Initially, the squadron's missions consisted of convoy escort missions in the Irish Sea on Spitfire IIA from RAF base Atcham. InApril 1942, the squadron moved to Debden air base and from there carried out offensive missions over France.
For the full text, see here
Sources: Royal Air Force

Crash in which the 350 squadron was involved:

* Crash of Spitfire BL822-MN-T fallen outside of borders on 1/06/1942
* Crash of Spitfire NH711-MN-? fallen outside of borders on 23/01/1945

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